Educator and school co-founder Zach Morris shares his insights on how we can emotionally support children through difficult periods, including challenges relating to school anxiety and more

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Parent Coach Margaret Webb joins Debbie to answer a listener question on how to navigate solo parenting as a neurodivergent mom in burnout, balance supporting two neurodivergent kids post-divorce, and find realistic ways to prioritize self-care—even when it feels impossible.

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Picture this. You’re sitting in the neuropsych’s office after you just got your kid’s diagnosis. You’re relieved to have some information on how to help them but have no clue how to explain their neurodivergence to them. Do you talk about the science? Do you wait until they are a certain age where they might understand more about their brains? Or maybe you think about waiting for them to start asking the questions. If you can relate, you’re not alone in wondering what the best way to have this conversation is. And the reality is, the how and when does matter. So for today’s show, I’m bringing on Dr. Liz Angoff, a Licensed Educational Psychologist who specializes in helping families reframe assessments and diagnoses into empowering narratives that celebrate a child’s unique brain.

Liz has spent years working with children and families to make learning differences easier to understand. She’s the author of the Brain Building Books, a resource designed to help kids see their neurodivergence as a strength rather than a limitation.

In our conversation, Liz shares why early and open discussions about neurodiversity are so important, how parents can guide their children through assessments in a way that fosters trust, and why shifting from a deficit-based model to a discovery-based approach can be transformative for the whole family. We also explore how different kids process this information in their own ways—some may embrace it, while others, especially teenagers, might resist labels altogether. She also provides thoughtful strategies to meet kids where they are and help them feel seen and supported. 

If you’ve ever struggled with how to talk to your child about their neurodivergence, this episode is full of practical insights and reassurance.

Liz Angoff, Ph.D., is a Licensed Educational Psychologist with a Diplomate in School Neuropsychology, providing assessment and consultation services to children and their families in the Bay Area, CA. She is the author of the Brain Building Books, tools for engaging children in understanding their learning and developmental differences. More information about Dr. Liz and her work is available at www.ExplainingBrains.com.

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Marriage and family therapist, licensed psychotherapist, and author Susan Stiffelman talks about her book Parenting Without Power Struggles and shares strategies for staying calm in the midst of conflict with our children.

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Today we’re diving into an urgent and often overlooked issue—the connection between ADHD, the school-to-prison pipeline, and the critical need for early intervention. My guest for today’s conversation is Sarah Templeton, an ADHD activist, counselor, and author whose personal and professional experiences have made her a passionate advocate for mandatory ADHD screenings in schools and the criminal justice system.

Sarah was diagnosed with ADHD, severe dyspraxia, dyscalculia, and sensory processing disorder later in life. As a psychotherapist working with incarcerated individuals, she made a startling discovery—an overwhelming majority of inmates have ADHD that was never recognized or supported in childhood. This realization led her to create ADHD Liberty, a charity focused on increasing awareness, advocating for policy change, and ensuring early intervention for kids who might otherwise fall through the cracks. She’s actually got a book coming out soon about her work in the prison system called The Prison Counselor. Sarah is also the author of How Not to Murder Your ADHD Child, How Not To Damage Your ADHD Adolescent, and Teachers! How Not to Kill the Spirit in Your ADHD Kids, books which are designed to help parents and educators better understand and support neurodivergent kids.

In this conversation, Sarah unpacks why ADHD is so prevalent in the prison population and how mandatory screenings in schools could change the trajectory of countless lives. We discuss the role of teacher training, the need for mental health teams in schools, and the systemic barriers that prevent ADHD from being taken seriously in both education and the justice system.

This episode is eye-opening, informative, and a powerful call to action for parents, educators, and policymakers alike. I hope you enjoy it.

Sarah Templeton is an ADHD activist and author. She wrote the best selling book How Not to Murder Your ADHD Child — Instead Learn to Be Your Child’s Own ADHD Coach. She followed this up with a book to help teachers understand and manage their ADHD students and a book for parents of ADHD teenagers. As a fully qualified and accredited counsellor and psychotherapist she is passionate about ADHD being understood and stopping anyone trying to ”knock the ADHD out of kids” and instead allowing them to be their authentic selves.

Sarah campaigns relentlessly for mandatory ADHD screening in the education system and the criminal justice system. Her own moderate to severe combined ADHD, severe dyspraxia, dyscalculia and sensory processing disorder went completely missed until she was in her 50s.She doesn’t want this for children now.

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Gwen Vogelgang and her 12-year-old son Rylan talk about their new book, "If I Squeeze Your Head I'm Sorry," which allow readers to enter the brain of a child who sees, feels, and understands the world from a refreshingly unique perspective.

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Today’s episode couldn’t be more timely. We’re exploring the important topic of resilience and how to support our kids in navigating challenging times. Joining me is Dr. Tovah Klein, author of the insightful new book Raising Resilience: How to Help Our Children Thrive in Times of Uncertainty.

Dr. Klein is a renowned developmental psychologist and the director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development. With over 30 years of experience, she’s dedicated her career to understanding what children need to thrive, regardless of their circumstances. She’s a sought-after advisor to children’s media and organizations, including National Geographic Kids and Apple TV+. 

In her latest book, Tovah explains why resilience isn’t a fixed trait but a skill that can be nurtured through supportive relationships and intentional parenting practices. And so in today’s conversation, we unpack what it means to be an anchor and container for our children, explore the five pillars of resilience—security and trust, emotional regulation, agency, social connection, and self-acceptance—and discuss why understanding our own emotional baggage is key to helping our kids build resilience.  

I love the way Tovah frames resiliency as a skill that is built together between parents and children because so often we think of it as an individual characteristic. And as you’ll hear in this conversation, it all starts with the connection between us. There’s so much food for thought and hope. 

Tovah P. Klein, Ph.D. is the author of Raising Resilience: How to Help Our Children Thrive in Times of Uncertainty and How Toddlers Thrive: What Parents Can Do Today for Children Ages 2-5 to Plant the Seeds of Lifelong Success. She is also the Director of the Barnard College Center for Toddler Development and a psychology professor at Barnard College, Columbia University. In her role as a researcher and professor and in direct care with parents and children for over thirty years, Klein has helped to define what every child needs to thrive, regardless of their life situations. Working worldwide with programs addressing the needs of children, she is highly sought after as a developmental expert on a range of timely topics and an advisor to children’s media and organizations, including National Geographic Kids, Apple TV+, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, the Hunts Point Alliance for Children, Room to Grow, and Ubuntu Pathways South Africa.

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Dr. Stacy Hawthorne and Dr. Jessica Potts of The Davidson Institute talk about the unique needs for profoundly gifted children and share insights on how to support their intellectual and social/emotional development.

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Playing with our kids doesn’t always come naturally to parents. For some of us, it might feel uninteresting, repetitive, or as though the only way to participate is by taking over. But today’s conversation might just change the way you think about play. We’re diving into the transformative power of play as a form of communication that allows our kids to feel safe while exploring what’s going on inside them. Joining me is Georgie Wisen-Vincent, an expert in play therapy and co-author, alongside Dr. Tina Payne Bryson, of the new book The Way of Play: Using Little Moments of Big Connection to Raise Kind and Confident Kids.

In today’s episode, Georgie shares insights from The Way of Play and explains why play is a universal language that helps kids express their feelings and navigate life’s challenges. We discuss how parents can intentionally use play to strengthen bonds, nurture sibling relationships, and reconnect after time apart. Georgie also offers practical strategies for engaging in play effectively, such as mirroring your child’s play to deepen connection and understanding. Plus, we explore how play isn’t just for kids—it’s a lifelong skill that can enhance relationships at every stage of life.

About Georgie Wisen-Vincent

Georgie Wisen-Vincent, LMFT, RPT-S, ECMHS is a nationally recognized play therapy expert and co-author (with Dr. Tina Payne Bryson) of the new book -- THE WAY OF PLAY (Penguin Random House, January 2025). Georgie is the Founder/Director of The Play Strong Institute, a center devoted to the study, research, and practice of play therapy through a neurodevelopment lens, along with Dr. Bryson, the Founder/Executive Director of The Center for Connection, a multidisciplinary clinical practice in Southern California. Georgie is also a child, adolescent, and family psychotherapist and maintains a private practice at The Center for Connection.

The Play Strong Institute offers the Certificate in Play Therapy with a Neurorelational Emphasis, an educational pathway toward becoming a credentialed play therapist. Through the Institute, the Play Strong approach was developed using child-led, adult scaffolded connection and play to help parents, therapists, educators, and care providers augment intervention aimed at the social, emotional, developmental, and learning needs of children from infancy to early adolescence. Play Strong Parenting (a component of Neurofilial Therapy) has been validated by empirical research and is currently being studied with non-parental caregivers and early childhood educators, among other research investigations currently underway.

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Zach Morris joins Debbie to answer a listener question on how to address a 17-year-old with ADHD and executive function challenges who is vaping, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing trust, open communication, education on risks, and understanding the motivations behind the behavior while fostering a strong parent-child connection.

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