Neurodiversity Podcast

Latest Episodes:

The Quintessential Book on Parenting Gifted Kids Mar 23, 2023

Show notes

Many consider "A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children: A Resource for Caregivers and Advocates" to be the most comprehensive and important handbook on the subject of giftedness ever published. However, it was originally released in 2007, and since then, updated research has placed giftedness under a much more focused lens. Our guest, Ed Amend, was one of the original co-authors, and he recruited Emily Kircher-Morris to co-author a second edition, complete with a wealth of new information and research. In this episode they talk about what's new in the updated version, and how our understanding of giftedness has changed in the 16 years since its first release.

This episode is brought to you by SPACE - Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions. To register for SPACE, submit your information through this portal. For more details go to Neurodiversity University.

To get A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children (2nd edition) at a 25% discount, click here and use the discount code NDPOD25.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Edward R. Amend, Psy.D., is a Clinical Psychologist at The Amend Group in Lexington, KY. He has worked in both private practice and community mental health settings, as well as in consulting positions with clinics, hospitals, schools, and other organizations.

Dr. Amend is co-author of A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, and Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: ADHD, Bipolar, OCD, Asperger's, Depression, and Other Disorders. Dr. Amend has held various positions, including on the Board of Directors of Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted (SENG); President of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education (KAGE) and Chair for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) Counseling and Guidance Network. He has been a consultant to the Davidson Institute for Talent Development and a Contributing Editor for Roeper Review, a peer-reviewed journal for gifted education.

BACKGROUND READING

A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children (2nd edition), available April 11, 2023

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults

The Amend Group

Facebook

Twitter

Preparing for a More Independent College Experience Mar 16, 2023

Show notes

We welcome Elizabeth Hamblet, the author of Seven Steps for College Success: A Pathway for Students with Disabilities, to talk about how parents can prepare their neurodivergent kids for college. We talk about when to begin preparing, and how to develop processes and good habits. We discuss what most colleges offer (or don't offer) to neurodivergent students, and when it might be best to alter plans. The truth about post-high school accommodations might shock you. We talk about it in episode 163.

This episode is brought to you by On Your Marq, a College Success program for neurodivergent students at Marquette University. Call 414-288-0203, or go to www.marquette.edu/on-your-marq.

To register for a spot in our SPACE program, submit your information through this portal. For more details, and for information on our courses for educators and parents, head to the Neurodiversity University.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Elizabeth Hamblet began her career as a high school special ed teacher, then transitioned to working in a college setting, helping students with time management, organization, reading and study skills. Elizabeth is also a recognized author and speaker who utilizes her 20+ years of experience to help parents find an organized path through the college preparation process, get the real truth about accommodations for students entering college, and navigating the admissions process.

She's also a contributing writer for Disability Compliance for Higher Education, a journal for higher education disability professionals, and her work has also appeared in the Journal of College Admission, Teaching Exceptional Children, ADDitude Magazine, Attention, Raising Teens, and Career Development for Exceptional Individuals, and on platforms like Understood.org and ADDitudemag.com.

BACKGROUND READING

Elizabeth's website

Elizabeth's book

LD Advisory on Facebook

Elizabeth on Twitter

YouTube

Multipotentiality: When There's More Than One Right Answer Mar 09, 2023

Show notes

While career changes are possible later in life, our first choice defines much of our career so it's important to make careful decisions. But when multipotentiality comes into play, there could be many solid options. Throw in something like perfectionism, and it can bring the process to a halt. Dr. Jon Goodwin from UC Santa Barbara joins Emily to talk about multipotentiality, and when there's more than one right answer.

This episode is brought to you by On Your Marq, a college success program for neurodivergent students at Marquette University. Call 414-288-0203, or go to https://www.marquette.edu/on-your-marq.

Sign up for our free course, Using Fandoms + AI to Develop Coping Skills for Neurodivergent Kids, available through our learning portal, the Neurodiversity University.

Head to our new merchandise page to check out our popular "a little weird is good" t-shirt, along with lots of other shirts and swag to tell the world you support the podcast!

ABOUT THE GUEST - Jon W. Goodwin, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where also serves as the Director of Clinical Training for the doctoral- and specialist-level school psychology programs. His research is focused on the assessment of learning differences and psychoeducational services for high ability students. As a licensed psychologist and nationally certified school psychologist, he provides advanced training and supervision in psychoeducational assessment, counseling and psychotherapy, and the delivery of psychological services in schools.

BACKGROUND READING

Jon at LinkedIn

Gevirtz School at UC Santa Barbara

What To Do When Kids Worry (encore) Mar 02, 2023

Show notes

Parents often struggle with helping their children manage anxiety. Dr. Eli Lebowitz of Yale University joins us to talk about his research and work with children and their parents on managing anxiety and OCD. He's also developed a program to teach parents how to help their children with anxiety, and to help therapists learn new therapy techniques.

To register for SPACE, submit your information through this portal. For more details, head to Neurodiversity University.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Professor Eli Lebowitz studies and treats childhood and adolescent anxiety at the Yale Child Study Center. His research focuses on the development, neurobiology, and treatment of anxiety and related disorders, with special emphasis on family dynamics and the role of parents in these problems.

Dr. Lebowitz is the lead investigator on multiple funded research projects, and is the author of research papers, books (including Breaking Free of Child Anxiety & OCD) and chapters on childhood and adolescent anxiety. He is also the father of three boys.

BACKGROUND READING

Research via Google Scholar

Breaking Free of Child Anxiety & OCD

SPACE on Facebook

Getting Verbal About Non-Verbal Intelligence Feb 23, 2023

Show notes

Intelligence is divided into several categories, and today we're talking about non-verbal intelligence. It's often harder to recognize, so it can be a struggle for people with higher non-verbal intelligence to show their abilities. What are the signs of high non-verbal intelligence? How can we tease out those signs in people who mask, or those who have spiky profiles? Mark Hess is the editor of the SENG Library, and President of the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented. Mark and Emily are talking about non-verbal intelligence, today on episode 160.

Here's a link to register for our free webinar about the SPACE program, happening Monday, February 27 at 8:00pm eastern/5:00pm pacific. SPACE is a service provided through the Neurodiversity University. Get more info on the website.

Bridges Academy Online is a proud sponsor of episode 160. For more information go to bridges.edu.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Mark Hess is the President of the Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented and editor of the SENG Library. He has published nine books for gifted specialists, including I Used to Be Gifted, as well as a number of resources for educators on critical thinking and social-emotional needs of gifted students. Through his role with Portable Gifted and Talented, Mark has shared over 25,000 free resources. You can visit his website at www.giftedlearners.org. When he's not speaking or writing, Mark is the Gifted Programs Specialist in a large urban school district in Colorado Springs.

BACKGROUND READING

Mark's website

Facebook

I Used To Be Gifted

Autistic Girls Are Going Undiagnosed or Misdiagnosed Feb 16, 2023

Show notes

Often, autistic girls are called shy, introverted, perfectionistic, confused, anything BUT autistic. There is a pervasive impression, even in the medical community, that autism occurs in boys vastly more often than girls. The result is, autistic girls are missing out on services and tools that are available to them. Holly Blanc Moses is a therapist, and the host of The Autism ADHD Podcast, and she joins Emily Kircher-Morris to talk about missing autism in girls.

On Your Marq at Marquette University is a proud sponsor of episode 159. For more information, go to http://www.marquette.edu/on-your-marq.

Also, here's the link to pre-order A Parent's Guide to Gifted Children, Second Edition.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Holly Blanc Moses is passionate about helping neurodivergent children, adults and their families. Over the last 23 years, she has provided mental health therapy in the areas of emotional regulation, anxiety, social interaction, depression, parent-child relationship, and school success. She is the host of The Autism ADHD Podcast and Autism ADHD TV. Holly is also the mother of two neurodivergent children.

BACKGROUND READING

The Autism ADHD Podcast

Autism ADHD TV

Facebook group for parents

Facebook group for professionals

Holly's practice

Education and course website

Surviving in a Digital World Feb 09, 2023

Show notes

The technology world is changing quickly. For confirmation, look no further than ChatGPT. Parents, teachers, and mental health professionals are rushing to determine where to draw new lines, and which lines to erase, so that kids are able to safely utilize resources and entertainment. Also, what is okay to post publicly? How can kids cope with FOMO (fear of missing out)? How can we help them deal with anxiety when they see the highly filtered lives of others on social media? Dr. Devorah Heitner is the author of Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World, and the forthcoming book Growing Up in Public. Dr. Heitner joins Emily Kircher-Morris to discuss these issues and more.

This episode is sponsored by Understood. Visit U.org for expert resources on ADHD, dyslexia, and other learning and thinking differences.

If you're a parent with kids who may be struggling with anxiety or obsessive & compulsive thoughts, make plans to join us for a free webinar to learn more about a new program we're offering through the Neurodiversity Alliance, called SPACE. Here's the link to register, and download the PDF for more information. Listen to episode 88 for our conversation with Dr. Eli Lebowitz about the SPACE program.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Dr. Devorah Heitner is a resource parents turn to for empowering advice on raising resilient and kind kids in an always-connected world. Her previous book, Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World, was an Amazon bestseller, and she is a featured speaker at conferences and independent & public schools in the United States and abroad. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN Opinion, Fast Company, and elsewhere.

Dr. Heitner earned a Ph.D. in media/technology and society from Northwestern University and has taught at DePaul University, Lake Forest College, and Northwestern.

Here's a link to Devorah's free email course, Seven Day Tech Habit Reset.

When Neurodiversity Meets Existentialism (encore) Feb 03, 2023

Show notes

We're still in a years-long pandemic. Humanity feels like it's crumbling. How do we deal with the inevitable feelings of existentialism? It's common for neurodivergent people to experience it more intensely, and at an earlier age. They question life, worry about death, and generally ask, "what's it all about?" Our guest is Leon Garber, author of a blog called Leon's Existential Cafe, and we're diving deep on episode 157. It's an encore presentation of a chat from 2020, but is very pertinent today.

Today's episode is sponsored by The Council for Exceptional Children. For more information, go to exceptionalchildren.org.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Leon Garber is a philosophical writer, and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor/Psychotherapist — specializing in Existential Psychotherapy, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and Trauma Therapy. He's also the author of Leon's Existential Cafe, a blog exploring issues of death, self-esteem, love, freedom, life-meaning, and mental health/mental illness, from both empirical and personal viewpoints. His practice is based in Brooklyn, NY.

How Much Does Biology Influence Behavior? Jan 27, 2023

Show notes

What more do parents need to understand about their neurodivergent kids in order to reach that "aha" moment? Does it ever even really arrive? Penny Williams, author of Boy Without Instructions, host of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, and co-founder of The Behavior Revolution, joins Emily Kircher-Morris on episode 156 to talk about understanding what motivates our kids to be who they are. This is an episode every parent should hear.

Download the Behavior Wheel here.

Today's episode is sponsored by The Council for Exceptional Children. For more information, go to exceptionalchildren.org.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Penny Williams is a coach for neurodivergent families and the award-winning author of four books on ADHD, including Boy Without Instructions. She's the host of the Beautifully Complex Podcast, co-host of the annual Neurodiversity Summits, and co-founder of The Behavior Revolution, an initiative devoted to celebrating and supporting kids with ADHD or autism. Penny empowers parents to help their neuro-atypical kids - and families - thrive.

Declarative Language: A New Strategy for Neurodivergent Communication Jan 19, 2023

Show notes

Often, neurodivergent people have a completely different communication experience than neurotypicals. They respond differently to regulation, attention, and motivation, and often parents struggle when trying to improve connections with their kids. Linda Murphy is the author of The Declarative Language Handbook, and she's joining us with ideas on how to reframe communication and break down barriers.

Here's a link to the Neurodiversity University, where you can find info on our first two courses, Strategies for Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students, and Foundations of Dyslexia for Educators. We'll be adding courses for parents, mental health professionals, and more as we enter 2023, so look for more information along the way.

Episode 155 is brought to you by Bridges Academy Online, a high school education for twice-exceptional students. Find them at bridges.edu.

ABOUT THE GUEST - Linda Murphy is a speech language pathologist and RDI Consultant. She co-founded the "Peer Projects Therapy From the Heart" clinic in Beverly, Massachusetts, and has authored several books and numerous articles during her career. Linda has enjoyed working with individuals with social learning differences for over 25 years.

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