Learn with Dr. Emily

According to the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, the nation's largest preventable and costly health problem is teen drug addiction.

As parents, drug and alcohol abuse is something that keeps us up at night. And while we can talk with them until we're blue in the face about the dangers, we're never really sure about how effective our conversations are.

Well what if addiction prevention is something all parents can help with - but it has nothing to do with talking about drugs themselves?

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Jessica Lahey is an...

We all know that co-regulation is essential for fostering a sense of connection and engagement among students, which ultimately makes lessons easier to follow.

But what are the best ways to co-regulate?

Today we welcome Allison Morgan, who shares her tips. And it's not all about regulating the students - educators must regulate themselves first.

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Allison Morgan MA, OTR, E-RYT, is the founder and CEO of Zensational Kids. She is a pediatric occupational therapist, author, international public speaker, and educational trainer driven to empower youth and the adults that care...

Have you heard of ARFID?  It stands for Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, which sounds pretty scary.  It's basically extremely picky eating, which can lead to poor growth and poor nutrition.

Today, Polina Shkadron joins us, and she emphasizes that children with ARFID should eat for themselves rather than to please others.  Her approach prioritizes family dynamics, fostering trust and self-efficacy by supporting parental instincts and encouraging children to engage mindfully with their food, ultimately promoting healthier eating habits and enhanced family mealtime experiences.

So how can we do that?

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Pol...

Join me on today’s episode as I talk with Libby Taylor and Emmy Renquist of SchoolUp. We discuss what to consider in a learning environment for your neurodivergent child, what questions to ask on school tours, and what the options are in our local area of Wake and Durham counties.

Learn more at SchoolUp Wake.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, vis...

As parents, our natural instinct is to shield our children from stress. Life's hard enough as adults, so we want to let kids be carefree. 

But is that strategy counterproductive and actually harmful to our children?

Today, Dr. Emily Edlynn calls for a cultural shift towards balanced, autonomy-supportive parenting that prioritizes both child and parental well-being over societal pressures and external achievements. 

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Dr. Emily Edlynn is a child psychologist, mother of 3, and the author of In Your Feels: A Journal to Explore Your Emotions. Check out her substack Parent Sm...

Parental fear and reactive behavior often stem from concerns about safety or our own emotional overwhelm, making it challenging to respond thoughtfully to our child's emotions.

Today, Mr. Chazz, a former Montessori teacher turned multi-faceted educator, shares his insights on recognizing and embracing emotions as a pathway to better emotional regulation for both parents and children. 

If you're looking to manage emotional triggers, promote self-regulation, and foster a more harmonious parent-child relationship, be sure to tune in!

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Mr. Chazz (instagram has over 650K followers!) is a speaker an...

Many of us struggle to advocate for children with disabilities and empower them to navigate their futures with confidence.  So how can you prepare children with disabilities for fulfilling lives while emphasizing their choices and abilities?

In this episode, Kelley Coleman shares her insights on how inclusive education, self-advocacy, agency, choice, communication, and relationships can transform lives.

Tune in for practical real-world strategies to support children with disabilities and promote acceptance and inclusion in society.

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Kelley Coleman is the author of Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child: Y...

Contrary to the medical model of prescribing antibiotics or stitching up a wound, mental health is not simply about "fixing" patients. Therapists can feel pressure from parents or school staff to improve a child’s emotional or behavioral functioning as quickly as possible, but mental health is both a science and an art. It also takes trust and time. In today’s episode, Dr. Matt Zakreski and I talk about how structured approaches and time frames just don’t fit with the flexibility needed when working with neurodivergent kid and teens.

Listen in as Dr. Matt and I disc...

Parents, you've got all the tech time questions, and Better Screen Time's Andrea Davis has the answers.

While working in the classroom as a teacher in both special education and general education settings, and in helping her own kids learn to read, Melissa Jackson started to notice that the teaching methods she had been taught in teacher prep courses didn't work equally with neurotypical and neurodivergent learners.

So what did she do about it?

Today, Melissa and Dr. Emily King discuss the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in traditional educational settings, advocating for a strengths-based approach and emphasizing the importance of collaboration between educators and parents. They also touch on topics like...

The hilarious and uber-talented Kim and Penn Holderness (YouTube) just released a new book, ADHD is Awesome, and they're on the show to tell us all about it!

We explore:

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers o...

PDA most commonly stands for Pathological Demand Avoidance.  But Dr. Casey Ehrlich prefers to call it Pervasive Drive for Autonomy or Protective Demand Avoidance.  Today, Dr. Ehrlich unpacks why understanding PDA and nervous system responses starts with supporting children's drive for autonomy and equality.

She and Dr. Emily also discuss the alarming issue of burnout in children, and the transformative power of play therapy in regulating emotions.

If you're looking to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment for neurodivergent children, this episode is a must listen.

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Casey Ehrlich, Ph. D...

Parenting is challenging. Add neurodivergence and a busy job to the mix, and sometimes (ok, often) you feel like you deserve that glass of wine. But does it make things better or worse? Are you a sober-curious parent?

Today, Casey Davidson and Dr. Emily share their personal journeys of transitioning to sobriety, shedding light on the challenges of moderation and the addictive nature of alcohol. There are both physical and emotional benefits of reducing alcohol intake, but societal pressures around alcohol, particularly for women and mothers, can make even being sober-curious a challenge.

So what...

On today’s podcast, Dr. Lori Desautels joins me to discuss how students experience trauma at school, and how we need to move away from traditional discipline approaches and towards promoting emotional regulation for students and educators. We dive into practical strategies in an effort to promote a positive learning environment for all students.

This episode is for teachers wanting to better understand the emotional experience of their neurodivergent students as well as for parents wanting to know what to advocate for when collaborating with their child’s team.

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Dr. Lori...

Much of the content on this podcast centers around raising neurodivergent kids. But what about when they become young adults?  How do we think about higher education options and entering the workforce?

Today, North Carolina Business Committee for Education Executive Director Caroline Sullivan joins Dr. Emily to discuss the groundbreaking LiNC-IT program. Launched in 2018, LiNC-IT provides invaluable support for neurodivergent individuals in the workforce, offering job coaches, tailored training, and personalized assistance.

Plus, Caroline and Dr. Emily discuss the challenges neurodivergent young adults face in higher education, and they highlight North Carolina's innovative programs that b...

How can educators cultivate a classroom environment that's the most conducive to learning?  What are the real secrets to a successful and regulated classroom?

Today, Emily Daniels discusses the Regulated Classroom framework, which emphasizes practices like co-regulation, connectors, activators, settlers, and affirmations. By understanding behaviors through past experiences and utilizing Polyvagal theory, educators can create a regulated space that supports student well-being and engagement.

Emily discusses how leveraging nostalgia, music, movement, and affirmations can create joyful and regulating experiences for all learners, including neurodivergent students.
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Emily Daniels is the author of T...

For everyone who's a parent of a neurodivergent child, you might be taking care of your aging parents as well. You're in a Sandwich Generation, and it's not easy to navigate setting boundaries, finding support outside your family, and prioritizing your own mental health.

Today, Edla Prevette has some advice for navigating the complexities of this family dynamic.

As a mental health counselor for over thirty years, Edla Prevette (instagram) has worked with neurodivergent children and their families as a therapist, consultant, and trainer. But currently, she is focusing her attention on the adults who...

Today we're sharing an episode from Neurodiverging with Danielle Sullivan. It's a super interesting conversation on PDA, an acronym for Pathological Demand Avoidance or Pervasive Demand for Autonomy. I enjoyed listening to this, and I think you will too!

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Today host Danielle Sullivan discusses their experience parenting PDA children. Danielle has a child with pathological demand avoidance/ pervasive demand for autonomy and has unique experience as an adult autistic PDA-er themselves. Danielle describes what PDA is, why these behaviors show up in certain autistic folks, and gives some examples of parenting PDA for her...

The Holidays are here, so 'Tis the Season for hearing about travel anxiety from many parents raising neurodivergent kids. Some can’t fathom going to a restaurant without causing a scene so an extended vacation seems out of reach. Many are surprised when I say, “Your child can totally do this! Maybe not yet, but just like any other skill you have taught your child, traveling takes practice.” In this episode, learn how you can teach your child to travel.

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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...

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...

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 relati...

Many of you know that Dr. Mona Delahooke suffered a brain aneurysm about two months ago and has been fighting hard in her recovery ever since. Her family shared last week that she has regained consciousness (!) but that there is still a long road to recovery.

So please join me in wishing Mona well today as we lift up her work through the magic of podcast sharing while she continues to rest and recover.

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Educators, it's time to shift our mindset by understanding what polyvagal theory, the importance of brain-body connection, and how...

Welcome to another Q&A podcast! 

Full disclosure, I can't answer complex or detailed questions about dynamics between kids, or teachers and kids, or parents and kids, when I don't know the full story. But what I can answer is general topics that keep coming up with parents, teachers, and kids, whether it's a clinical topic, an educational topic, a child psychology question, or just a general parenting question.

Today we have two questions I get all the time:

Today I have a special treat for the educators who follow me. A few weeks ago I offered a free webinar for teachers in Pre-K through 8th grade where I talked about what's going on behind the behavior, and how to stay curious and figure out what students are struggling with so we can shift our mindset from thinking these students are giving me a hard time to these students are having a hard time.

So on today's episode, I'm releasing the full recording from that webinar. At the end of the webinar, I talk a little...

As parents, we are all are working toward the same goals: Raise a human that is independent and kind. Many of us start with goals like “successful” and ”happy,” but because these are such relative terms, I find it more helpful to define goals within the framework of independence, which is my definition of success anyway. I also don’t think I know any kind people who aren’t also generally happy people so that brings us back to the goals of raising independent and kind humans.

But what happens when your child is growing up with skill weakne...

Welcome to another Q&A podcast! 

Full disclosure, I can't answer complex or detailed questions about dynamics between kids, or teachers and kids, or parents and kids, when I don't know the full story. But what I can answer is general topics that keep coming up with parents, teachers, and kids, whether it's a clinical topic, an educational topic, a child psychology question, or just a general parenting question.

Today we have three questions:

As a parent or teacher, what should we do when our child is in the middle of a meltdown?

Today we welcome Dayna Abraham, a National Board Certified educator, parent of three neurodivergent children, and an ADHD adult herself. Dayna introduces her Calm the Chaos framework, which consists of four key principles: Connection, Understanding, Empowerment, and You (the parent as a calm presence). These principles form the foundation for effective parenting and helping children thrive, especially during difficult moments.

Dayna Abraham is the bestselling author of The Superkids Activity Guide to Conquering Every Day, and...

I’m just going to say it: Homework is a thorn in the side for most parents raising neurodivergent kids. In case you haven’t experience it, let me explain:

You wake up in the morning ready to implement your well-crafted morning routine that includes the most efficient way to get your child clothed, fed, packed up, and in the car with the fewest moments of frustration, tears, and conflict with siblings. Because school is hard for your child, making it through the morning routine and into the school building is your child’s first triumph of the...

Are you facing the dilemma of whether homeschooling is the right choice for your neurodivergent child? Are you concerned about the challenges it might bring, such as college admissions or socialization?

Today, we sit down with Amy Langston, an autistic self-advocate, to explore her remarkable homeschooling journey. Discover how she and her family tackled the decision to homeschool, overcame obstacles, and reaped the benefits of this unconventional approach to education.

Amy shares insights into the world of homeschooling, addressing the very concerns you might have. From tailoring the curriculum to your child's interests to ensuring...

As parents and educators, we know that children often experience a “honeymoon” the first day (or week) of the new school year. It’s a time when many children are blissfully distracted by their new outfit, their new backpack, their new teacher, their new pencil, or their new classmates so they often make it through the first few days or weeks just fine.

But at some point, many children begin to settle in, look around and think: “What exactly is going on here? You mean, I come here every day, away from my parents, and learn new, hard thi...

Today we unpack the sense of interoception, responsible for conveying vital information about our body's internal condition. What is its role in recognizing hunger, emotions, discomfort, and more? And, how can interoceptive awareness be derailed or heightened in neurodivergent kids and teens?

Teachers, parents, and caregivers - tune in for a better understanding of how neurodivergent children navigate their internal sensations and how to create a nurturing environment where every child's unique experience is celebrated and supported.

Kelly Mahler is an Interoception Groupie and Occupational Therapist, and creator of The Interoception Curriculum.
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Welcome to my very first Q&A podcast! 

Full disclosure, I can't answer complex or detailed questions about dynamics between kids, or teachers and kids, or parents and kids, when I don't know the full story. But what I can answer is general topics that keep coming up with parents, teachers, and kids, whether it's a clinical topic, an educational topic, a child psychology question, or just a general parenting question.

Today we have three questions:

It's back to school time, which means one of the most important topics I love talking about is so relevant right now - the parent teacher partnership.

As you might know, I can get on my soapbox about all of us trying to come together to help all of our kids, but especially our neurodivergent kids who have more conflict, more ideas, and more brainstorming that needs to happen when we are trying to teach and parent a child who is not always aligning with the expectations that are right in front of us. They are on...

As someone who was in school from age 4 through 26, August is my New Year. But August can be a mix of emotions for many. Some want to squeeze out the last drops of summer and some (often many) are out of money and out of ideas, so we all start yearning for that school-week routine. 

Does your family’s school routine need an upgrade?

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other sub...

Today, Penny Williams shares her personal journey as a parent of a neurodivergent child, starting with her son's ADHD diagnosis at age six and his subsequent diagnosis of autism spectrum and learning disabilities. The challenges she faced led her to become a passionate advocate for neurodivergent families. 

Dr. Emily and Penny discuss the importance of understanding the biology-behavior connection when parenting neurodivergent teens, emphasizing the need to prioritize mental and emotional health over academic achievements, providing support and flexibility in a way that best suits each individual's needs. They challenge traditional expectations surrounding high school, college, and s...

When a child is first identified as autistic or receives a diagnosis of ADHD, a learning disability, or sensory processing differences, parents can feel both overwhelmed by the information and relieved to have a plan. Yet, sometimes the plan is even overwhelming. As a former school psychologist, I was trained to identify concerns and recommend solutions. The more solutions the better, right? Not always.

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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or...

Our children are growing up in schools filled with neurodiverse learners. While this gives me hope for normalizing the presence of neurodiversity, inclusive mindsets don’t just appear out of thin air; they evolve when we stay open to learn about our differences. We make this evolution of inclusivity possible when we teach ALL children how they learn best, not just those who need something extra.

For some children, they already know they are a visual learner or that they are great at reading. For others, we have to rely on educators and psychologists to help us fi...

In my work with parents of young children, many come to me after noticing some concerns with their child’s developmental milestones. While all children develop at their own pace, some young children experience challenges with emotional regulation, language and motor milestones, and/or sensory processing that leave their parents wondering if an evaluation is needed. 

Most parents already know that children need an evaluation to receive support services at school or a clinical diagnosis for insurance to cover therapeutic services. But some parents who pay “out-of-pocket” for therapy services or enroll their child in private school wonder...

Parents, we’re in the thick of it. Summer.

I don’t know about you, but this summer is already feeling more hectic than any in recent memory. Is this the first full-out summer since the pandemic? Am I just running low on parent stamina? Or is it just that driving my kids to activities feels like an additional part-time job? Whatever the reason, I’m here to commiserate with you. I’m also here to encourage you to do less. Yep, less. Do less and teach your kid what to do with that free time.