173 Presuming Genius, Telepathy and Intuition [Tiger Moms Chat with Searmi Park]
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
Release Date: 03/04/2025
190. Exploring the science of Failure for you and your Autistic learner
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
In this edition of Non Linear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy and co-host Searmi Park unpack the buzz around “productive failure”and flip it on its head for neurodivergent learners. Inspired by Manu Kapur’s work and , Vaish and Searmi explore when failure can deepen learning, when it harms, and why the word we’re actually looking for is exploration, not failure at least for this audience. In this episode Productive failure what we think it means Why we don’t “design failure” for autistic students Parents as the ones who “fail productively” Real-life stories A...
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189. What Dyslexia Research Can Unlock for YOUR Autistic Learner
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
When we think of dyslexia, most people imagine a reading problem. But the real story is far more complex and non linear - and the lessons from dyslexia research can open new doors for autistic learners (yay!). In this episode, I talk with Russell Van Brocklen, founder of and known as The Dyslexia Professor. Russell shares why dyslexia is less about reading and more about how the brain organizes ideas - and how strategies that work for dyslexic learners may also translate to autistic students who think and learn in unique ways. We explore: Why dyslexia is not just a reading issue but a...
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188 Rethinking College Readiness: Why Life Skills Aren’t Enough for Students with Disabilities
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
In this episode of Nonlinear Learning, we challenge the conventional path parents often take when preparing children with disabilities for higher education. We discuss why focusing solely on life skills, physical independence, and basic academics can leave students unprepared for the real demands of college. Instead, I outline the true foundation that fosters genuine readiness for higher education and guess what - there is a key factor there - MOTIVATION. How do we build that? Tune in to learn more. You’ll discover: Why physical independence, while valuable, doesn’t guarantee...
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187 Not a "Math Person"? That’s a Myth - even if your child has Down Syndrome
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
Why are so many of us terrified of math—but not history, art, or reading? In this episode of Nonlinear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy sits down with Dr. Aditya Nagrath, founder of Elephant Learning, to why math anxiety exists and why it disproportionately affects children with disabilities. Tune in to learn: Why math anxiety shows up earlier and more intensely than other academic anxieties How early gaps in understanding compound into full-blown learning trauma by 3rd grade What the phrase “I’m not a math person” is really masking—and how to dismantle it ...
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186 Allowing Imperfection - The Teaching Strategy that leads to the most growth
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
One of the biggest hurdles in disability education is the Insistence on Completion / Perfection. In this episode, Dr. Vaish Sarathy breaks down the one rule that every parent and educator of disabled children needs to hear: Progress in Learning requires gaps. And refusing to move forward until every milestone is mastered is the fastest route to stagnation. She uses the lens of game theory to map out a “payoff matrix” that compares the risks of moving forward (even when skills are shaky) to the devastating cost of waiting. Spoiler: the risks of progressing are...
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185 Ancient Wisdom, Modern Needs - Ayurveda, Regulation & Learning with Anuradha Gupta
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
I am joined by Ayurvedic practitioner Anuradha Gupta in this episode to look at how Ayurveda can support emotional regulation, and learning of neurodivergent children and their caregivers. We talk about: What doshas and gunas really are, and how they shape your child’s emotions, attention, and learning The Ayurvedic principle of chatushpad and why a child’s progress is inseparable from a parent’s wellbeing Strategies for Vata, Pitta, and Kapha imbalances in autistic and non-speaking children How to regulate when breathwork isn’t possible, and why...
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184: Gestalt, Scripting, Echolalia and the Speech vs Language problem!
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
Is your child's speech meaningful? In this unfiltered episode of Non Linear Learning, co-hosts Dr. Vaish Sarathy and Searmi Park talk about the difference between speech and language, and why that may be everything in educating our kids with disabilities. Here's what they talk about: Why scripting and echolalia aren’t proof of limited cognition The danger of over-labeling learners as "gestalt processors" How presumed competence starts where speech ends Why academics—not behavior—is the best way to detect intention This is the episode for you if you’ve ever...
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183 When Speech Isn’t Language: Understanding the Real Barrier to Communication
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
Does your child echo everything you say—but struggle to express their own thoughts? In this episode of Non Linear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy tackles one of the most misunderstood differences in developmental education: the gap between speech and language—and why recognizing this difference can completely shift how you teach your autistic child. You'll learn: How speech apraxia and motor planning issues can mask true intelligence Why “presuming competence” often means “presuming apraxia" A powerful mindset shift that could change everything for your child’s learning journey ...
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182 Breath, Burnout, and Beginning Again: Syed Abbas on Meditation, Disability, and Healing
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
In this deeply honest episode, I talk with —global meditation teacher, disability advocate, and father—about how a life-altering diagnosis of muscular dystrophy pushed him into the world of breathwork, mindfulness, and inner transformation. We talk about: His journey from depression and chronic medication use to mental clarity and peace What it’s like to live with a progressive disability—and find pride and power in it The science and simplicity of breathwork Why caregivers, especially parents of children with disabilities, are stuck in constant fight-or-flight—and...
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181 Beyond Inclusion: Civil Rights, Communication, and Crip Time with Dr. Edlyn Peña
Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners
Access to communication is the first step—what comes after? In this episode of Non Linear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy and Searmi Park sit down with award-winning researcher and advocate Dr. Edlyn Peña to talk about inclusion, spelled communication, and what happens when we stop settling for access and start building actual community. Dr. Peña shares her journey raising her non-speaking son Diego—from fighting for AAC in preschool to full inclusion in high school using a letterboard. She also opens up about her newest venture: the DREAM Community Center, a...
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The Tiger Moms Chat is a series of unfiltered hard-hitting (sometimes) conversations. As Searmi and Vaish wonder what it is to be a tiger mom - they think that being a tiger mom partly means pushing past comfort zones.
We discuss a few controversial topics in this episode - including the Telepathy Tapes - both for and against.
From Vaish: "The question is not if telepathy is real. It is - is it necessary to sensationalize an already marginalized group?"
We discuss if presuming competence is the same as presuming genius and more.
Please check out Episode 171 for more on Apraxia.