Connected and Capable

After-school meltdowns are so common there’s actually a name for it: after-school restraint collapse.

If your child comes home and completely falls apart — big emotions, aggression, withdrawal, nonstop chaos — you are not alone.

Yes, masking all day is part of the story. But it’s not the whole story.

In this episode, I walk you through two other big reasons uniquely wired kids struggle during that after-school window — and why understanding what’s really happening changes everything.

When you see the root, you parent differently.

And when you parent differently, the whole tone of your home can shift.

I’ll also share three simple ways to ease that transition — things you can start today — so after school doesn’t have to feel like you’re bracing for impact every afternoon.

If this time of day feels heavy in your house, this one’s for you.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Episode 9: Why Screens Feel Regulating (But, Might Not Be)

Get the visual supports, Meltdown Rescue Kit, and regulating activities in The Connection Hive: yourkidstable.com/tch

Key Timestamps:

00:30 – What “after-school restraint collapse” really means

04:30 – The reason everyone talks about (but it’s not the whole story)

08:39 – The transition most parents miss

10:30 – The simplest way to prevent the spiral

19:06 – Why movement changes everything

23:58 – When space works better than talking

Grab your free printable copy of our 5 Big Calming Techniques for Big Emotions + Dysregulation-- https://yourkidstable.com/emotions-printable/ 

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

Some say screen time is “regulating”… and honestly, it can look that way.

In this episode, we slow the conversation down—no shame, no judgment—and unpack why screens can feel like the only thing that works when your child is overwhelmed. But we also zoom out and ask the bigger question: is that calm actually regulation… or is something else happening?

I’ll share a personal story that changed how I see this, plus a research angle every parent of an ADHD (or otherwise neurodivergent) kid should hear.

Get our new 1 hour screen time workshop in The Connection Hive here: yourkidstable.com/tch

*Are you a therapist, this resource will also be in The Therapist All Access Membership: yourkidstable.com/taam

Key Timestamps:

01:06 No guilt, no judgment—why this is so confusing

04:40 Why screens work in the moment

10:21 Calm vs. regulation

13:51 A personal story that shifted my perspective

20:40 The research that links screentime to dysregulation

22:42 What to do next if screens are becoming a struggle

Grab your free printable copy of our 5 Big Calming Techniques for Big Emotions + Dysregulation-- https://yourkidstable.com/emotions-printable/

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

Have you ever watched your child do something that just makes you pause… but you can’t quite explain what's going on, but you know something deeper is behind it? 

in this episode, I’m talking about things kids with sensory needs do that are easy mistake s quirks, phases, or personality.

This isn’t about labeling your child or diagnosing anything. It’s about helping you see your kid through a new lens so that you can understand and ultimately support them in new ways that leads to growth. 

If you’ve ever thought, "Why does my child act like this or do that?" this episode is for you. 

Download the Free Sensory Mini-Toolkit Here: https://yourkidstable.com/sensoryessentials/ 

THERAPISTS: Get inside our Therapist All-Access Membership Here

Grab your free printable copy of our 5 Big Calming Techniques for Big Emotions + Dysregulation-- https://yourkidstable.com/emotions-printable/

Key Timestamps:

02:11 – What I really mean by “red flags”

05:47 – The sign most parents dismiss

09:15 – When reactions to food aren’t a choice

14:02 – Why parties can feel overwhelming

19:39 – The truth about the “wild child” label

25:08 – When it looks like they’re ignoring you

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

What if the most powerful tool for reducing meltdowns isn’t a strategy, a script, or a consequence — but something you already carry with you?

In this episode, Alisha breaks down the often-misunderstood role of co-regulation and why it works in every setting, at every age, and at every intensity level. She explains why common “in-the-moment” techniques fail when a child is dysregulated, and what actually has the power to shift the nervous system instead.

Through real-life examples, including a powerful story from a parent who put this into action, you’ll hear why regulation is contagious, why your own state matters more than you think, and how these moments quietly shape your child’s brain over time.

If you’ve ever wondered why doing “all the right things” still doesn’t work in the heat of the moment, this episode will change how you see regulation—and yourself—entirely.

Join the new Therapist All-Access Membership: YourKidsTable.com/TAAM

Key Timestamps:

0:39 – The “Secret Key” Parents Hold

3:38 – Regulation Is Contagious

7:07 – Why Logic Fails in Meltdowns

9:12 – The One Thing Kids Can Respond To

14:25 – A Real-Life Meltdown Turns Around

24:27 – The Brain Connection Being Built

32:31 – You Are Connected and Capable

Grab your free printable copy of our 5 Big Calming Techniques for Big Emotions + Dysregulation-- https://yourkidstable.com/emotions-printable/

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

The struggles are kids have can be hard, dysregulating, and cause lots of worry. Understandably so! What's the best way to tackle them? How can we help them make lasting change? 

In this episode I'm diving into what really works and how to know which way to turn whether your kid is struggling with anxiety, bad handwriting, aggressive behaviors--or anything in between. 

It's the question we all must ask for our kids and the various struggles they face, especially the one's that can feel like they're taking over.  

Check out the clinically based therapists summit coming soon: https://yourkidstable.com/therapist-mini-summit/

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

What if some of the hardest moments with your child aren’t about behavior, motivation, or personality at all?

In this episode, I share executive functioning as the next critical piece of the puzzle, and why so many uniquely wired kids struggle in ways that are easy to misinterpret.  

You’ll hear why executive functioning is far bigger than attention alone, 4 more EF skills, and they quietly affect daily life in ways most families don’t recognize.

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking they should be able to do this by now, or wondering why progress feels inconsistent — this episode will help you see your kid (or yourself) in a whole new light. 

Key Timestamps:

1:45 Why executive functioning gets mislabeled as personality

6:05 Attention isn’t the whole ADHD story

16:20 Perseverance is a brain skill, not a trait

20:00 Working memory & “why won’t they remember?”

23:20 Task initiation: frozen before starting

26:40 Flexibility & meltdowns when plans change

Get CEU's in our Upcoming Evidence-Based Therapist Mini-Summit: https://yourkidstable.com/therapist-mini-summit/

Get all the tools in our new Therapist All-Access Membership: https://yourkidstable.com/taam/

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

What if your child’s big emotions aren’t random… and they’re not a behavior problem either?

In this episode, Alisha dives into Emotional Regulation 101—and unpacks why some kids flip from calm to overwhelmed in seconds, why meltdowns can feel so sudden, and the hidden brain shift that changes everything about how we respond.

You’ll hear a perspective most parents never get about what’s really happening under those reactions, why talking through emotions often doesn’t work in the moment, and one surprisingly simple starting point that can begin to shift the pattern over time.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re walking on eggshells around your child’s moods—or wondered why nothing you’ve tried seems to stick—this conversation will help you see those moments in a completely new way. 

Key Time stamps:

2:30 What emotional regulation really is

6:45 An important analogy for big feelings

12:10 Why fight/flight shuts regulation off

17:55 2 other factors that can cause dysregulation

22:40 The #1 way to help kids build emotional regulation

Grab your free printable copy of our 5 Big Calming Techniques for Big Emotions + Dysregulation-- https://yourkidstable.com/emotions-printable/ 

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

If your child can’t sit still at dinner, refuses certain clothes, melts down in busy places, or seems either constantly on the move or totally checked out, you are not alone — and this is not a behavior problem.

In this episode I’m breaking down what sensory needs really are, why sensory processing is one of the most powerful systems in the brain, and how it shapes your child’s emotions, attention, movement, and daily life. We’ll talk about the eight senses, what sensory modulation actually means, and the three common patterns we see in kids.

I also speak into a really important and sometimes controversial conversation around sensory sensitivities. Supporting a child’s sensory needs always comes first — but over time, the brain can also learn to tolerate more. When we hold both compassion and intention together, real change becomes possible.

You’ll walk away with a clearer understanding of why your child reacts the way they do, how sensory challenges can snowball over time, and how simple, respectful support can open the door to regulation, participation, and connection.

Get our free Sensory Toolkit with 25 sensory activities and a red flags checklist: yourkidstable.com/sensoryessentials/ 

Therapists- The RISE with Sensory Program, 8 AOTA CEU'S: yourkidstable.com/rise 

Parents- Get guidance and a vault of easy sensory activities in The Connection Hive: yourkidstable.com/tch

Key Time Stamps:

01:30 – Why sensory needs show up everywhere in daily life

05:05 – The 8 senses that shape your child’s behavior

10:05 – The three sensory modulation patterns you need to know

15:30 – How sensory needs change day-to-day based on sleep, stress, and emotions

17:15 – How sensory sensitivities can snowball over time

18:45 – How to support without forcing or avoiding growth

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

Retained primitive reflexes are often overlooked—or completely missing—from the conversation when it comes to kids with sensory needs, attention challenges, anxiety, coordination difficulties, and diagnoses like ADHD or autism.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what retained primitive reflexes actually are, why they matter far beyond infancy, and how they can impact your child’s sensory processing, emotional regulation, focus, learning, and movement: 

We’ll talk about:

1. What retained primitive reflexes actually are in layman's terms

2. Common signs that reflexes may still be firing (or retained)

3. Why this piece is often missed—even by professionals

4. How working on reflex integration can support regulation, sensory needs, attention, and daily functioning.

5. Ways to work on integrating reflexes  

This episode is about understanding the body first—because when the body can organize and respond the way it was designed to, everything else becomes more accessible.

Join me in The Connection Hive for the 30 Day Reflex Challenge, you can get started in just a couple minutes: https://yourkidstable.com/TCH

Grab your free printable copy of our 5 Big Calming Techniques for Big Emotions + Dysregulation-- https://yourkidstable.com/emotions-printable/ 

01:00 – What retained primitive reflexes actually are

02:25 – The grasp reflex and why it matters later in life

03:45 – The Moro reflex and its link to anxiety and hyper-vigilance

06:10 – How reflexes impact coordination, reading, and focus

09:18 – Why many professionals never talk about reflexes

15:43 – Simple ways families can start integrating reflexes at home

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.

Your child is running nonstop, melting down during transitions, overwhelmed at birthday parties, struggling with focus, emotions, sleep, or eating—and your told they are bad, too sensitive, or they need discipline.

In this first episode of the Connected + Capable podcast, I’m breaking down the four hidden areas that are often pulling the strings beneath the surface for uniquely wired kids—kids with sensory needs, ADHD, big emotions, executive functioning challenges (like focus), or no diagnosis at all.

In this episode, we'll talk about:

1. Why these challenges are not phases, personality traits, or parenting failures.

2. The four core areas that cause these challenges and why they matter!

3. The challenges your kid has are connected, and when you know what they are you can build new skills and lessen sensory needs.

Understanding what’s happening beneath the surface is game changer for your kid, and you. It opens the doors to deeper connection, compassion, and capability.

Thank you for listening! Hit the follow button so you get notified of next weeks new episode.

Grab your free printable copy of our 5 Big Calming Techniques for Big Emotions + Dysregulation-- https://yourkidstable.com/emotions-printable/ 

04:21 — Retained Primitive Reflexes: The hidden brain wiring quietly shaping behavior.

09:33 — Sensory Processing: Why meltdowns, avoidance, and nonstop movement aren’t choices.

14:10 — Emotional Regulation: Big emotions are a skill gap, not a personality flaw.

16:42 — Executive Functioning: The real reason focus, follow-through, and organization break down.

MORE RESOURCES FOR YOU

Ready for a simple plan to overcome the attention, sleep, sensory, and big emotion challenges? I'll show you how for uniquely wired kids 1-18 years old in just 2-5 minutes a day. Join me in The Connection Hive-- https://YourKidsTable.com/TCH

LET'S CONNECT:

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Yourkidstable

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/Yourkidstable

Pinterest: https://Pinterest.com/Yourkidstable

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd be so grateful if you left us a review! It's a huge help in encouraging us and letting us know what parents with uniquely wired kids need the most.