Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children

This is a short, special mini-episode I’m sharing because my friends at Elmbridge University (formerly Bridges Academy) let me know that
enrollment is now open for the next cohort of their truly unique graduate program in cognitive diversity in education, and application deadlines are coming up in June.

When Dr. Susan Baum—one of the leading voices in twice-exceptionality and Chancellor of the program—said she could join me for a quick conversation about her work
and what makes this program so impactful, I said absolutely. In this
brief chat, Susan shares insights into supporting twice-exceptional
learners, why environment matters so much, and how this program is
helping educators better understand and serve complex, neurodivergent
students. If you want to learn more, you can head to https://elmbridge.edu/.

About Dr. Susan Baum

Susan Baum, Ph.D., is Chancellor of Elmbridge University’s Graduate School for Cognitive Diversity in Education (formerly Bridges) and Co-director of the 2e Center for Research and Professional Development at Bridges Academy, a school for twice exceptional students. The author of many publications concerning the needs of special populations of gifted students including the award-winning 3rd edition of her seminal work To Be Gifted and Learning Disabled, Susan is a popular international speaker whose message is celebrating neurodiversity. She served on the Board of Directors of the National Association for Gifted Children and is past president and co-founder of the Association for the Education of Gifted Underachieving students. She is recipient of the Weinfeld Group’s Lifetime Achievement Award for her work in educating the twice-exceptional child.

 

Things You'll Learn in this Episode

The rise in awareness and identification of twice exceptional individuals, including advocacy and policy changes in schools

Common misconceptions in education about giftedness and disabilities, and Baum’s theory of green — the paradoxical profile of these students

The importance of tailored environmental components — intellectual, social, emotional, physical, and creative — for thriving twice exceptional students

The evolution and impact of the Bridges Graduate School of Cognitive Diversity (now Elmbridge University)

Resources Mentioned

Elmbridge University 

Bridges Academy


Twice-Exceptional and Special Populations of Gifted Students (Essential Readings in Gifted Education Series) by Dr. Susan Baum

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Today we’re talking about something many families know they need to think about—but often don’t know where to begin: financial planning for children with disabilities. My guest is Mary McDirmid, a Chartered Special Needs Consultant and the co-founder and COO of All Needs Planning, a nationwide firm built by caregivers, for caregivers. In our conversation, Mary walks us through why proactive planning matters so much and what it can actually look like in practice. We talk about creating comprehensive care plans, protecting essential benefits, and building a long-term vision that supports not just financial security, but overall well-being. This is an empowering, practical conversation designed to help families feel more prepared, more informed, and more confident about the future.

About Dr. Devon Price 

Mary McDirmid, ChSNC, is the COO and co-founder of All Needs Planning — a nationwide financial planning firm built by caregivers, for caregivers. A Chartered Special Needs Consultant, Mary brings both professional expertise and lived experience as a parent navigating the special needs journey. She specializes in helping families create comprehensive plans that address the financial, legal, and care needs of loved ones with disabilities — from diagnosis through adulthood and beyond. Mary is co-author of the upcoming book Care, Protect, Grow: A Guide to Building Lasting Security for Your Loved One with Special Needs (Wiley, May 2026), which provides a compassionate, step-by-step roadmap for families facing the question of “what happens when I’m no longer here?”

Things you'll learn from this episode  

Why early, ongoing planning is essential for families raising children with special needs

How the Care, Protect, and Grow framework supports a comprehensive, long-term vision for care

How creating and regularly updating care plans ensures continuity and security for loved ones

Why involving siblings and considering long-term roles is an important part of the planning process

How active advocacy and participation shape more effective, personalized support systems

When and how to begin these conversations so families feel prepared rather than overwhelmed

Resources mentioned

Mary McDirmid’s website


Care, Protect, Grow: A Guide to Building Lasting Security for Your Loved One with Special Needs by Mary McDirmid

Book a free meeting with Mary


Care, Protect, Grow (on Mary’s website)

All Needs Planning Learning Lab

ABLE National Resource Center

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In this Parent Lean-In episode, Debbie answers a listener’s question about how to travel and navigate vacations with a child who is tied to routines. Debbie shares her past experiences and offers tips for pre-trip planning, addressing concerns ahead of time, establishing new routines while traveling, being flexible, using visual aids, and getting the child active and moving, and more.

 

Resources Mentioned


Debbie and 11-year-old Asher on Successful Vacations for Differently Wired Kids (Tilt Parenting podcast)

Download a PDF of our Family Goals Worksheet

Download a PDF of our Vacation Concerns Worksheet

Download a PDF of our Daily Vacation Planner Worksheet

Look at our Departure Plan whiteboard

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Today we’re exploring what it means to reconnect with our bodies and how that can transform not just our emotional health, but our parenting and relationships as well, with Celia Bray, a psychologist, somatic therapist, and the award-winning author of Inscribed: Your Body’s Hidden Script. In our conversation, Celia shares her own journey from disconnection to what she calls somatic mastery, and why learning to tune into our body’s signals can be such a powerful guide for decision-making and regulation. We talk about simple, accessible practices parents can begin using right away, and how developing this awareness can shift how we show up—for ourselves and for our kids—with more presence, clarity, and ease.

 About Celia Bray

Celia Bray is a psychologist, somatic therapist, and award-winning author of Inscribed – Your Body’s Hidden Script. With over 20 years’ experience, she has lived and worked internationally across Australia, India, Kenya, and beyond, blending psychology with embodied healing practices. Celia is the founder of Somatic Psychology International, where she supports people to unlock the wisdom written in their bodies so they can heal, grow, and live authentically. She also facilitates Open Floor Movement, Therapy in Motion, and Family Constellations, empowering individuals and communities to reconnect with their freedom and joy.

Things you'll learn from this episode

How Celia Bray’s personal journey from emotional suppression to somatic healing informs her work

Why Gestalt therapy’s focus on present-moment, body-based awareness can be so transformative

How trauma and emotional experiences are held in the body—and how somatic practices can support release and integration

How simple practices like “Landing in the Body” build awareness and reconnect us with our internal cues

Why resistance to body awareness is common, especially within certain cultural contexts, and how to navigate it

How somatic work can influence parenting, decision-making, and emotional resilience, and where to begin exploring it

Resources mentioned

Celia Bray Somatic Psychology

Celia Bray’s YouTube Channel


Inscribed–Your Body’s Hidden Script: Decode Your Body’s Wisdom for Emotional Healing, Wise Choices, and the Path to an Awesome Life by Celia Bray


Pat Ogden’s Sensory Motor Therapy — For further somatic therapy practices


Trauma-Informed Yoga — Explore gentle body-based trauma release

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11-year-old Asher joins me to share our best tips and strategies for making travel run more smoothly and having successful vacations with neurodivergent kids. As much as many families and their children may
love going on vacation, the change in routine, different foods, shifting expectations, and new stimuli can even turn a trip to “The Happiest Place on Earth” (Disneyland) into one full of stress, anxiety, meltdowns, and other challenges. And while we know this rings true for pretty much any and every family, for parents raising differently wired kids, the extremes highs and lows can bigger. In this episode, Asher and I share what we’ve learned over the years when it comes to making sure everyone’s needs and expectations on any given vacation are met, or at the very least, addressed, and walk listeners through the different schedules and planners we’ve we incorporated into our vacation prep. We hope you take away a tip or two to make your next family holiday a more peaceful experience for the whole family!

Things you’ll learn from this episode

The benefits of talking through and getting clear on expectations
(for all members of the family) prior to leaving for a vacation

A strategy for using the collaborative problem solving approach to identify, address, and pre-solve concerns ahead of time

How to make departure day go more smoothly

The benefits of exploring and researching aspects of a vacation time
well in advance of the trip (including accommodations, activities,
etc.)

A strategy for using written schedules coupled with frequent reviews during a vacation keeps everyone’s expectations in check

The benefits of bringing a child into the planning process (and letting them determine some of what will happen on vacation)

Why it’s useful to work with your child to discover what they need
most on vacation and then incorporating it into your daily plan (ie:
rest, chill time, etc.)

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