Even when everything is going right, parenting a neurodivergent kid can be emotional. (And yes, I cry this episode... twice.) This week, Penn and I are joined by our friend, child psychologist, and author Dr. Emily King, to help teach us what our neurodivergent kids need to learn and be successful.

We talk about why “just try harder” doesn’t work, how to know when to push your kid, why girls can fly under the radar, and how small systems like checklists can make a huge difference. We also get emotional talking about our own experiences navigating school accommodations, and Dr. Emily gives some words of encouragement we can use with our own children.

Not only does Dr. Emily King help kids with ADHD, autism, learning differences, and giftedness... she also had an incredible voice. So obviously, we couldn't leave without a surprise song parody to summarize the show. (And she even sings it with us! Should we do more of these?) This conversation left us feeling less overwhelmed, and reminded that success doesn’t have to look the same for every kid. I hope it does the same for you.

We love to hear from you! Leave us a message at 323-364-3929 or write the show at podcast@theholdernessfamily.com. You can also watch our podcast on YouTube.

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Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness is an evolution of The Holderness Family Podcast, which began in 2018. Kim and Penn Holderness are award-winning online content creators known for their original music, song parodies, comedy sketches, and weekly podcasts. Their videos have resulted in over three billion views and over nine million followers since 2013. Penn and Kim are also authors of the New York Times Bestselling Books, ADHD Is Awesome: A Guide To (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD and All You Can Be With ADHD. They were also winners on The Amazing Race (Season 33) on CBS. 

Laugh Lines is hosted and executive produced by Kim Holderness and Penn Holderness, with original music by Penn Holderness. Laugh Lines is also written and produced by Ann Marie Taepke, and edited and produced by Sam Allen. It is hosted by Acast. Thanks for listening!

00:00 Welcome to Laugh Lines!

4:56 Welcome, Dr. Emily King

7:40 Defining Neurodivergence

12:35 Uneven Development

14:08 Neurodivergent Translations

17:08 The School System

25:53 Gender Differences

32:23 Getting Diagnosed

42:30 Verbal Doesn't Work

48:36 Celebrating Wins

55:14 Surprise Instant Parody

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