Ep. 180: 6 Fundamental Habits for Better Sleep with Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Release Date: 04/09/2024
Ep. 239: Balancing Summer Rest and Learning Support for Diverse Learners with Ashley Harding
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are happy to welcome Ashley Harding to the podcast this episode. 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 independent schools and contributed to global education initiatives in South Africa and Belize. Formerly the Director of External Engagement for a national school network, she has co-authored research on disparities affecting Black and Latino males and has been...
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Ep. 238: Dismantling DEI and the Department of Education: How Changes Impact Your Child with Vickie Brett & Amanda Selogie
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are excited to welcome back guests Vickie Brett and Amanda Selogie of the . Vickie Brett is a bilingual attorney who advocates for families' legal rights via the Inclusive Education Project, with a focus on empowering monolingual Spanish-speaking families. Dedicated to supporting clients facing challenges in the education system, she actively contributes pro bono work via the Los Angeles Superior Court and UCI Law School’s Special Education Law Project. Amanda Selogie holds a background in Child and Adolescent Development and law, with a strong focus on civil rights and...
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Ep. 237: Beyond Accommodations: How Neurodivergent Students Can Thrive in College with Eric Endlich, Ph.D
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Joining us this week is guest . Dr. Endlich is a clinical psychologist and founder of , which specializes in guiding neurodivergent students through the college application process. An advocate and expert in the field and a neurodivergent adult himself, he co-teaches a UC Irvine course for educational consultants, manages a large Facebook group for parents of neurodivergent students, and serves on advisory boards related to autism and neurodiversity. Dr. Endlich joins us this week to discuss the far too often overlooked challenges that neurodivergent students face when transitioning from high...
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Ep. 236: Beyond Racial Stress: Empowering Teens to Navigate Cultural Identity and Build Resilience with Dr. Ryan DeLapp
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We warmly welcome to Diverse Thinking Different Learning to discuss how to help teens manage and overcome racial stress. Dr. Ryan C.T. DeLapp is a licensed psychologist and the founder of the REACH program at The Ross Center, specializing in helping individuals cope with racial and cultural stress. With more than ten years of research and clinical practice, he has developed evidence-based treatments to build resilience in teens and adults. Dr. DeLapp has also authored more than twenty publications and delivered over 100 presentations on assessing and treating racial and cultural stress. His...
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Ep. 235: Why Stress Sabotages Learning and How Parents and Educators Can Help with Jerome Schultz, PhD
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are happy to welcome to Diverse Thinking Different Learning this week. Dr. Schultz is a clinical neuropsychologist and lecturer at Harvard Medical School with nearly four decades of experience working with children and young adults with learning and behavioral challenges. A former special education teacher and author of , he has held academic positions at several universities, directed multiple clinics, and maintained a private practice in Wellesley, MA for over three decades. He holds degrees from Ohio State and Boston College and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric...
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Ep. 234: Understanding and Addressing Math Anxiety with Aditya Nagrath, PhD
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
This week on Diverse Thinking Different Learning, we welcome . Dr. Nagrath is the founder of and helps students overcome math anxiety, rapidly advancing their skills with just ten minutes of practice a few times a week. He holds a PhD in Mathematics and Computer Sciences and has over three decades of experience as a software engineer, entrepreneur, author, and speaker, working on a wide range of projects from atomic clocks to mobile apps. Dr. Nagrath joins us for this episode to discuss mathematics anxiety - where it comes from, how it’s misunderstood, how to address it and more. A...
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Ep. 233: Body-Based Interventions for Neurodivergent Students with Megan Beardmore, PhD, NCSP
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Joining us this week on Diverse Thinking Different Learning is . Dr. Beardmore is a licensed school psychologist with expertise in assessing and treating children, adolescents, and young adults with neurodevelopmental conditions such as autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities, as well as co-occurring anxiety and depression. She received her training at the University of Arizona, completed a postdoctoral fellowship at The Help Group, and worked at UCLA’s Center for Autism Research. She uses evidence-based therapies such as CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and breathwork to support emotional regulation...
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Ep. 232: Turning Kids’ Passions and Enthusiasms into Superpowers with Barry Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP (Re-Air)
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are doing a reairing this week of of Diverse Thinking Different Learning in which we talked with . This episode is being revisited at a perfect time because this is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. In this episode, Dr. Prizant helps us understand why it’s important to stop labeling certain behaviors in children as intentional defiance or difficulty. Dr. Barry Prizant is a speech-language pathologist with nearly five decades of experience working with individuals with autism and their families. He serves as a Visiting Scholar at Brown University and directs Childhood Communication...
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Ep. 231: How to Use Students’ Interest and Creativity to Enhance Learning with Victoria Waller, Ed.D.
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are so happy to be welcoming back to the podcast this episode. Dr. Waller is a seasoned reading specialist and educational therapist with more than four decades of experience helping children with learning differences, especially ones who teachers have sadly given up on. She is the author of , a finalist for the Foreword Reviews Best Book of the Year in 2022, and has received multiple accolades for her contributions to education. Holding advanced degrees in reading and learning differences, she has shared her expertise nationwide and internationally via speaking engagements and on...
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Ep. 230: Executive Functioning & Navigating the Yearly Calendar with Michelle Porjes
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are honored to welcome returning guest Michelle Porjes to the show for this episode. Michelle is a licensed educational psychologist and credentialed school psychologist in California with over twenty-five years of experience in education. She holds advanced degrees in Educational and School Psychology from the University of Denver and the University of South Florida, specializing in learning, emotional, and behavioral assessments, as well as teacher coaching and program development. Michelle runs an executive function practice and has authored two e-books on the topic. Michelle joins us in...
info_outlineWelcome back to another discussion about sleep! We've previously delved into why sleep is crucial for our well-being, and today, we're taking it a step further. In this episode, we'll explore practical strategies that you can implement at home to ensure that not only our children are getting good quality sleep, but the whole family.
Joining me is Dr. Afolabi-Brown, a triple board-certified sleep medicine physician and pediatric pulmonologist, who will guide us through the science of sleep and offer invaluable tips to improve sleep quality for neurodivergent children and their families.
To help families establish healthy sleep habits, Dr. Afolabi-Brown introduces the CREATE acronym, outlining six fundamental strategies for good sleep hygiene: Consistency, Routines, Environment, Assigned bed for sleep, Technology management, and Elimination of disruptions. You will also hear real-life success stories of families who have implemented these strategies and witnessed remarkable improvements in sleep quality.
Whether you're a parent, caregiver, or simply interested in optimizing sleep for yourself or loved ones, this episode is a valuable resource to transform your sleep habits and promote overall well-being.
Show Notes:
- [3:40] - Dr. Afolabi-Brown explains the amount of sleep that is recommended by age group.
- [5:08] - It’s not enough to consider the quantity of sleep. There’s a lot that could impact sleep quality.
- [8:03] - Neurodivergent children may exhibit daytime sleepiness. Dr. Afolabi-Brown describes some of the things you may notice.
- [10:31] - Insufficient and poor quality of sleep affects our physical health, our brain health, and could cause social-emotional issues.
- [12:06] - Sleep is healing and restorative.
- [13:18] - We can change our relationship with sleep by understanding its importance.
- [15:10] - CREATE is an acronym for the six fundamental habits for good sleep hygiene.
- [15:44] - C: Consistency
- [16:33] - R: Routines
- [17:10] - E: Environment
- [17:34] - A: Assigned bed for sleep
- [18:08] - T: Technology
- [18:23] - E: Eliminate
- [20:18] - Choose small things to change first and then add more as you get used to them.
- [22:38] - Neurodivergent children need even more structure than neurotypical children especially when it comes to sleep routines.
- [26:28] - Dr. Afolabi-Brown provides some strategies for calming a busy brain at night.
- [30:23] - Dr. Afolabi-Brown shares the story of a successful sleep intervention that changed the sleep quality of an entire family.
About Our Guest:
Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown is a triple board-certified sleep medicine physician and pediatric pulmonologist. She founded RestfulSleepMD, where she helps high-achieving professionals and their children change their relationship with sleep so they can move from being drained and exhausted to thriving in their families, careers, and relationships. She achieves this through clinical practice (The Restful Sleep Place), coaching, speaking, and organization consultation. She is a best-selling author and has been featured on various media outlets, including ABC. She obtained her sleep medicine training at the University of Pennsylvania and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Connect with Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown:
- The Restful Sleep Place Website
- @restfulsleepmd on Instagram
- Dr. Funke Afolabi-Brown on LinkedIn
- Dr. Funke Brown on YouTube
Links and Related Resources:
- Episode 148: How Sleep Affects Academic Performance and Mood
- 5 Reasons Sleep Matters for Children
- 8 Ways Teenagers Suffer When They Don’t Get Enough Sleep
- Episode 160: The Sleep Deprived Teen with Lisa Lewis
Connect with Us:
- Get on our Email List
- Book a Consultation
- Get Support and Connect with a ChildNEXUS Provider
- Register for Our Self-Paced Mini Courses for ADHD, Dyslexia and Youth Anxiety
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.