Wonderfully Wired

Dr Norrine Russell has spent nearly two decades helping wonderfully wired children and their families build the confidence, executive function skills and independence they need to thrive. In this conversation, we explore her Connected Coaching approach, why every child deserves to be understood as a whole person rather than a diagnosis, and the importance of bringing parents, schools and professionals together as a team. We also tackle the myths surrounding ADHD and autism, the role of evidence-based support and medication, and how we can move beyond managing behaviour to developing capable, resilient young people who know their own brains and can advocate for themselves.

What helps a child's executive functioning grow — and what can parents do at home?

In Episode 39, the first Parent Pause from Wonderfully Wired, Elle Leher responds to her conversation with developmental cognitive neuroscientist Professor Adele Diamond in Episode 38, The Things That Make a Brain Work, and translates the science of executive function into everyday parenting.

Through three simple messages — "I love you exactly as you are," "I trust you to grow," and "How can I help?" — Elle explores how parents can create the conditions children need for connection, growing autonomy and competence.

You'll hear practical ideas for supporting children and teens with executive-function challenges, including how to balance helping with stepping back, use scaffolding without taking over, find the right level of challenge for skill development, deliberately build joy into family life, and help children transfer executive-function skills from the things they love to the places they struggle.

Especially relevant for parents of neurodivergent, ADHD, dyslexic and wonderfully wired children, this short solo episode is about creating a home in which children know they belong, experience themselves as capable, and gradually grow in independence.

Listen to Episode 38, The Things That Make a Brain Work for Elle's full conversation with Professor Adele Diamond.

Want Elle to speak to your parent group, school, church or community? Contact [email protected].

What helps a child's brain work at its best? Professor Adele Diamond, one of the world's leading developmental cognitive neuroscientists and a pioneer in executive function research, joins Elle to explore an answer that is surprisingly human. They discuss why stress can derail executive functioning, why joy and belonging aren't "soft extras" to learning, and how relationships and encouragement shape what children believe they can do. Adele explains how executive function skills grow through challenge and practice—and why skills developed in sport, music or play don't automatically transfer to the classroom. The conversation also turns to Montessori education, teacher wellbeing and what African cultures might teach the world about community, connection and learning.

This version makes the distinction clear without turning the description into a disclaimer. It honours Bernstein's experience and the families he has helped, while positioning the conversation as one perspective rather than an approach you endorse in full. It also gently names the important limitation: much of his method depends on his own highly individualised work and may not translate directly into something parents can reproduce alone.

In this bonus episode, I speak with Dr Rob Bernstein, an educator and therapist who has spent more than 35 years working closely with autistic children, young people and their families.

Dr Bernstein shares the highly individualised approach he has developed through decades of observation and relationship-building. Rather than beginning with a programme or predetermined set of techniques, he looks carefully at how each child experiences the world and searches for ways to enter that world, build connection and create opportunities for growth. His stories offer parents a hopeful reminder that behaviour carries meaning, that progress may take unexpected forms, and that we should remain curious about what a child might be communicating.

I am sharing this conversation as one experienced practitioner's perspective, rather than as a complete or universally transferable model. I do not necessarily share all the language or views expressed in the episode, and some aspects of Dr Bernstein's work are closely tied to the intensive, personalised support he provides himself. Parents listening from different contexts—or without access to a practitioner who works in this way—may therefore find some ideas more immediately applicable than others.

Nevertheless, Dr Bernstein's long experience, his commitment to seeing possibility in children whom others may have struggled to reach, and the success many families attribute to his work make his a voice worth hearing. As always, I invite listeners to engage thoughtfully: to take what is useful, place it alongside other informed and neurodiversity-affirming perspectives, and consider what fits their own child, family and circumstances.

Healing with Horses is far more than an equine therapy programme—it is a story of hope, belonging and community. Jill Burgess and Aileen Johnstone share how their Zimbabwean non-profit is restoring confidence in children who have been overlooked, misunderstood or marginalised, while rescued horses, dedicated volunteers and families are transformed along the way. Together, we explore the healing power of relationships, the importance of seeing the whole child, and why some of the most meaningful support happens outside traditional therapy rooms. This conversation is a beautiful reminder that healing flourishes where people, purpose and community come together.

Dr Laurie Faith extends an invitation to teachers "to be wide awake and curious" instead of acting on habit or bias and to let uncomfortable moments lead to intentional conversations with children that grow skills!

This episode is for you if you've been introduced to the idea of Executive Function Skills (See Episode 25 with Dr Peg Dawson if you haven't) and are wondering just how you can start having conversations about them in your classroom.

Dr Faith says that "whatever is discussable is improvable" and helps the willing, compassionate teacher address the EF limits and immaturity that is the "elephant in every room" for children!

Dr Laurie Faith is an Assistant Professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), where she teaches special education and executive-function-related courses.Her latest book, Executive Function Skills in the Classroom: Overcoming Barriers, Building Strategies, co-authored with Peg Dawson and Carol-Anne Bush, brings together research and practical tools for teachers.

In this episode of the Wonderfully Wired Podcast, host Eloise Leher is joined by author, speaker, and autism dad Will Acuff for a deeply reflective conversation about parenting neurodivergent children.

Will shares how his natural instinct to "fix problems" collided with the reality of parenting his son — and why shifting from fixing to knowing became transformational. Together, they explore what happens when parents take responsibility for their own responses, nervous systems, and expectations, rather than trying to change their child.

This episode will resonate with parents of autistic and neurodivergent children, educators, and professionals interested in executive functioning, emotional regulation, and hope-based parenting approaches.

Will is a a Christian author but his wisdom extends beyond a narrow faith specific audience

Welcome to Part 2 of our deep dive into Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) with Occupational Therapist Liesel Smal. This vital conversation addresses the challenging question: "What now?" Liesel details the process of adopting Low Demand Parenting (LDP), emphasizing that these accommodating acts (like handing over the remote or helping with hygiene) are life-saving caregiving. However, she explains that LDP as a mere strategy will fail, leading parents to the crucial work of radically accepting the reality of their lives, which often involves significant grief and rage. Liesel shares personal insights on how her child became a "canary in the coal mine" for her own nervous system, forcing her to embrace agency and tend to her inner wounds. The episode stresses that true regulation means flexibility, not constant calm, and highlights the importance of repair in building a deeper, messy, fully human connection.

Dive into the critical world of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in Part 1 of this essential two-part series with Liesel Smal, an Occupational Therapist (OT) and mom of a PDA child Liesel introduces PDA as a specific neurotype that requires "good accommodation" due to the serious "gravity" of the diagnosis. Learn why avoidance is rooted in an inability ("I can't"), not a choice, often manifesting as an "inner straitjacket" or a "contraction" in the nervous system.

This episode exposes the confusing reality of masking; children often appear "compliant and good" or "high achieving" at school, only to experience severe "Coke bottle" meltdowns at home. Liesel offers a compassionate nervous system lens, validating parents who feel blamed or gaslighted. This discussion highlights how PDA is tied to a pervasive drive for autonomy and how understanding this difference is crucial for supporting these "uniquely brilliant" and autodidactic children.

#PDA #PathologicalDemandAvoidance #AutismSpectrum #Neurodiversity #NervousSystem #SomaticExperiencing #LowDemandParenting #DemandAvoidance #Masking #WonderfullyWired