Ep. 190: Should Your Teen Take a Gap Year? with Julia Rogers
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Release Date: 06/18/2024
Ep. 270: When Getting It Right Never Feels Good Enough: Anxiety, OCD, and Perfectionism with Lauren Stutman, Psy.D
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We warmly welcome Lauren Stutman, Psy.D to Diverse Thinking Different Learning for this episode. Dr. Lauren Stutman is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder and clinical director of (Child Anxiety Reduction Experts), a multidisciplinary practice that specializes in anxiety, OCD, and other related challenges in children and adolescents. Drawing on more than two decades of clinical experience (as well as her own childhood experience with anxiety and OCD), Dr. Stutman is passionate about translating evidence-based psychological concepts into practical tools that children and families...
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Ep. 269: When Smart Kids Struggle: The Hidden Cost of Undiagnosed Learning Differences with Paul R. Johnson, EdD
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
The author of the book , , joins us for this episode. He is the owner and C.E.O. of Leschi Leadership LLC, a consulting firm focused on helping organizations and leaders navigate complex challenges, strengthen performance, and achieve sustainable success, and he brings extensive leadership experience from organizations such as Boeing, Microsoft, Starbucks, Junior Achievement, and the Seattle Symphony, giving him a broad perspective on organizational effectiveness and strategic change. A lifelong learner and educator, Dr. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree from Seattle University,...
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Ep. 268: Teaching Kids to Manage Big Emotions: DBT Skills for Elementary Schools with Dr. Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are happy to warmly welcome Dr. Elizabeth Dexter-Mazza to the show for this episode. Dr. Dexter-Mazza is a licensed clinical psychologist and certified DBT therapist with more than 25 years of experience in clinical practice, training, and consultation. She co-authored DBT-based social-emotional learning curricula for elementary and secondary students and co-owns Mazza Consulting & Psychological Services and DBT in Schools with her husband, Jim Mazza. She also provides DBT treatment and professional training internationally, working with adolescents, adults, families, mental health...
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Ep. 267: When School Accommodations Aren’t Enough: Why Neurodivergent Students Need Skill-Building Too
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Dr. Wilson brings us another solo episode this time, opening up about how accommodations can make an enormous difference for students who learn and process information differently. Extended time, audiobooks, speech-to-text, movement breaks, preferential seating, and other means of support can truly reduce barriers and help students participate more successfully in school, but what happens when those supports improve performance but do very little to address the underlying skills a student still needs to develop? Dr. Wilson touches upon the distinction between accommodations, interventions,...
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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...
info_outlineIn this episode, we’re exploring something that is often misunderstood and rarely talked about: gap years. Many parents and students don’t really know exactly what a gap year is or how taking one could be the right choice for them. So today, we are exploring the benefits and considerations of gap years for teens and young adults with learning differences. I’m thrilled to introduce our guest, Julia Rogers, a professional gap year counselor and founder of EnRoute Counseling. Julia is an expert on this topic, and she’s here to shed light on how gap years can be particularly beneficial for those who learn and think differently.
A gap year is more than just a break from academics; it’s an intentional period of personal growth supported by diverse learning opportunities. We have a lot of misconceptions about what gap years really are, so having Julia break it down will provide a lot to think about. Over the past 15 years, the reasons people choose to take a gap year have evolved, and Julia will share some common motivations behind this decision. She will also discuss the unique benefits that gap years can offer to different types of students, including the opportunity to develop social skills and catch up, especially in the post-pandemic world.
The ultimate goal is to guide our young people into a life of fulfillment. Join us as we dive into the world of gap years with Julia Rogers, and discover if this might be the right path for your teen to thrive.
Show Notes:
[3:17] - A gap year is an intentional period of personal growth supported by learning opportunities.
[4:35] - Over the last 15 years, the reasons people choose to take a gap year have shifted and changed. Julia shares a lot of common ones.
[5:59] - The benefits are a lot different for different types of students.
[7:23] - Benefits can also include “catching up” and developing social skills, especially now post-pandemic.
[8:45] - When working with her students, Julia sets three types of goals with them: personal, practical, and professional.
[11:01] - There are endless possibilities of what a gap year could look like.
[12:04] - If a young adult knows they want to be college bound, it is possible to apply and defer, or they can wait till after their gap year to begin applying.
[15:47] - The goal is to guide our young people into a life of fulfillment.
[17:48] - Julia describes gap year programs and what they offer.
[20:16] - What role should parents play in planning or supporting the plan for a gap year?
[23:45] - Give yourself the permission to explore nontraditional plans and paths for success.
[24:32] - There are some reasons that a gap year is not recommended, including certain scholarships or financial aid.
[26:59] - Julia lists the different types of gap year programming opportunities that could benefit students with learning differences.
[29:24] - A gap year is a great time for students to “get out of their bubble.” That means different things for different students.
About Our Guest:
Julia Rogers is an internationally recognized speaker, entrepreneur, and expert in experiential education with over 14 years of experience as a professional gap year counselor. She is the founder of EnRoute Consulting, a socially responsible enterprise aimed at fueling the gap year movement and cultivating a generation of compassionate, driven, and resourceful global citizens.
Julia partners with educators, service-learning organizations, non-profits, government entities and families around the world to develop creative educational pathways that result in young adults being better prepared to succeed in life and work. Julia is a TEDx speaker, a podcast host and President Emeritus of the Gap Year Association, a US-based nonprofit dedicated to the intentional growth of the gap year option through research, standards-setting and advocacy efforts.
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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.