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Ep. 237: Beyond Accommodations: How Neurodivergent Students Can Thrive in College with Eric Endlich, Ph.D

Release Date: 06/03/2025

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...

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...

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.”...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Ep. 256: How to Help Neurodivergent Teens and Young Adults Navigate Dating with Dr. Elina Veytsman

Diverse Thinking Different Learning

We are so happy to have Dr. Elina Veytsman join us for this episode of the show! Dr. Elina Veytsman is a licensed psychologist and the Director of Training at the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, where she leads groups for neurodivergent youth and their caregivers while also training interns, postdocs, and professionals. She earned her Psychology degrees at UCLA and UC Riverside, researching developmental disabilities and transition experiences for youth and parents, and completed her doctoral internship providing therapy, parent training, and diagnostic assessment services. Since joining the UCLA PEERS®...

More Episodes

Joining us this week is returning guest Eric Endlich, Ph.D. Dr. Endlich is a clinical psychologist and founder of Top College Consultants®, 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 school to college. While gaining admission is one big challenge, the real challenge is succeeding once on campus, and Dr. Endlich sheds some light on some of the key differences between being college-capable and college-ready, highlighting the fact that students with learning and thinking differences are typically at much higher risk of not completing their degrees.

We also explore some practical strategies to help students prepare for the increased independence and self-advocacy required in college life, with topics including building executive functioning skills in high school, the value of gap years, and how parents can gradually transition from being advocates to coaches. Dr. Endlich even talks about how to find the right college fit and make the most of on-campus resources, especially for students needing accommodations and support programs.

Whether your teen is just starting high school or gearing up for college in the upcoming fall season, this episode of the podcast truly provides some practical insights into how to foster independence!

Show Notes:

[2:39] - Dr. Endlich asserts that too many students focus too much on getting into college rather than graduating from it.
[4:43] - Success in college requires more than just academic capability; independence and self-management skills are also important.
[6:36] - College demands greater self-organization and disability accommodation compared to high school.
[8:57] - Dr. Endlich argues that parents should shift from advocating for their child to empowering their independence.
[10:26] - Gradually transferring daily responsibilities helps students build independence before college.
[13:02] - Taking a gap year can improve college preparedness and help prevent academic burnout.
[15:10] - Dr. Endlich adds that gap years can strengthen a student's portfolio and develop valuable life skills.
[18:02] - Consider the long-term value of a degree and explore financial aid options.
[19:51] - Dr. Endlich points out how skill development can happen during high school, gap years, or throughout college.
[22:44] - Even if colleges lack support, external programs can provide assistance and guidance.
[25:26] - Visiting various colleges helps students identify their preferences and find the right fit.
[28:09] - It's also important to make visits to dining halls and have meetings with support staff, helping to reveal the college's suitability.
[31:02] - Even without campus visits, virtual tours and accepted-student events can also offer some valuable insights.
[34:58] - Bridge programs help students acclimate to college life before the official start.
[36:28] - Dr. Endlich states that carefully managing the application process and having backup plans can help reduce anxiety.

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