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The research is conclusive: strong public education systems benefit individuals, communities, and, ultimately, society in myriad ways. Unfortunately, public education systems across the U.S.A. are facing pressures that, some believe, impede them from providing all the services that kids, and neurodivergent kids in particular, need. My guest this episode, Kait Feriante, supports public education, but she has seen too many kids with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia fall through the cracks. Kait founded Redwood Literacy to provide independent assessment and intervention services for them. She and I discuss those services and how to tell if a kid in your life needs them. More information about Kait and Redwood Literacy is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Faye Bankler Casell wants your child to read, and she is doing all she can to make that happen. Faye is a Special Educator, Certified Academic Language Therapist, and Dyslexia Therapist; she has a master’s degree from the Teachers College at Columbia University; she hosts the “Teach My Child to Read” YouTube Channel; and she is the founder of HomeReadingCoach.com. As you will hear, Faye is concerned that not everyone in our kids’ lives is as committed to helping them read as she is. Faye and I discuss this and what you can to do to support early reading interventions. More information about Faye, including links to her website and YouTube channel, is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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The black garbage bag. You may or may not know its significance in the foster care system. Either way, my guest this episode will inspire you. Among other things, Rob Scheer is the author of A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time and the founder of Comfort Cases, a nonprofit with the #BAGBUSTERS rallying cry and the mission to “inspire communities to bring dignity and hope to youth in foster care.” My hope is that you will never look at a black garbage bag the same way again. More information about Rob, his nonprofit Comfort Cases, and his book, A Forever Family: Fostering Change One Child at a Time, is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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As we have discussed in previous episodes, trained advocates can help protect the rights of kids in IEP meetings and other legal proceedings. Unfortunately, there are times when additional help is required, times when a lawyer is needed. My guest this episode is Paula Yost. Paula is an attorney who is committed to, what she calls, “legal social work,” which is advocating for kids at the intersection of law and education or social service. Paula and I discuss her role, what you can do to avoid needing an attorney, and how you can tell when you do. More information about Paula, her law firm, and her book, Tumbleweeds: How to be an Advocate for Your Children and Yourself in a Failing System, is talkingaboutkids.com.

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Do you have questions about the IEP process or even what an IEP is? You are not alone. Thankfully, my guest this episode can help. Vicki Christensen is an experienced, certified IEP advocate. As she describes in her forthcoming book – Uniquely, Fully, Enough: The Neurodivergent Parenting Journey, a Memoir and Handbook – Vicki has seen it all as a parent and as a professional. She and I discuss some of what she has learned and how you can apply the lessons to the kids in your life. More information about Vicki, Blue Glasses Advocacy, and Uniquely, Fully, Enough: The Neurodivergent Parenting Journey, a Memoir and Handbook is talkingaboutkids.com.

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The challenges of transitioning from high school to college are difficult for everyone. For neurodivergent kids, these challenges can be overwhelming. My guest this episode is Tara Williams, owner and founder of Innovative Collegiate Consultants. As you will hear, Tara believes that by selecting the right school, connecting with the right services, and getting the right executive function coaching, neurodivergent students can do more than survive the transition: they can thrive in college. More information about Tara and and Innovative Collegiate Consultants is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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There are summer camp fanatics, individuals who attribute their best qualities to the counselors they had, the songs they sang, the skits they performed, and the friendships they made in mosquito-infested cabins in the woods near a lake. My guest this episode, Matthew Kaufman, is one such individual. Matt attended summer camp, was a counselor, and, eventually, became a camp director. But he did not stop there. Matt sought to understand the science behind the positive experiences that he and other people were having at summer camps in hopes of bringing those experiences to more people in more locations. The result was his book, The Campfire Effect: How to Engineer Belonging in a Disconnected World. Matt and I discuss his book and things that you can do to bring the summer camp experience to the kids in your life. More information about Matt and his book is at talkingaboutkids.com.

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Darla Bishop likes to talk about a family’s relationship with money, like money is a person. The more I listened to her and thought about it, the more I recognized the parallels. A negative relationship with money, like negative interpersonal relationships, creates anxiety and fear, but a positive relationship is associated with health and longevity. In this episode, Darla and I discuss this and her ideas for improving kids’ relationships with money. More information about Darla is at talkingaboutkids.com.