Supporting your differently wired student
School always presents certain challenges for students who learn and think differently (kids with ADHD, dyslexia, giftedness, autism, anxiety, or other neuro-differences). But the Covid-19 pandemic has created even greater obstacles for these children – social isolation, academic and emotional regression, difficulty focusing and learning on a screen all day – as well as for the parents who are raising them. Debbie Reber is a parenting activist, New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of TiLT Parenting, a resource for parents who are raising differently wired children. She joins us to share ideas on how you can best prioritize and plan in the pandemic-era school landscape. She also offers advice on how to support your differently wired child’s cognitive, social, and emotional needs during this atypical time, while also taking care of your own emotional health and well-being. Listen to this episode to learn: -How to use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs as a framework to think about what differently wired children need throughout the pandemic -Warning signs that your differently wired child is struggling emotionally, academically, and socially, and advice on how to address these challenges -Why it’s okay to “lower the bar” and reset expectations of what academic success looks like this year -The importance of communicating with teachers and advocating for changes (if needed) to special education plans, including IEPs and 504 plans -Ways to help your child find academic motivation -Ideas on how to carve out more time and space for yourself, as well as for your kids