Neurodiverse Love with Mona Kay From Punishment to Partnership: Cultivating Harmony in a Neurodiverse Household-Theresa Regan
Dec 2, 2025
Dr. Theresa Regan, a neuropsychologist with over 30 years of experience, shares vital insights on transforming neurodiverse households from a rigid policing model to one of collaboration. She emphasizes the importance of acknowledging neurological differences among family members. By fostering curiosity and understanding individual needs, households can shift towards a creative problem-solving approach. This not only alleviates conflicts and promotes needs fulfillment but also cultivates a supportive environment that positively impacts schools and workplaces.
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Policing Culture Creates Stalemates
- Household culture often defaults to a policing model focused on rules and repeated conversations that produce no change.
- Recognizing that stalled communication reflects mismatched wiring opens the possibility for a different approach.
Begin With Nervous-System Awareness
- Start with self-awareness about how each household member is wired and what they need to regroup.
- Observe and name each person's needs before trying to enforce shared standards.
End‑Of‑Day Tug‑Of‑War Example
- Theresa describes a family arriving home where each person needs a different way to decompress after the day.
- The opposing demands (activity, conversation, silence) create daily tug-of-war conflicts.
