Learning Pathways

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When little ones push boundaries, they're really not trying to be difficult—they're exploring and learning. Their behavior is part of normal development as they figure out rules and consequences. Although it can be really difficult for adults, staying patient and consistent helps them feel secure and understand what's acceptable, strengthening your bond and supporting their growth. 🌱

School psych friends, I’ll be presenting at CASP on Friday from 9-12 on report writing! Also presenting Thursday morning with a special education attorney on IEEs! Would love to see you there!

I know it might feel impossible, but as much as you possibly can reduce demands during the back-to-school weeks, everything will go so much easier and smoother and better and more connected.

If you're looking for permission, this is me, your friendly neighborhood professional, giving you permission.

Whatever for dinner? Sure. Sleep in your school clothes? Why not. Skip bath, skip brushing teeth, skip brushing hair? They'll be fine. Their brains are exploding with all the new things they're having to handle. Haven't you ever felt like if you had to talk to *one more person* or handle *one more demand* then you were gonna blow up and scream at somebody or burst into tears or crawl into bed for three hours?

Don't extrapolate from this time period out to their whole lives or even to the whole year or the whole month. Don't do it! (I'm telling myself this every day and sometimes every hour right now.) Everything is exploding right now and soon it will stop exploding. Their brain will learn, or remember, how to handle this high of a level of demand. They will adjust. They will get past it and so will you. Right now, throw grace around like it's confetti. Hang in there. You got this. ❤

[Image description: The background is a picture of a child carrying a backpack and wearing a hat. They appear distressed or crying. Over top of the image is a quote:

"After-school restraint collapse is real. And it might have you feeling like a screaming monster jumped off the school bus.

--But look closer. It's just a little person who's been juggling endless expectations in a complex environment all day. And they just reached their safe place."
End description.]

You know I love Dr. Becky’s advice and tips! These are some helpful scripts for saying “no” to your child.

This is a helpful approach and strategies for when your kids have big reactions to *seemingly* small problems. Instead of telling them it’s no big deal, recognize that it IS a big deal to them and help them notice how their body feels and work through it.

Specially designed instruction isn’t based on what the school already has. It‘s based on what that kid needs.

Here’s what the Regs say:

34 CFR 300.39(b)(3)

“Specially designed instruction means adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the content, methodology, or delivery of instruction—
(i) To address the unique needs of the child that result from the child’s disability; and
(ii) To ensure access of the child to the general curriculum, so that the child can meet the educational standards within the jurisdiction of the public agency that apply to all children.”

"Human progress relies on diversity of thought" has absolutely become my advocacy catchphrase in recent years.
And during Neurodiversity Celebration Week, I refuse to use the outdated mantra of "neurodivergent people can be just as valid and valuable as everyone else with the right support!" - we are valid and valuable as it is, and humanity is not served well by pretending people who think differently are lesser as a result.
Frankly, I'd go as far as to say that trying to turn neurodivergent people neurotypical is actively damaging to our species. :p So there.

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[Black text on a faded photo background of me speaking. Text reads:
“Autism, ADHD, dyslexia and other neurotypes aren’t just unexpected extras in the gene pool. They are essential to it.
Human progress depends on diversity of thought - having a whole variety of different brains with a multitude of approaches.
We can’t progress as a society with only one neurotype that everyone is expected to aspire to.” Chris Bonnello, Autistic Not Weird]