How to Help Neurodivergent Kids Thrive at School

Learn with Dr. Emily

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 are noticing these struggles, too. Kids aren't turning in their work, not keeping up, with or without IEPs. It feels like we can't quite meet our kids' needs at school.

But there's another side to this coin. Some parents are pushing for their children to catch up, achieve, and be successful in school. That’s something schools want, too - kids to be in class every day so they fit in with their peers.

However, what often gets overlooked is whether the kids feel safe at school.

I feel like this is such an important conversation, so in this episode, I've brought on an expert who does this all day, every day.

Meet Dr. Emily King, a Child Psychologist and former School Psychologist who has two decades of experience working closely with neurodivergent kids and teens.

She received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is well-versed in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, DIR/Floortime, Conscious Discipline, and Social Thinking methodologies.

Dr. Emily is also the founder of Learn with Dr. Emily™ where she shares online resources related to raising and educating neurodivergent youth. She specializes in providing therapy and consultation services for children diagnosed with autism, anxiety, ADHD, depression, and learning difficulties.

She is passionate about empowering parents and teachers to take care of themselves so they can become the supportive adults that every neurodivergent child needs in their life.

Join us for this interview, where we'll be discussing the hurdles neurodivergent kids face in school, the gap between expectations and support, the impact of anxiety on learning, and the importance of collaboration between parents and teachers.

It's a conversation you really don't want to miss out on!

Tune in now!

Key Takeaways:

• Intro (00:00)
• Who is Dr. Emily King (02:34)
• Misconceptions about meeting the needs of neurodivergent children (05:37)
• The importance of communication between teachers and parents (11:39)
• The mismatch between child's abilities and school expectations (17:29)
• Dr. Emily’s takeaway for educators and parents (23:58)
• The first step towards teamwork in helping kids (26:22)
• Sources for Dr. Emily's kid and teacher support strategies (28:52)

Additional resources:

👉 Visit Dr. Emily’s website

👉 Subscribe to Dr. Emily’s Substack Blog

👉 Check out Dr. Emily’s podcast Learn with Dr. Emily

Connect with Dr. Emily:

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Calm the Chaos Parenting is a podcast offering parents practical tools and strategies to navigate the challenges of raising strong-willed, highly sensitive, and neurodivergent children.

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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, visit learnwithdremily.substack.com.

Learn with Dr. Emily is edited by Earfluence.

Helpful Resources
Parent Workshops - https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/parent-workshops
Professional Development - Bring Dr. Emily to Your School - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/schools
For Teachers - Regulation Roster and Reframing Behavior Worksheet - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/roster or https://www.learnwithdremily.com/reframingbehavior
Parent Referral Tracker - https://www.learnwithdremily.com/tracker