Learn with Dr. Emily®

For everyone who's a parent of a neurodivergent child, you might be taking care of your aging parents as well. You're in a Sandwich Generation, and it's not easy to navigate setting boundaries, finding support outside your family, and prioritizing your own mental health.

Today, Edla Prevette has some advice for navigating the complexities of this family dynamic.

As a mental health counselor for over thirty years, Edla Prevette (instagram) has worked with neurodivergent children and their families as a therapist, consultant, and trainer. But currently, she is focusing her attention on the adults who are sandwiched between their kids' needs and the needs of their aging parents.
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Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

Today we're sharing an episode from Neurodiverging with Danielle Sullivan. It's a super interesting conversation on PDA, an acronym for Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Demand for Autonomy. I enjoyed listening to this, and I think you will too!

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Today host Danielle Sullivan discusses their experience parenting PDA children. Danielle has a child with pathological demand avoidance/ pervasive demand for autonomy and has unique experience as an adult autistic PDA-er themselves. Danielle describes what PDA is, why these behaviors show up in certain autistic folks, and gives some examples of parenting PDA for her child in everyday life.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

The Holidays are here, so 'Tis the Season for hearing about travel anxiety from many parents raising neurodivergent kids. Some can’t fathom going to a restaurant without causing a scene so an extended vacation seems out of reach. Many are surprised when I say, “Your child can totally do this! Maybe not yet, but just like any other skill you have taught your child, traveling takes practice.” In this episode, learn how you can teach your child to travel.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

If you are raising an autistic child or one with ADHD, anxiety, or sensory processing differences, you may have had some moments when you’ve looked at others and thought, “I wish it was easier for my child to just sit down and eat with the family” or “Wow, that child just joined right in with that group of kids like it was nothing!”

When your child is achieving milestones on their own timeframe, you quickly learn to surrender to the unknown and embrace the path in front of you. Your child is teaching you many lessons you would have never learned if they had not been your child. You are stronger for it and there is gratitude to be found here. 

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Sign up for Dr. Emily's weekly newsletter at www.learnwithdremily.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

Today we're sharing an episode I was a guest on recently, Calm the Chaos Parenting with my friend Dayna Abraham.

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This week, we're diving into a topic that keeps popping up in our community, and it's a two-part issue.

Firstly, some parents are puzzled about how to help their kids at school as they come home on Fridays exhausted and frustrated, or they flat out refuse to go to school, claiming it's just too stressful. Even when they do go, they return home stressed and unwilling to do homework.

Teachers are noticing these struggles, too. Kids aren't turning in their work, not keeping up, with or without IEPs. It feels like we can't quite meet our kids' needs at school.

But there's another side to this coin. Some parents are pushing for their children to catch up, achieve, and be successful in school. That’s something schools want, too - kids to be in class every day so they fit in with their peers.

However, what often gets overlooked is whether the kids feel safe at school.

I feel like this is such an important conversation, so in this episode, I've brought on an expert who does this all day, every day.

Meet Dr. Emily King, a Child Psychologist and former School Psychologist who has two decades of experience working closely with neurodivergent kids and teens.

She received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is well-versed in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, DIR/Floortime, Conscious Discipline, and Social Thinking methodologies.

Dr. Emily is also the founder of Learn with Dr. Emily™ where she shares online resources related to raising and educating neurodivergent youth. She specializes in providing therapy and consultation services for children diagnosed with autism, anxiety, ADHD, depression, and learning difficulties.

She is passionate about empowering parents and teachers to take care of themselves so they can become the supportive adults that every neurodivergent child needs in their life.

Join us for this interview, where we'll be discussing the hurdles neurodivergent kids face in school, the gap between expectations and support, the impact of anxiety on learning, and the importance of collaboration between parents and teachers.

It's a conversation you really don't want to miss out on!

Tune in now!

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Who is Dr. Emily King (02:34)
• Misconceptions about meeting the needs of neurodivergent children (05:37)
• The importance of communication between teachers and parents (11:39)
• The mismatch between child's abilities and school expectations (17:29)
• Dr. Emily’s takeaway for educators and parents (23:58)
• The first step towards teamwork in helping kids (26:22)
• Sources for Dr. Emily's kid and teacher support strategies (28:52)

Additional resources:

👉 Visit Dr. Emily’s website

👉 Subscribe to Dr. Emily’s Substack Blog

👉 Check out Dr. Emily’s podcast Learn with Dr. Emily

Connect with Dr. Emily:

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

🔹 Linkedin

- - -

📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book

✨ Hear the Success Stories

🔍 Check out my website

👉 Check out my YouTube channel

Connect with me on social media:

🔹 TikTok

🔹 Instagram

🔹 Facebook

Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!

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Sign up for Dr. Emily's weekly newsletter at www.learnwithdremily.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

Today we're sharing an episode from an awesome parenting podcast called Motherhood Unstressed with Liz Carlisle. This conversation with author Jenn Granneman on working with highly sensitive people and what superpowers they possess is fantastic, so I know you'll enjoy it.

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You’re too sensitive. You’re overreacting. Grow a thicker skin. You take everything so personally.

We hear these comments all too often. There’s no denying sensitivity is surrounded by stigma. We discourage it in our children, judge it in our peers, and ultimately weaponize it in our relationships with colleagues and family members. While it’s not widely understood by the public, sensitivity is an essential human trait. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 people arehighly sensitive individuals, and without them, we would not have the theory of evolution, the Declaration of Independence, or Netflix. 

Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo are the force behind the world’s largest online communities for sensitive people and introverts, Sensitive Refuge and Introvert, Dear. And they’re on a mission to break the negative stigma surrounding sensitivity in their forthcoming book, SENSITIVE (on sale 2/28), unveiling the hidden power of highly sensitivepeople (HSPs) in our loud, fast, and too-much world.

Weaving together actionable advice, relatable anecdotes, and the latest scientific research, SENSITIVE shows readers how leaning into their sensitivity can unlock a powerful “boost effect” to launch them ahead in life. Presenting the empowering idea that sensitivity gives you access to five distinct gifts, Granneman and Sólo offers the tools and insights you need to embrace this undervalued strength and leverage it across the most important areas of your life.

In this episode Jenn is revealing:

- A clear picture of what it really means to be sensitive and what strengths sensitive people bring to the world

- What makes the sensitive brain different — and how it’s wired to go deep

- How the needs of sensitive people differ from those of less sensitive people and people with autism 

- How to transform one of the misunderstood gifts of sensitive people—empathy into a source of world-changing strength

- The common misconceptions about sensitive children—and their secret advantage

- The powerful traits of sensitive leaders, who are often the most effective leaders of all

Are you highly sensitive? Take Dr. Elaine N. Erickson's Test: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/ 

Connect with Jenn:

https://introvertdear.com 

https://highlysensitiverefuge.com 

Twitter @JennGranneman

Instagram @introvertdear

Facebook @introvertdearblog

Read Sensitive https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593235010/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_4W1R40JWNN6EB1ZN918D?linkCode=ml1&tag=unstressed02-20

Get the book Motherhood Unstressed - Daily Meditations on Motherhood, Self-Care, and the Art of Living a Life You Love available on Amazon and Kindle

Subscribe to The Motherhood Unstressed Podcast

Instagram @motherhoodunstressed

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Sign up for Dr. Emily's weekly newsletter at www.learnwithdremily.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

Many of you know that Dr. Mona Delahooke suffered a brain aneurysm about two months ago and has been fighting hard in her recovery ever since. Her family shared last week that she has regained consciousness (!) but that there is still a long road to recovery.

So please join me in wishing Mona well today as we lift up her work through the magic of podcast sharing while she continues to rest and recover.

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Educators, it's time to shift our mindset by understanding what polyvagal theory, the importance of brain-body connection, and how we can better support our children.

We all know that the fields of psychology and education still haven’t fully integrated the wisdom we’re learning from research and neuroscience, and often rely on methods that seek to alter kids behavior through rewards and consequences. Once we acknowledge that behaviors, though, are meaningful and protective adaptations to a child’s internal experience, we can create a whole new range of compassionate and individually tailored options that surpass just managing behaviors.

So today, Dr. Mona Delahooke explains polyvagal theory and the paradigm shift that could be so helpful for parents and educators to make.

About Our Guest

Dr. Mona Delahooke is a best-selling author and child psychologist who aims to reduce suffering and increase resilience for children and families. Her paradigm-shifting model offers a new way of understanding emotional and behavioral challenges, incorporating the latest neuroscience and resilience research to support relationships. Dr. Delahooke is challenging the education system to update its practices from focusing on behavior to promoting relational safety.
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Sign up for Dr. Emily's weekly newsletter at www.learnwithdremily.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

Welcome to another 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 two questions I get all the time:

1. When should you pursue a diagnosis for your child, even if they're not having trouble at school?
2. I'm concerned that my ADHD child doesn't show empathy. What can I do?

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Sign up for Dr. Emily's weekly newsletter at www.learnwithdremily.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

Today I have a special treat for the educators who follow me. A few weeks ago I offered a free webinar for teachers in Pre-K through 8th grade where I talked about what's going on behind the behavior, and how to stay curious and figure out what students are struggling with so we can shift our mindset from thinking these students are giving me a hard time to these students are having a hard time.

So on today's episode, I'm releasing the full recording from that webinar. At the end of the webinar, I talk a little more in depth about some of the teacher training that I offer. Today this is just a snippet of that information.

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Sign up for Dr. Emily's weekly newsletter at www.learnwithdremily.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe

As parents, we are all are working toward the same goals: Raise a human that is independent and kind. Many of us start with goals like “successful” and ”happy,” but because these are such relative terms, I find it more helpful to define goals within the framework of independence, which is my definition of success anyway. I also don’t think I know any kind people who aren’t also generally happy people so that brings us back to the goals of raising independent and kind humans.

But what happens when your child is growing up with skill weaknesses and mood dysregulation that make them struggle with independence and present at times with some very unkind behaviors? I have lived this parenting experience and counseled many families along this anxiety-provoking path.

Parents raising neurodivergent teens ask themselves: Is my child ever going to drive? Will they be able to go to college? Will they be able to have a job? Will they be able to keep a job? Will my child be able to live on their own? Will they have friends?

Let's see if we can answer these questions.

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Sign up for Dr. Emily's weekly newsletter at www.learnwithdremily.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe