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

Today we’re talking about a parenting experience that comes with its own unique set of challenges and complexities: raising neurodivergent kids as a single parent. My guest is Dr. Gila, a clinical psychologist, neuropsychologist, certified parenting coach, and single mom who is passionate about helping grownups support beautifully complex kids with compassion, connection, and brain-based tools that actually work. Drawing from both her professional expertise and lived experience, Dr. Gila has a gift for translating complex ideas into practical strategies parents can put into action right away.

In our conversation, we explore the unique realities of solo parenting neurodivergent children, including the emotional load, decision fatigue, and constant balancing act that so many single parents face. Dr. Gila shares practical approaches for managing overwhelm, staying connected to your values, and creating more sustainability in daily life. This is a validating and encouraging conversation for any parent carrying a lot—and especially for those doing it on their own.



About Dr. Gila

Dr. Gila is a single mom, certified parenting coach, clinical psychologist, and neuropsychologist. She’s passionate about helping grownups support beautifully complex kids with compassion, connection, and brain-based tools that actually work.

Dr. Gila combines her professional background with her lived experience in a relatable, down-to-earth style. Her background as an educator and medical writer makes her especially skilled at translating complex concepts into practical tools you can understand…and actually use.

Things you'll learn from this episode

Why grief, worry about the future, and emotional exhaustion are common realities for many single parents

How the “sink model” helps explain the mental, emotional, and cognitive load that can lead to overwhelm

How strategies like “stop, drop, and roll” and compassionate reframing can support parents through moments of dysregulation

Why community, support systems, and self-care practices such as audio journaling are essential for sustainability

How values-based parenting, creative connection, and letting go of perfection help families thrive through small, meaningful moments

Resources mentioned

Dr. Gila’s website

Dr. Gila’s Resources for Tilt listeners

Single Parenting with Connection podcast

Dr. Gila on Instagram

Dr. Gila’s Single Parenting with Connection, Not Perfection Facebook group

How to Practice Conscious Co-Parenting, with Jenna Flowers (Tilt Parenting podcast)

Sandi Lerman


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Dance/movement therapist Dr. Lori Baudino talks about how teaching differently wired kids to tap into the mind-body connection can help with emotional regulation, social communication, and more.

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Today we’re exploring a more holistic, humane approach to supporting neurodivergent learners — one that starts with understanding the nervous system and builds from there. My guest is Dr. Emily King, a child psychologist who has spent more than 20 years working with neurodivergent youth in both school settings and private practice. She’s the creator of The Neurodiverse Classroom®, a professional development curriculum for educators, and the author of her new book The Neurodivergent Learner, which we’ll be talking about today.

In our conversation, Emily and I talk about why safety and regulation are foundational for learning, how relationships at school can shape outcomes in powerful ways, and what it means to redefine success for kids who don’t fit traditional models. We also explore practical ways parents can partner with schools to better support their children, and how shifting our lens can open up new possibilities for growth, connection, and well-being.

About Dr. Emily King

Dr. Emily King is a child psychologist who has worked with neurodivergent learners for over 20 years. She received a Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and began her career in Houston, Texas, specializing in school-based mental health in K-12 public schools. She has since worked in private practice in North Carolina supporting the mental health, executive functioning, and social needs of neurodivergent youth. Dr. Emily hosts the Learn with Dr. Emily Substack, where she provides parent workshops, is the creator of The Neurodiverse Classroom®, a professional development curriculum for educators, and her first book, The Neurodivergent Learner, was released in August 2026.

Things you'll learn from this episode

How mental health, education, and neurodivergence are deeply interconnected in shaping a child’s experience

Why building felt safety and a true sense of community at school is foundational for learning

How navigating IEPs, homework, and behavior systems benefits from a flexible, relationship-centered approach

Why prioritizing social satisfaction over social achievement supports authentic connection and well-being

How parents can assess and choose school environments that truly fit their neurodivergent child

Why leading with relationships and adaptability strengthens both parenting and advocacy

Resources mentioned

Dr. Emily King’s website

Learn with Dr. Emily (Emily’s Substack)

Learn with Dr. Emily Podcast

Dr. Emily on Instagram

Dr. Emily on Facebook

Free downloads on Emily’s website

Redefining Success for Neurodivergent Children, with Dr. Emily (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

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Dr. Stuart Shanker, author of Self-Reg, shares his expertise on self-regulation, offering practical strategies and compassionate insights to help neurodivergent kids and their families manage stress and build self-awareness.
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Today, I’m joined by Bryden Carlson-Giving, an occupational therapy practitioner and the creator of the EMPOWER model, the first neurodiversity-affirming OT framework. Bryden is both neurodivergent and disabled himself, and his work focuses on helping practitioners challenge ableism and create more supportive, affirming environments for neurodivergent individuals.

In our conversation, Bryden walks us through the EMPOWER model and what it looks like in practice, especially when it comes to evaluations, goal-setting, and therapy approaches. We talk about how ableism can show up in subtle and systemic ways, and what it means to truly shift toward inclusive, affirming care. This is a thoughtful, important conversation about reimagining support — not just in therapy, but across education and systems more broadly.

About Bryden Carlson-Giving

Bryden Carlson-Giving, OTD, OTR/L is a neurodivergent and disabled occupational therapy practitioner (OTP) with experience in pediatric outpatient, inpatient, and school-based settings. Bryden earned his post-professional doctorate from Boston University, where his research focused on creating a toolkit to support OTPs in challenging ableism within the OT profession. This work led to the development of the first neurodiversity-affirming occupational therapy model, the EMPOWER model. He received the 2024 Emerging Leader Award from Boston University, and is the editor of the first neurodiversity-focused occupational therapy book, titled Neurodiversity-Affirming Occupational Therapy: Empowering Approaches to Foster Neurodivergent Participation.

Things you'll learn from this episode

How Bryden’s journey into occupational therapy led to creating a neurodiversity-affirming toolkit

Why the Empower model centers strengths-based practice, anti-racism, disability justice, and trauma-informed care

How inclusive evaluations can look in practice, especially within school-based systems

Why implementing neurodiversity-affirming approaches in bureaucratic settings comes with both challenges and opportunities

How ongoing self-reflection and unpacking internalized ableism are essential for practitioners

How parents, educators, and therapists can take practical steps to amplify neurodiversity-affirming work

Resources mentioned

Neuridivergent Nexus (Bryden’s website)

Neurodiversity-Affirming Occupational Therapy: Empowering Approaches to Foster Neurodivergent Participation edited by Dr. Bryden Carlson-Giving

Bryon Carlson-Giving on Instagram

Activist Emily Ladau on Demystifying Disability (Tilt Parenting podcast)

Kassiane Asasumasu (coined the term neurodivergence)

Dr. Destiny Huff on Neurodiversity-Affirming Advocacy in School (Tilt Parenting podcast)

Dr. Jade Rivera and Strength-Based Assessments (Tilt Parenting podcast)

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