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 ..read more

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 stude ..read more

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.marq ..read more

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 ..read more

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 fre ..read more

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 ..read more

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 forth ..read more

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 ..read more

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. 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 co ..read more

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 ..read more