In this fast-paced conversation, Dr. Armstrong and I talk about the myriad ways we can revitalize our children’s spirits and motivation, emphasizing their strength rather than their challenge, including school alternatives when a traditional classroom isn’t working for your child.

• Practical strategies for helping fidgety children manage schoolwork
• The beauty of looking at our children’s abilities through Multiple Intelligence Theory
• Why “neurodiversity” is a far better term than the labels we attach to our children
• The exciting prospects ahead in the job market for kids with dyslexia, autism and more

I had so much fun talking with Dr. Cohen: lots of laughter mixed with practical suggestions for helping children who struggle with anxiety. The first thing you’ll hear is why you should spend no more than five minutes trying to verbally reassure an anxious child. Instead, you’ll discover what does work when a child is fearful.

• Why your anxious kids need you to be a calm “Second Chicken”
• Lighthearted ways to help children feel less frightened and more powerful
• The importance of daily roughhousing
• Why our own anxious feelings get so easily transmitted to our kids

Dr. Bertin brings a wealth of knowledge to our conversation. First, he shares a simple question that can help parents decide whether to seek out an evaluation when a child is having trouble, offering options for how to get help. Dr. Bertin shares ideas for bringing mindfulness into our children’s lives, and shares guidance for strengthening resilience and self-regulation.

• Differentiating anxiety from ADHD
• Why sleep habits can be especially difficult to establish with children on the spectrum
• What not to do during a child’s meltdown
• Weaving simple mindfulness practices into daily life

Carol does a beautiful job explaining issues like Sensory Processing Disorder and what why sensory input like sound, light, proximity, and heat get garbled in the nervous system. She shares terrific ideas for helping children with ADHD, SPD or simply quirky characteristics. A great conversation!

• Why some children get flooded with sensory input

• Helping young children and teens  learn to accommodate their difficulties with sensory integration

• The sensory fumbler, dis-regarder, craver, avoider, slumper

• What parents can do to create calm when a child is melting down

Rather than focusing on labels, Dr. Greene pays attention to identifying unsolved problems and unmet expectations. He does a beautiful job of introducing us to a model of collaboratively solving problems with our children rather than overpowering them, developing empathy while addressing chronic issues of defiance or meltdowns at their root. An outstanding dialogue!

• Why attempts to manage or control a child’s problematic behavior fail
• The essential ingredients to helping children articulate what’s bothering them
• Avoiding aggressive outbursts and explosive behavior
• Free resources for helping parents identify where their child needs help

Dr. Axness lays out a simple way of better understanding the brain and its role in helping children integrate, relate, and regulate. She talks about the essential elements  of attachment and warmth in the child, and emphasizes the importance of dependency and meeting each child’s unique needs–and how it’s never too late!

• The orbital frontal cortex and its vital functions
• The importance of introducing warmth into a child’s home and relationships
• The value of boredom!
• Supporting children’s need for rhythm and regularity

Whether your youngster is on the Autism spectrum as Ted and Danise’s son, or has far simpler challenges, this powerful conversation is all about finding peace, joy, and celebration raising the child we have been given. With great heart and wonderful stories, you’ll get practical ideas blended with big doses of inspiration. Not to be missed!

• Making peace with a difficult diagnosis
• Addressing questions like, “What’s wrong with him?”
• Finding ways to communicate with a non-verbal child
• The importance of looking for underlying medical issues with behavioral problems

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Whether your youngster is on the Autism spectrum as Ted and Danise’s son, or has far simpler challenges, this powerful conversation is all about finding peace, joy, and celebration raising the child we have been given. With great heart and wonderful stories, you’ll get practical ideas blended with big doses of inspiration. Not to be missed!

• Making peace with a difficult diagnosis
• Addressing questions like, “What’s wrong with him?”
• Finding ways to communicate with a non-verbal child
• The importance of looking for underlying medical issues with behavioral problems

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Patty begins our conversation by sharing the story of her sister who developed significant impairments after starting life out as a seemingly typically developing child. She understands firsthand how important it is for parents to have support, assistance, and a Listening Partner to help them offload the daily stresses and of raising children.

• How to find a Listening Partner, and why it is so vital
• Taking pride in the child we have, even when behavior is embarrassing or frustrating
• The importance of offloading disappointment when those we reach out to for help say “No”
• Why self-care should never be optional

I was moved me to tears as Billy Mann shared his story of coming to peace and gratitude for his family, just as it is. With two boys on the spectrum as well as two neurotypical daughters, Billy and his wife Gena have well-traveled the path of adjusting to their sons’ challenges and needs while helping their daughters accept their brothers’ quirks and differences. This interview is a love story about what is best about family.

• Helping siblings cope with siblings’ challenging, annoying behaviors
• The importance of early intervention, education, and advocacy
• Normalizing some of the fears, worries, and hopes faced by families with autism
• Finding ways to talk about autism with children
• Not one but many “autisms”

If you have a youngster with ADD/ ADHD, do not miss this interview! Elaine understands the world of ADD, and shares what has worked with the families she’s coached, as well as in raising her own “complex” children. Our conversation was loaded with practical content and information, including:

• PINCH: The five motivators for getting kids to take action

• How to use code words and body doubling to help kids stay on track

• Tips for getting homework done, and helping classroom “interruptors” manage their urge to share

• How to get kids to help around the house

• The importance of talking with kids about their brain

There is so much richness in this conversation which a wide territory of topics related to helping differently wired children feel seen and celebrated. Debbie talks about how the pros and cons of labels and diagnoses, how to enlist allies among neurotypical peers, and helping children discover their unique gifts.

• How to talk to neurotypical kids about their differently-wired peers
• Helping children understand the many different ways brains works, and benefits with all types of people
• Homeschooling as an option, even when it seems impossible
• Avoiding the compare and despair cycle–especially when Facebookers post their kids’ rites of passage and achievements

I adore talking with Rachel because she delivers such practical nuggets for managing life’s ups and downs. In this conversation, you’ll hear her reframe weaknesses as strengths (her daughter with distracted tendencies is a cherished “Noticer”), share how lists helped her special ed students, and challenge the impossible standards parents create for themselves.

• Seeing problems (“too sensitive”) can be reframed as gifts
• Creating a “Safe Haven” for a child with additional needs
• Why we must take time to offload, recharge, and replenish ourselves
• Empowering behaviorally-challenged children to identify and ask for what they need

You’ll get loads of ideas for helping children find greater regulation in this conversation with Susan. She shares great suggestions for helping restless, stressed, or overwhelmed children and teens find their calm center. And Susan makes it clear that Mindfulness includes movement–not just sitting still which isn’t easy for many children–or adults!

• How Mindfulness can help kids who struggle with focus and attention
• Physical activities that can settle down restless or agitated children
• Games to play with kids to help them stay grounded
• How we can model presence to help our children develop lifelong habits of mindful awareness

One of my hopes for this summit has been to provide a platform for people like Linda who help us recognize that every child brings unique gifts into our lives. Tune in to hear her talk about her wonderful daughters, and how she has helped them integrate into the classroom, and the world at large.

• How to help classmates understand a child’s differences to foster inclusion and friendship
• The importance of seeing children through the lens of strengths rather than challenges
• Helping children understand their diagnosis
• The importance of having a wide circle of support

Wow! If you’ve wondered why bright kids are sometimes socially awkward or your brilliant twelve year old acts like he’s seven if he loses a board game, tune in to this fast-paced discussion of the brain, development and behavior! Tons of information and great, practical tips. Absolutely fascinating and so important!

• Why gifted kids learn so much faster–and the challenges that brings

• Empowering children to use special signals before they melt down at school or home

• Using a Calming Buddy to help kids parachute out of overwhelm

• Supporting gifted children with anxiety, Aspergers and other challenges

Temple Grandin is a treasure, helping people understand autism with dedication and clarity. Our conversation covers a wide range of issues, always with tips and practical advice for parents that will help them support their children. I learned so much for talking with her, and am honored to share her words of wisdom with you!

• Tips and strategies for helping children manage sensory overload

• The importance of early and one-on-one intervention and social skills training

• Why eye-contact can be so challenging

• Solutions for multitasking, long strings of instructions, and managing sequences

I met Helen when I went through training to become an Irlen screener years ago. Her work continues to fascinate me, especially when such a small adjustment–the overlays or tinted lenses–can make such a huge difference for those with learning difficulties, ADHD, sensory processing issues, migraines or spectrum disorders. Tune in to this fascinating conversations!

• How simple colored overlays can help children with dyslexia
• Why some children are so negatively impacted by fluorescent lighting
• Keys to determining whether light sensitivity is affecting a child who is reading averse
• Understanding Irlen Syndrome and why it can lead to breakthroughs for children

Peggy has lived life in a body with limitations that might have made life difficult. Instead, she has embraced the adventure of living, from hiking the Grand Canyon to trekking in Bhutan. Tune in for joyful inspiration and practical ideas for raising children who refuse to be defined by their challenges.

• Helping children manage stares, teasing, and bullying
• How parents can support and empower their child
• Fostering confidence in children with challenges
• Honoring tough moments with emotional release

I always love my conversations with Dr. Laura Markham because everything she shares is wrapped in great kindness and compassion. Tune in as we talk about helping siblings manage their feelings when a brother or sister has “additional needs”, how to manage with our own big feelings when we’re overwhelmed or frustrated, and how to help kids with “additional needs” managing theirs.

• The importance of modeling how to manage big emotions
• Allowing siblings their feelings about a brother or sister’s “additional needs”
• How the brain can change as we learn to manage big emotions when we’re flooded
• Dealing with grief as we adjust to who our child is