When kids show negative behaviors, it’s often because they’re struggling to do what they’re being asked to do. This unfortunately happens a lot in school settings. You may have heard the saying “Kindergarten is the new 1st grade”. Kindergarten used to be focused on play, and its becoming increasingly more academic. When “behavior problems” come…
Tag: neurodiversity
EP 038: Person first vs identity first language: Which one should I use?
When I was going through school back in the late 90s and early 2000s, I was taught that “person-first” language was the most respectful way to refer to my clients. For example, they weren’t “disabled people”, they were “people with disabilities”. Fast forward to the 2020s, and now we’re hearing a different story. Now, there…
EP 034: Why you shouldn’t assume “laziness” in neurodivergent kids
This is part 3 of a 3-part series on the common problems with interventions for ADHD and autism. When you have some type of neurological variation that causes you to experience the world in a different way, you automatically become an easy target for manipulation. Those who are easily overwhelmed, or who aren’t sure how…
EP 033: A case against “normal” and “appropriate” behavior
As kids go through the school systems and grow up in general, they’re taught a lot about how to act “appropriately” in different situations. There’s a certain set of rules we’ve deemed to be acceptable, “normal” ways to act. On the contrary, certain behaviors are seen as “inappropriate”, “weird”, or “undesirable” in some way. But…
EP 032: When “compliance” does more harm than good (with ADHD and Autism)
“Behavior management” approaches are often used with kids who have diagnoses of ADHD, autism. Usually these approaches focus on giving rewards for good behavior and punishing “bad” behavior. They’re prevalent in therapy settings, schools, and home environments across the nation. I’ve even used some of these approaches in my practice. But in recent years, I’ve…
EP 018: What popular TV gets wrong about autistic people
In this episode, I share my thoughts on two popular shows: “Love on the Spectrum” and “Atypical”. *Please note: This episode is marked “explicit” because I discuss certain topics that may not be suitable for young children. Being someone who’s spent a lot of time working with autistic people (as well as someone who doesn’t identify as neurotypical),…
EP 014: Am I neurotypical? I’m not sure.
When I was growing up, the idea of being diagnosed with a mental health condition or a disability had a certain negative stigma associated with it. So did the idea of going to therapy or receiving any type of specialized intervention (both which I’ve received, as a child and an adult). Unfortunately, many people still…
EP 009: Time Management and Device Use Boundaries for kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod)
I don’t know about you, but I secretly miss the days when I would use the phone to actually TALK to people. I was late to the cell phone party…and was certainly one of the last ones to get a phone that was multifunctional. Now that I’ve joined the dark side and had a phone…
EP 008: Building accountability and motivation in kids with ADHD (with Mike McLeod)
When it comes to working with kids who have ADHD, it’s easy to mistake skill-based issues with behavioral issues. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say things like: “They’re just lazy.” “He doesn’t care about doing well in school.” “I’ve tried giving rewards and punishments…nothing motivates her.” In many cases, it seems like…
EP 007: Positive Reinforcement: Does it really help motivate kids?
When I worked in the school systems, rewards and behavior charts were a common practice. Even in my training to be a therapist, “positive reinforcement” was often a go-to strategy for managing behaviors and motivating kids to do “non-preferred” tasks. The problem was that for a lot of kids it didn’t work. And what was…