What is Pathological Demand Avoidance with Liesel Smal
Wonderfully Wired
Dive into the critical world of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in Part 1 of this essential two-part series with Liesel Smal, an Occupational Therapist (OT) and mom of a PDA child Liesel introduces PDA as a specific neurotype that requires "good accommodation" due to the serious "gravity" of the diagnosis. Learn why avoidance is rooted in an inability ("I can't"), not a choice, often manifesting as an "inner straitjacket" or a "contraction" in the nervous system. This episode exposes the confusing reality of masking; children often appear "compliant and good" or "high achieving" at...
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Curating Pathways of Care with the Neurodiversity Centre's Corneil Claassen
Wonderfully Wired
Welcome to Season 5 of the Wonderfully Wired podcast! In this insightful episode, host Eloise welcomes Corneil Claassen, an educational psychologist and co-lead at the Neurodiversity Center (NDC) in South Africa. Corneil shares her powerful mission: to create a world where every wonderfully wired mind – be it facing autism, ADHD, anxiety, or learning differences – is seen, supported, and celebrated. Discover NDC's origin, a multidisciplinary organization supporting over 6,000 families, dedicated to affirming neurodivergent individuals who are "brilliantly uniquely wired". Corneil...
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Living Wonderfully Wired as a young adult with Juju and Sophia
Wonderfully Wired
This special bonus episode of the "Wonderfully Wired" podcast features live studio guests Juju and Sophia, both young women who have served on the Wonderfully Wired team and are "wonderfully wired" themselves. Juju, who has ADHD, describes her brain as a city constantly under construction, with changing alleys, roads, and houses. Sophia, who is gifted and intense, explains her experience as feeling emotions and sensory input "10 times more intensely" than others. The conversation delves into the challenges, joys, and humours of living wonderfully wired. Both Juju and Sophia discuss the...
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Assistive Technology for students, parents and teachers with Joan Green
Wonderfully Wired
Meet our tech-savvy friend Joan Green! Joan’s been working with assistive technology since the 80s—and she’s got the tools and stories to prove it. From calendar tricks and color-coded Google Drives to goblin tools and immersive readers, this episode is jam-packed with tips that make learning easier for our wonderfully wired kids (and adults too!). Easy wins with everyday tech Tools that organize your digital chaos Confidence for parents & empowerment for students Joan reminds us: tech doesn’t need to be overwhelming. With a little guidance, it becomes a powerful ally. “I...
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AI for Wonderfully Wired students with Dr Arno Louw (part b)
Wonderfully Wired
This episode, the second of two in a series with Dr. Arno Louw from the University of Johannesburg, focuses on how AI can be a student's best friend and assistant, particularly for wonderfully wired learners. The key takeaway is to use AI to help with the work that is difficult for you, not to do the work for you. This involves prompt engineering, asking the AI better questions by giving it background about yourself, like your age, preferences, and learning style. AI can guide you in writing, explain complex topics simply (like explaining to a 10-year-old), and act as a practice ground...
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AI for teachers with Dr Arno Louw (Part a)
Wonderfully Wired
What if AI could help tailor education for every learner? In this Part a of the Wonderfully Wired & UJ partnership episode, Dr. Arno Louw a senior specialist in instructional and e-learning and manager of the CAT lab at UJ, with his incredible knowledge, fun, and enthusiasm inspires us to see AI as a tool to support difference and neurodivergence. We discuss how AI can be your brilliant teachers assistant that never gets tired, helping you earn extra hours and get administrative tasks done faster. Don't miss this insightful discussion on how to navigate AI anxiety and use this...
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Burnout and the Wonderfully Wired with Casey Anley
Wonderfully Wired
I loved my conversation with Casey Anley talking about burnout in the Wonderfully Wired. What does it look like to acknowledge each person's unique energy and work with the available energy instead overrding each body's need for rest. What should you look out for in yourself and in your child? Casey Anley is an educational psychologist. She wears many hats - neurodiversity advocate, executive function coach trainer and supervisor. She’s built a career in helping neurodivergent minds untangle the chaos, build systems that actually work, and, most importantly, stop beating themselves up...
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Supporting our Smart but Scattered kids with Dr Peg Dawson
Wonderfully Wired
Dr Peg Dawson has had a fruitful career as school psychologist and for over 20 years worked at the Center for Learning and Attention Disorders in New Hampshire for which she received a liftime achievement Award from the American National association of School Psycologists. Her contribution to all of our collective understanding of Executive Functions and how we can help wonderfully wired kids that are clearly Smart but Scattered develop them has been profound. And Dr Dawson is far from done! Smart but Scattered, The Revolutionary Executive Skills Approach to Helping...
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Talking Strength based assessment with Dr Jade Rivera
Wonderfully Wired
Dr Jade Rivera is professor at the Bridges Gradual School for Cognitive diversity with a passion for 'a strength based world for neurodivergent humans' She's been a force for change in education for wonderfully wired kids for over fifteen year designing 'micro schools' that serve niche communities in creative ways showing ideas like project based learning and grade less classrooms aren't just fanciful dreams. Anyone who spends a bit of time on Dr Rivera's newsletter on Substack will quickly see her depth of knowledge and infectious passion. I've invited her...
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Introducing Southern African Fathers of Children with Neurodiversity (FCN)
Wonderfully Wired
“There is a prevailing narrative that black dads are deadbeats, that they often abscond their responsibilities.” said Buzwe Mabuza, founder of Black Dad’s are Cool Dads and one of my three guests on the podcast this month “Providing and disciplining. That's all that we were told we can look forward to when we become dads.But I'm a present dad, I'm active and I have a couple of friends who are also active and present. Therefore we decided as opposed to just complaining, let's do something about it.” I interviewed Caleb Chavalala, Buzwe Mabuza and Mosi Molefe of...
info_outlineMy guest on the podcast this month is Dr Jeannine Jannot. Dr Jannot is an academic coach and the author of The Disintegrating Student: Struggling But Smart, Falling Apart, and How To Turn It Around. She has over 25 years of experience working with children, teens, and young adults in both public and private school settings.
Jeannine has a master's degree in school psychology from The Ohio State University and a doctorate in child and developmental psychology from the University of Connecticut. She began teaching college psychology courses in 2010, and in 2014 she founded The Balanced Student.
You can learn more about her at JeannineJannot.com.