Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child at School and Home
Welcome to Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child, where we are learning brains and growing hearts! This podcast is a resource for parents, caregivers, teachers, school clinicians, administrators, or anyone interested in the psychology of learning. Episodes include a variety of formats and topics, such as deep dives on childhood ADHD, autism, anxiety, intellectual disability, and specific learning disorders like dyslexia. Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child is hosted by Ivanna Lukie, a Canadian school psychologist and parent.
Episodes
88 episodes
88: 5 Simple Ways to Support Working Memory
Ever felt like you've already said something three times - and it's still not sticking? It's not always about attention or effort, but about working memory. In this quick, practical episode, I'm breaking down what's really going on ...
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22:08
87: Why Smart Kids Struggle in School
Many kids who are bright, curious, and capable still struggle in school - and it can be confusing for the adults supporting them. In this episode, we explore why intelligence doesn't always translate into success in the classroom, a...
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24:06
86: What Does Neurodivergent Actually Mean?
What does the word Neurodivergent actually mean - and why has it become such an important part of how we understand children? In this episode, we explore the concept of neurodivergence, what it includes, and why it can shif...
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29:09
85: 5 Things Neurodivergent Kids Need Adults to Understand
Welcome to the very first episode of Supporting Your Neurodivergent Child. In this episode, we're starting with an important foundation: 5 things neurodivergent kids really need the adults in their lives to understand....
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32:40
84: A Small Name Change With a Big Purpose
Today marks the final episode of the School Psych Podcast - but don't worry, the podcast itself isn't ending. It's evolving! Over time, I realized that while the original title of the podcast reflected my profession as a school psychologist, it...
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18:06
83: Anxiety Explained - Types, Symptoms, & Coping Strategies (REPLAY)
Anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns in children, teens, and adults - and is one of the most misunderstood. In this deep dive episode, I walk you through what anxiety actually is (from both a c...
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57:29
82: Mid Year Check-In for School Psychs
This episode is a follow-up to the "Fall Start-Up" episode (#82). If you are a licensed educational psychologist (LEP), school psych, or school clinician, you're going to want to listen to this one. Winter is not coming... winter is HERE, and w...
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42:10
81: Dear Tumbler Ridge
This episode is a message for the community of Tumbler Ridge, British Colombia, who have recently experienced a tragedy at their secondary school. To the people of Tumbler Ridge, the hearts of Canadians and people all over the...
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7:11
80: Fostering Independence to "Raise Future Adults" with David Krasky
Join me as I sit down with school psychologist (with over 20 years of experience) David Krasky, to talk through some of the common parenting struggles we've all been through or are about to go through! This episode is for parents and caregivers...
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59:57
79: Regulation Under Pressure - Supporting Our Nervous Systems
This conversation isn't about fixing kids, improving outcomes, or adding a bunch of new strategies to your plate. It's about what happens to our nervous systems when the environment feels unsettled - and why feeling irritable, exhausted, or che...
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50:38
78: For Parents After a New Diagnosis - Should We Tell Our Child About Their Diagnosis?
One of the most common and emotionally loaded questions parents ask after a diagnosis is whether to tell their child. In this episode, I'm speaking directly to parents who are weighing the benefits and risks of sharing diagnostic in...
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39:16
77: For Parents After a New Diagnosis - Why Does This Feel Harder Now?
Many parents are surprised by how heavy things can feel after a diagnosis - sometimes heavier than before. Even when the diagnosis brings clarity or relief, it can also come with grief, worry, or a sense that everything suddenly feels ...
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17:42
76: For Parents After a New Diagnosis - Should We Focus on Home or School First?
After a new diagnosis, many parents feels pressure to start making changes everywhere - at home, at school, and in between. But trying to do everything at once often leads to more overwhelm, not more support. In this episode, I'm sp...
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31:44
75: For Parents After a New Diagnosis - Do We Need to Fix Everything This Year?
January has a way of making everything feel urgent - especially if your child has recently been diagnosed with ADHD, Autism, a learning difference, or another form of neurodivergence. In this episode, I'm speaking directly to parents who are in...
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27:35
74: My New Year's Resolutions AND My Wishes for Parents and Educators
In this New Year's episode, I share a few of my own New Year's resolutions - not as goals to strive for, but as intentions grounded in care, sustainability, and realism. I also reflect on my hopes and wishes for parents and educators as we move...
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22:46
73: How I am Climbing Out of Burnout
In this episode, I share a more personal reflection about how I began to recognize the early signs of burnout in my own life - and the small but meaningful shifts I'm making to climb out of it. As caregivers and educators, we're oft...
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45:35
72: Self-Care Isn't Selfish - 3 Questions Every Parent and Teacher Should Ask Themselves (REPLAY)
Self-care is often talked about as something we do - but rarely as something we define ourselves. In this replay episode, I invite parents, caregivers, and all educators to pause and consider what self-care truly means in the ...
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35:17
71: Intro to Social Thinking and Teaching Kids to Be Social Detectives
Welcome to the world of Social Thinking by Michelle Garcia Winner and Pamela Crooke! In this episode, I tell you about Social Thinking, and introduce you to some key terms used in Social Thinking resources, such as the book "You Are A Social De...
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29:46
70: Identifying Ourselves on the Wheel of Privilege and Power
Although this episode would be beneficial to parents, teachers, school clinicians, educational consultants, etc... it's really one of those topics that's relevant for anyone who is a human living on planet Earth. Our heart-work (...
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24:52
69: How to "Be Well" - Let's Get Back to the Basics
If you are a parent, teacher, educational assistant, principal, or school clinician, you need to hear this. I recorded this episode to encourage us all to reflect on which of our basic needs we have been neglecting lately. Sleep? Nutrition? Mov...
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17:10
68: Current Practices in ADHD (Psych) Assessment
Trends in psych assessment are constantly evolving, depending on research findings, level of experience, or the context in which a psychologist works. In this episode I cover the (current) trends in assessing for ADHD as a school psychologist. ...
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39:25
67: Are You a "Curling Parent"? and Other Reflections About Building Resilience
You may have heard of a "helicopter parent" or a "lighthouse parent," but have you ever heard of a "Curling Parent"? This episode is all about reflections on my parenting, after attending a professional development event on anxiety and resilien...
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34:16
66: How RIOT Keeps Me Grounded in Every New Psych Assessment
This episode is all about using the acronym RIOT to reduce overwhelm when you are getting started on a new psych assessment. I'll share with you why after 10 years, I'm still using this acronym to ground me in my assessment practice. It will be...
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27:18
65: Suicide Intervention - How You Can Help Save a Life (Part 2 of 2)
Trigger Warning: The topic of suicide is discussed in this episode. Please decide for yourself whether or not you have the emotional capacity to listen at this time. If you skip it for now but feel differently later, you can always come back to...
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34:04
64: Suicide Intervention - How You Can Help Save a Life (Part 1 of 2)
Trigger Warning: The topic of suicide is discussed in this episode. Please decide for yourself whether or not you have the emotional capacity to listen at this time. If you skip it for now but feel differently later, you can always come back to...
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27:45