Join 9,000+ parents & educators in community as we learn to better support neurodivergent youth.
I'm Dr. Emily King, child psychologist, former school psychologist, and parent. Let's make the world a better place!
Here’s how it works:
Tell us in ALL CAPS if you are a PARENT, EDUCATOR, or BOTH, where you live, ages of children you are raising and/or working with, and your favorite strategy!
Welcome each other by replying with any tips or life hacks you have to share! I’ll go first!
PARENT living in Holly Springs, NC. I have a very sweet and loving 6 year old boy, and an incredible almost 20 year old bonus-daughter. My son is on the autism spectrum, level 2. My favorite strategy and one he responds best to is starting out with a social story. The visuals, combined with the clear/ concise text, and reading it together really has helped him to know what's expected of him in various situations. I really enjoy creating these for him, and then being able to see his progress right before my eyes where he no longer needs it!
Welcome, Katherine! I 💜 social stories so much. They were so helpful for my son when he was younger and now we just text each other :) Written text has always been easier for my kid to process than spoke language. And, knowing what to expect can make such a difference for a child’s anxiety level. I’m so glad you’re here!
I am an EDUCATOR moving from 3rd to 5th grade this fall in Washington state. I am a PARENT of adult children. My main strategy is to build relationships with my students first. My challenge is to find strategies that work for challenging behaviors so that the best learning and engagement can occur for all of my 26 students. I'm interested in reading more of the parent perspective. We don't receive much training in the support of neurodivergent students. I'm here to learn!
PARENT and EDUCATOR (COORDINATOR OF INTEGRATED STUDENT SUPPORT) living in Trinity, NC. I have four children: 29, 24, 14, 5. At least three of them are neurodiverse. I don't know about a favorite strategy, but a topic I'm passionate about is educator mental health and wellbeing. I've done a few presentations on this at school administrator conferences. You can't teach someone how to read if you don't know how to read yourself. You can't teach someone to recognize and express their emotions in a healthy way if you can't do it yourself. If we want our students to learn invaluable social and emotional skills, we need to equip school leaders with tools to create a culture that fosters their ability to develop those social and emotional skills themselves.
@christuft WELCOME! I believe teacher mental wellness IS a strategy! Thank you for all that you do as an educator. See you in the comments of blogs, advice threads, and workshop replays. I’m looking forward to your insights! 🩵
PARENT living in Okemos, MI raising a daughter and son, 15 and 13. Both have ADHD and some learning disabilities. Can’t say I have any favorite strategies as I feel lost in it all. Listened to you on Calm in the Chaos podcast and hoping that there’s still hope to helping my kids develop executive functioning skills so they can be successful.
Hello! I am both a PARENT and an EDUCATOR (EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST/SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST) and live in Southern California. I have an almost 6 year old son. My current favorite strategy is using Dr. Stuart Ablon's Collaborative Problem Solving approach much the same as Ross Greene's Collaborative Proactive Solutions. Glad to have found your podcast and site.
Welcome Stephanie! Wonderful to meet a fellow School Psychologist. I love the collaborative model for kids and for us as parents and educators.hope to meet you soon in a workshop or training!
PARENT, GRANDPARENT, living in Kamilche,WA. 32,32, 29,28, 10,10,9,8,7,6,3,3,1,6mo. Bringing self recognition and the sensesories and respecting one another’s unique capability
PARENT and EDUCATOR in the Wilmington, NC area. My boys are 20 and 17. I teach full-day pre-k. My favorite strategies are having an engaging and visual space daily, being a positive light for my students, patience, and offering a love language that meets the individual needs of my students. I am thrilled to be here.
PARENT and Rostered Psychotherapist, live in Vermont, 10 year old daughter, and I work with children and adults, helping them to be their best selves! My favorite strategy is humor, gets us through a lot of otherwise tense situations and helps my kiddo to regulate. Favorite strategy for parents is hope and positivity, we don’t get a lot of that and often just hear what is wrong with our kids, and for children, patience, validation and permission to be themselves 😊
PARENT in Pittsburgh, PA. I have 4 kids, ages 2-8. Our favorite strategies are lower demand approaches and Collaborative Proactive Solutions (Ross Greene).
PARENT and HIGH SCHOOL ART EDUCATOR living in North Texas. Daughter, 5, and son, 7. Son is neurodivergent- ADHD, GAD, GT. Interested in strategies for celebrating neurodiversity, and self esteem/learning to love ourselves.
My favorite strategies so far are visual hourly calendars up in the house and reading books featuring neurodivergent kids. The one we read tonight is called “My Whirling Twirling Motor.” The mom in the book makes a “wonderful list” of all the things her son did that day, so tonight I made a list for my son and I could tell it really made him feel proud. 🥰
PARENT and EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT living in Raleigh and raising 2 boys ages 16 and 18. I support families of neurodiverse children and young adults whose severe emotional and mental health struggles require residential treatment. My favorite strategies are getting curious and holding space to invite connection and coregulation.
PARENT living in Raleigh, NC raising two boys ages 10 and 16 and working with ages toddlers through young adult. My favorite strategies are doing less and making everything visual. I'm so glad you are here!
PARENT living in Holly Springs, NC. I have a very sweet and loving 6 year old boy, and an incredible almost 20 year old bonus-daughter. My son is on the autism spectrum, level 2. My favorite strategy and one he responds best to is starting out with a social story. The visuals, combined with the clear/ concise text, and reading it together really has helped him to know what's expected of him in various situations. I really enjoy creating these for him, and then being able to see his progress right before my eyes where he no longer needs it!
Welcome, Katherine! I 💜 social stories so much. They were so helpful for my son when he was younger and now we just text each other :) Written text has always been easier for my kid to process than spoke language. And, knowing what to expect can make such a difference for a child’s anxiety level. I’m so glad you’re here!
I am an EDUCATOR moving from 3rd to 5th grade this fall in Washington state. I am a PARENT of adult children. My main strategy is to build relationships with my students first. My challenge is to find strategies that work for challenging behaviors so that the best learning and engagement can occur for all of my 26 students. I'm interested in reading more of the parent perspective. We don't receive much training in the support of neurodivergent students. I'm here to learn!
Welcome! I’m so glad you’re here.
PARENT and EDUCATOR (COORDINATOR OF INTEGRATED STUDENT SUPPORT) living in Trinity, NC. I have four children: 29, 24, 14, 5. At least three of them are neurodiverse. I don't know about a favorite strategy, but a topic I'm passionate about is educator mental health and wellbeing. I've done a few presentations on this at school administrator conferences. You can't teach someone how to read if you don't know how to read yourself. You can't teach someone to recognize and express their emotions in a healthy way if you can't do it yourself. If we want our students to learn invaluable social and emotional skills, we need to equip school leaders with tools to create a culture that fosters their ability to develop those social and emotional skills themselves.
@christuft WELCOME! I believe teacher mental wellness IS a strategy! Thank you for all that you do as an educator. See you in the comments of blogs, advice threads, and workshop replays. I’m looking forward to your insights! 🩵
PARENT living in Okemos, MI raising a daughter and son, 15 and 13. Both have ADHD and some learning disabilities. Can’t say I have any favorite strategies as I feel lost in it all. Listened to you on Calm in the Chaos podcast and hoping that there’s still hope to helping my kids develop executive functioning skills so they can be successful.
Welcome Cathleen! My apologies for missing your comment in May. We’re all still here doing our thing supporting each other! I’m glad you’re here. 💜
Hello! I am both a PARENT and an EDUCATOR (EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGIST/SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST) and live in Southern California. I have an almost 6 year old son. My current favorite strategy is using Dr. Stuart Ablon's Collaborative Problem Solving approach much the same as Ross Greene's Collaborative Proactive Solutions. Glad to have found your podcast and site.
Welcome Stephanie! Wonderful to meet a fellow School Psychologist. I love the collaborative model for kids and for us as parents and educators.hope to meet you soon in a workshop or training!
BOTH a parent and educator living in North Carolina. I love the visual schedules and generally making the abstract concrete for children.
Welcome, Ana! I also love making the abstract concrete and watching how this helps me connect with kids. 💙
PARENT...LIFE COACH
I live in central Texas and I have 2 college age daughters...we are all neurodivergent, ADHD for sure!
My favorite strategy: asking my kids questions that enable them to clarify what is really important to them.
Welcome, LEN! I love the at you are figuring out what is truly important to your girls. That’s where the connection happens!🩵
PARENT, GRANDPARENT, living in Kamilche,WA. 32,32, 29,28, 10,10,9,8,7,6,3,3,1,6mo. Bringing self recognition and the sensesories and respecting one another’s unique capability
Welcome, Misti! I love to see grandparents here learning with us!🩵
PARENT and EDUCATOR in the Wilmington, NC area. My boys are 20 and 17. I teach full-day pre-k. My favorite strategies are having an engaging and visual space daily, being a positive light for my students, patience, and offering a love language that meets the individual needs of my students. I am thrilled to be here.
Welcome, Leigh! I’m thrilled you are here! Love your love language strategy.💙
PARENT and Rostered Psychotherapist, live in Vermont, 10 year old daughter, and I work with children and adults, helping them to be their best selves! My favorite strategy is humor, gets us through a lot of otherwise tense situations and helps my kiddo to regulate. Favorite strategy for parents is hope and positivity, we don’t get a lot of that and often just hear what is wrong with our kids, and for children, patience, validation and permission to be themselves 😊
Welcome Sarah! Humor and hope get me through, too 💙💙 I’m so glad you’re here!
PARENT in Pittsburgh, PA. I have 4 kids, ages 2-8. Our favorite strategies are lower demand approaches and Collaborative Proactive Solutions (Ross Greene).
So glad you are here!
PARENT and HIGH SCHOOL ART EDUCATOR living in North Texas. Daughter, 5, and son, 7. Son is neurodivergent- ADHD, GAD, GT. Interested in strategies for celebrating neurodiversity, and self esteem/learning to love ourselves.
My favorite strategies so far are visual hourly calendars up in the house and reading books featuring neurodivergent kids. The one we read tonight is called “My Whirling Twirling Motor.” The mom in the book makes a “wonderful list” of all the things her son did that day, so tonight I made a list for my son and I could tell it really made him feel proud. 🥰
Carolyn, I love this! You are reminding me that we need an advice thread entirely dedicated to book suggestions 📚💙🙌🏼
PARENT and EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT living in Raleigh and raising 2 boys ages 16 and 18. I support families of neurodiverse children and young adults whose severe emotional and mental health struggles require residential treatment. My favorite strategies are getting curious and holding space to invite connection and coregulation.
Love curiously!! It keeps us moving forward. WELCOME, Sonja!
PARENT living in Raleigh, NC raising two boys ages 10 and 16 and working with ages toddlers through young adult. My favorite strategies are doing less and making everything visual. I'm so glad you are here!