The neuropsych assessment process can be daunting and complicated to navigate, especially in recent years as a result of COVID,  so I’m excited to share my conversation with pediatric and adolescent young adult neuropsychologist, Dr. Jonine Nazar-Biesman. Jonine’s work is about taking into consideration the whole child and the big picture when assessments are being done. 

In this episode, we talk about what parents should think about when vetting psychologists to assess their child, the difference between a neuropsych, a psychoeducational, and a psychological assessment, and how parents can navigate getting a better assessment if they believe their child got the wrong diagnosis. We also talked about what to do with all the feedback parents get from an evaluation and how that feedback can best be relayed to our kids, and to their schools.Dr. Jonine Nazar-Biesman has over 25 years of experience specializing in assessing and treating children, adolescents, and young adults with neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism, ADHD, learning differences, and genetic conditions. She works closely with families, treatment teams, schools, and the community to ameliorate social-emotional, behavioral, and educational challenges.  

Things you'll learn from this episode:

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Today’s episode is an expert visit with leadership coach, author, and

Note: This is a special release of an expert conversation held inside the Differently Wired Club. Enjoy!

About Heather

Heather Chauvin is a leadership coach who helps ‘successful’ women courageously and authentically live, work, and parent on their own terms. Heather started her career as a social worker helping adults understand children’s behavior. But it wasn’t until 2013 when a stage 4 cancer diagnosis pushed her to take a deeper stand for change, uncovering how cultural expectations sabotage our dreams. She has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, Real Simple Magazine, Mind Body Green, Google, and more. When Heather isn’t working, you will find her living out what she teaches which may include kayaking Alaska, snowboarding, hiking, or

Key Takeaways

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Cathy and Todd Adams, the husband and wife team behind Zen Parenting Radio, talk about showing up in partnership for our children, the gifts of growth and vulnerability, and how to foster deeper alignment with our parenting partners, even in the face of challenges.

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Today’s episode an expert visit with Dr. Mel Houser—family physician,

Note: This is a special release of an expert conversation held inside the Differently Wired Club. Enjoy!

Key Takeaways

How advocacy can look like bottom-up

Why the predictable “constellation” of medical issues in autistic and ADHD people is often missed by traditional medicine—and how a whole neuro-immune lens changes that

How self-knowledge at any age becomes a medical and emotional game-changer, empowering kids and adults to understand, predict, and manage their own bodies

Why teens who feel “tired of trying” need a new narrative and bigger framework, not just more interventions or treatment plans

How proactively preparing for healthcare encounters—with visuals, scripts, and flexible goals—reduces dysregulation and builds long-term trust and capacity

Why community and collective problem-solving are essential infrastructure when systems fail, not optional extras

Additional Resources  

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This week I bring back parent coach Margaret Webb, who offers advice for navigating a dynamic where grandparents and other extended family don’t understand our child. We talk about how to handle family who may not be as tolerant or understanding of who our kids are (or our reality in raising them) as we would like.

So often big family events like weddings or graduations or holiday celebrations create situations where we’re expected to spend lots of time with family, but it might not look the way we, or they, expect. So what do we do in these scenarios? What are our responsibilities both to our children and to the family members hosting or attending these events? How can we best prep for these tricky situations?

That’s what we’re covering in this episode. Margaret has a lot of experience supporting parents through this difficult dynamic, and in this episode she shares her best tips and strategies for taking care of ourselves and our children and making choices around family events that make the most sense for our reality.

About Margaret

Margaret Webb is a certified Master Life Coach, parenting coach, nature-based coach, former teacher, wife and mother. As a life and parenting coach, she weaves together her experience as an elementary education teacher with the tools she’s learned in Martha Beck’s Life Coach Training, Sagefire Institute’s Nature-Based Coach Training, and what she’s applied to her own life as a mom of a child with special needs.

Things you’ll learn from this episode

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Today we’re talking about Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria—often referred to as RSD—a deeply emotional experience that affects so many individuals with ADHD and other forms of neurodivergence. My guest is Dr. Sharon Saline, a clinical psychologist who has spent over 30 years working with neurodivergent children, teens, adults, and families. In our conversation, Sharon breaks down what RSD is, how it shows up in daily life, and why understanding it can be such a game changer—for both kids and parents. We talk about the emotional and psychological impact of RSD, practical tools for managing it, and how to cultivate self-compassion and resilience in the face of painful rejection or criticism. Sharon also shares strategies for helping kids navigate social situations with more confidence and less overwhelm, and for supporting ourselves as parents along the way.

About Dr. Sharon Saline

Dr. Sharon Saline is the author of the award-winning book, What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew: Working Together to Empower Kids for Success in School and Life and The ADHD solution card deck. She specializes in working with ADHD and neurodivergent children, teens, adults and families–helping them improve cognitive and social executive functioning skills, resilience, self-confidence and personal relationships. She consults with schools, clinics and businesses internationally. Dr. Saline is an instructor at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, a part-time lecturer at the Smith College School for Social Work, blogger for PsychologyToday.com, contributing expert on MASS Live at WWLP TV, serves on the editorial board of and hosts a monthly live event for ADDitudemag.com.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

Resources mentioned

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Today we’re talking about anxiety—how it shows up in families, how it affects our kids’ growing independence, and what we can do to keep worry from running the show. My guest, Lynn Lyons, is a licensed clinical social worker, psychotherapist, and leading voice in the treatment of anxiety disorders in children, teens, and adults. In our conversation, Lynn and I unpack the dynamics of anxiety within families—what happens as kids begin asserting independence, how parents can best support their social and emotional growth, and how to notice when our own habits might be feeding the cycle. She offers practical, compassionate strategies for shifting from worry to courage and for helping both our kids and ourselves move through anxiety with more confidence and calm.

About Lynn Lyons

Lynn Lyons is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in Concord, New Hampshire. She has been in private practice for 35 years specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders in adults and children.

She is a sought after expert, appearing in the New York Times, Time, NPR, Psychology Today, Good Morning America, Today Show and other media outlets. Lynn is a featured expert in the 2023 documentary Anxious Nation.

With a special interest in breaking the generational cycle of worry in families, Lynn is the author/coauthor of several books and articles on anxiety, including Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents: 7 Ways to Stop the Worry Cycle and Raise Courageous & Independent Children, and the companion book for kids, Playing with Anxiety: Casey’s Guide for Teens and Kids. Her latest book for adults and teenagers, The Anxiety Audit was released October ’22.

Lynn is the co-host of the popular podcast Flusterclux.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Resources mentioned

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I sit down with my dear friend and super talented life coach Kanesha Baynard to talk about the relationship we have with our parents and in-laws while also navigating our own journey as parents. Kanesha is an expert in multi-generational family dynamics and in this episode, we cover a lot of ground — the common challenges, tackling uncomfortable conversations, designing an alliance with our parents and in-laws, and much more.

If you’ve ever had a communications fail or conflict or disagreement

About Kanesha

Kanesha Baynard is a workshop facilitator, creativity coach, and inner wellness author who has been featured on the Dr. Oz Show. Her work has also been featured in many local and national publications. Kanesha is the author of The Self-love Playbook for #boldthinkers, 52 Powerful Questions: A Journal and Planning Guide for Creative Entrepreneurs, and Focus on What Matters: A Guided Journal.

Kanesha has over 20 years of experience as an educator, leadership

What you'll learn from this episode

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Dr. Cara Natterson and Vanessa Kroll Bennett, the dynamic duo behind the book This Is So Awkward: Modern Puberty Explained and the co-hosts of The Puberty Podcast, were on the show a few years ago when their book was first published, and so I was eager to have them back on for a deeper conversation about the often awkward but incredibly important stage of growing up called puberty and how parents can better support their kids through it, especially when neurodivergence adds an extra layer of complexity. In our conversation, we dive into the early onset of puberty, what’s new in the updated paperback edition of This Is So Awkward, and their vision for a more comprehensive, affirming approach to health education. We also talk about the unique challenges for parents of neurodivergent kids and why all of us—parents, educators, and communities—need better tools and language to support young people through this pivotal time. Ultimately, we’re talking about whole child development. Because every child no matter their age, race, socio economic status, brain wiring, will go through this stage of life. And as it turns out, what all kids need to emerge more seen and whole is the same thing.

About Cara Natterson, MD

Cara Natterson, MD, is a pediatrician, consultant, and New York Times bestselling author. She’s also the co-founder and CEO of Order of Magnitude, a company dedicated to flipping puberty positive. Cara’s books focus largely on puberty — some written for the kids going through it, and others for the adults helping them along the way. Her list of titles includes The Care and Keeping of You series with more than 7 million copies in print. While this reach is incredible, the written word is only one way to transform the experience of adolescence.

About Vanessa Kroll Bennett

Vanessa Kroll Bennett is a puberty educator and writer, a podcaster, and entrepreneur who helps adults navigate uncertainty while they support the kids they love. Vanessa is the co-host of The Puberty Podcast which is exactly what it sounds like and the founder of Dynamo Girl, a company focused on building kids’ self-esteem through sports, puberty education and parent workshops. Vanessa consults with organizations, large and small, on how to authentically engage children in their communities. 

Things you'll learn from this episode 

Resources mentioned

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