Libsyn Directory

Ep. 249: Using Technology to Support Neurodivergent Students with Joan Green

Release Date: 12/02/2025

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...

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,...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

More Episodes

For this edition of the show, we warmly welcome Joan Green! Joan Green, M.A., CCC-SLP, is a speech-language pathologist, assistive technology specialist, and founder of Innovative Speech Therapy in the Washington, DC area. For nearly 40 years, she has helped people of all ages (especially neurodiverse learners) use technology to enhance communication, learning, and independence. Passionate about accessibility and innovation, Joan also educates families and professionals on how everyday tech and AI can change our daily lives.

Our conversation explores how technology, including AI-powered tools, can be used to help support neurodivergent students in learning, communicating, and thriving, with Joan explaining that her passion for this work began in the 1980s when she saw how early computer software could dramatically improve outcomes for her adult patients with neurological conditions. She then expanded her focus to helping families and students, motivated in part by her own experiences as a parent.

We highlight how many accessibility features and free tools built into common devices and platforms can provide incredibly crucial support for students who struggle with reading, writing, organization, or focus, with Joan stressing the importance of tailoring solutions, whether it's adjusting text-to-speech settings or finding the proper app or extension. She cautions against oversimplifying the process, as each student's needs are unique.

Our discussion also touches upon the complex role of AI and advanced technology in education. Joan sees tremendous potential for AI to personalize learning and free up teachers to focus on higher-level instruction. She also voices some concerns about overreliance on it. Her approach is to position AI as a "thought partner" that can enhance and augment human learning rather than replace it.

Throughout the conversation, Joan also shares some practical tips and resources, including her free 15-minute consultations and her ongoing Tech Life Inner Circle program, which provides weekly training and collaborative problem-solving sessions. Our conversation in this episode truly highlights the power of technology to bridge gaps and amplify the voices of neurodivergent students - but only when used with intention and mindfulness!

Show Notes:

[2:31] - Hear how Joan began using early computer software with stroke patients and saw technology speed up recovery.
[5:11] - Joan stresses the importance of beginning with free, built-in assistive tools such speech-to-text, read-aloud, and captions.
[7:45] - Hear how Joan helps people choose the right reading and speech tools and offers free tech consultations.
[11:17] - Joan believes that AI can aid in learning when used thoughtfully, but worries about shortcuts and privacy concerns.
[13:32] - While Joan values AI as a creative learning tool, she also stresses the importance of actual understanding and critical thinking.
[15:02] - AI can be a great way to personalize learning.
[17:04] - Hear how Joan uses AI to personalize lessons around students’ interests while still thinking critically herself.
[18:55] - Joan explains how she offers collaborative one-on-one tech sessions, which identify struggles.
[20:47] - Joan runs the very affordable Tech Life Inner Circle, providing weekly tutorials, recordings, and live tech brainstorming.
[23:53] - Tech Possibility Academy teaches essential, easy-to-implement tools for parents, educators, and lifelong learners.
[26:42] - Joan stresses technology's necessity for independence while also acknowledging its downsides.
[29:39] - Where can Joan be reached?

Links and Related Resources:

Connect with Joan Green, M.A., CCC-SLP:

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