Neurodiversity Podcast

Mindfulness is definitely a buzzword today, but what's the reality of mindfulness and how can it help neurodivergent people? What are some usable techniques for kids? How does mindfulness reduce anxiety? Has the growing trend towards mindfulness caused a skeptical view of its benefits? Emily talks to Dr. Christopher Willard from Harvard Medical School, and together they answer these questions and more on episode 175. We're conducting a two-hour continuing education course for mental health professionals called "Assessing and Treating Suicidality and Self-Injury in Neurodivergent Clients." You can join online or in-person on June 20th in Chesterfield, MO. Learn more and sign up for either version: Online virtual In-person Join our Facebook group and take part in conversations about this episode and anything related to neurodiversity, and find a like-minded community of open support. Dr. Christopher Willard is a clinical psychologist and professor at Harvard Medical School, author and international speaker, and consultant based in Massachusetts, focusing on mindfulness and mitigating anxiety. Dr. Willard has presented at two TEDx events and is the author of twenty books, including Alphabreaths (2019), Growing Up Mindful (2016), and How we Grow Through What We Go Through. (2022) His thoughts on mental health have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, mindful.org, cnn.com, and elsewhere. BACKGROUND READING Facebook Twitter Instagram

Living an authentic life is a goal we all have. In the neurodiversity world, that can be a tricky concept. Masking has often become a habit born of self-preservation, and letting go of that can be difficult, and sometimes unsafe. On episode 174 we're joined by Dr. Rebecca Jackson, a neurodivergent coach who uses her experiences to support her clients with a positive psychology approach. She and Emily talk about how acceptance is the key to being authentic and full of life. Self-regulation can be the key to motivation, and personal interests can be harnessed to help develop coping skills. For information about our SPACE Program, and to get registered, go here. Grab some podcast swag in the form of t-shirts, mugs, tote bags and much more! Dr. Rebecca Jackson is a positive psychology coaching research practitioner. She researches best practice in safely, effectively and inclusively coaching autistic and ADHD adults. She is autistic and ADHD, and so combines research, practice and lived experience in pursuit of neuro-friendly coaching. Rebecca's coaching specialism is helping clients self-regulate to promote their wellbeing and zest. When she's not eating, sleeping and breathing coaching, Rebecca can be found hiking with her dog or planning her next travel adventure. BACKGROUND READING Website Twitter LinkedIn

Burnout is something everyone occasionally deals with, but it manifests very differently in the world of neurodiversity. Today we talk about the burnout experienced by twice-exceptional and gifted kids. Emily Kircher-Morris talks with Brian Housand and Andi McNair, and it's a conversation all gifted people, and parents of gifted kids, need to hear. Our sponsor is The Gifted Learning Lab, which provides resources and coaching for parents who want to feel more confident raising their intense or sensitive gifted or twice-exceptional kid. Click here for more info and to get their free 'diffusing power struggles' course. Join our Facebook group and take part in conversations about this subject and many more. Dr. Brian Housand is the coordinator of the Academically or Intellectually Gifted program at University of North Carolina Wilmington, and creator of Gifted360.com. He is also a published author and speaker, and has worked in education as a classroom teacher, gifted ed teacher, and university professor for over 20 years. Andi McNair is a passionate educator, author and speaker. Andi taught in the gen-ed classroom for 16 years, and then switched to serving gifted learners where she found her calling. She enjoys sharing her passion for innovative education through her books for educators, speaking nationally, and finding meaningful ways to use technology. Andi currently works as the Digital Innovation Specialist in a Waco, Texas school district. BACKGROUND READING Brian Housand BH Facebook BH Twitter BH Instagram Andi McNair AM Facebook AM Twitter AM Instagram

There's a pressure on parents to allow more technology into the lives of their kids. Gaming and social media have positive and negative aspects, and neurodivergent kids often have a unique relationship to technology. Emily Kircher-Morris talks about it with Debbie Steinberg Kuntz, and they discuss the upcoming Screen Time and Mental Health summit, which starts May 15, and is available free of charge through the following Friday. To take part in the summit, get registered here, or find the link on the episode page of our website. Here's the link for the summer camp program at Young Scholars Academy. Please use promo code YSANDP10 for 10% off, and to let them know you heard it on the Neurodiversity Podcast. If you're on Facebook you need to be part of our group, the Neurodiversity Podcast Advocacy and Support Group. Join today and learn, share, and grow with us! Debbie Steinberg Kuntz, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist and is the founder of Bright & Quirky. She specializes in helping bright kids and families with learning, social, emotional and behavioral challenges optimize their lives in order to thrive. Debbie has interviewed over 300 of the top psychologists and educators, and together with the Bright & Quirky team, has served over 100,000 parents in 150 countries through the Bright & Quirky Child Online Summit, the IdeaLab parent learning community, and a variety of Bright & Quirky programs and services. Debbie lives near Seattle with her husband and two sons. BACKGROUND READING Bright & Quirky Screen Time & Mental Health Summit Facebook

Are kids really unmotivated, or are you just misinterpreting the signs? Dr. Ellen Braaten talks with Emily Kircher-Morris about the importance of understanding signs of a lack of motivation in neurodivergent children. They delve into the connection between motivation and executive functioning, and explore strengths-based interventions and ways to integrate them into our interactions with neurodivergent kids. They also touch on the controversial question of whether there's any real value to extrinsic motivators. A meeting of the minds about motivation, on episode 171. Here's the link for the summer camp program at Young Scholars Academy. Please use promo code YSANDP10 for 10% off, and to let them know you heard it on the Neurodiversity Podcast. For information about our SPACE Program, and to get registered, go here. Dr. Ellen Braaten is the Executive Director of Learning and Emotional Assessment Program at Massachusetts General hospital, and the Kessler Family Chair in Pediatric Neuropsychological Assessment. She also holds an Associate Professorship at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Braaten is also an experienced and prominent psychologist, researcher, speaker, and author of the upcoming book, Bright Kids Who Couldn't Care Less. She received her Master's from the University of Colorado, and her Ph.D. from Colorado State University. BACKGROUND READING Dr. Braaten's website Bright Kids Who Couldn't Care Less Massachusetts General's Learning & Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) Twitter LinkedIn Instagram

Bibi Pirayesh, a learning specialist and founder of the Differences Are Not Deficits Project, discusses the need to stop pathologizing neurodivergent children. She argues that embracing neurodiversity in education promotes inclusive practices that honor diverse learning styles. The conversation critiques traditional metrics of success rooted in ableism and emphasizes a strength-based approach. Bibi also highlights the urgent need for advocacy and reform in educational systems to ensure equity for neurodivergent individuals, making a compelling case for a more inclusive society.

As Autism Acceptance Month continues, we present a visit with Casey Ehrlich. Casey talks with Emily Kircher-Morris about the relationship between autism and PDA, and about her experience raising her PDA autistic son. She has a different approach that works for her, but is met with a measure of skepticism from some. It's all ahead, in episode 169. For information about our SPACE Program, and to get registered, go here. Register today and get started on our free executive function course from the Neurodiversity University! It's set up for educator professional develop and continuing education credit. Join the Neurodiversity Podcast Advocacy and Support Group on Facebook. Casey Ehrlich, Ph.D., is the founder of At Peace Parents, LLC, an organization that gives parents and therapists tools to support kids with PDA. She's also the co-founder of the PDA Parents community and podcast. With a background in social science, methodology, and research, Casey takes an objective and non-judgmental approach to supporting families. She's conducted original research on conflict, peace, and non-violence in areas impacted by civil war in Colombia, and brings those insights to her work with families raising PDA children and teens, or those with hyper-sensitive nervous systems, fight, flight, and freeze behaviors, and trauma. She is also raising two sons, one of whom is PDA Autistic. BACKGROUND READING At Peace Parents At Peace Parents Podcast on Apple Facebook Instagram

Selah is an autistic 7th grader at a private school, and is navigating all of the expectations and social relationships of being neurodivergent. She's the main character in a middle-grade fiction book called Good Different, by Meg Eden Kuyatt, and Emily Kircher-Morris talks to her about life as an autistic author. Who was the inspiration for Selah? Was it difficult to write her story completely in poem form? What advice does Meg have for neurodivergent kids growing up today? It's all in episode 168, part of our celebration of Autism Acceptance Month. Here's the link for the summer camp program at Young Scholars Academy. Please use promo code YSANDP10 for 10% off, and to let them know you heard it on the Neurodiversity Podcast. Register today and get started on our free executive function course from the Neurodiversity University! It's set up for educator professional develop and continuing education credit. To get A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children (2nd edition) at a 25% discount, click here and use the discount code NDPOD25. ABOUT THE GUEST Meg Eden Kuyatt is a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee, and teaches creative writing at colleges and writing centers. She is the author of the 2021 Towson Prize for Literature winning poetry collection "Drowning in the Floating World" (Press 53, 2020) and children's novels, most recently "Good Different," a JLG Gold Standard selection (Scholastic, 2023). BACKGROUND READING Meg's Linktree Website Instagram Facebook Twitter

Are there neurodiversity training and certification programs for medical practitioners? How can we help our kids deal with existential dread? Is there still no connection between taking Tylenol during pregnancy and autism? Plus many other questions, asked and answered, on our fourth Ask Me Anything. Emily Kircher-Morris dishes it out on episode 167! To get in on the asking, join our Facebook group: The Neurodiversity Podcast Advocacy & Support Group. To get A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children (2nd edition) at a 25% discount, click here and use the discount code NDPOD25.

It's common today for people to be diagnosed as neurodivergent as an adult, having survived childhood without the recognition or support that may have come along with a diagnosis. Our guest lived that experience. Carolyn Kiel is the host of the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast, and she joins Emily to talk about her life as an autistic woman. What are the hurdles and barriers to getting an autism diagnosis? Does a diagnosis even matter once you're an adult? How can looking back at your childhood from that new perspective change the way you think about the world? It's episode 166, and it's part of our special series during April, Autism Acceptance Month. This episode is brought to you by SPACE - Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions. To register for SPACE, submit your information through this portal. For more details go to Neurodiversity University. Join the Neurodiversity Podcast Advocacy and Support Group on Facebook! ABOUT THE GUEST Carolyn Kiel is an experienced instructional designer of employee training programs. On her award-winning podcast, Beyond 6 Seconds, she features neurodivergent entrepreneurs, creatives and advocates who shatter misconceptions, break stigma, and showcase the diversity of the neurodivergent community. Carolyn has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Vassar College and a Master of Arts in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. BACKGROUND READING Website Instagram Twitter LinkedIn Facebook YouTube