Learn with Dr. Emily®

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 three questions:

1. How would I advise middle school parents who are having a hard time getting their child started with homework?
2. How can I tell if my child is actually not able to sit at the dinner table or if they're able to control it?
3. How can I get my neurodivergent child to do chores?

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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 a parent or teacher, what should we do when our child is in the middle of a meltdown?

Today we welcome Dayna Abraham, a National Board Certified educator, parent of three neurodivergent children, and an ADHD adult herself. Dayna introduces her Calm the Chaos framework, which consists of four key principles: Connection, Understanding, Empowerment, and You (the parent as a calm presence). These principles form the foundation for effective parenting and helping children thrive, especially during difficult moments.

Dayna Abraham is the bestselling author of The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day, and her new book Calm the Chaos: A Fail-Proof Road Map for Parenting Even the Most Challenging Kids is available now!
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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

I’m just going to say it: Homework is a thorn in the side for most parents raising neurodivergent kids. In case you haven’t experience it, let me explain:

You wake up in the morning ready to implement your well-crafted morning routine that includes the most efficient way to get your child clothed, fed, packed up, and in the car with the fewest moments of frustration, tears, and conflict with siblings. Because school is hard for your child, making it through the morning routine and into the school building is your child’s first triumph of the day.

During that school day, your child is faced with challenging tasks. There will be spoken language to process, pencils to grip, bodies to keep still, transitions to initiate, social interactions to understand, and non-preferred academic work to complete. Your child will be exhausted when they get to you at pick-up. This is understandable. They have just “left it all on the field” of the classroom. They need time to recover, to engage in preferred play, and to rest and reconnect with you. But before they can rest, some days your child will have a therapy appointment to work on emotional regulation, language skills, motor skills, or sensory needs.

But, what happens when they get home? There is homework. Your child does not yet work independently so you are now their teacher, except you don’t have a degree in special education. Not only do you not know how to teach your exhausted child, you are also trying to cook dinner, pick up a sibling from dance, and return a work call because you left work early to be home with your child after school. You are exhausted, too.

So, why are we giving homework to our most worn-out students? There are many costs, but are there any benefits?

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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

Are you facing the dilemma of whether homeschooling is the right choice for your neurodivergent child? Are you concerned about the challenges it might bring, such as college admissions or socialization?

Today, we sit down with Amy Langston, an autistic self-advocate, to explore her remarkable homeschooling journey. Discover how she and her family tackled the decision to homeschool, overcame obstacles, and reaped the benefits of this unconventional approach to education.

Amy shares insights into the world of homeschooling, addressing the very concerns you might have. From tailoring the curriculum to your child's interests to ensuring a smooth transition to college, you'll gain a deeper understanding of how homeschooling can be a viable (and likely rewarding) option. 

Amy Langston is an autistic self advocate, diagnosed at the age of 10. Her special interest is in world religions and she holds a bachelor's and a master's degree in religious studies. She delivers training sessions to religious organizations and others on autism inclusion.

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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.

This episode of Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence, and recorded in the Earfluence Podcast Studio in Downtown Raleigh.

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 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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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 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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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 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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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

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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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 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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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, 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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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