Neurodiversity Podcast

Play therapy is an often misunderstood counseling technique. On episode 123 we clear up some of the misunderstandings, with help from Katie Bassiri, a neurodiversity-affirming play therapist. We also talk about our new online course for educators, "Strategies for Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students," which is now available at www.neurodiversity.university. ABOUT THE GUEST - Katie Bassiri, LPCC RPT-S, co-authored the book "Congratulations, You're Autistic!" with her husband, Alex Bassiri. Katie and Alex met while living in a 24-hour quiet college dormitory in Flagstaff, Arizona, where they once got into trouble for playing a board game too rambunctiously. They've been coloring outside of the lines together ever since. Katie is a registered Play Therapist-Supervisor and Alex likes coming up with words that rhyme. Their autistic family lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico where they own and operate a play therapy agency that supports neurodiverse families. Their new book is now available on Amazon. You can support the podcast at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com Thank you for caring about neurodivergent people.

A three-year-old with an autism diagnosis is looking at a completely different future than someone who has masked their neurodivergence for years. We talk with Haley Moss, an attorney, author, and consultant, who helps companies create a neurodiversity-friendly atmosphere. She was diagnosed at age 3, and now has strong opinions about what it takes to move the world in the right direction, but she also has the power and determination to do it. A reminder, we've just officially launched our new course for educators: Strategies for Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students! It's a six-module, fifteen-hour continuing education course delivered by Emily Kircher-Morris, designed to help identify, understand, and educate our growing population of twice-exceptional students. Get more information via the Neurodiversity Alliance website. ABOUT THE GUEST - Haley Moss is a lawyer, neurodiversity expert, and the author of four books that guide neurodivergent individuals through professional and personal challenges. She is a consultant to top corporations and nonprofits that seek her guidance in creating a diverse workplace, and a sought-after commentator on disability rights issues. The first openly autistic lawyer in Florida, Haley is the recipient of the 2021 American Bar Association (ABA) Making a Difference by Breaking Barriers Award. Her books include "Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals'' (ABA Book Publishing; June 2021) and "The Young Autistic Adult's Independence Handbook" (Jessica Kingsley Publishers; November 2021). Her articles have appeared in outlets including the Washington Post, Teen Vogue, and Fast Company. You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook and Instagram, as well as on Twitter @neurodiversepod. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com. Thank you for caring about neurodivergent people.

What is Pathological Demand Avoidance and how does it manifest among the neurodivergent? What can we do to educate parents, teachers, and counselors about how to approach it? Understanding demand avoidance can completely transform the way you look at a child. During World Autism Acceptance Month, we feature a conversation with Harry J. Thompson from 2019, on episode 121. ABOUT THE GUEST - Harry J. Thompson was born in Edgware and grew up in Barnet in north London. He is currently based in London, UK. An avid reader & researcher, Harry speaks publicly and is heavily involved in projects & research on all topics around neurodiversity and autism; namely, Pathological Demand Avoidance, a behavior profile within the Autism Spectrum. Harry began to write the first draft of his book in 2015. After connecting with many autistic & PDA families, he pivoted his direction and completed his book in about 6 weeks, a memoir entitled The PDA Paradox: The Highs and Lows of My Life on a Little-Known Part of the Autism Spectrum, published in February 2019. He launched his YouTube channel in 2017. Harry has been elected to a Fellowship of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA), in recognition of his work in the field of PDA, and also in recognition of the publication of his book. You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook and Instagram, as well as on Twitter @neurodiversepod. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com. Thank you for caring about neurodivergent people.

World Autism Acceptance Month continues as Emily Kircher-Morris has a conversation with Washington DC policy and politics journalist Eric Garcia. Eric is autistic, and the author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. They talk about the shifts in how society views and supports autistic individuals, and what still needs to be done. Also don't forget the Bright and Quirky Summit 2022 is going on now. To register, follow this special link. ABOUT THE GUEST - Eric Garcia is the senior Washington correspondent for The Independent, and the author of We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation. He is also a columnist for MSNBC. Previously, he was an assistant editor at the Washington Post's Outlook section, an associate editor at The Hill, and a correspondent for National Journal, MarketWatch and Roll Call. He has also written for the Daily Beast, the New Republic, and Salon.com. Garcia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives in Washington, D.C. You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook and Instagram, as well as on Twitter @neurodiversepod. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com. Thank you for caring about neurodivergent people.

Steve Silberman, author of Neurotribes, discusses the history of autism, the neurodiversity movement, and the future of neurodiversity. They explore high and low functioning labels, the brutal practices once used, and the importance of understanding the history of autism. The conversation also addresses the need for acceptance and accommodations, as well as the future of employment opportunities for neurodivergent individuals.

The landscape is slowly changing for neurodivergent kids, but progress is slow and we're facing headwinds. Getting a diagnosis is still integral to receiving educational services and insurance benefits, but there are downsides that can work to impede progress. Debbie Steinberg Kuntz joins us on episode 118 to talk about those subjects, and the free Bright & Quirky Summit April 4-8. The summit brings together some of the world's top neurodiversity experts, including our host, Emily Kircher-Morris. Panel members will host presentations and discussions designed to help parents, educators, counselors, and neurodivergent people understand and overcome challenges facing the neurodiversity community. It's free for all April 4-8, so use our special link to get registered today. ABOUT THE GUEST - Debbie Steinberg Kuntz, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Bright & Quirky, an organization helping bright kids thrive, even with learning, social, emotional, and/or behavioral challenges. She specializes in 'twice exceptional (2e)' kids and families, primarily with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and/or learning differences, who have been the focus of her private practice for over a decade. Debbie received her BA from Middlebury College and MA in Child, Couple, and Family Counseling from Antioch University. She enjoys hiking the mountains near Seattle with her husband and two teen boys.

Whether you're a therapist, parent, or even teacher, it pays to embrace the gaming geeks around you by learning more about their world. Through efforts like relating to game characters, understanding the games they enjoy, and spending time in their world with them, you can learn new ways to help support them in the real world. Anthony Bean is the author of several books about the therapeutic implications of video games, and he joins host Emily Kircher-Morris to talk about letting your geek flag fly. ABOUT THE GUEST - Dr. Anthony Bean is a licensed clinical psychologist, video game researcher, and executive director at the Telos Project, a nonprofit mental health clinic in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Bean holds a doctorate in philosophy from Pacifica Graduate Institute, with an emphasis in depth psychology, and teaches at Framingham State University in the psychology department. He specializes in the therapeutic implications of video games and gaming, working with children and adolescents, and the use of video game character identification as a therapeutic technique. He passes on his knowledge of Geek Therapy at Geek Therapeutics; an APA/NBCC/ACE/APT accredited company training professionals on how to use Geek Therapy in practice. He has authored multiple academic articles, book chapters, and the books Working with Video Gamers and Games in Therapy: A Clinician's Guide; The Psychology of Zelda: Linking Our World to the Legend of Zelda Series; The Psychology of Final Fantasy: Surpassing the Limit Break, and Integrating Geek Culture into Therapeutic Practice: A Clinician's Guide to Geek Therapy.

What is top down behavior, and how does it differ from bottom up behavior? Why is emotional regulation more difficult for neurodivergent people? How impactful or traumatic can a misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis be? Dr. Mona Delahooke, author of the new book Brain-Body Parenting (release date March 15), joins us to discuss these questions and more on episode 116. ABOUT THE GUEST - Mona Delahooke, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than thirty years of experience caring for children and their families. She is a senior faculty member of the Profectum Foundation and a member of the American Psychological Association. She is the author of Beyond Behaviors: Using Brain Science and Compassion to Understand and Solve Children's Behavioral Challenges, and the upcoming book, Brain-body Parenting. Dr Delahooke is a frequent speaker, trainer, and consultant to parents, organizations, schools, and public agencies. She lives and works in the Los Angeles area.

The data tells us rewarding kids for good behavior and punishing them for bad doesn't work. In fact, it harms relationships. In the education setting and at home, Alfie Kohn says we need to rethink the way we talk to kids, and how we help them learn behavioral skills, because rewards and punishment are ineffective. Emily Kircher-Morris has a conversation with Alfie Kohn, author of Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishment to Love and Reason, on episode 115. ABOUT THE GUEST - Alfie Kohn is the author of 14 books on education, parenting, and human behavior, including Punished by Rewards (1993), The Schools Our Children Deserve (1999), Unconditional Parenting (2005), and The Myth of the Spoiled Child (2014). He has appeared twice on Oprah, as well as on The Today Show and many other TV and radio programs. Kohn works with educators and parents across the country and speaks regularly at national conferences. He lives (actually) in the Boston area and (virtually) at www.alfiekohn.org. Alfie Kohn's books https://www.alfiekohn.org/books/ Twitter https://twitter.com/alfiekohn You can support the podcast and receive subscriber-only benefits at www.patreon.com/neurodiversity. The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook and Instagram, and on Twitter @NeurodiversePod. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com

A new book by Emily Kircher-Morris, "Raising Twice-Exceptional Children: A Handbook for Parents of Neurodivergent Gifted Kids," is now officially released! Emily and producer Dave Morris talk about the book, preview the contents, and discuss why parents will find it helpful. ABOUT THE BOOK Just because a child is gifted doesn't mean they don't have other types of neurodivergence, like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more. Conversely, even children with one of these diagnoses can be cognitively gifted. Raising Twice-Exceptional Children provides you with a roadmap to understand the complex makeup of your "gifted-plus," or twice-exceptional, child or teen. The book helps you understand your child's diagnosis, meet their social-emotional needs, build self-regulation skills and goal setting, and teach self-advocacy. It also shows you effective ways to collaborate with teachers and school staff, and it offers advice on finding strength-based strategies that support development at home. For too long, these kids have fallen through the cracks. This book provides key information on how to best support neurodivergent children by leveraging their strengths while supporting their struggles.