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Parenting neurodiverse tweens and teens can feel overwhelming, especially when traditional parenting strategies don’t seem to work. In this episode, we talk with Carl Young and Joel Sheagren, co-authors of Embracing Hope: Innovative Strategies to Empower Parents Raising Neurodiverse Teens, about practical, brain-based strategies to reduce conflict, support emotional regulation, strengthen connection, and navigate the hard seasons with more hope.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What are parents of tweens and teens carrying right now that you know they want people to understand?
• Why do the tween and teen years often become especially hard for neurodiverse kids and their caregivers?
• One of the themes in your work is “understanding over stigma.” Can you tell us what that means?
• What are examples of behaviors parents are often blamed for, or blamed on the child, that may actually be rooted in neurodevelopmental differences?
• Many parents feel confused because traditional parenting advice doesn’t seem to work for their child with neurodiversity.
• Can you explain executive functioning in a way that helps overwhelmed parents understand what their child is actually struggling with day to day?
• What are some real-life ways those struggles show up at home?
• What are some common expectations we place on tweens and teens that may not match their developmental abilities?
• How can parents shift toward more reasonable expectations without giving up on growth?
• What are some practical strategies to reduce conflict at home while still maintaining structure and boundaries?
• We understand that self-regulation is a learned skill that comes from years of our own regulation and then sharing it with our kids, called co-regulation. What does co-regulation actually look like with a tween or teen who is escalating emotionally?
• How can parents respond differently to behaviors like impulsivity, shutdowns, avoidance, perseveration, or lying?
• Many caregivers say they feel like they’re “walking on eggshells.” It’s exhausting and creates so much stress in our homes.
• Where do you recommend families start when the home has fallen into a state of constant stress or chaos?
• How can parents introduce and maintain the “calm” in spite of the chaos that our kids’ neurodivergence may bring with it?
• What helps parents hold onto a connection with their child during seasons when everyone feels frustrated or discouraged?
• Sometimes families need help redefining success. How do you encourage parents to rethink what thriving can look like for neurodiverse tweens and teens?

Resources:

• Embracing Neurodiversity
• Embracing Hope: Innovative Strategies to Empower Parents Raising Neurodiverse Teens
• Raising Kids with Neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, & Learning Differences)
• Suggested books for Raising Kids with Learning You

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