How to Help Neurodivergent Kids Thrive at School
11/15/23 • 34 min
Today we're sharing an episode I was a guest on recently, Calm the Chaos Parenting with my friend Dayna Abraham.
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This week, we're diving into a topic that keeps popping up in our community, and it's a two-part issue.
Firstly, some parents are puzzled about how to help their kids at school as they come home on Fridays exhausted and frustrated, or they flat out refuse to go to school, claiming it's just too stressful. Even when they do go, they return home stressed and unwilling to do homework.
Teachers are noticing these struggles, too. Kids aren't turning in their work, not keeping up, with or without IEPs. It feels like we can't quite meet our kids' needs at school.
But there's another side to this coin. Some parents are pushing for their children to catch up, achieve, and be successful in school. That’s something schools want, too - kids to be in class every day so they fit in with their peers.
However, what often gets overlooked is whether the kids feel safe at school.
I feel like this is such an important conversation, so in this episode, I've brought on an expert who does this all day, every day.
Meet Dr. Emily King, a Child Psychologist and former School Psychologist who has two decades of experience working closely with neurodivergent kids and teens.
She received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is well-versed in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, DIR/Floortime, Conscious Discipline, and Social Thinking methodologies.
Dr. Emily is also the founder of Learn with Dr. EmilyTM where she shares online resources related to raising and educating neurodivergent youth. She specializes in providing therapy and consultation services for children diagnosed with autism, anxiety, ADHD, depression, and learning difficulties.
She is passionate about empowering parents and teachers to take care of themselves so they can become the supportive adults that every neurodivergent child needs in their life.
Join us for this interview, where we'll be discussing the hurdles neurodivergent kids face in school, the gap between expectations and support, the impact of anxiety on learning, and the importance of collaboration between parents and teachers.
It's a conversation you really don't want to miss out on!
Tune in now!
Key Takeaways:
- Intro (00:00)
- Who is Dr. Emily King (02:34)
- Misconceptions about meeting the needs of neurodivergent children (05:37)
- The importance of communication between teachers and parents (11:39)
- The mismatch between child's abilities and school expectations (17:29)
- Dr. Emily’s takeaway for educators and parents (23:58)
- The first step towards teamwork in helping kids (26:22)
- Sources for Dr. Emily's kid and teacher support strategies (28:52)
Additional resources:
👉 Visit Dr. Emily’s website
👉 Subscribe to Dr. Emily’s Substack Blog
👉 Check out Dr. Emily’s podcast Learn with Dr. Emily
Connect with Dr. Emily:
- -
📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book
✨ Hear the Success Stories
🔍 Check out my website
👉 Check out my YouTube channel
Connect with me on social media:
🔹 TikTok
Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.
🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!
---
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.<...
Today we're sharing an episode I was a guest on recently, Calm the Chaos Parenting with my friend Dayna Abraham.
----
This week, we're diving into a topic that keeps popping up in our community, and it's a two-part issue.
Firstly, some parents are puzzled about how to help their kids at school as they come home on Fridays exhausted and frustrated, or they flat out refuse to go to school, claiming it's just too stressful. Even when they do go, they return home stressed and unwilling to do homework.
Teachers are noticing these struggles, too. Kids aren't turning in their work, not keeping up, with or without IEPs. It feels like we can't quite meet our kids' needs at school.
But there's another side to this coin. Some parents are pushing for their children to catch up, achieve, and be successful in school. That’s something schools want, too - kids to be in class every day so they fit in with their peers.
However, what often gets overlooked is whether the kids feel safe at school.
I feel like this is such an important conversation, so in this episode, I've brought on an expert who does this all day, every day.
Meet Dr. Emily King, a Child Psychologist and former School Psychologist who has two decades of experience working closely with neurodivergent kids and teens.
She received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is well-versed in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, DIR/Floortime, Conscious Discipline, and Social Thinking methodologies.
Dr. Emily is also the founder of Learn with Dr. EmilyTM where she shares online resources related to raising and educating neurodivergent youth. She specializes in providing therapy and consultation services for children diagnosed with autism, anxiety, ADHD, depression, and learning difficulties.
She is passionate about empowering parents and teachers to take care of themselves so they can become the supportive adults that every neurodivergent child needs in their life.
Join us for this interview, where we'll be discussing the hurdles neurodivergent kids face in school, the gap between expectations and support, the impact of anxiety on learning, and the importance of collaboration between parents and teachers.
It's a conversation you really don't want to miss out on!
Tune in now!
Key Takeaways:
- Intro (00:00)
- Who is Dr. Emily King (02:34)
- Misconceptions about meeting the needs of neurodivergent children (05:37)
- The importance of communication between teachers and parents (11:39)
- The mismatch between child's abilities and school expectations (17:29)
- Dr. Emily’s takeaway for educators and parents (23:58)
- The first step towards teamwork in helping kids (26:22)
- Sources for Dr. Emily's kid and teacher support strategies (28:52)
Additional resources:
👉 Visit Dr. Emily’s website
👉 Subscribe to Dr. Emily’s Substack Blog
👉 Check out Dr. Emily’s podcast Learn with Dr. Emily
Connect with Dr. Emily:
- -
📖 Get your copy of Calm The Chaos Book
✨ Hear the Success Stories
🔍 Check out my website
👉 Check out my YouTube channel
Connect with me on social media:
🔹 TikTok
Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.
🎧 Follow us on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode!
---
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.<...
Previous Episode
Motherhood Unstressed: The Hidden Power of Highly Sensitive People, with Jenn Granneman
Today we're sharing an episode from an awesome parenting podcast called Motherhood Unstressed with Liz Carlisle. This conversation with author Jenn Granneman on working with highly sensitive people and what superpowers they possess is fantastic, so I know you'll enjoy it.
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You’re too sensitive. You’re overreacting. Grow a thicker skin. You take everything so personally.
We hear these comments all too often. There’s no denying sensitivity is surrounded by stigma. We discourage it in our children, judge it in our peers, and ultimately weaponize it in our relationships with colleagues and family members. While it’s not widely understood by the public, sensitivity is an essential human trait. In fact, nearly 1 in 3 people arehighly sensitive individuals, and without them, we would not have the theory of evolution, the Declaration of Independence, or Netflix.
Jenn Granneman and Andre Sólo are the force behind the world’s largest online communities for sensitive people and introverts, Sensitive Refuge and Introvert, Dear. And they’re on a mission to break the negative stigma surrounding sensitivity in their forthcoming book, SENSITIVE (on sale 2/28), unveiling the hidden power of highly sensitivepeople (HSPs) in our loud, fast, and too-much world.
Weaving together actionable advice, relatable anecdotes, and the latest scientific research, SENSITIVE shows readers how leaning into their sensitivity can unlock a powerful “boost effect” to launch them ahead in life. Presenting the empowering idea that sensitivity gives you access to five distinct gifts, Granneman and Sólo offers the tools and insights you need to embrace this undervalued strength and leverage it across the most important areas of your life.
In this episode Jenn is revealing:
A clear picture of what it really means to be sensitive and what strengths sensitive people bring to the world
What makes the sensitive brain different — and how it’s wired to go deep
How the needs of sensitive people differ from those of less sensitive people and people with autism
How to transform one of the misunderstood gifts of sensitive people—empathy into a source of world-changing strength
The common misconceptions about sensitive children—and their secret advantage
The powerful traits of sensitive leaders, who are often the most effective leaders of all
Are you highly sensitive? Take Dr. Elaine N. Erickson's Test: https://hsperson.com/test/highly-sensitive-test/
Connect with Jenn:
https://highlysensitiverefuge.com
Twitter @JennGranneman
Instagram @introvertdear
Facebook @introvertdearblog
Read Sensitive https://www.amazon.com/dp/0593235010/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_4W1R40JWNN6EB1ZN918D?linkCode=ml1&tag=unstressed02-20
Get the book Motherhood Unstressed - Daily Meditations on Motherhood, Self-Care, and the Art of Living a Life You Love available on Amazon and Kindle
Subscribe to The Motherhood Unstressed Podcast
Instagram @motherhoodunstressed
---
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...
Next Episode
Parents of Neurodivergent Kids are Really Good at Gratitude
If you are raising an autistic child or one with ADHD, anxiety, or sensory processing differences, you may have had some moments when you’ve looked at others and thought, “I wish it was easier for my child to just sit down and eat with the family” or “Wow, that child just joined right in with that group of kids like it was nothing!”
When your child is achieving milestones on their own timeframe, you quickly learn to surrender to the unknown and embrace the path in front of you. Your child is teaching you many lessons you would have never learned if they had not been your child. You are stronger for it and there is gratitude to be found here.
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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
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