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

This weeks' guest is Penny Williams, author of the book Boy Without Instructions: Surviving the Learning Curve of Parenting a Child with ADHD, as well The Insiders Guide to ADHD, and What To Expect When Parenting a Child with ADHD. Penny is also the founder of Parenting ADHD and Autism, which features a blog, coaching, and the Parenting ADHD podcast, all aimed at helping parents raising special kids survive, thrive, and parent with purpose. In our conversation, Penny shares her story of raising her differently wired son, gives us the inside scoop on her books, and shares some of her best strategies for getting through the tough moments with our unique kiddos. I hope you enjoy the episode!Penny Williams is a coffee-lovin’, ADHD-obsessed momma on a mission, and she’s honored to help families on this always chaotic, often stressful, anything-but-ordinary parenting journey. Through her award-winning books, online parent training programs, and parent coaching, Penny helps families like yours survive and thrive in the face of ADHD through a compassionate, purposeful parenthood. THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: Penny’s personal story of discovering her son’s neurodifferences and advocating for him in school Why holding her son back one year in school was the best decision Penny made (but she had to follow her gut to make it) Penny’s thoughts on medicating kids for ADHD, as well as her story in figuring out the best medication path for her son Why Penny had mom guilt with some her choices in supporting her son Penny’s thoughts on the co-morbid diagnoses of ADHD and autism The challenges of getting a thorough and accurate diagnosis when there are multiple symptoms  RESOURCES MENTIONED: Parenting ADHD and Aspergers (Penny’s website) Boy Without Instructions:Surviving the Learning Curve of Parenting a Child with ADHD by Penny Williams What to Expect When Parenting Children with ADHD: A 9-Step Plan to Master the Struggles and Triumphs of Parenting a Child with ADHD by Penny Williams The Insider’s Guide to ADHD: Adults with ADHD Reveal the Secret to Parenting Kids with ADHD by Penny Williams Parenting ADHD Podcast  Support the showConnect 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. Ellen Braaten was one of my first guests on the Tilt Parenting podcast, when she joined me back in 2016 to talk about her book about processing speed, Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up. I’m so happy to be bringing her back to the show to talk about motivation,, which is the topic for her wonderful new book, Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less: How to Rekindle Your Child’s Motivation. In this episode, we explore motivation (or what we might perceive as a lack of motivation) in our kids from many angles, including what is really going on when our child appears to be unmotivated, the relationship between executive function and motivation, how resilience comes into play, and the way in which we as parents and caregivers can support our kids in gaining confidence and skills so they can make meaningful progress towards the things that light them up. About Dr. Ellen BraatenDr. Ellen Braaten is the Executive Director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital, and an Associate Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Braaten is widely recognized as an expert in the field of pediatric neuropsychological and psychological assessment, particularly in the areas of assessing learning disabilities and attentional disorders. She is the co-author of many books and articles for parents and professionals including the bestselling book, Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up. Her newest book, Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less: How to Rekindle Your Child’s Motivation was published in March of 2023.Things you'll learn from this episode-Why people sometimes misconstrue struggles with motivation as laziness (and how they’re getting it wrong)-How executive function challenges and challenges with getting, or staying, motivated are connected-What the parenting APP framework is and how it helps parents in supporting their children in feeling more motivated-What “flow” is and how can we leverage that to support our kids’ fledgling motivation-How to support kids in setting and working towards goals with kids who are particularly demand-avoidantResources-Dr. Ellen Braaten’s website-Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less: How to Rekindle Your Child’s Motivation by Dr. Ellen Braaten-Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Keep Up in a Fast-Paced World by Dr. Ellen Braaten-Exploring Slow Processing Speed with Dr. Ellen Braaten (Tilt Parenting Podcast)-Traits of Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi-The Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Mass General-Doable: A Girls’ Guide to Accomplishing Just About Anything by Debbie ReberSupport the showConnect 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

This episode features a conversation with Giselle Marzo Segura, a designer, teacher, mentor, writer and solutions thinker based in Miami, Florida, who is also the parent of a differently-wired daughter. As a result of her journey with her daughter, Giselle was moved to create a venture called Strength Clusters, which is all about helping people understand and connect with each other through the language of character strengths. I’ll let Giselle tell you her whole story, because it’s very inspiring and personal, but for now, I’ll let you know that we’re going to be talking about his idea of why current systems aimed at supporting differently-wired kids do so by focusing on the deficits. We’ll also get into how truly transformational it can be, not just for the child but for the whole family, when we flip that on its head and focus on an individual’s strengths.THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: The cost of not allowing differently-wired kids to hang out in their areas of strength for large chunks of the day Why Giselle believes differently-wired kids need the opportunity to express what’s inside of them What the language of positive psychology and character strengths is What happens when the whole family views each other through the lens of character strengths and is on the same page The magic of looking at a child as a whole person That there are other types of learning beyond cognitive learning, such as learning through the body and emotions  RESOURCES MENTIONED: Strength Clusters (Giselle’s website) Character Strenths are Virtues: A Handbook and Classification by Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson Via Character Strengths Survey Brene Brown’s website The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown Pamela Slim’s website Support the showConnect 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

Today I’m delighted to be bringing to the show a conversation about supporting LGBTQIA+ kids, and I have the perfect guest to explore this topic with, John Sovec, a therapist, author, and nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ teens and their families during the coming out process. I wanted to talk with John because these conversations are becoming increasingly prevalent within our neurodivergent communities. During our conversation, John explained what “coming out” means and why it’s such a significant and ongoing event for any LGBTQIA+ person. He also shared his thoughts on the high correlation between neurodivergence and gender nonconformity, how parents can best respond when their child comes out to them, why affirmation is more important than acceptance, and why it’s so important that parents honor their own process as they navigate understanding their child’s identity. About John SovecJohn Sovec, MA, LMFT is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for LGBTQIA+ teens and their families during the coming out process. He is the author of Out: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your LGBTQIA+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond (JKP, 2023). John is a frequent contributor to numerous publications on providing LGBTQIA+ support, speaks at conferences nationally, and provides training and professional consultation on LGBTQIA+ competencies for community agencies, schools, and nonprofits. In addition, he consults and trains on the corporate level regarding diversity, equity, and LGBTQIA+ inclusion.In December 2019, he was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. John is the host of OutTalk, a monthly web series for OutCare Health.Things you'll learn from this episode Why it’s important that LGBTQIA+ kids have access to therapists and mental health support that is affirming and informed in the community’s specific challenges What LGBTQIA+ plus stands for What “coming out” means in our contemporary society John’s guidance for how parents can respond to their child’s coming out in a way that feels supportive and loving How parents can show up for their LGBTQIA+ kids in an affirming way What parents with LGBTQIA+ kids are most concerned about and how they can navigate their own emotional process Resources mentioned for John Sovec’s website A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Your Lgbtqia+ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond by John Sovec John Sovec’s Gay Teen Therapy website John Sovec on Instagram How to Support Transgender and Nonbinary Neurodivergent Children, with Dr. Laura Anderson (Tilt Parenting Podcast) Dr. Laura Anderson on Gender Nonconformity and Differently Wired Kids (Tilt Parenting Podcast) The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Support the showConnect 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

If you are the parent of more than one child, neurotypical or atypical, this is an episode you are definitely going to want to listen to. I get requests for topics from listeners all the time (which, by the way, is great…please keep them coming!), and one of the most common requests is for an episode specifically on sibling relationships. So I found the perfect guest to talk about the sibling dynamic—parent educator Julie King. Julie co-authored the book How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, a Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 alongside Joanna Faber, and leads dynamic lecture/presentations for schools and other parent organizations. Among the workshops she offers is one based on Siblings Without Rivalry, and she brings to her work the perspective of having raised two differently-wired and one neurotypical kids herself. I’m really excited to share this conversation with you, and I hope to do more episodes on this topic. Julie King has been educating and supporting parents since 1995. In addition to her work with individual parents and couples, she is a highly regarded parenting workshop leader and public presenter. Her most popular workshops, How To Talk So Kids Will Listen and How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen, are based on the bestselling books of Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish and her own book, written with Joanna Faber. THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: What the common challenges are for siblings in families with differently wired kids Best practices for creating and maintaining family harmony How to approach conflict resolution in a way that’s respectful, peaceful, and fosters growth The power of the “reframe” conflicts as problems in need of solutions How to handle “inequalities” in the amount of attention and/or resources one sibling may be receiving over another due to neurodifferences Strategies for addressing one child’s anger about or resentment of their sibling The key to finding solutions to sibling conflicts that get everyone’s needs met RESOURCES MENTIONED: Julie King’s website How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen: A Survival Guide to Life with Children Ages 2-7 by Joanna Faber and Julie King How to Talk So Little Kids Will Listen Facebook Page How to Talk so Little Kids Will Listen (website) Support the showConnect 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. Donna Henderson and Dr. Sarah Wayland's new book Is This Autism is a game-changing labor of love in which they clarify the many ways that autism can present, particularly in people who camouflage to hide their autistic traits. Their book walks readers through the diagnostic criteria in a way that presents a much deeper understanding of how those criteria can, and should, be interpreted. We cover a lot of ground in this extra-long episode, including why so many people, including women and girls and people in marginalized groups, are being misdiagnosed or simply “missed,” as well as why it’s critical that we look beyond the stereotypes of autism and gain a rich, nuanced understanding of the autistic experience. Dr. Donna Henderson has been a clinical psychologist for over 30 years. She is passionate about identifying and supporting autistic individuals, particularly those who camouflage. Dr. Sarah Wayland is the founder of Guiding Exceptional Parents, and co-founder of The Behavior Revolution. Things you'll learn from this episode Why there is an unwillingness to explore autism among many clinicians, as well as a lack of training for how to assess for it How Sarah and Donna’s joint book came together and what their goal is in getting it out into the world Why so many autistic people are being missed in a “traditional” diagnostic process Donna and Sarah’s thoughts on why the number of people getting an autism diagnostic has increased recent years Whether or not there is a place for “subjectivity” by an evaluator in the diagnostic process Resources mentioned  Is This Autism? website Dr. Donna Henderson’s website Sarah Wayland’s website Guiding Exceptional Parents Is This Autism? A Guide for Clinicians and Everyone Else by Dr. Donna Henderson and Dr. Sarah Wayland Is This Autism? A Companion Guide for Diagnosing by Dr. Donna Henderson and Dr. Sarah Wayland (available July 2023) Support the showConnect 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’m very excited to be talking with psychologist, parent coach, and prolific author Dawn Huebner. One of the coolest things about making this podcast is getting to continually connect with people whose work I’ve not only been following for years, but people whose work and books have literally impacted my family in a meaningful way. On top of that, I get to ask them everything I want to know. Hopefully I cover the same things that you would ask if you were sitting in my chair, too. Today is one of those conversations, as we’ve owned and have been using Dawn’s books like What to Do When Your Temper Flares and What To Do When You Grumble Too Much for many years. Today Dawn and I are talking about her new book on anxiety called Outsmarting Worry: And Older Kid’s Guide to Overcoming Anxiety. Dawn has a gift for creating practical, doable, interactive “toolkits” to help feel empowered to take control of their emotional experience and make changes that can make the way they’re moving through life feel so much better. I hope you enjoy our conversation! Dawn Huebner, PhD, is a Clinical Psychologist, Parent Coach and popular speaker, specializing in the many faces of childhood anxiety. Her newest book, Outsmarting Worry, maintains her distinctive voice while adding a layer of detail and sophistication appreciated by older children and teens. THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: What is “normal” worry for children and how will we know if our child needs help How we can help our children shift from being “irrational” with worry to calm What does the process of helping a child learn to manage their own worry and anxiety actually look like?  How might some parents be inadvertently exacerbating their child’s worry? What is one simple skill we can teach our child today to help him or her start to tackle worry? How can we help a child who is resistant to taking steps to learn how to manage their anxiety?  RESOURCES MENTIONED: Dr. Dawn Huebner’s website Outsmarting Worry by Dawn Huebner What to Do When Your Temper Flares by Dawn Huebner What to Do When You Grumble Too Much by Dawn Huebner What to Do When You Worry Too Much by Dawn Huebner Support the showConnect 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

Today’s episode features an eye-opening conversation with Julie Bogart on how to help kids who have resistance around writing, which, I have a hunch, is something many of you out there listening are familiar with. Julie, the mastermind behind the Brave Writer program, the Brave Writer podcast, and really thoughtful content on all things kids, writing, learning with confidence, and critical thinking, is the perfect person to explore this topic with. What I thought might be an interview that focused on the nuts and bolts of writing ended up being a very moving and inspiring lesson about self-expression and trust. Julie and I talked about how separating the mechanical and self-expression parts of writing can help kids experience less resistance to writing, how to break through barriers students may have when it comes to expressing themselves, and what Julie identifies as performance anxiety at the heart of a child’s struggles to getting starting putting words down on the page. Julie also gave some fantastic advice on how to change the script around writing resistance and where to get started for parents experiencing this at home. Julie Bogart is known for her common sense parenting and education advice. She’s the author of the beloved book, The Brave Learner, which has brought joy and freedom to countless home educators. Her new book, Raising Critical Thinkers, offers parents a lifeline in navigating the complex digital world our kids are confronting.Julie’s also the creator of the award-winning, innovative online writing program called Brave Writer, now 22 years old, serving 191 countries. Things you'll learn from this episode What Brave Writer is and how it helps families looking to support their children in becoming more confident writers How separating the mechanical and self-expression parts of writing can help kids experience less resistance Julie’s thoughts on support systems and available assistive technology and how they influence kids’ relationships with writing How to break through the resistance when children feel daunted by the idea of expressing themselves Why Julie believes performance anxiety is at the root of resistance when kids struggle to begin a writing task Advice for parents raising kids who experience intense resistance around the writing process Resources mentioned Julie Bogart’s Brave Writer website Julie Bogart’s Blog at Brave Writer Brave Writer Writing Blitz Brave Writer Podcast Raising Critical Thinkers: A Parents’ Guide to Growing Wise Kids in the Digital Age by Julie Bogart The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart Julie Bogart on Instagram Julie Bogart on Facebook Julie Bogart on Twitter Support the showConnect 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

To close out this season, I’m bringing you an interview with Amy Laurent and Jacquelyn Fede from Austim Level UP! I’m going to go out on a limb and say most of you have probably heard of Autism Level Up or heard Amy and Jacquelyn’s names before. Autism Level Up! Is a resource that I have personally spent hours pouring through because it’s so fantastic , accessible and informative. In this conversation I wanted to talk to Amy and Jacqueline about why they created Autism Level UP!, how the conversation surrounding autism and support for autistic people has changed over the past decade, and how we can all “level up” our own understanding of and experience with autism and neurodivergence.About my guestsJac is a super fun, super goofy and SUPER DUPER nerdy Autistic Advocate and the co-founder of Autism Level UP! Jac enjoys supporting Autistic Individuals and their partners as well as program evaluation, data and statistics, and app and web development. Jac is a physical activity junky and continues to meet its intense sensory needs by seeking high impact and highly resistant movements. Amy is an OT, co-author of the SCERTS model (a developmental framework for supporting Autistic people), and the co-founder of Autism Level UP!. Amy enjoys supporting Autistic individuals and their partners, co-conspiring as an ally to Autistic people and creative design of useful and accessible tools and supports. Amy has many sensory needs that she meets through running, yoga, dance, paddle boarding and even resistance training as prescribed by her trainer, Jac. Things you'll learn from this episode The story behind Austin Level Up and how (and why) Amy and Jacquelyn created it What the SCERTS model is and the ways in which Autism Level Up has reworked some of its aspects What Autism Level Up is and how parents can engage with it The difference between emotional regulation and energy regulation Resources mentioned Autism Level UP! Autism Level UP! on Facebook Autism Level UP! on Instagram The S.C.E.R.T.S. Model Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Dr. Barry Prizant Barry Prizant Talks About His Book “Uniquely Human” Dr. Barry Prizant and Dave Finch Talk About Their New Podcast, Uniquely Human (Tilt Parenting Podcast)  Dr. Devon Price and Unmasking Autism (Tilt Parenting Podcast)  Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity by Devon Price, PhD Support the showConnect 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

This is going to be a different kind of an episode, because it’s the seven-year anniversary of Tilt Parenting (!) and it felt like a good time to do some reflection on where we – you, me, this community – are now. And I wanted to reflect because I think it’s important to pause, take a breath, and notice this moment. So, in this episode, I’ll share reflections on what has changed in the “Tilt revolution” and the neurodiversity movement in the years since Tilt Parenting first launched, including the language used in this space. I also get a little personal and give you some updates from my world, our family’s journey, and what’s next. Lastly, I always want to offer something practical and tangible that you can take with you into your daily life, so I’ll tell you about the five biggest lessons I’ve been learning over the past few years and explain how they’ve impacted our family dynamic, and my own life as the parent of a differently wired kid.Things you'll learn from this episode: How the conversation, and terminology, surrounding neurodivergence and the “movement” has evolved over the past seven years How I envisioned Tilt when I first developed it Why I believe there is no such thing as “normal” What I see as the most exciting developments in neuroscience developments and how they’ll impact differently wired children How my personal life has changed since I started Tilt and the challenges I’ve encountered in doing the inner work The five biggest lessons I’ve been learning over (and over) again in recent years Support the showConnect 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