Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

Math for Middles founder Adrianne Meldrum explores common math challenges for atypical learners, why a multisensory math approach works, and how to help kids struggling with math push through their blocks.Connect with Tilt Parenting Visit Tilt Parenting Take the free 7-Day Challenge Read a chapter of Differently Wired Follow Tilt on Twitter & Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been a while since we’ve talked about OCD on the show, so when anxiety and OCD expert Natasha Daniels reached out about her new book, Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids, I was excited to get into it all and pulled together a lot of questions ready to make this conversation as helpful as possible for our community.You may know Natasha from her popular AT Survival Parenting podcast, or some of her other books like Anxiety Sucks: A Teen Survival Guide, How to Parent Your Anxious Toddler, Social Skills Activities for Kids, andIt’s Brave to Be Kind, or from her past visit to this show. She has more than two decades of experience as a child therapist, and combines her clinical expertise with her lived experience in her work, as she’s raising her three kids with anxiety and OCD. You also may have seen her work featured in places like Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, PsychCentral, The Child Mind Institute and The Mighty.So for today’s conversation, I wanted to do a deep dive into OCD and learn more about what it is, how it manifests, signs of OCD that might be missed by parents, how to tease out when something is OCD versus anxiety or ADHD or other types of neurodivergence, and lastly, how parents can support their children if they have OCD. And of course, Natasha shared some insights and tools from her new Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids, which is truly a powerful, and easy-to-use resource for any child navigating OCD and the challenges that come along with it. About Natasha DanielsNatasha Daniels is an anxiety and OCD child therapist with over two decades of experience. She combines both her clinical expertise with her lived experience, raising her own three kids with anxiety and OCD.She is the author of several books including Anxiety Sucks: A Teen Survival Guide, How to Parent Your Anxious Toddler, Social Skills Activities for Kids, It’s Brave to Be Kind, The Grief Rock, and Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids.She is the creator of the website AT Parenting Survival, As well as the host of the show AT Parenting Survival Podcast and the Youtube channel, Ask the Child Therapist. Her work has been featured in various places including Huffington Post, Scary Mommy, PsychCentral, The Child Mind Institute and The Mighty. Things you'll learn from this episode How OCD begins and manifests in children What intrusive thoughts or feelings are and how they can lead to compulsions Why OCD is often misdiagnosed as ADHD, anxiety, or self-harm and why it’s important to receive an accurate diagnosis What exposure response prevention (ERP) therapy is and how it supports individuals with OCD What OCD with support looks like over time with helpful treatment and the development of coping skills The importance of early intervention in supporting children with OCD How Natasha’s book Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids provides evidence-based tools and strategies to help children understand and manage their OCD  Resources mentioned for Unmasking Autism Natasha Daniels’ website Crushing OCD Workbook for Kids: 50 Fun Activities to Overcome OCD With CBT and Exposures by Natasha Daniels Natasha Daniels Talks about Anxiety and OCD in Kids (Tilt Parenting Podcast) AT Parenting Podcast AT Parenting Survival Online Courses AT Parenting survival on Instagram AT Parenting survival on Youtube Filmmaker Chris Baier Helps Families Get Unstuck from OCD (Tilt Parenting Podcast) UNSTUCK: An OCD Kids Movie (Available with Spanish, French, Russian, Greek, Portuguese subtitles and an audio description) Help for Childhood Anxiety and OCD with Dr. Eli Leibowitz (Tilt Parenting Podcast) Space Treatment website   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Author, coach, and mindfulness expert Michelle Gale (Mindful Parenting in a Messy World) talks about how mindfulness not only supports our children's development, but allows us to parent with more joy and confidence.Connect with Tilt Parenting Visit Tilt Parenting Take the free 7-Day Challenge Read a chapter of Differently Wired Follow Tilt on Twitter & Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Alok Kanojia discusses healthy gaming habits for kids, distinguishing addiction from normal gaming, the impact of gaming on children with ADHD, and the importance of holistic approaches. The conversation explores fostering open communication, balancing virtual and real-world identities, and setting achievable goals for raising healthy gamers.

Nutritionist and author of the book "From Mac & Cheese to Veggies, Please" talks about how we can help our children overcome their picky eating habits.Connect with Tilt Parenting Visit Tilt Parenting Take the free 7-Day Challenge Read a chapter of Differently Wired Follow Tilt on Twitter & Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Explore how Simone Davies & Junnifa Uzodike apply Montessori principles to raise neurodivergent kids. They discuss balancing support and independence, fostering autonomy, teaching social skills, and navigating family agreements. Learn about creating a conducive environment for growth and fostering respectful relationships.

Author, entrepreneur, and founder of the Good Life Project Jonathan Fields talks about his book "How to Live a Good Life: Soulful Stories, Surprising Science and Practical Wisdom."Connect with Tilt Parenting Visit Tilt Parenting Take the free 7-Day Challenge Read a chapter of Differently Wired Follow Tilt on Twitter & Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A theme we often touch upon on this show is how the discourse surrounding neurodivergence and the language used when referring to neurodivergence is ever-evolving. I’ve observed on social media and in other spaces how conversations about terminology can be confusing, divisive, alienating, and complicated to navigate. Disability is one of those terms that can be uncomfortable for some people, including parents of neurodivergent kids, to embrace, but my hope is that this conversation will help you have a deeper understanding of what it means to be disabled, how ableism shows up and hurts all members of the disability community, including our kids, and how we can be better allies in the disabilityTo talk about this, I invited disability rights activist and writer Emily Ladau onto the show. Emily wrote a wonderful book called Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally, and in today’s conversation, we explore some of the core ideas in her book. As always, we covered a lot of ground in this episode, including what it actually means to be disabled, why the euphemism “special needs” is problematic for many people, how ableism is normalized in our society, disability etiquette do’s and dont’s to keep in mind for future interactions, and so much more. About Emily LadauEmily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10, when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. Her writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Vice, and HuffPost and her first book, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally, was published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in September 2021. Emily has spoken before numerous audiences, from the U.S. Department of Education to the United Nations. Central to all of Emily’s work is harnessing the power of storytelling to engage people in learning about disability. Things you'll learn from this episode The difference between models of disability, including the medical, social, and charity model Why it’s critical that we recognize and address internalized ableism in order to promote inclusivity What intersectionality is and ways disability intersects with other marginalized identities What should be considered when looking at accommodations and accessibility when meeting the diverse needs of individuals Do’s, don’t’s and best practices when it comes to disability etiquette  Resources mentioned for Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally Emily Ladau’s website Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally by Emily Ladau The Accessible Stall (Emily’s podcast) Words I Wheel By (Emily’s Facebook page) Emily on Instagram Emily on LinkedIn Tyler Fedder (Illustrator) D’Arcee Neal The Platinum Rule   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clinical child and family psychologist Dr. Laura Anderson talks about gender noncomformity in children and explores the link between autism and gender dysphoria and gender fluidity.Connect with Tilt Parenting Visit Tilt Parenting Take the free 7-Day Challenge Read a chapter of Differently Wired Follow Tilt on Twitter & Instagram Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I have such a fascinating conversation for you today. A few months ago, I heard about something called the Theory of Positive Disintegration — a theory created by K. Dabrowski, whose name I was familiar with because of his bringing attention to the idea that gifted children have inborn traits known as overexcitabilities – and I was instantly curious. Positive Disintegration – what does that mean exactly? It sounded complicated, and good, but also messy. So I wanted to know more.That’s when I learned of the work of Dr. Chris Wells, who is the founding president of the Dąbrowski Center and who is dedicated to sharing knowledge and resources about this profound theory and the psychology of giftedness.I invited Chris on the show to explore the Theory of Positive Disintegration with us, and fortunately for all of us, they said yes. And I will just say upfront — there is a lot that goes into understanding this theory and the implications it has for our differently wired children. So in today’s episode, we are only scratching the surface of this theory. But I am so excited for the opportunity to share this conversation because I believe this fascinating framework has the potential to offer a new perspective on neurodivergence and mental health that is important for families in our community to explore.One last thing, this episode includes mention of suicidality and suicide attempts, so if those are trigger topics for you, please take care of yourself while listening. About Chris WellsChris Wells, PhD, LSW, is a neurodivergent writer, social worker, and Dąbrowski scholar with a passion for studying and applying the theory of positive disintegration. As the founding president of the Dąbrowski Center and co-host of the Positive Disintegration Podcast, Chris is dedicated to sharing knowledge and resources about this profound theory and the psychology of giftedness.Chris provides specialized consulting services to clinicians and educators internationally, delivering deep insights into positive disintegration and its practical applications. They also offer their unique blend of lived experience and professional expertise as an advocate and speaker for mental health awareness and suicide prevention. Chris lives with their partner and teenage son in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Things you'll learn: What the Theory of Positive Disintegration is and how it offers an alternative perspective on mental health struggles What the five domains of Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities How the connection between overexcitabilities and the autonomic nervous system can provide insights into nervous system regulation How the Theory of Positive Disintegration fits in with traditional therapeutic modalities How anxiety and depression might be signs of growth and development  Resources mentioned: Chris Well’s substack Positive Integration The Dabrowski Center The Positive Disintegration Podcast Dabrowski’s Overexcitabilities “Mellow Out,” They Say. If I Only Could: Intensities and Sensitivities of the Young and Bright by Michael Piechowski Michael Piechowski Adults with Overexciteabilities Facebook Group Living With Intensity: Understanding the Sensitivity, Excitability, and the Emotional Development of Gifted Children, Adolescents, and Adults edited by Dr. Susan Daniels and Dr. Michael Piechowski Welcome to Positive Disintegration (Positive Disintegration Podcast) Depression and Anxiety in Development (Positive Disintegration Podcast) Positive Disintegration in Children and Adolescents (Positive Disintegration Podcast) Disintegration and Neurodivergence (Positive Disintegration Podcast) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices