Talking About Kids

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All kids are unique, but some do better in typical classroom settings than others. The process of recognizing that a kid has special academic needs can be frustrating and stressful for parents, educators, professionals, and the student. Unfortunately, recognition is often just the beginning. The meetings and myriad terms, initials, and acronyms that follow a diagnosis can be confusing and intimidating. In this episode, I am going to address one of the more common ones:  the IEP, or the Individualized Education Program. To help explain the IEP, I have enlisted the help of Kimberly Robinson. Kim came highly recommended to me because of her over 20 years of experience working as a Speech Language Pathologist and her expertise formulating and monitoring IEPs. More information about Kim is talkingaboutkids.com.

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For this final episode honoring Pride Month, I attended four NYC Pride events and interviewed speakers, dignitaries, and leaders. I asked them all one question:  What words of advice or encouragement do you have for kids who are not feeling valued and supported as they realize their orientation, identity, and identity expression? 

In this episode you will hear:

-Gabrielle Souza, Executive Director of The Okra Project, a mutual aid collective that supports Black Trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people;

-Sage Dolan-Sandrino, queer trans activist, journalist, and the inaugural Monica Roberts Fellow at the National Black Justice Coalition;

-Melissa D’Andrea, Executive Director of PFLAG NYC, a family-based organization committed to celebrating LGBTQ+ young people and creating a better future for all;

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal Yasmin Benoit, award-winning British asexual activist, creator of the popular #ThisIsWhatAsexualLooksLike movement, and co-founder International Asexuality Day;

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal Hope Giselle, organizer, trans activist, and best-selling author of Becoming Hope: Removing the Disguise;

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal Randy Wicker, legendary, trailblazing LGBTQ+ activist; 

-NYC Pride March Grand Marshal AC Dumlao, Chief of Staff at Athlete Ally, a nonprofit working to educate and activate athletic communities to eliminate homophobia and transphobia in sports, and creator of the popular Facebook page “Call Me They”; and

-Sandra Pérez, Executive Director for NYC Pride.

I recommend sharing the powerful advice and encouragement they offered with the kids in your life.

More information about these activists, including links to their organizations, is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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For this fourth episode of Pride Month, Talking About Kids was granted media access to The Rally, NYC Pride’s annual protest and activism event that takes place just a few blocks away from the location of the Stonewall Riots, the 1969 protests that sparked the gay rights movement. I asked three of the speakers for advice for caregivers on how to support kids as those kids realize their orientations, identities, and identity expressions.  In this episode you will hear:

• Gabrielle Souza, Executive Director of The Okra Project, a mutual aid collective that supports Black Trans, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people;
• Sage Dolan-Sandrino, queer trans activist, journalist, and the inaugural Monica Roberts Fellow at the National Black Justice Coalition; and
• Melissa D’Andrea, Executive Director of PFLAG NYC, a family-based organization committed to celebrating LGBTQ+ young people and creating a better future for all.

 More information about these activists, including links to their organizations, is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Lane Kantor is my guest for this third episode of Pride Month.  Lane is an MD with a Masters degree in Public Health. Recently, Lane and their colleagues conducted a study of the knowledge gaps and educational needs of the parents of transgender and nonbinary kids. Lane shares what they learned and recommendations for supporting kids as they realize their identities and how they want to express them. More information about Lane, including links to the research they cite, is talkingaboutkids.com.

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For the second episode of Pride Month, I asked Stephen Russell to describe what we know from research about supporting kids as they realize their orientations and identities. Stephen is the Director of the School of Human Ecology at the University of Texas at Austin. He also is the author of the award-winning book, Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Schooling. I am honored that he found time in his busy schedule to share his insights here on the Talking About Kids podcast. More information about Stephen, including links to his research, is www.TalkingAboutKids.com.

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In honor of Pride Month, I wanted to look at sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in kids. In particular, I wanted a better understanding of the terms that are used to describe gender identity and gender expression. I also wanted to get an overview of what happens when we fail to support kids who are perceived as not conforming to prevailing sexual and gender norms. To help with this, I reached out to Madelaine Adelman. Maddie is a Professor of Justice Studies in the School of Social Transformation at Arizona State University, an author, and, for over two decades, one of the driving forces in GLSEN, a national organization that was founded by teachers to promote safe, supportive, and LGBTQ-inclusive K-12 education. More information about Maddie and links to resources for parents and educators are at www.TalkingAboutKids.com.

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School shootings are all-too-frequently in the news. When they are, there is a good chance that my guest’s work will be cited. David Riedman is the co-founder of the K-12 School Shooting Database, which contains detailed information on all school shootings in the United States from 1970 to present. David, an expert on security and crisis management, has spent a lot of time with this information, and his conclusions about our society’s response to school shootings might surprise you. More information about David, including a link to the K-12 School Shooting Database is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Aaron Kupchik returns to Talking About Kids to discuss his new research on the origins of contemporary school discipline practices. Aaron is a Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware and the author of numerous articles and books, including the award-winning Judging Juveniles: Prosecuting Adolescents in Adult and Juvenile Courts and Homeroom Security: School Discipline in an Age of Fear. When I initially invited Aaron back to provide an update on school violence, Aaron replied, “I don’t study school violence. I look at the crappy things adults do because of an irrational fear of school violence,” which is why we like him. More information about Aaron, including links to his books, is at www.talkingaboutkids.com.

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In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to examine the evolving demands of motherhood, and I could think of no better person to help me do that than Nicole Feliciano. For nearly two decades, Nicole has convened and supported mothers, initially through her wildly successful blog, MomTrends, then with her book Mom Boss: Balancing Entrepreneurship, Kids & Success, and most recently with Ski Moms Fun, which is a podcast and social media focusing on winter sports and motherhood. She and I discuss the changes she has seen and her advice for staying balanced. More information about Nicole, including links to her projects, is at TalkingAboutKids.com.

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My guest this episode is Sheryl Cababa. Sheryl is the Chief Design Officer at Substantial, an insights, design, and development firm based in Seattle, WA. Sheryl and her colleagues are working with amazing partners – like The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation – and using equity-centered research to improve education technology. Sheryl and I discuss what “equity-centered research” is and how it might benefit the kids in your life. More information about Sheryl and her new book, Closing the Loop: Systems Thinking for Designers, can be found at TalkingAboutKids.com.