As parents and educators, we know that children often experience a “honeymoon” the first day (or week) of the new school year. It’s a time when many children are blissfully distracted by their new outfit, their new backpack, their new teacher, their new pencil, or their new classmates so they often make it through the first few days or weeks just fine.

But at some point, many children begin to settle in, look around and think: “What exactly is going on here? You mean, I come here every day, away from my parents, and learn new, hard things?” It’s at this point that many children begin showing their anxiety because they have just starting feeling their anxiety. It’s also at these moments when parents and teachers begin seeing some resistance to getting out of the car at drop-off, getting into the car to go, getting dressed in the morning, or even getting into bed the night before.

So what can we do about it?

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Today we unpack the sense of interoception, responsible for conveying vital information about our body's internal condition. What is its role in recognizing hunger, emotions, discomfort, and more? And, how can interoceptive awareness be derailed or heightened in neurodivergent kids and teens?

Teachers, parents, and caregivers - tune in for a better understanding of how neurodivergent children navigate their internal sensations and how to create a nurturing environment where every child's unique experience is celebrated and supported.

Kelly Mahler is an Interoception Groupie and Occupational Therapist, and creator of The Interoception Curriculum.
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Welcome to my very first Q&A podcast! 

Full disclosure, I can't answer complex or detailed questions about dynamics between kids, or teachers and kids, or parents and kids, when I don't know the full story. But what I can answer is general topics that keep coming up with parents, teachers, and kids, whether it's a clinical topic, an educational topic, a child psychology question, or just a general parenting question.

Today we have three questions:

1. How do I choose a provider to test my child?
2. How can elementary administrators work best with anxious parents whose children seem to be pretty well adjusted at school, but the parents' anxiety and angst are affecting the children?
3. How do we support a teen that doesn't want our help?

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It's back to school time, which means one of the most important topics I love talking about is so relevant right now - the parent teacher partnership.

As you might know, I can get on my soapbox about all of us trying to come together to help all of our kids, but especially our neurodivergent kids who have more conflict, more ideas, and more brainstorming that needs to happen when we are trying to teach and parent a child who is not always aligning with the expectations that are right in front of us. They are on their own path. They're on their own timeframe, and we have to be the ones that adapt to that.

So today I'm walking you through how a trusting parent-teacher partnership helps your child. Let's find out what to do to build that relationship.

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As someone who was in school from age 4 through 26, August is my New Year. But August can be a mix of emotions for many. Some want to squeeze out the last drops of summer and some (often many) are out of money and out of ideas, so we all start yearning for that school-week routine. 

Does your family’s school routine need an upgrade?

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Today, Penny Williams shares her personal journey as a parent of a neurodivergent child, starting with her son's ADHD diagnosis at age six and his subsequent diagnosis of autism spectrum and learning disabilities. The challenges she faced led her to become a passionate advocate for neurodivergent families. 

Dr. Emily and Penny discuss the importance of understanding the biology-behavior connection when parenting neurodivergent teens, emphasizing the need to prioritize mental and emotional health over academic achievements, providing support and flexibility in a way that best suits each individual's needs. They challenge traditional expectations surrounding high school, college, and social interactions for teens, encouraging parents to embrace the uniqueness of their neurodivergent children and focus on building strong, supportive relationships. 

In the ever-changing world of parenting your neurodiverse child, this episode offers very real, practical advice from two people who are living that world on a daily basis.

About Our Guest

A parenting coach for neurodiverse families, Penny Williams is the award-winning author of four books on ADHD, including Boy Without Instructions, host of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, host of the annual Neurodiversity Summits, and co-creator of The Behavior Revolution Program, a parent training program designed to change the narrative on behavior and help parents celebrate and support their kids with ADHD or autism through neuroscience-backed insights, hard-won strategies, compassion, and guidance.  Penny empowers parents to help their neurodivergent kids — and families — thrive.

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When a child is first identified as autistic or receives a diagnosis of ADHD, a learning disability, or sensory processing differences, parents can feel both overwhelmed by the information and relieved to have a plan. Yet, sometimes the plan is even overwhelming. As a former school psychologist, I was trained to identify concerns and recommend solutions. The more solutions the better, right? Not always.

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Our children are growing up in schools filled with neurodiverse learners. While this gives me hope for normalizing the presence of neurodiversity, inclusive mindsets don’t just appear out of thin air; they evolve when we stay open to learn about our differences. We make this evolution of inclusivity possible when we teach ALL children how they learn best, not just those who need something extra.

For some children, they already know they are a visual learner or that they are great at reading. For others, we have to rely on educators and psychologists to help us figure out how our kids learn best. Either way, we need to teach all kids about their brain so they can understand that there is no one best way for everyone to learn. The best way to learn is the way that works best for YOU. Once children understand themselves, they begin to realize that everyone has their own constellation of abilities, and when we work together as a group, classroom, or community, we can accomplish things we cannot do alone. 

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In my work with parents of young children, many come to me after noticing some concerns with their child’s developmental milestones. While all children develop at their own pace, some young children experience challenges with emotional regulation, language and motor milestones, and/or sensory processing that leave their parents wondering if an evaluation is needed. 

Most parents already know that children need an evaluation to receive support services at school or a clinical diagnosis for insurance to cover therapeutic services. But some parents who pay “out-of-pocket” for therapy services or enroll their child in private school wonder: Is a diagnostic evaluation really necessary? 

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Parents, we’re in the thick of it. Summer.

I don’t know about you, but this summer is already feeling more hectic than any in recent memory. Is this the first full-out summer since the pandemic? Am I just running low on parent stamina? Or is it just that driving my kids to activities feels like an additional part-time job? Whatever the reason, I’m here to commiserate with you. I’m also here to encourage you to do less. Yep, less. Do less and teach your kid what to do with that free time.

If you are raising a child with ADHD and have to plan every second of their summer for them, you’re already getting tired of hearing, “but I’m so bored!” And, if you are raising a child who hates playing outside and is happy as a clam inside the house, you might be worried about their vitamin D levels. Summer is about balance. 

Let’s build some social and independence skills but not wear ourselves out so much that we don’t reap the rewards of rest.

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