Weekly Recap: But Timers Make My Kid Anxious
+ Dr. Lori Desautels and April Parent Workshop on Friday!
Hey , Y’all!
You are reading my weekly recap, which is sent to your inbox every Saturday morning. Here you will find links to featured blogs, podcast interviews, and announcements on upcoming parent workshops or professional development for teachers.
If you love what you read and listen to here, consider becoming a paid subscriber to support my writing and podcast production. Paid subscribers get access to my full blog archives, advice threads, and a free parent workshop.
Let’s Stay Connected,
~Dr. Emily
On the blog…
Being in a time crunch creates anxiety for all of us. The morning rush out the door or that deadline at work sends most of us into a stress response. Now, imagine that you struggle to predict the feeling of time passing AND you’re being asked to complete a task before a timer sounds.
As a child psychologist who works with children and teens living with both ADHD and anxiety, I have witnessed many stress responses to timers.
Keep reading this week’s blog for some of my tips on how to help your child manage time without causing more stress.
On the Podcast
This week, Dr. Lori Desautels joined 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.
Dr. Lori Desautels is an Assistant Professor at Butler University and author of several books, including Connections Over Compliance: Rewiring Our Perceptions of Discipline.
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 school team.
April Parent Workshop THIS FRIDAY!
If you’re raising a neurodivergent child, you may have noticed they have intense emotions and you’re not sure how to handle it.
The anxiety in neurodivergent kids often goes beyond just regular worries of childhood and can manifest as aggressive behavior, arguing, avoidance, or sensory meltdowns.
In this workshop you will learn:
How to spot anxiety related to bedtime, school, tests, & social interactions
What behaviors look like defiance but are actually anxiety
How to figure out patters of anxiety and strategies to get ahead of it
How to explain anxiety to your child so they feel more in control
Strategies to support your child’s bravery and how to make decisions around situations that cause them anxiety
Upgrade to an all-access membership on Substack to receive instant access to all of my parent workshops recordings and replays ($275/year).
Want to register for just this workshop? No problem! Enroll in just this workshop (and you’ll get the replay) at the link below.
Also…Registration is OPEN for our May and June Parent Workshops!
Go ahead and save your spot at the links below. Reply to this email with any questions!
In May we will be talking about Executive Functioning Strategies for Neurodivergent Kids & Teens
In June we will be talking about Summer, Screens, & Screens!
Professional Development for teachers….
The Neurodiverse Classroom® On-Demand Course for K-8th grade teachers (6hr PD)
Teachers, I know you might already be thinking about how to get your PD hours in this summer and what topics might be worth your time. The Neurodiverse Classroom on-demand course is always available and gives you forever access to keep learning on your time. So you can enroll now and watch later (and over again as needed throughout the school year!).
Parents: You can purchase the on-demand course for your child’s teacher by entering their school email address at check-out.
Teachers: Ask your administrator now about funding for professional development to prepare you for the fall.
FREE Resource for teachers….
Reframing Behavior Worksheet
If you’re looking for a more positive way to figure out student behavior, I’m here for you. Think of this resource as your brainstorm session before the Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA).
The Reframing Behavior Worksheet will help you:
Identify what’s going on underneath the behavior: Brainstorm what might be happening within the student’s nervous system that may have led to the behavior
Organize your observations: Make notes of what you notice in the student but also what you notice in yourself to determine if you need any additional support with this student
Brainstorm when students are successful: When we notice the moments that students CAN do things, we can apply lessons of what works into other areas of need to better support for them
Adjust the environment to meet needs: Rather than asking students to do all the changing to meet a goal, we can also meet the child with adjustments in the environment that can lift them closer to success