In this conversation, Michelle welcomes therapist and EmpowerMind Solutions founder Dr. Kristen Williamson to bust the myth that ADHD and autism are deficits—and to show both parents and late-diagnosed adults how to turn “weird” traits into everyday superpowers.

Kristen shares:

• The diagnosis after 30 that changed everything. A lifetime of “too much” finally made sense when Kristen received back-to-back ADHD and autism confirmations at 38 and 39—then realized her entire family tree was “neuro-spicy.”
• Why girls (and moms) get missed. Early screening tools were built for 8-year-old white boys; masking, cultural norms, and medical gas-lighting leave women and people of color labeled “anxious” or “lazy” instead of autistic.
• Lawn-mower parenting vs. life skills. Clear every obstacle and your complex kid never learns to fold laundry, shower, or self-advocate. Kristen explains how to swap “mowing down struggles” for bite-size checklists and visual timers.
• 100 percent failure, 100 percent restart. ADHD brains abandon routines—and that’s OK. From alarm sounds to shower visors, Kristen demonstrates how curiosity beats shame every time a system breaks.
• Humor as a sensory aid. Why walking backward down the street, laughing at grocery-store meltdowns, and telling the story without passive-aggressive digs defuses stigma for kids and adults alike.

Quote to tape on the fridge:
“Your brain isn’t broken—it just writes in its own language. Learn the language, and the superpowers come online.”

Whether you’re parenting a meltdown-prone eight-year-old or wondering why your own coping skills collapsed at menopause, Kristen’s roadmap proves it’s never too late to ditch shame, get curious, and build a life that fits.

👤 About Dr. Kristen Williamson
A Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of EmpowerMind Solutions LLC, Kristen specializes in supporting neurodivergent adults—especially those diagnosed with ADHD or autism later in life—through self-compassion, practical strategies, and neurodiversity advocacy.

🔗 Connect with Kristen
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristensmith0045
TikTok: @empowerminds.solu

#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #NeuroSpicy #LateDiagnosis #LawnMowerParenting #ADHDAutism #LifeSkills

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Cleverely operations lead Michael Israel to unpack the hidden reason babies and complex kids are still left in hot cars—and the 15-second fix that turns back-seat checks into second nature.

Michael shares:

• A dad’s near-miss that sparked a movement. One foggy commuter morning, a tech-savvy father forgot his son was still riding behind him. The memory lapse ended safely—but exposed a blind spot that kills dozens of U S children every summer.
• Why no one is “too careful.” Your brain can only juggle 7–8 data points at once; add work calls, grocery lists, or medical-equipment prep and any parent’s memory buffer overflows.
• Seat-belt déjà vu. How Cleverely’s $30 plug-in device swaps high-priced sensors for randomized voice prompts—training you to glance at the back seat the same way the 1970s trained us to click a belt.
• The number you never hear: 65,000 U S near-miss rescues a year—cases that don’t make national stats but leave lasting trauma.
• Easy wins for busy families. One-minute install, no app, no Wi-Fi, plus bulk programs for NICUs, CP clinics, and respite-care fleets so every caregiver hears the reminder.

Quote to tape on the fridge:
“Every time you exit, eyes to the back seat—even when the seat is supposed to be empty. That habit is the real safety device.”

Whether you’re hauling orthotics, wheelchairs, or a week’s worth of meds, Michael’s message is simple: habitualize the glance, and hot-car headlines fade into history.

👤 About Michael Israel

A former tech-startup strategist turned safety advocate, Michael leads U S partnerships for Cleverely, an Australian-born company dedicated to ending pediatric hot-car deaths through habit-building reminders.

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with author and psych-nurse T.L. McCoy to unpack how a single genetic mutation—and a determined grandma—sparked the inclusive middle-grade adventure Delilah versus the Ghastly Grimm.

TL shares:

• The diagnosis that changed everything. Her granddaughter’s first-year seizures led to a Dravet-syndrome finding—and a crash course in gene mutations, med trials, and 40-minute seizures that land kids in the ICU.
• Why representation can’t wait. Only 3.4 percent of children’s books feature disabled protagonists; TL set out to fix that by giving complex kids a hero who battles villains and seizure triggers.
• Electric powers & indigo doors. How Delilah’s electro-chemical brain storms became literal lightning bolts in a fantasy world—and why kids on the spectrum of any disorder immediately “get” the metaphor.
• The advocacy playbook. From pushing past “it’s probably nothing” to finding the off-label med (Fintepla) that delivered a seizure-free year, TL explains why parents must “be a Karen” when instincts say something’s off.
• Grace for the grown-ups. Care-giving is a 24/7 marathon; TL’s practical reminders help moms and grandparents claim support, community, and rest without guilt.

Whether you’re drowning in therapy schedules, hunting for medically accurate fiction, or wondering how to pitch your hospital library, TL’s journey proves inclusive stories heal more than we realize.

👤 About T.L. McCoy

Founder of Blue Round Book Group, LLC, TL is a 30-year psychiatric nurse and former special-education school director. Her debut novel Delilah versus the Ghastly Grimm blends fast-paced fantasy with an authentic portrayal of life-threatening seizure disorders.

🔗 Connect with TL

• Facebook: T.L. McCoy
• X: T.L. McCoy
• Website: Blue Round Group Book

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with veteran speech-language pathologist Dinalynn Rosenbush—creator of the Language of Play podcast—to unpack what happens when an over-worked school SLP, a fired-up mom, and a “mama-gut” hunch all meet at the IEP table.

Dinalynn shares:

• School vs. private therapy—decoded.
  Why public-school SLPs have to wait for an academic “hit,” how 62-kid caseloads force group sessions, and the simple question her principal always asked: *“Is it good for kids?”*🏫
• Her high-frequency hack for apraxia.
  Ten-minute hallway “card-blitz” drills that gave one-on-one intensity—without blowing up the bell schedule. 🃏
• The power of “team emails” and fearless follow-up.
  How Michelle’s bi-weekly “Team Drake” updates model the kind of parent–therapist loop every complex kid needs. 📬
• Why early intervention beats perfect answers.
  Hear the story of a mom with a one-year-old and a brain malformation—and how saying yes to services before a rock-solid label can change the trajectory. 🌱
• Ditching the yes/no trap.
  Practical language swaps that demand real words (or signs) and open the door to bigger conversations. 💬
• Bravery isn’t optional.
  “When fear is present and you move forward anyway—that’s bravery.” What that looks like when you’re doubting your gut, juggling therapists, and rewriting bedtime to fit sensory needs. 🦸‍♀️

Whether you’re waiting on an evaluation, wondering how to actually partner with the school SLP, or just need permission to trust your intuition, Dinalynn’s 30-years of wisdom will show you how to turn everyday play into powerful speech therapy—and why no parent should have to do it alone.

👤 About Dinalynn Rosenbush

Consultant & parenting coach • 30-year public-school SLP • International best-selling author • Host of the top 1.5 % podcast The Language of Play. Dinalynn empowers parents to weave speech and language practice into ordinary routines—even when a delay is present. She lives in Minnesota near her children and grandchildren.

🔗 Connect with Dinalynn

Instagram: @dinalynnrosenbush
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dinalynn-rosenbush-b5750854
YouTube: The Language of Play

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Maxwell Ivey—better known online as The Blind Blogger—to explore what true adaptability looks like when you’re navigating life without sight and without excuses.

Max shares:

• Growing up on a Texas carnival lot and how makeshift kick-ball rules, “find-the-positive” scavenger hunts, and a family ethos of just get open laid the foundation for a can-do mindset.
• The surprising DNA test that upended his original diagnosis of retinitis pigmentosa and revealed Bardet–Biedl Syndrome—and why the label ultimately matters less than his outlook.
• Practical hacks for cultivating optimism (think “find the TV remote” but for daily wins) and why packing a positive attitude is the first thing he does before boarding any flight.
• The quote every parent of a complex kid needs to tape on the fridge:
• “When you refuse to ask, you rob the other person of the joy they would have received from helping you.”
• Lessons from decades of teaching companies (and podcasters!) to build accessibility in from the start—and how that same mindset can help moms design environments that truly fit their kids.

Whether you’re wrestling with a new diagnosis, battling “label fatigue,” or just need a shot of courage to ask for support, Max’s humor and hard-won wisdom will remind you that everyone’s blind about something—he just carries the white cane.

👤 About Maxwell Ivey

A serial entrepreneur, speaker, and award-winning accessibility advocate, Max has been demystifying digital inclusion since hand-coding his first website in 2007. He writes on accessibility for AudioEye, PHP Architect, and the USA TODAY network, and serves as Accessibility Advisor to PodMatch.

🔗 Connect with Max

Website & booking: theblindblogger.net
Twitter / X: @theblindblogger

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

In this episode of Complex Kids, Simple Solutions, host Michelle Choairy sits down with Barbara Ann Mojica—historian, retired special-education administrator, and award-winning creator of the Little Miss History® children’s book series—for a lively discussion on why history (and curiosity!) matter for every learner, especially kids with complex needs.

Drawing on 40+ years as a teacher, special-education principal, and district administrator, Barbara shares:

• How multisensory, theme-based lessons help diverse brains retain information and build real-world skills
• Simple ways parents can weave “Who? What? When? Where? Why?” questions into car rides, doctor visits, and everyday play
• Why critical-thinking habits start in preschool—and what happens when schools drop cursive, social studies, or science in favor of test prep
• Tips for adapting any curriculum at home (or in an IEP meeting) so a child’s strengths lead the way
• The origin story of Little Miss History—and how an adventurous cartoon guide turns museums, monuments, and national parks into interactive learning adventures

Whether you’re homeschooling, navigating an IEP, or just looking for fresh ways to spark your child’s curiosity, Barbara’s practical wisdom will help you mentor kids to be kind, compassionate, and endlessly inquisitive.

👤 About the Guest

Barbara Ann Mojica is a retired educator whose career spans more than four decades as a classroom teacher, special-education specialist, principal, and school-district administrator. A lifelong historian, she now writes the award-winning Little Miss History® picture-book series, using a whimsical cartoon alter-ego to make learning about people, places, and events a fun-filled adventure. Barbara’s mission: equip families and teachers with tools that “inspire, entertain, and educate”—because, as she says, “If you don’t know your history, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

🔗 Connect with Barbara Ann Mojica

• Website & blog: https://www.LittleMissHistory.com
• YouTube mini-lessons: Little Miss History Channel
• Pinterest resource boards: Little Miss History
• Email: Barbara@LittleMissHistory.com

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

In Episode 14 of Complex Kids, Simple Solutions, host Michelle Choairy is joined by Dr. Betsy Holmberg—clinical psychologist and author of Unkind Mind—for an eye-opening conversation on what’s really going on inside our heads when we feel overwhelmed, self-critical, or stuck in the spiral of “I’m a bad mom.”

Betsy introduces us to the Default Mode Network (DMN)—the part of the brain responsible for all that internal chatter—and shares groundbreaking tools to help parents stop believing the lies their brains tell them. From late-night guilt to comparison traps, Betsy breaks down the neuroscience behind our thoughts and offers compassionate, research-backed ways to reclaim peace.

Together, Michelle and Betsy discuss why parenting complex or neurodivergent kids activates our deepest self-doubt, how community can rewire our brain’s harshest narratives, and how moms can start to shift from shame to self-trust—without needing to fix everything first.

👤 About the Guest
Dr. Betsy Holmberg is a psychologist and researcher specializing in neuroplasticity and the Default Mode Network. A graduate of Princeton and holder of a Ph.D. from Duke, Betsy spent years in clinical settings before focusing on how the brain’s internal dialogue affects mental health. She’s the author of Unkind Mind: How to Stop Believing the Lies Our Brain Tells Us, and she empowers people—especially parents—to quiet their inner critic and live from a place of truth and love.

🔗 Connect with Dr. Betsy Holmberg
Website: betsyholmberg.com
Instagram: @betsyholmberg

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

In Episode 13 of Complex Kids, Simple Solutions, Michelle Choairy welcomes Katie Jones—Christian financial counselor, foster mom, and founder of Redeeming Your Finances—for a refreshing conversation about money, motherhood, and living with purpose.

Katie shares how faith and stewardship can bring clarity to even the most chaotic family budgets, especially for families raising complex or neurodivergent kids. From navigating tight financial seasons to learning how to prioritize what truly matters, Katie offers grace-filled guidance for moms who feel overwhelmed or stretched too thin.

Together, Michelle and Katie discuss how money impacts access to care, how financial stress intersects with advocacy, and how to build financial habits that are realistic, sustainable, and spiritually grounded.

👤 About the Guest

Katie Jones is a certified Christian financial counselor, real estate investor, foster mom, and founder of Redeeming Your Finances—an online school helping believers align their money with their values. With a background in ministry and a passion for helping others steward their resources wisely, Katie empowers families to manage money with confidence and peace.

🔗 Connect with Katie Jones

Website: https://www.redeemingyourfinances.com
Instagram: @faithfulwithfinances
Email: katie@redeemingyourfinances.com

Listen to this episode and more at
https://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions

🎧 Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com
Instagram: @michellechoairy
Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group

💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at michellechoairy@gmail.com

🧠 Want simple tools that actually work?
Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf