Autism
“I’ve Told Them a Hundred Times!” Why Some Children Struggle with Everyday Routines
Every parent has experienced some version of this… You ask your child to get ready for bed. Ten minutes later, they’re still sitting on the couch. You remind them to brush their teeth. They wander into their room instead. You ask them to put their plate in the sink. They leave it on the table.…
Read MoreMy Child Is a Picky Eater. When Should I Be Concerned?
Few parenting challenges create as much daily stress as mealtime. One child happily eats almost anything that is served (at least before a certain age…). Another insists on the same five foods every day. One refuses vegetables. Another won’t eat foods that touch each other. Some children gag when trying a new food, while others…
Read MoreShould You Tell Your Child Their Diagnosis? (explaining ADHD, autism, and learning disorders)
One of the most common questions parents ask after an evaluation is: “Should I tell my child their diagnosis?” The simple answer is, “yes”… but let’s talk through why, how and when. Sometimes the diagnosis feels helpful and clarifying. Other times it feels heavy. Parents may worry about labeling, stigma, or whether their child will see themselves differently. …
Read MoreADHD, Autism, and Anxiety: Why Diagnosis Can Be Complicated
Many parents come in with the same question: “We’ve been told it’s ADHD… but something still doesn’t feel quite right.”Sometimes anxiety has been mentioned. Other times autism has been raised—often later than expected, or after years of trying to understand why certain things feel harder than they should. Parents may hear different opinions from teachers, therapists,…
Read MoreUnderstanding Masking: When Kids Hold It Together All Day and Fall Apart at Home
Parents often tell me some version of this story: “My child does great at school. Teachers say they’re a great student, a good friend, and working hard. But when they get home… it’s like everything falls apart. Big emotions. Irritability. Tears. Explosions. Shutdown. What happened to the kid who held it together all day?” This…
Read MoreThe Importance of Early Intervention for Autism: What Parents Need to Know
When you’re raising a child who processes the world differently, you’re often the first one to notice the little things. Maybe it’s the way your child struggles with transitions, avoids certain textures or sounds, has difficulty with conversation, or melts down the moment you get home from school. Maybe things just feel harder than they…
Read MoreCan A Highly Social Child Also Be Autistic?
Many parents are surprised when someone raises concerns about autism in a child who loves people — a child who happily chats with adults, runs up to new kids at the playground, or thrives being the “center of attention.” Their child might even be referred to as the “little mayor” of their community. So… can a…
Read MoreUnderstanding Neurodivergence, Anxiety, and Accommodations
For many parents, one of the hardest parts of raising a neurodivergent child is figuring out what belongs to the child’s unique way of thinking and what comes from anxiety layered on top of it. The two can be very difficult to tease apart. Because anxiety can be common among neurodivergent children, it can influence…
Read MoreYour Child’s Big Feelings – Is There Something More?
Labels commonly used to describe the temperament or personality of children are everywhere – such as “highly sensitive”, “deeply feeling,” “strong willed,” and many more. But I’ve listened to parents who start to wonder: Is there something deeper we should be paying attention to? Why don’t typical parenting strategies work? Why Descriptive Labels Can Help Descriptive…
Read MoreReading Your Child’s Behavior: Clues Beneath the Surface
When a child acts out, melts down, avoids, or resists, it’s tempting to see these behaviors as oppositional, laziness, or “bad behavior.” Your child’s behavior provides clues – signals from their brain and body telling us something about might be needed in the moment. If we can learn to read those signals, we can also…
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