

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
Debbie Reber
Feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of raising a neurodivergent child? Full-Tilt Parenting is here to help. Hosted by parenting activist and author Debbie Reber, this podcast is your go-to resource for navigating life with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), giftedness, and twice-exceptional (2e) kids. With expert interviews and candid conversations, you'll discover practical solutions for things like school challenges and refusal, therapy options, and fostering inclusion, social struggles, advocacy, intense behavior, and more — all through a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming lens. Whether you're struggling with advocating for your child at school or seeking ways to better support their unique needs, Debbie offers the guidance and encouragement you need to reduce overwhelm and create a thriving, joyful family environment. It's like sitting down with a trusted friend who gets it. You’ve got this, and we’ve got your back!
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 2, 2021 • 43min
TPP 271: Suicide and Suicidal Tendencies in Neurodivergent Teens & Children, with Dr. Matt Zakreski
Clinical psychologist and researcher on giftedness Dr. Matt Zakreski talks about suicide, suicidal ideation, and suicide prevention, with special consideration to unique needs of neurodivergent children and teens and the Covid 19 pandemic. 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

Oct 29, 2021 • 34min
TPP 010a: Angela Santomero on How Children Can Grow SEL Skills Through Preschool TV
Ever wonder about the education value of the shows your kids watch? Curious to know if children can grow their SEL skills through preschool TV? On this episode, I’m talking with preschool television show creator, executive producer, writer, and show runner, Angela Santomero about just that. I first met Angela while working on Blue’s Clues, a show that she, incidentally, co-created, and we’ve been friends ever since. I wanted to bring Angela on the podcast because not only do we share a lot of core beliefs when it comes to parenting, but the shows she’s creating are having a powerful impact on young children who are wired differently. In this episode, Angela and I talk about why children’s TV can be so powerful as a tool for education, the merits of screen time for young kids, the research foundation behind all of Angela’s shows that ensure the lessons and messages are landing with kids the way they’re intended to, and why some children’s TV shows can be a great way to present social and emotional learning opportunities for differently-wired kids.Angela Santomero is the cocreator, executive producer, and head writer for the award-winning Blue’s Clues and the creator and executive producer for the smash hit Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Super Why!, airing on PBS; Creative Galaxy and Wishenproof for Amazon Studios; and Charlie’s Colorforms City on Netflix. Things you’ll learn from this episode:
What the research says about the merits of educational television programming and media for kids
Why some social / emotional strategies on preschool programs are especially sticky for differently-wired kids
How some shows are trying to incorporate social stories that can support differently-wired kids’ social thinking about things like friendship challenges, anxiety, and aggression
Resources mentioned for SEL and Preschool TV
Angela Santomero’s website Angela’s Clues
Preschool TV Creator Angela Santomero on Her New Book Preschool Clues (podcast episode)
Preschool Clues: Raising Smart, Inspired, and Engaged Kids in a Screen-Filled World by Angela Santomero and Deborah Reber
Radical Kindness: The Life Changing Power of Giving and Receiving by Angela Santomero
Blue’s Clues (Nick Jr.)
Super Why (PBS Kids)
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood (PBS Kids)
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

Oct 25, 2021 • 44min
TPP 270: Support for Smart But Struggling Students, with Jeannine Jannot
Academic coach and author of The Disintegrating Student, Jeannine Jannot, Ph.D., shares insights on why previously high performing students might fall apart and offers strategies for building skills and resilience.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

Oct 22, 2021 • 27min
TPP 048a: Debbie Talks About Her Transition to Homeschool
Today is another special solocast episode I’ll be doing focusing on homeschooling. The first episode focused on how we came to the decision to homeschool, because I was very much a reluctant homeschooler. For today’s episode, I’m focusing on the actual transition to homeschool and that very first year—essentially, how I got through it. Because it was not an easy transition, and there were many times when I wanted to throw in the towel. I’ll talk with you about what the biggest challenges were for me and Asher and share with you the strategies I used to push through the really hard stuff and get us to a much better place by the end of that first year.Debbie Reber, MA, is a parenting activist, New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and speaker who moved her career in a more personal direction in 2016 when she founded TiLT Parenting, a top resource for parents like her who are raising differently wired children. The TiLT Parenting Podcast has grown to be a top podcast in Kids & Family, with more than6 million downloads and a slate of guests that includes high-profile thought leaders across the parenting and education space. Things you’ll learn from this episode:
How Debbie relied tapped into parenting and curricular support
The importance of a “detox” period for a child to successfully transition to homeschool
The power of field trips and community
How shifting expectations, letting go, and leaning in changed everything
Resources mentioned about the transition to homeschool
An Intimate Conversation with Debbie About Making the Choice to Homeschool Asher (Part 1 in this podcast series)
When School Isn’t a Fit: What To Expect and How to Handle It (podcast conversation with Alison Bower)
Margaret Webb Life Coaching (parent coach)
Finding Peace in Parenting the Child You Didn’t Expect When You Were Expecting (podcast conversation with Margaret Webb)
How Parents Can Survive and Thrive Over the Summer Break (podcast conversation with Margaret Webb)
What to Do When Close or Extended Family Just Doesn’t Get It (podcast conversation with Margaret Webb)
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

Oct 18, 2021 • 1h 5min
TPP 269: How to Support Transgender and Nonbinary Neurodivergent Children, with Laura Anderson
Clinical child and family psychologist Dr. Laura Anderson returns to the podcast for a deep nuanced conversation about raising neurodivergent children who are trans, nonbinary, or otherwise gender noncomforming.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

Oct 15, 2021 • 28min
TPP 042a: “Should I homeschool my child?” Debbie Shares Her Own Journey
This episode is the first of several solocasts I’ll be doing focusing on homeschooling—not so much the nuts and bolts of it, although I will eventually share some strategies—but more the emotional side of what it was like to make the decision to homeschool. Because, as I’ve said in previous episodes, I was very much a ‘reluctant homeschooler.’ In this episode, I’m going to tell you exactly why that was, why I was so convinced that there was no way I could possibly homeschool Asher, and tell you how I got to a place where my thinking shifted and I was open to giving it a go. Debbie Reber, MA, is a parenting activist, New York Times bestselling author, podcast host, and speaker who moved her career in a more personal direction in 2016 when she founded TiLT Parenting, a top resource for parents like her who are raising differently wired children. The TiLT Parenting Podcast has grown to be a top podcast in Kids & Family, with more than 6 million downloads and a slate of guests that includes high-profile thought leaders across the parenting and education space. Things you’ll learn from this episode:
Why Debbie was so against homeschooling in the first place
What finally convinced her to give it a try
What Debbie learned through the process of being a reluctant homeschooling mama
Resources mentioned for answering the question “Should I homeschool?”
Alison Bower on When School Isn’t a Fit: What to Expect and How to Handle It (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

Oct 12, 2021 • 49min
TPP 268: Global Advocate Morénike Giwa Onaiwu on Intersectional Justice in the Neurodivergent Community
Global advocate, educator, disabled person of color, non-binary woman, and parent of children on the autism spectrum Morénike Giwa Onaiwu talks about the intersectionality of gender, race, and neurodivergence, her own autism diagnosis as an adult, and more. 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

Oct 8, 2021 • 53min
TPP 105a: Educator Zach Morris on World-View Transformation
This is a conversation about children and flexible thinking with educator, co-founder of the Learn Inc school, and founder of Alive at Learn, Zach Morris. I had Zach on the show almost a year ago for a fascinating conversation on whole-person learning and the power of using a nonviolent communication model in schools. Today we’re going to go deep into the idea of how we as parents, caregivers, and educators can facilitate what Zach calls “world-view transformation” or flexible thinking in children. In other words, how can we help our differently wired kids change their thinking and perspective in a way that not only preserves our relationship with them, but results in the best possible outcome for our kids?Zach is a thought-leader in education. He is committed to the cultivation of person-centered learning communities built on compassion and whole-person growth. Zach supports individuals, families, and organizations in creating supportive structures for people working to make a change in themselves and in their relationships. Things you’ll learn from this episode:
What world-view transformation is and why it’s something we’re working on facilitating with our kids, whether we realize it or not
What we as parents and educators are getting wrong as we work to help our kids shift their thinking
The importance of tapping into our child’s (and our) “window of tolerance”
The difference between compliance and consent when it comes to getting our kids to “buy in”
The role of “fixed versus growth mindset” in world view
Why our relationship with our child is the most important thing
The importance of modeling and patience, a.k.a. this is a process
How we can best facilitate world-view transformation through honesty and openness
Resources mentioned for supporting children in flexible thinking:
Alive at Learn (Zach’s website)
The Center for Nonviolent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg’s Global Organization)
Institute of Noetic Sciences
Carl Rogers (on Positive Psychology Program)
Zach Morris on Emotionally Support Children Through Difficult Periods (podcast episode)
Non-Violent Communication, Whole-Person Learning, and Neurodiverse Students (podcast episode)
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

Oct 5, 2021 • 46min
TPP 267: How to Navigate School This Fall, with Phyllis Fagell
Phyllis Fagell, a K-8 school counselor in Washington, DC, a psychotherapist, and the author of Middle School Matters, shares her insights and strategies for supporting students as they navigate this Fall's return to school in unusual times.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

Aug 31, 2021 • 43min
TPP 266: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
Performance poet and advocate LeDerick Horne talks about his journey with a hidden disability, his advocacy work, and how he found his love for poetry.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