If you’ve ever gotten parenting advice that just didn’t seem to fit your child, this conversation is for you.

In this episode of the Exceptional Girls Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Danika Maddocks.

Dr. Maddocks is a psychologist, gifted and twice-exceptional parent coach, and founder of The Gifted Learning Lab. She helps parents move beyond standard parenting advice to create a family life that truly works for their unique child.

Her approach is grounded in the neurodiversity paradigm and informed by more than 15 years of work with gifted and twice-exceptional families—as an educator, therapist, researcher, and consultant—as well as her own lived experience as a twice-exceptional individual and parent.

In this conversation, Dr. Maddocks explains why traditional parenting advice often backfires for neurodivergent kids—and shares approaches that are more effective.

She talks about what’s really going on beneath behaviors that can look defiant or overwhelming, why autonomy matters so much for our kids, and how a more collaborative approach can shift the dynamic between you and your child.

If you’re in the thick of a hard season as a parent, my hope is that this episode helps you feel less alone, more confident in your instincts, and more hopeful about what’s ahead.

About Dr. Danika Maddocks:

Dr. Danika Maddocks is a psychologist, gifted/2e parent coach, and owner of The Gifted Learning Lab. She helps parents let go of standard parenting pressures and build a unique family life that actually works for their kid and themselves. Her approach is rooted in the neurodiversity paradigm and informed by over 15 years of supporting gifted/2e families as an educator, therapist, researcher, and consultant, as well as her personal experiences of growing up gifted, recognizing her own twice-exceptionality, and raising a young twice exceptional kid. To learn more about Dr. Maddocks, visit: www.giftedlearninglab.com

About the Exceptional Girls Podcast:

If you know and care deeply about a girl who learns, thinks, and experiences the world differently, I invite you to journey with me as we learn how we as parents, adults, and role models can help her understand, self-advocate, accept, and love herself — just as she is. To learn more, visit www.exceptionalgirlspodcast.com.