TPP 320a: Dr. Karen Wilson on How (and When) to Talk to Kids About Their Diagnoses
episode
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
38 min
1 speaker
6 chapters
transcribed 1 hour ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Hey, it's Debbie. For the month of January, Playback Friday episodes are focused on navigating, neuropsychs, and assessments. If understanding and integrating what you're learning about your child feels like an ongoing part of your world, these episodes will offer guidance for the next steps. Welcome to Tilt Parenting, a podcast featuring interviews and conversations aimed at inspiring, informing, and supporting parents raising differently wired kids. I'm your host, Debbie Reaper, and I have a great episode for you today. One of the topics that comes up a lot in the TILD parenting community is how and when and if to talk to kids about their labels and diagnoses. So I invited clinical neuropsychologist Dr.
Karen Wilson back to the show to get her thoughts on how parents can thoughtfully navigate this process with their kids. So in this episode, Karen breaks down the kind of language we can use when talking with kids about their diagnosis. Diagnoses, as well as how that conversation will likely continue to evolve as our kids get older. We also talked about how to navigate this process with a child or teen who is resistant to labels, why it's critical that we have all of these conversations from a foundation of prioritizing and recognizing strengths, and how to have this conversation in a household with neurotypical siblings. As you'll hear, I'm a big fan of Karen's work and an avid listener of her diverse thinking, different learning podcast.
In addition to hosting her podcast, Dr. Karen Wilson is the director of West LA Neuropsychology and the founder of ChildNexis.com. You'll hear me mention that I'm compiling a list of books and resources that can support parents in talking with their kids about their neural differences, as well as resources for kids themselves to explore. So to grab the PDF that I've put together, visit the show notes page at tiltparenting dot com slash session three twenty. And now here is my conversation with Karen. Hey Karen, welcome back to the podcast.
Hi Debbie, I'm so glad to be back and talking with you again.
Yes, I'm excited. As we said before we started recording, I was just mentioning I've been wanting to have you back on the show. I'm a really big fan of your podcast and listeners, make sure you check out Karen's podcast as well. And I'll have links in the show notes page for that. But before we get into our topic today, which I'm very excited to do a deep dive with you about, could you just introduce yourself? Tell us what you do in the world, tell us about your show and your business. Business and how you move through the world.
Absolutely. So I am First and foremost, a wife and a mom of an eight year old and a ten year old, which keeps me on my toes. And by work, I'm a pediatric neuropsychologist.
What is a diagnosis and what does it mean for a family?
I've been Doing evaluations of kids who struggle with learning, with processing, with social emotional challenges. for going on seventeen years. So I've literally done hundreds of evaluations on kids and really help parents and And kids understand why kids are struggling. And then connect them with resources, support systems, providers who can help them thrive. And so that's what I do in the work that I do and probably over the last three years I've wanted to have a bigger impact because I feel like so many parents And kids suffer in silence and don't know what they don't know. And I had so many parents coming into my office and saying Wow, I just I wish I had known this before. My kids in fourth grade, I wish I had brought them when they were in first grade.
I just didn't know. And everybody said that he was fine or he'd grow out of it or she's just a girl. And I just thought if I can help more people get the support they need sooner and better understand You know, neurodiverse. profiles and learning challenges and how we can help, then that's what I want to do. So that's when the podcast was born and a lot of that was inspired by your work, Debbie, and in providing that outreach and support to parents.
That's awesome. Well, it is a great show. And also just to remind listeners, you were first on my show
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:01–2:51
2
What is a diagnosis and what does it mean for a family?
2:51–8:57
3
How can parents talk about a child’s diagnosis using age‑appropriate language?
8:57–16:25
4
Why is a strengths‑based approach crucial when discussing neurodifferences?
16:25–23:58
5
How should parents handle a child or teen who resists labels or feels ‘othered’?
23:58–32:49
6
What are best practices for discussing diagnoses with neurotypical siblings?
32:49–38:21
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
TPP 266a: A Conversation with Poet and Advocate LeDerick Horne
TPP 522: A Whole Child Approach to ADHD with Phil Boucher, M.D.
TPP 091a: A Conversation With Steve Silberman About His Book “Neurotribes”
TPP 521: A Conversation with Dr. Peter Gray About Restoring Childhood
TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
TPP 520: Dr. Özgür Bolat on Why Rewards Backfire and the Real Science of Motivating Kids