Ep. 238: Dismantling DEI and the Department of Education: How Changes Impact Your Child with Vickie Brett & Amanda Selogie
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Release Date: 06/17/2025
Ep. 248: The Power of Early Intervention: How Neuroplasticity Shapes Young Brains with Dr. Viannae Nelkin
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Joining us for this episode of Diverse Thinking Different Learning is . Dr. Viannae Nelkin is a board-eligible pediatric neuropsychologist and founder of . She earned her master’s and doctorate in clinical psychology, training at top institutions including Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Cedars-Sinai, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Orange County. Her work focuses on early intervention, neurodiversity-affirming care, and empowering families to help their children thrive. Deeply committed to supporting children with neurological and genetic...
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Ep. 247: Helping Kids by Building Stronger Families: A Systems Approach to Support with Dr. Adi Soffer
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We happily welcome to Diverse Thinking Different Learning this week! Adi Soffer, PsyD is a licensed psychologist who works with children, teens, and families, and she combines family structure therapy with evidence-based practices to help families strengthen communication, establish healthy boundaries, and deepen emotional connections. Passionate about guiding parents and children through challenges such as anxiety, behavioral issues, and major life changes, Dr. Soffer offers care via her private practice, Kesher Psychological Services. She sees clients in Los Angeles and provides virtual...
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Ep. 246: Accommodations, Modifications, or Remediation? How to Know What Your Child Really Needs with Amy Cushner
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
For this episode of the show, we are joined by ! Amy has dedicated more than 30 years to the Shelton School and a lifetime to advocating for neurodivergent individuals, infusing passion, humor, and wisdom into every stage she graces. From classrooms in Dallas to conferences in China, she has become a sought-after voice championing inclusive, strengths-based approaches across both education and business.. In this episode, Amy breaks down the important differences between accommodations, modifications, and remediation in the education system, explaining how these terms are often used...
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Ep. 245: What Is Executive Function Coaching? with Rana Lustyan
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Joining us for this episode of Diverse Thinking Different Learning is Rana Lustyan! is the founder of Growing Minds Coaching, where she helps students with learning differences develop confidence, independence, and academic achievement. She combines strength-based coaching, neuroscience-informed methods, and practical executive function tools to create personalized routines that last. Rana shares her personal journey with ADHD and how it inspired her to help students, especially girls and young women, build the essential life skills needed for lasting confidence and independence. She...
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Ep. 244: From Burnout to Balance: Supporting Parents Raising Neurodivergent Kids with Leslie Forde
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Joining us for this episode of Diverse Thinking Different Learning is Leslie Forde! Leslie is the CEO and Founder of Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs® and soon-to-be published Author of Repair with Self-Care: Your Guide to the Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs. Her business provides evidence-based tools to help moms reclaim their time and well-being from the never-done-list while also helping employers retain working parents and caregivers. Since March of 2020, over 3,700 parents have participated in her research study (the longest-running of its kind) on the pandemic’s ongoing impact on work,...
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Ep. 243: From Inclusion to Belonging: Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools with Amanda Morin
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are happy to welcome to the show this week! Amanda is a neurodivergent advocate for neurodiversity, an award-winning author of six books, an early childhood expert, and a nationally recognized speaker who is passionate about building accessible and inclusive spaces for neurodivergent people. Drawing on her background in learning and child development, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), special education, advocacy, and mental health, she translates complex information into clear, practical insights for parents, educators, and employers striving to design inclusive content, programs, and...
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Ep. 242: How One Woman Rewired Her Brain and Created a Path for Struggling Learners with Barbara Arrowsmith-Young
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
Joining us for this episode of Diverse Thinking Different Learning is ! Barbara is a pioneering author and innovator in neuroeducation, known for applying neuroplasticity to improve cognitive function. Since 1978, her work has helped individuals with learning difficulties, brain injuries, addiction, and age-related decline, and it is now used worldwide. She shares her groundbreaking journey in her bestselling book and her , and continues advancing research as Director of the program. In this episode of Diverse Thinking Different Learning, Barbara shares her deeply powerful journey of...
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Ep. 241: How to Be a ‘Screen-Smart’ Parent with Jodi Gold, MD
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We are very excited to welcome of to the show this week. Dr. Jodi Gold is a board-certified pediatric and adult psychiatrist with expertise in child and adolescent pharmacology, reproductive psychiatry, psychotherapy for mood and anxiety disorders, and the impact of digital technology. She has earned multiple awards from esteemed organizations, including NIMH and AACAP. From 2006 to 2012, she led the child and adolescent psychiatry outpatient department at Weill Cornell and has since taught and mentored at both Cornell and Columbia. Dr. Gold is also the author of the acclaimed book , which...
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Ep. 240: Using the Summer Months to Advance Reading Skills with Dr. Steve Truch & Devan Kublik
Diverse Thinking Different Learning
We have not just one but two guests for you this week - Dr. Steve Truch and Devan Kublik! Steve has over 50 years of experience in education, beginning as a junior high school English teacher and then working as a school psychologist, ultimately founding clinics across North America to provide one-on-one therapy for students with learning difficulties. He is the primary author of the Discover educational programs used at the clinics and has written several books and articles on reading and cognitive assessment. His work reflects a continued commitment to aligning educational methods with...
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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...
info_outlineWe are excited to welcome back guests Vickie Brett and Amanda Selogie of the Inclusive Education Project.
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 educational advocacy. Through her work with the Inclusive Education Project and various community roles, she promotes inclusive education and empowers children with disabilities and their families.
They join the show for this episode to discuss the current potential threat to educational equity in the United States. Political pressures are mounting to dismantle the Department of Education and roll back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and Amanda and Vickie reveal what’s truly at risk for vulnerable students and their families.
The conversation clarifies how efforts to get rid of the Department of Education gain dangerous momentum via legislation tying special education funding to anti-DEI policies, threatening critical services such as mental health programs, independent educational evaluations, and vocational training, all supports that many schools already struggle to maintain. We even highlight real-world impacts, like a San Diego vocational program losing funding despite the clear needs of its students.
We also expose some common misconceptions behind “education returning to the states,” showing how dismantling federal oversight damages protections against discrimination. The episode stresses the fact that federal funds remain a lifeline, especially in states reliant on them, and that cuts will only deepen existing inequities, further widening the gap between students who get support and those who don’t.
Our conversation also highlights how these changes create anxiety and confusion for families with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 accommodations, and Vickie and Amanda warn that insufficient resources push children away from education and toward the prison system.
The episode closes with a clear call to action: please make your voice heard to legislators at every level, as this can help impact the future of education. Vickie and Amanda share some practical tools and strategies for advocacy, stressing that the fight to protect equitable education is ongoing and impacts everyone, regardless of whether you live in a blue state or a red state!
Show Notes:
[3:33] - Republicans seek to dismantle the Department of Education using bills and budget changes, mostly stalled.
[6:55] - Vickie asserts that federal oversight is important because local systems often fail, so families must engage more in IEPs.
[9:01] - Criticism of the Department ignores state control and risks losing discrimination protections.
[11:51] - Amanda points out that many opponents rely on federal education funds, complicating efforts to cut that funding.
[13:57] - Proposed funding changes would allow states to pool IDEA money, risking cuts to mental health and after-school programs.
[15:21] - Vickie offers a real-life example of San Diego students facing grants being shifted away from vocational programs.
[17:12] - COVID grant freezes worsen teacher shortages while a Supreme Court case threatens public education funding.
[20:41] - Vickie laments that the preschool-to-prison pipeline worsens.
[23:48] - Amanda assures listeners that everything that the Trump administration has done since January has been to benefit the wealthy.
[25:56] - Expelling struggling preschoolers worsens inequity, and dismantling DEI erases protections for neurodiverse children.
[28:35] - Head Start funding is sadly insufficient and only partially protected.
[31:28] - Learn about an app called 5 Calls, which makes it easier than ever to make phone calls to your representatives.
[33:46] - Vickie argues that building parent networks and supporting advocacy groups strengthens efforts against education attacks.
[36:25] - Amanda adds that laws require inclusive education and that parents need to advocate locally to protect programs.
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