neurodiverging

Ep. 32 / How to Get Your Child Support at School with Laura Reber of Progress Parade

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special education tutor progress paradeWelcome back to the Neurodiverging Podcast! 

Today's conversation is with Laura Reber, Founder of Progress Parade, an online special education tutoring company. With her lifelong interest in psychology and problem-solving, Laura initially began her career as a school psychologist before following her passion for supporting each student as an individual to create her tutoring company, Progress Parade.

Laura is a wealth of knowledge about special education, learning disabilities and challenges, and how to navigate the public education system to get the most for your child. In this interview, we discuss what a school psychologist does, the difference between how a school evaluates a child and how a medical team does, how a child's diagnosis can impact the services they receive, the rights of the parent around school evaluation, and some common supports a school can offer to a neurodivergent child.

I learned a lot and I hope you do too. Enjoy!

🎧 Want to listen? This post is based off of Episode 32 of the Neurodiverging Podcast! Listen on Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify

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Show Notes:

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Ep 30 / Polymathy and Neurodivergence with Dustin Miller, PolyInnovator

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Welcome back! Today’s conversation is with Dustin Miller of PolyInnovator. Dustin is an OmniContent Creator, host of the Polymath PolyCast, and the host of TeleInnovator, a polymathy and self-education channel). We had a wide-ranging and enthusiastic discussion on self-directed education, learning how to learn, building habits and self-motivation hacks, and much more. Enjoy!   🎧 … Read more

Good Life Coaching Means A Lot of Reading

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About This Page As a life coach, I am an avid reader and enjoy keeping up on new research and taking courses to further my education. This page contains recent books and workbooks I’ve read in the past few years pertinent to the neurodiversity and parenting coaching I do most often.  Disclaimer: Please note, just … Read more

Ep. 29 / Fighting the Stigma of Mental Illness and Neurodiversity with Dr. Roy Richard Grinker

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Welcome back! Today’s guest is Dr. Roy Richard Grinker, Professor of Anthropology at George Washington University and Editor-in-chief of Anthropological Quarterly. We’re discussing his newest book, Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness, which came out in January 2021 from Norton. Dr. Grinker conducted research on the epidemiology of autism, which he … Read more

Ep. 28 / Slow Processing? Try Slow Parenting!

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We all know there are approximately one million and fourteen different parenting approaches out there, which can make it intimidating to sort through them and find the ones that work for you and your family. In my family, we all struggle with intermittent slow processing speed, which leads us to be more overwhelmed by social … Read more

Ep. 27/ Mindfulness for Neurodiverse Families with Dr. Rabia Subhani

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mindfulness for neurodiverse families

My guest today is Dr. Rabia Subhani, neuropsychologist, certified mindfulness teacher (many times over!), and mother of an autistic child. Rabia is the creator of Mindful Village®, a secular eight to twelve week program geared towards the parents and caregivers of  neurodiverse children. On this episode of Neurodiverging, Dr. Rabia and I are discussing what … Read more

Ep. 25/ Executive Function Tips: Automation & the Activity Partner

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As a life coach, I work with a lot of autistic and/or ADHD folks who have trouble with executive function skills, like prioritizing and organizing tasks, procrastination, difficulty getting started on a project, and other similar challenges.

If this sounds like you, then I'm here to tell you more about what executive function is and isn't, and to introduce you to two strategies to help strengthen your executive function skills: automation, and the activity partner. 

Plus, sign up here to receive a 7-page guide and workbook to help you choose an activity partner and get the most value out of your time together!

Or, join the Patreon to download this booklet, the Getting Unstuck Check-In, and many other resources today!

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Get Things Done With An Activity Partner, Shadow, or Body Double

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It’s very common for neurodivergent folks to have trouble staying attentive to a task that is not interesting to us. Even when we are trying to focus on the things we have to do, it can be hard to keep on-task.

Some of the most common concerns are issues like:

  • You didn’t plan how to approach the project, so now it’s hard to find a place to start.
  • You didn’t consider how much time the project will take, or have under- or overestimated how long it will take (sometimes drastically!).
  • You got started and then forgot what your goal was.
  • You got started and then got distracted with some other task.
  • You got started and then got frustrated, and weren’t able to talk yourself into persisting with the project.

Having an activity partner nearby can help with all of these situations.

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Book Review: The Anxiety Book for Trans People: How to Conquer Your Dysphoria, Worry Less and Find Joy by Freiya Benson

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The Anxiety Book for Trans People review

The Anxiety Book for Trans People: How to Conquer Your Dysphoria, Worry Less and Find Joy by Freiya Benson

Expected publication: May 21st 2021 by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Thank you to NetGalley and Jessica Kingsley Publishers for offering an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Anxiety Book for Trans People is an accessible, easy-to-read guide on handling anxiety as a trans person. Author Freiya Benson disclaims early on that she's decided to use "trans" as an umbrella term for anyone not cis, and as a genderqueer/ agender person, I thought that worked out fine.

Benson approaches the intersectionality of being trans and having anxiety with a casual, personable style, and covers such topics as social anxiety, handling anxiety about medical services, coming out as trans/ not cis, and anxiety's effects on dysphoria.

Interspersed with these chapters are short Q&A interviews with other trans folks who deal with anxiety, which offer welcome additional perspectives to Benson's own experiences.

I think this book is sorely needed. It's targeted at the general audience with no assumptions made about a reader's academic knowledge about gender identity, transgender issues, or anxiety disorders. It offers good, basic practical advice and favors realistic tips over theoretical discussion.

That said, there were some places where I felt like a little more reference to theory would have been helpful, or would have grounded the advice somewhat. I also feel that if you have some background in gender studies, trans studies, etc., and/or if you've been dealing with anxiety and/or have been out as trans for a while, a lot of this information will not be new to you. The book still works well as an introduction, though, or a reminder. I enjoyed it very much.

Buy on Amazon.

Buy on Bookshop.

Ep 22/ Asked & Answered: Should I tell my child about their neurodiversity?

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should i tell my child about their autism

Parenting can be a challenge for anyone, even in the most ideal conditions. But parenting a child who has a different neurotype than you can come with unique challenges. I want to discuss a question that I’ve gotten a few times: Should I tell my child about their autism? How do I portray being autistic … Read more

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