Ep. 174: How to Empower Different Thinkers with Dr. Yael Rothman and Dr. Katia Fredriksen
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Release Date: 02/27/2024
Ep. 266: The Myth of the Resilient Child: When “Pushing Through” Becomes Harmful
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
This week, Dr. Karen Wilson is touching upon resilience and how our definition of it can sometimes be part of the problem. She challenges the idea that resilience means pushing through stress, staying quiet, or succeeding no matter the emotional cost. After all, a child who appears to be thriving on the outside may actually be running on empty. After a recent conversation with a parent, Dr. Wilson felt inspired to explain why good grades, athletic success, and responsible behavior don't always reflect a child's well-being, and she explores the important difference between coping and genuinely...
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Ep. 265: Back-to-School Anxiety in Neurodivergent Kids: Why the Transition Is So Hard and How to Help
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Transitioning back to school after summer vacation can be challenging for many children, especially those who are neurodivergent. Continuing the Summer Solo Series, Dr. Karen Wilson shares seven practical, actionable strategies to help make the transition smoother. Dr. Wilson explains why even children who are genuinely excited to return to school may still experience significant anxiety. Changes in routine, increased cognitive and sensory demands, unfamiliar environments, and shifting social expectations can create overwhelming stress before classes even begin. Understanding these challenges...
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Ep. 264: What an Assessment Can and Cannot Tell You
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Dr. Karen Wilson continues the Summer Solo Series to address assessments and how they can be informative yet also have their fair share of shortcomings. They can be life-changing but are often misunderstood, and Dr. Wilson unpacks what psychological and educational evaluations can actually tell us, where their limitations lie, and why they should be viewed as tools for understanding rather than crystal balls that predict a child’s future. Dr. Wilson explores why so many mental health and neurodevelopmental diagnoses rely on behavioral patterns instead of definitive medical tests and how...
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Ep. 263: Summer, Screens, and Sanity: Helping Kids Find Balance When School’s Out
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Dr. Karen Wilson takes on an important topic solo this episode - screen use during the summertime when kids are out of school. With routines loosened and independence increased, many tweens and teens drift toward longer, more frequent device use, and what often begins as “just a little YouTube” can quietly stretch into hours of electronic usage, whether it be gaming, scrolling, and/or late-night screen time, often negatively impacting sleep, mood, and motivation along the way. This podcast, however, isn't here to frame screens as a simple matter of discipline or “too much time online.”...
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Ep. 262: Balancing Summer Rest and Learning Support for Diverse Learners with Ashley Harding
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
For this episode, we are replaying another episode of Diverse Thinking, Different Learning, this time episode 239, in which we sat down with to discuss why it’s so important to allow students time for rest, rejuvenation, and exploration of their interests outside of academics, especially during the summer months. As a reminder, Ashley is a fourth-generation educator and is deeply committed to educational equity. She holds degrees from USC and Tufts University in Child Development, and her career spans more than a decade, during which she has supported students and families in private and...
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Ep. 261: When Helping Becomes Overhelping: Helping Neurodivergent Kids Build Independence
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
This week on Diverse Thinking Different Learning, we are discussing the crucial challenge of supporting neurodivergent children without doing so in a way that hinders them from independence. Joining us to take on this topic is , founder of . Dr. William is also a tenured Chemistry professor at College of the Canyons in California, and has spent more than ten years supporting neurodivergent students as they transition from K-12 systems, helping them build confidence and independence in academic settings. Dr. Williams helps us understand why “helicopter parenting” is not a simple label...
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Ep. 260: How Dyslexia Impacts Mental Health (Episode 212 Re-Air)
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
This month, we are replaying episode 212 of Diverse Thinking, Different Learning, in which Dr. Karen Wilson discusses the ways in which dyslexia can affect a child’s mental wellbeing. Even though dyslexia is commonly associated with reading and language difficulties, the emotional implications are far too often overlooked, and Dr. Wilson unpacks some of the harmful myths that have shaped the public understanding of dyslexia for decades, including the assumption that reading struggles are tied to intelligence. She explains how those misconceptions can affect self-esteem, delay diagnosis, and...
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Ep. 259: Autism and ADHD Masking: The Signs & Hidden Costs with Dr. Deanna Dow
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We warmly welcome Dr. Deanna Dow to the podcast. Dr. Dow is a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience supporting neurodivergent individuals and families. She is the founder and CEO of Spectrum Psych LA, a multidisciplinary clinic that provides assessment, therapy, occupational therapy, medication management, and community-based support, and she has trained and worked in autism clinics and research centers at major institutions including the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina, Florida State University, and UCLA where her research has...
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Ep. 258: Dyscalculia, Dyslexia, and ADHD: Why Math Feels So Overwhelming for Some Kids with Adrianne Meldrum & Heather Brand
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are so thrilled to have not just one guest this episode but two - Adrianne Meldrum and Heather Brand! Adrianne Meldrum founded and owns Made for Math, a fully online math center that supports students with dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other math-related learning challenges. She is a certified Multisensory Math Instructor and holds a master’s degree from Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity. Adrianne lives in Arizona with her husband and three sons, where she enjoys the beautiful sunsets. Heather Brand, M.Ed., is a licensed educator with two decades of experience teaching...
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Ep. 257: Helping Kids with Dyslexia and ADHD Build Confidence Through Stories with Lynn Greenberg
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are so excited to have Lynn Greenberg join us for this edition of the show. Lynn has devoted her life to being an advocate for children as a trained attorney specializing in family law and pro bono work. When her youngest son, Jonathan, was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD, she stepped into the role of being his advocate, using her expertise to help carve a path toward his success. The experience inspired her to support neurodivergent children more broadly, and she discusses how co-writing the children’s book with Jonathan became a natural next step, allowing her to create characters in...
info_outlineWelcome back to the Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast where we are diving into a topic that is especially important for families raising children and teens who learn and think differently. Today's episode is particularly special as we explore empowering children and teens with ADHD and other learning differences by helping them understand their brains and embrace their unique gifts.
I am joined by Drs. Fredriksen and Rothman, pediatric neuropsychologists from Maryland, who bring a wealth of knowledge and insights into this often misunderstood area. They share their journey of writing their recent book Different Thinkers: ADHD, a resource designed specifically for elementary-aged children and their families. We learn about the motivation behind creating this resource and the importance of not keeping diagnoses a secret from children but rather empowering them with knowledge about their developing brains.
Throughout our conversation, we discuss the misconceptions surrounding ADHD and other learning differences, and the need to focus on strengths and not limitations. Drs. Fredriksen and Rothman share the struggles that children face in a world not built for different thinkers and offer some strategies for families to celebrate differences.
Show Notes:
[1:50] - The book Different Thinkers: ADHD is unique as it is written for elementary-aged children. They didn’t have a resource for families, so they made it themselves.
[4:26] - Adults tend to underestimate children and how much they realize that they learn differently. Don’t keep their diagnosis a secret.
[6:51] - We need to take the more effective path of demonstrating how a learning difference can be a gift.
[8:34] - There are a lot of misconceptions around diagnoses.
[10:28] - Attention levels wax and wane for the average neurotypical person, but there is a difference between those experiences and those who have ADHD.
[12:30] - Standardized tests and questionnaires are sometimes frowned upon, but they have a helpful purpose.
[14:10] - Kids can and should learn that their brains are still developing and may develop differently than their peers.
[17:20] - The world was not built for different thinkers.
[22:51] - Research shows that children with ADHD receive more negative feedback than their peers.
[24:55] - Different Thinkers: ADHD is intended to be a resource for families to talk to their child about a diagnosis. Drs. Rothman and Fredriksen suggest ways to use it.
[27:21] - Children can read and listen about the characters in the book who are experiencing ADHD like they are.
[30:06] - Celebrating differences is key.
[31:31] - The work that neuropsychologists do is important, but it isn’t always accessible to everyone.
About Our Guests:
Drs. Fredriksen and Rothman are both pediatric neuropsychologists in Maryland who specialize in comprehensive evaluations for children, adolescents, and young adults with a wide range of conditions that impact learning, behavior, and/or socioemotional functioning, providing families with a road map to support their children. They recently published their first book, Different Thinkers: ADHD, and share an Instagram account (@neuropsychmomdocs). Dr. Fredriksen trained at Princeton University and the University of Massachusetts Boston. She lives with her family in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Rothman trained at the University of Michigan and Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology. She lives with her family in Washington, D.C.
Connect with Our Guests:
Links and Related Resources:
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Episode 25: Raising Differently Wired Kids with Joy and Confidence with Debbie Reber
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Episode 137: Helping Kids Understand Their Amazing Brains with Dr. Liz Angoff
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Episode 38: Understanding the Gifted and Twice Exceptional Child with Dr. Nicole Tetreault
Connect with Us:
The Diverse Thinking Different Learning podcast is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical or legal advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Additionally, the views and opinions expressed by the host and guests are not considered treatment and do not necessarily reflect those of ChildNEXUS, Inc or the host, Dr. Karen Wilson.