Connective Parenting for Neurodivergent Families ~ Diverse paths

Each neurodivergent family is unique. Come hear how five parenting coaches have navigated connective parenting in their family.  The goal is to share the journey of how we have come to understand neurodivergency in our families, and the ways we've customized our parenting, specializing in the Hand in Hand Parenting tools.

I facilitated this conversation with three amazing Parenting Coaches for the UC Berkeley Staff and Wellness program. I'm grateful to be able to share it here with you.

Why did I do this? My focus is on video games, right?

Well, many neurodivergent people really, really like video games. It's a world where they can feel successful and understand what's going to happen. Video games and neurodivergency go really well together. I also happen to be neurodivergent, in a neurodivergent family, and this is a topic that it's important to talk about.

What we talked about:

How did you figure out your family was neurodivergent?

How did parenting approaches you learned work or not work for your family?

What do you wish you'd known when you started parenting your neurodivergent child?

What do you wish other parents could know about neurodivergence?

The panelists were:

Marilupe de la Calle is the mother of two wonderful beings, ages 15 and 12, one of them ND. She found Hand in Hand Parenting over ten years ago and hasn't let go, as EVERYTHING changed because of it!  You can find her on FB at "Parenting by Connection with Marilupe" or write to her directly at [email protected]

Julie Carter is a connected parenting instructor, an education civil rights attorney, and a neurodivergent adult. Her law firm is on Instagram and Facebook @juliecarterlaw, and her connected parenting coaching and consulting work is on Instagram @confidentandconnected and at confidentandconnected.com.  

Parents come to Abigail Wald when they are tired of getting pushed past their breaking point, and they’re ready to rise above behavior & circumstance to create the life they want for themselves and their children – without apology. She supports parents through her short-form Mother Flipping Awesome Podcast and fully transforms their lives with her three-to-six-month parenting courses. motherflippingawesome.com

Priya Saaral is a South Asian immigrant and a late identified ADHD-autistic mother to a neurodivergent tween. She is passionate about supporting neurodiverse families as a play therapist in the greater Seattle area and as a parenting consultant globally. She has also recently co-authored 'Parenting at the Intersections: Raising neurodivergent children of color'. www.priyasaaral.com. IG @parent.village