Building Flexible Thinking Skills in Your Neurodivergent Child

Raising Lifelong Learners

This week on the podcast, we dive into a topic close to the hearts of many parents and educators: helping neurodivergent kids build flexible thinking skills.

Whether you're parenting or teaching gifted, 2e, ADHD, autistic, or otherwise wonderfully-wired kiddos, you know that rigid thinking can turn even minor changes into big challenges. You'll hear real-life stories, practical strategies, and compassionate guidance to help you nurture adaptability—without forcing your kids to just "go with the flow."

Key takeaways from this episode:

• Validate Their Experience: Begin by acknowledging your child's feelings when plans or expectations shift. Empathy and validation open the door to problem-solving.
• Model Flexibility: Your kids are always watching! Talk through your own changes in plans, letting them see that adjustment is a skill, not a failure.
• Use Playful & Structured Opportunities: Incorporate "Plan B" days, offer limited choices, and use stories or role-playing to gently stretch their thinking in a safe, fun way.

If you're navigating homeschooling with neurodivergent kids—or simply looking to foster resilience—this episode is rich with actionable ideas.

Let's raise lifelong learners who are ready to adapt, shift, and grow through all of life's twists and turns!

Links and Resources from Today's Episode

Thank you to our sponsors:

👉CTC Math - Flexible, affordable math for the whole family!

👉Night Zookeeper - Fun, comprehensive language arts for ages 6-12

• The Homeschool Advantage: A Child-Focused Approach to Raising Lifelong Learners
• The Homeschool Advantage: A Child-Focused Approach to Raising Lifelong Learners Audiobook
• Raising Lifelong Learners Membership Community – The Learners Lab
• Raising Resilient Sons by Colleen Kessler, M.Ed.
• The Anxiety Toolkit
• Beating Homeschool Overwhelm With Heart and Flexibility
• Falling Unexpectedly in Love With Homeschooling My Gifted Child
• Homeschooling a Profoundly Gifted Child
• Sparking Curiosity | Nurturing a Love of Learning in Your Child
• Embracing Interest-Led Homeschooling with Lydia Rosado
• Sparkschooling | Engaging Children in Music, Art, and STEM
• Gifted and Distractible with Julie Skolnick
• Strengthen Executive Function Skills
• The Best Books for Teaching About Executive Functions Skills
• 7 Executive Functioning Activities for Small Children
• 101 Reasons Eclectic Homeschooling Works for Gifted Kids

Connect with Colleen You can find Colleen on Twitter @ColleenKessler, Facebook @RaisingLifelongLearners, Instagram @ColleenKessler