Okay, so I’ll just say right at the top that my guest today is NOT a parenting expert. He is, however, a neurodivergent researcher, educator, author, and thinker who has some fascinating things to share about helping our kids energize their brains, spark ideas, and ignite action.

Dr. Jeff Karp was that young kid who struggled greatly in school because of his learning disabilities, but when a tutor during the summer after second grade asked him this question – how did you think about that? – everything for him changed. He began to be more self-reflective. By thinking about thinking and how he approached learning, he was able to explore and create tools and systems to help him reach his goals both in school and in daily life.

Jeff is still thinking about thinking today, and shares his ideas in his fascinating book, LIT: Life Ignition Tools: Use Nature's Playbook to Energize Your Brain, Spark Ideas, and Ignite Action. ​​After I read his book, I wanted to bring him on the show because he embodies so much of what we talk about here at Tilt – encouraging our kids to understand how their brain works, get curious about their own strengths and gifts, and figure out ways to “hack themselves” so they can design lives that allow them to play to those strengths.

As a child, Jeff developed ways to navigate school and life that were based on his curiosity, passion, creativity, and connection to nature. Over the years, he’s evolved his approaches into LIT (Life Ignition Tools) and wrote this book to share them with the rest of the world.

Dr. Jeff Karp holds the Distinguished Chair at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is a Professor at Harvard Medical School and MIT. He is an elected fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, Royal Society of Chemistry, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering Society, and the Canadian Academy of Engineering.

Specializing in bioinspired medical innovation, Dr. Karp leads a research lab focused on harnessing lessons from nature. He has published over 165 peer-reviewed papers with more than 34,000 citations and has delivered nearly 400 invited lectures. He holds over 100 patents, and his lab’s technologies have led to the formation of thirteen companies.

His notable innovations include a tissue glue for sealing holes in a beating heart, targeted therapies for osteoarthritis and Crohn’s disease, smart needles, a nasal spray that neutralizes pathogens, and immunotherapy approaches for cancer.

Dr. Karp is also dedicated to mentoring the next generation of bioengineers. He has received multiple mentoring awards, and 30 of his trainees have secured faculty positions.

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Dr. Sharon Saline, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families who are dealing with ADHD and other learning disabilities, talks about a child’s emotional journey as they come to understand and accept the way their brain is wired.

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Executive function coach Seth Perler joins Debbie to answer a listener question about how to best address adolescent impulsivity and disruptive behavior in a way that diffuses intensity while also effectively working toward growth.

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What does the word capable mean to you? My guest, Dr. Deborah Winking, defines a capable person as an individual living a meaning-filled life determined by them and those who love them with the maximum level of autonomy and agency that they can achieve and authentically access. She’s on a mission to show that there’s a version of capable for every child that is unique to them, and it’s what she writes about in her new book, Raising Capable Kids. The 12 Habits Every Parent Needs Regardless of their Child's Label or Challenge.

Deborah, an educator, school leader, consultant and researcher, has a Ph.D in Educational Psychology, and is the mother of four children, including one child born with a rare neurological syndrome. She’s worn many hats over the course of her career, including working with and advocating for countless children and families, teaching at the New England Center for Autism where she started the first work experience and supported employment program there, and conducting a 5-year evaluation of the New York City Schools Early Childhood Inclusive Education Initiative. She currently works in a public school teaching bilingual disabled learners. In addition to the book we’re talking about today, Deborah is also the author of a memoir called Capable: A Story of Triumph For Children the World has Judged as "Different.”

But for today’s show, Deb shared the story of raising her son Jack and how focusing on the near future, or the next 15 yards as she calls it, helped her stay grounded. We also explored the concept of capable through multiple examples, the role of agency, our vision as parents, and more. I hope you enjoy our conversation!

Deborah Winking, Ph.D is the mother of four (including one child born with a rare neurological syndrome), and has worked with and advocated for countless children and families over the years as an educator, school leader, consultant and researcher. 

Deborah has a Ph.D in Educational Psychology from the University of Illinois. She taught students with autism at the New England Center for Autism and started the first work experience and supported employment program there; designed the authentic and portfolio assessment program for the Minneapolis Public Schools; conducted the 5 year evaluation of the New York City Schools Early Childhood Inclusive Education Initiative; worked at the University of Washington Center for Educational Leadership training school leaders and teachers across the country in equity based and student centered instructional practices. She currently works in a public school teaching bilingual learners with disabilities. Deborah is the author of two books Capable, and Raising Capable Kids-The 12 Habits Every Parent Needs Regardless of label or Challenge.

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Amanda Morin of Understood joins Debbie for a special back-to-school episode to help families prepare for easing into the coming school year with as much confidence and serenity as possible.

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If you’ve ever used the word “baffling” when describing your child’s behavior, this episode is for you. My guest is Robyn Gobbel, an expert in relational neuroscience and interpersonal neurobiology, the author of Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work and the host of the podcast The Baffling Behavior Show.

As a psychologist, Robyn has always been passionate about working with those kids who have more tricky or extreme behaviors, and she does that by harnessing the power of neuroscience. Through her work with families, she decodes the latest brain science into easy-to-understand principles and metaphors to help parents become an expert in their child's behavior.

During this episode, Robyn and I explore the core issues underlying nearly all struggles in children — dysregulation, disconnection, or feeling unsafe — and how understanding the brain's operation in either connection mode or protection mode can transform our approach to parenting. We also touched upon Robyn’s metaphors for the three brain states: the owl (calm), the watchdog (vigilant), and the possum (withdrawn), which can help us better understand and respond to our children's needs.

I have a hunch many of you will resonate with Robyn’s experience of feeling like she wasn’t doing enough for the kids she was working with, or that it was her fault they continued to struggle. I know I did. And I also find the reminder that it takes time to figure out how to best support our kids, and ourselves, empowering and optimistic. I hope you feel the same after listening to this episode!

Robyn Gobbel, MSW, loves coffee, P!NK, and everything about the brain. Once (recently!) her teenager went ballistic on her for getting ANOTHER (glitter!) coffee mug in the mail.Robyn loves cultivating deep, resonant connections with anyone who is up for it, and is especially fond of all the grown-ups in the world who love and care for kids impacted by trauma- helpers, healers, educators, and parents.

Her favorite thing ever (besides glittery coffee mugs) is teaching anyone who will listen to harness the power of neuroscience.What would change in the world if we could all do that? To see, be with, feel, and deeply know each other…and ourselves. Robyn thinks everything could change. You can get your hands on all sorts of free resources at her website, including her podcast, The Baffling Behavior Show. Robyn is the author of Raising Kids with Big, Baffling Behaviors: Brain-Body-Sensory Strategies that Really Work.

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Licensed marriage and family therapist, parent coach, and speaker Debbie Steinberg Kuntz )Bright & Quirky) walks us through a 6-step strategy that parents can employ to help their child thrive that fits the unique way they are wired.

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The movement surrounding neurodivergence has evolved so much since I started Tilt Parenting, which I launched as “revolution for differently wired kids” back in 2016. I see changes everywhere — in the language we use, the parenting discussions we have, the deeper understanding of diagnostic criteria for things like autism and ADHD, the adaptations some companies are making to support their neurodivergent employees.

A few months ago, I grabbed a coffee with my friend Marcus Soutra, who until recently was the co-founder and president of Eye to Eye, a national organization dedicated to enhancing the educational journey and outcomes of neurodiverse youth, and we got into a deep conversation about all of these changes, and we thought, hey, why not have this conversation for the podcast to explore it further for the Tilt community. So here we are.

So that’s what this episode is. A thoughtful look at things like how the language and identity within the neurodiversity community has shifted, why community is a cornerstone of the movement, the ways privilege and access impacts a student’s ability to fully embrace neurodivergence, the potential pros and cons of neurodiversity content on social media apps like TikTok, self-identifying versus formal diagnoses, generational differences in experience, how we can help advance the movement in our everyday lives, and much more.

Marcus began his professional journey as a public school teacher before immersing himself in the grassroots movement of Eye to Eye and ultimately running it for nearly twenty years. Drawing from his experiences as both an educator and an individual with dyslexia and ADHD, Marcus deeply understands the challenges faced by students and teachers in navigating the educational landscape. His commitment to dismantling barriers and fostering confidence among diverse learners is evident in his work and advocacy efforts. Marcus has just embarked on a new venture with For The Good Consulting, where he leverages his expertise, network, and personal journey to support other organizations in scaling their missions.

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Author and former NY Times Motherlode editor KJ Dell'Antonia talks about her book "How To Be a Happier Parent" and what she learned about how parents can bring more happiness into their daily lives.

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Parent coach Zach Morris joins Debbie to answer a listener question about how to help a twice-exceptional 8 year old (ADHD and Autism), be more flexible and less argumentative in a way that supports the whole family's emotional regulation.

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