In this special 10-year anniversary and 500th episode of Tilt Parenting, I’m turning the spotlight toward the community that has shaped the show from the beginning. I’ll share key findings from a new parent survey about the lived experience of raising neurodivergent kids, including the profound isolation many families feel and the hard-won confidence parents develop as they learn to support their children. But the bulk of this episode features reflections from longtime community members on how the neurodiversity conversation has evolved over the past decade, how this journey has changed them personally, and where they believe the movement needs to focus next. Across their stories, common themes emerge: greater visibility and language around neurodivergence, deeper compassion and nervous system awareness, the importance of community, and the urgent need for more empathy and change in schools, healthcare, and other systems that still lag behind what families and research already know.

Things You'll Learn from this Episode

• Why a lack of understanding across schools, communities, and social circles remains the biggest struggle for families

• How parenting neurodivergent kids can feel exhausting and isolating—and how finding language and community can be life-changing

• Why so many parents are discovering their own neurodivergence, highlighting this as a whole-family journey

• How parents are growing more compassionate, self-aware, and willing to trust alternative paths while holding both grief and hope

• Why the future calls for systems change and a stronger commitment to connection-first, strengths-based support for neurodivergent kids

Resources Mentioned

• The Tilt Parenting Report

• Zach Morris

• Ned Johnson 

• Dr. Mona Delahooke’s website

• Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted & Supported by Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin

• Neurodiversity University Education Hub

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Supporting 2e students continues to be one of the biggest challenges for those of us raising twice-exceptional children, and today we’re going to do a deep dive into how to do this. Maria Kennedy, director of the Bridges Educational Group at Bridges Academy joins me to talk about how the definition of giftedness in some countries keeps gifted students from getting into gifted programs, the importance of appreciating every child’s unique strengths and value, and ways parents can advocate for their children’s unique learning profile, even within their existing school systems that may not be designed to support or understand neurodivergent learners.

ABOUT MARIA KENNEDY

Maria Kennedy first joined the Bridges Academy staff as the director of the Phoenix Program. After successfully growing the program each year, she has taken on the position of director of the Bridges Educational Group. A speaker, author, and advocate, Maria has been featured on “Bright and Quirky,” as a panelist and educational expert. Several schools have used her webcast, ‘Strengths, Challenges, and my journey as my son’s advocate,” for teacher training. An educator for almost 30 years, Maria received her B.Ed. and M.Ed. in education from Manchester University (U.K). She earned Advanced Teacher Status from the Manchester Department of Education for her ability to develop curriculum and her skills within the classroom. She traveled internationally, teaching students and training teachers how to tap into the strengths of their gifted and challenged students.

THINGS YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

•  How the definition of giftedness in some countries prevents gifted students from getting into gifted programs

• Why we should lean into widening the scope of what giftedness means so we can properly identify everyone’s gifts

• What appreciating everyone’s unique value can bring to a child’s education and development

• What the roadblocks are for our educational system to be more open to embracing the changes needed

• How parents who are navigating a traditional educational system can advocate for their 2e children

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Listen to an episode of Understood.org’s new podcast, Everyone Gets a Juice Box, about the messy realities of neurodiverse parenting with journalist and radio host Jessica Shaw. As a mom of two, she brings honesty and humor to the everyday chaos, victories, and challenges of raising kids who learn and think differently.

In this episode, I’m the guest, and I share the story of how we ended up homeschooling—something I truly never imagined choosing. We had tried everything to make traditional school work… multiple schools, supports, specialists. Homeschooling was never part of the plan. But when life shifted in a big way, we found ourselves on a completely different path—one that lasted six years and changed how I think about learning, kids, and what success can look like.

If you’ve ever found yourself doing something you swore you’d never do, or questioning the path you thought your family would be on, I think this conversation will resonate.

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Today we’re talking about what it really means to thrive in a world that often feels overwhelming—for our kids and for us. My guest is Stephanie Malia Krauss, author, speaker, and strategist whose new book How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World explores the urgent need to protect the human essentials—things like sleep, play, connection, and wonder—that modern life so often erodes. Stephanie and I explore the idea of “rehumaning” how we live, learn, and parent. We talk about the interconnectedness of body, mind, heart, and spirit, and the importance of collective care in raising kids in today’s world. Stephanie shares practical, grounded ways to navigate overwhelm and make small shifts in daily life that can help families move from merely surviving to truly thriving.

About Stephanie Malia Krauss

Stephanie Malia Krauss is an author, speaker, and strategist helping leaders rehuman how we live, learn, and work. Her newest book, How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World, examines the urgent need to protect the human essentials—like sleep, play, connection, and wonder—that modern life diminishes or denies.

Stephanie's commitment to this work began as a teacher and coach, where she witnessed how different environments can deplete or restore people. She later founded a school for young people furthest from opportunity, and now leads national and state efforts in education and youth development. Working with leaders from classrooms to Congress, Stephanie advises states, districts, and national organizations through her consulting shop, First Quarter Strategies. Stephanie is also the author of Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Lives, Learn, and Thrive and Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• Why collective care and community are essential antidotes to modern overwhelm and burnout

• How the practice of rehumaning helps us reconnect with our core human needs

• Why honoring the interconnectedness of body, mind, heart, and spirit is key to real resilience

• How small, intentional shifts in daily rhythms can meaningfully improve family well-being

• Why thriving means living in full animation—rooted in love, belonging, and advocacy—not just enduring

Resources mentioned

• How We Thrive: Caring for Kids and Ourselves in a Changing World by Stephanie Malia Krauss

• Rehumaning Childhood (Stephanie’s Substack)

• Rehumaning website

• Geoffrey Cohen on Belonging: The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides (Stanford Digital Education)

• Stephanie Malia Krauss’ website

• Whole Child, Whole Life: 10 Ways to Help Kids Live, Learn, and Thrive by Stephanie Malia Krauss

• Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World by Stephanie Malia Krauss

• Whole Child, Whole Life website

• How We Can Prepare Differently Wired Children for an Uncharted Future, with Stephanie Malia Krauss (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

• How to Help Our Kids Thrive in Tough Times, with Stephanie Malia Krauss (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

• Making It: What Today’s Kids Need for Tomorrow’s World by Stephanie Krauss

• Dr. Eric Soto-Shed (Harvard researcher)

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Dr Nicole Tetreault was propelled to study neuroscience after her mother’s diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease. She then went on her own journey of self-discovery while supporting her twice-exceptional son, and recognizing many traits in herself. All this culminated in her new book Insight Into a Bright Mind: A Neuroscientist’s Personal Stories of Unique Thinking, which melds groundbreaking research with the captured experiences of unique, creative, and intense brains. 

I’m excited to bring this conversation to you and give you an inside look at this book, as it’s truly a unique and important addition to what currently exists to help parents better understand their exceptional kids’ needs, and perhaps to better understand themselves as well.

ABOUT DR. TETREAULT

Nicole Tetreault, Ph. D., is a neuroscientist, author, meditation teacher, and international speaker on topics of neurodiversity, neurodevelopment, creativity, mental health, and wellness. Dr. Tetreault received her PhD from Caltech specializing in neurodevelopment and neurodegenerative disorders. As the founder of Awesome Neuroscience, she translates the most promising neuroscience and positive psychology for people to live their best life. Dr. Tetreault has authored numerous academic papers on intelligence, autism, brain evolution, neuroinflammation, and behavior. As a Milton Career Exploration Prize recipient from Caltech, Dr. Tetreault is creating Beyond the Cell, a transformative program to rehabilitate incarcerated women through teaching guided meditation, neuroscience, literature, and expressive writing. Her newest book, Insight into a Bright Mind, explores groundbreaking research examining the experiences of unique, creative, and intense brains through interviews, storytelling, and literary science, while advocating for new directions of human and neurodiversity.

THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• What led Nicole to investigate neurodiversity and become a science communicator

• The important points about brain wiring that are important to understand about educating neurodiverse individuals

• What is meant by asynchrony and how it relates to processing and behaviors

• What we can learn from the current moment coming out of the Covid-19 pandemic when it comes to educating neurodiverse students

• Nicole’s encouragement for parents who self-identify as neurodivergent as part of learning about their own child

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Today we’re diving into a topic that so many women experience but far too few of us are adequately prepared for—perimenopause. My guest is Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified OB-GYN, Certified Menopause Practitioner, and New York Times bestselling author of The New Menopause and her most recent book, The New Perimenopause. Through her clinical work, her online programs like The Galveston Diet, and her platform The ’Pause Life, Dr. Haver has become a leading voice in making menopause education accessible, practical, and grounded in science.

In our conversation, we explore the biological and emotional complexities of perimenopause, why early intervention—including hormone therapy—can be so important, and the gaps in medical training that have left many women feeling dismissed or unprepared. Dr. Haver shares practical strategies for managing symptoms, explains what she calls “The Menopause Toolkit,” and offers empowering guidance to help women advocate for their health and navigate this transformative phase with more knowledge, confidence, and support.

 About Dr. Mary Claire Haver 

Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD, FACOG, CMP, is a board-certified Obstetrics and Gynecology specialist, a Certified Menopause Practitioner from The Menopause Society (formerly the North American Menopause Society (NAMS)), an Adjunct Associate Professor at University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), a Certified Culinary Medicine Specialist, and a passionate entrepreneur and best-selling author with a focus on women's health. Dr. Haver graduated from Louisiana State University Medical Center and completed her Obstetrics and Gynecology residency at UTMB. 

As her patient population grew older, Dr. Haver started receiving numerous complaints and concerns about weight gain during menopause. This inspired her to do a deep dive into the science of menopause, aging, and inflammation beyond what she was taught in school and residency, which led to the creation of The Galveston Diet online program and, in 2023, a national bestselling book. Dr. Haver integrates a patient's medical history, symptomatology, nutrition, exercise, supplements, and possibly hormone therapy, or what she likes to call "The Menopause Toolkit." 

Dr. Haver has a large social media following of over 7 million, where she posts advice for menopausal women and learns a great deal from her followers and community. She aims to make menopause care easy and accessible for everyone. She founded The 'Pause Life, a comprehensive approach to menopause education and support, and is the author of the New York Times bestseller, The New Menopause and her most recent title The New Perimenopause. 

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• What differences there are between the biological process of perimenopause and menopause

• The impact of hormone shifts in estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone on women’s mental health and brain fog during perimenopause

• Ways to effectively communicate with healthcare providers who may not be up to speed on menopause research and/or may be dismissive of symptoms

• The benefits and timing of menopause hormone therapy during perimenopause

Resources mentioned

• The Pause Life (Mary Claire’s website and online community)

• The New Perimenopause: An Evidence-Based Guide to Surviving the Zone of Chaos and Feeling Like Yourself Again by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

• The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change with Purpose, Power, and Facts by Dr. Mary Claire Haver

• UnPaused Podcast

• Dr. Mary Claire Haver on Instagram

• Dr. Mary Claire Haver on YouTube

• Dr. Mary Claire Haver on Facebook

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Dr. Mike Postma joins me for a personal conversation about the many challenges facing gifted and 2e / twice-exceptional students, especially social and emotional challenges, and this is one of those episodes that just might leave you feeling pensive, concerned, and ignited all at the same time.

About Dr. Mike Postma

Dr. Michael Postma is an educator, author, speaker, coach and consultant dedicated to the holistic development of the gifted/twice-exceptional (2e) community. Over the last two decades, Dr. Postma has served as a gifted teacher in the classroom, as an administrator and leader of gifted schools – both public and charter schools in multiple states, and was the architect of the Minnetonka Navigator Program, a magnet school in Minnesota specifically designed for highly gifted and twice-exceptional students.

He currently is the President and co-founder of Gifted and Thriving, LLC and the Programming Director for the non-profit SENG (Supporting the Emotional Needs of the Gifted) organization.

Dr. Postma has published a number of articles and two books, the latest titled The Inconvenient Student: Critical Issues in the Identification and Education of Twice-Exceptional Students. He travels and speaks nationally and internationally on a variety of topics such as: the social/emotional development of the gifted, understanding twice-exceptional learners, gifted/talented programming, neuroscience and the gifted/2e brain and more.

Things you’ll learn from this episode

• Mike Postma’s personal story of growing up a gifted and 2e kid with very little support in a time when many neurodifferences weren’t recognized or understood

• What “holistic development” means in the context of children, especially twice-exceptional children

• Why Mike says social emotional development has to be one of the foundations for academic and intellectual potential

• Where society is with regards to understanding asynchronous development

• How schools can make small accommodations to make school more successful for gifted and 2e students

• Why Mike wrote his book The Inconvenient Student and what he hopes it does in the world

• Mike thoughts on how the educational system needs to be revamped

• Why Mike says 2e people are among the most vulnerable populations

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Today we’re turning the lens inward and talking about the inner life of parents—especially those of us raising neurodivergent kids. My guest is Matthew Fishleder, a licensed marriage and family therapist who works with adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, and the emotional complexity of being human. A central focus of Matthew’s work is supporting parents in understanding their own worry, guilt, and burnout—not as personal failures, but as understandable responses to chronic stress. In our conversation, we explore what’s actually happening when parents get stuck in chronic worry about their child’s future, how self-criticism takes root, and why tending to our own inner world is foundational to our kids’ sense of safety. Matthew shares practical, compassionate strategies for relating differently to anxiety so we can show up with more steadiness, presence, and connection—even in the most activated moments.

About Matthew Fishleder

Matthew Fishleder is a psychotherapist licensed in California and Maryland who works with adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, and the emotional complexity of being human. One focus of his work is the inner life of parents, especially those raising neurodivergent kids. His approach is neurodiversity affirming and grounded in humanistic and acceptance based frameworks. Matthew helps parents understand worry, guilt, and burnout as understandable responses to chronic stress, and supports them in relating differently to anxiety and self criticism so they can show up with more presence, steadiness, and connection.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• How tending to a parent’s inner life and emotional awareness strengthens the entire family system

• Why chronic worry and anxiety are understandable responses to parenting—and how to relate to them differently

• How parenthood reshapes identity and invites ongoing self-discovery

• Why normalizing difficult emotions reduces shame and builds emotional resilience

• How cultivating self-regulation and holistic self-awareness helps parents show up with steadiness and presence

Resources mentioned 

• Growing Present (Matt’s website)

• Internal Family Systems

• Laura Key on ADHD Aha Moments, Parenting, and Burnout (Full-Tilt Parenting)

• An Interview with Dr. Dan Siegel About The Yes Brain (Full-Tilt Parenting)

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Today I’m talking with neurodivergent educator Sam Young about a topic I haven’t covered on the podcast before, and that is our neurodivergent kids’ social lives. The world has changed so very much in the past few years, including in no small way how our kids relate to other kids. I get a pang of nostalgia when I think about how I used to form friendships when I was younger in a more analog world, but I can also feel excitement about the many possibilities that have opened up for kids like ours to find their communities thanks to the technology they’re growing up with.

In this episode, Sam is going to talk with us about what a meaningful and healthy social life might look like for our differently wired kids, and how we can support them in the process. We explored how online communities have impacted socializing for neurodivergent kids, how parents can support kids in developing the skills to help with social anxiety, key elements to look for in ideal social environments for our differently wired kiddos, and much more.

About Sam Young

Sam Young MEd, or Mr. Sam as his families call him, is a growth-minded, two-time Fulbright Scholar and Director of Young Scholars Academy, a strength-based, talent-focused virtual enrichment center that supports twice-exceptional, neurodivergent, and gifted students and their families.

Mr. Sam is a neurodivergent educator who has ADHD. As an ADHD learner, he has a tremendous understanding of, experience in, and respect for all things related to neurodiverse education. Before founding Young Scholars Academy, Mr. Sam taught in a variety of capacities—including nearly a decade at Bridges Academy — at an array of programs in the US, Europe, and Asia. Travel and culture are near and dear to him. He has led 2e students to over 7 countries for immersive cultural and educational trips.

Mr. Sam has been featured in the documentary 2e2: Teaching The Twice Exceptional, the textbook Understanding The Social and Emotional Lives of Gifted Students, 2nd Ed., Variations Magazine, over 20 podcasts, 10 seminars, 2e News, and other publications.

Things You'll Learn from This Episode:

• What reimagining our kids’ social life really is about

• How online communities have impacted our kid’s social lives

• What Sam’s students wish their social lives looked like

• How parents or adults in kids’ lives can support them in building skills to help them with social anxiety

• Sam’s thoughts on social skill groups and their efficacy

• Expectations that parents have that might be getting in the way of their kid’s social lives

• How parents can support a kid who is feeling alone to the point of their self-confidence and self-worth being affected

 Resources Mentioned

• Young Scholars Academy
• Young Scholars Academy Winter Courses
• 10 tips to help 2e kiddos socialize AND a bonus video
• Young Scholars Academy on Facebook
• Young Scholars Academy on Instagram
• Bridges Academy
• Davidson Young Scholars
• Joseph Renzulli
• Susan Baum
• Asher Talks About the Highs and Lows of His Social Life (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

About Sam YoungThings you’ll learn from this episodeResources mentioned about the social lives of 2e students

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Today we’re talking about motivation—what it is, what it isn’t, and why so many of our neurodivergent kids get mislabeled as “unmotivated” when the real story is far more nuanced. My guest is Dr. Ellen Braaten, an expert on motivation and the author of several books including Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less, and her newest release, The Motivation Mindset Workbook: Helping Teens and Tweens Discover What They Love to Do. Ellen shares why motivation is not a fixed trait, how identity shapes whether kids lean in or shut down, and what often gets in the way for learners with ADHD and other differences. We talk about how parents can shift from pushing performance to supporting purpose, and how giving kids the space to discover what genuinely interests them can be transformative for confidence, engagement, and long-term growth.

About Dr. Ellen Braaten 

Dr. Ellen Braaten is the founding director of the Learning and Emotional Assessment Program (LEAP) at Massachusetts General Hospital and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. She has published numerous scientific papers on topics related to ADHD, learning disorders, child psychopathology, processing speed, and intelligence, as well as many books for parents and professionals, including the bestsellers Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up, and Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less: How to Rekindle Your Child’s Motivation. Most recently, she coauthored The Motivation Mindset Workbook: Helping Teens and Tweens Discover What They Love to Do.Dr. Braaten has a strong interest in educating the public on topics related to child mental health, maintains an active speaking schedule, and contributes regularly to local and national news outlets.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

• How motivation is a dynamic skill that ebbs and flows based on environment and context, not a fixed trait

• Why helping teens and tweens identify their strengths and values lays the foundation for authentic motivation

• How responsibility and meaningful real-world experiences spark engagement and ownership

• Why identity development plays a central role in sustaining long-term motivation

• How practical, strengths-based activities can reignite momentum when kids feel stuck

Resources mentioned 

• Dr. Ellen Braaten’s website

• The Motivation Mindset Workbook: Helping Teens and Tweens Discover What They Love to Do by Dr. Ellen Braaten & Dr. Hillary Bush

• Bright Kids Who Couldn’t Care Less: How to Rekindle Your Child’s Motivation by Dr. Ellen Braaten

• Bright Kids Who Can’t Keep Up: Help Your Child Overcome Slow Processing Speed and Keep Up in a Fast-Paced World by Dr. Ellen Braaten

• How to Rekindle Your Child’s Motivation, with Dr. Ellen Braaten (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

• Exploring Slow Processing Speed with Dr. Ellen Braaten (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

• Traits of Flow According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

• The Clay Center for Young Healthy Minds

• Dr. Martin Seligman / Positive Psychology

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Have you ever wondered if SEL (social and emotional learning) in school and classrooms really matters? I’ve been exploring this question a lot about over the past year, as well trying to understand the recent increase in parental and political pushback in the US specifically that is putting the future of SEL in schools at risk.  

I wanted to get into a deep conversation about SEL for the show, and so I reached out Dr. Joseph Lee, a psychiatrist with a special interest in social and emotional learning and helping people achieve what he calls optimal mental healthiness.

We had exactly the conversation I was hoping we would, as we got into so many important topics, including the state of children and young adult’s mental health today, demystifying what SEL or social emotional learning actually is, why SEL matters, how it’s best introduced in schools, the limitations in the current educational model for social emotional learning curriculums, what the pushback against SEL is really about, and what it’s at stake if our children aren’t provided with social and emotional learning opportunities. I think this is such an important and timely conversation – I hope that you enjoy it and that you help me amplify this episode by sharing it in your communities.

About Dr. Joseph Lee

Dr. Joseph Lee, MD., is a Psychiatrist in private practice in Redondo Beach, California. He is also an educator in social and emotional learning (SEL) and provides individual and group supervision to licensed therapists looking to add mental healthiness and SEL principles to their own practices. Dr. Lee has a medical doctorate from University Of California, Los Angeles, School Of Medicine.

Key Takeaways

• Dr. Joseph Lee’s thoughts on the state of children and young adult’s mental health today

• What SEL or social emotional learning actually is and why it matters

• Ways that SEL can be weaved into traditional educational curriculum, as well as the use of specific SEL curriculum

• What social and emotional learning inside schools looks like in practice

• The “why” behind the pushback against SEL in the recent years and what’s it’s at stake if we lose the ability to teach SEL in classrooms

 Resources Mentioned

• Mental Healthiness / Dr. Joseph Lee’s website

• Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning

• Dr. Joseph Lee & Mental Healthiness on Facebook

• Dr. Joseph Lee on Twitter

• Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness (Ken Burns documentary)

• Daniel Goleman

• Emotional Intelligence: Why it Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

• Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships by Daniel Goleman

• U.S. Surgeon General Issues Advisory on Youth Mental Health Crisis Further Exposed by COVID-19 Pandemic

• Parenting the New Teen with Dr. John Duffy (Tilt Parenting Podcast episode)

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