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

I know that there are concerns among many families that their child’s self-esteem can be negatively impacted by a label, or that others, including teachers may treat a child differently if they know they have one or more diagnoses, especially because of the stigma associated with neurodifferences. So this is what Dr. Karen Wilson and I get into — demystifying the process and offering suggestions for approaching these important conversations. 

In our conversation, Karen breaks down the kind of language we can use when talking with kids about their diagnosis, 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.

Dr. Karen Wilson is a Clinical Neuropsychologist, Director of West LA Neuropsychology, PC, the founder of ChildNEXUS.com, and the host of the Diverse Thinking · Different Learning podcast. She specializes in the assessment of neurodevelopmental disorders in children and adolescents, and she has extensive experience evaluating children and adults who present with neurological, medical and psychiatric disorders.

Things you'll learn from this episode:

* What a diagnosis actually is and what it can mean to a family

* How to balance communication surrounding your child’s areas of strengths and weaknesses so the emphasis is not on challenges

* What types of language to use when talking with your kids about their diagnoses, and how to evolve language as kids get older

* How to navigate talking with children and teens about their neurodifferences if they’re resistant to labels or being “otherized”

* Best practices for talking about diagnoses in households with neurotypical siblings

* How to give kids the tools and empowerment they need to ultimately feel confident navigating situations in their lives where they are judged by their diagnosis and related stigma

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Today’s episode is a little different—it’s just me, revisiting the Tilt
Manifesto I wrote back in 2015 as part of my development of Tilt
Parenting. In this solocast, I share the context in which that manifesto
was born, what was happening in my own life as a parent of a
neurodivergent child at the time, and why there felt like such an urgent
need to challenge the dominant parenting narratives around compliance,
productivity, and “normal.” This is a look back — and a look forward —
rooted in gratitude, curiosity, and hope.

Resources Mentioned

The Tilt Manifesto 

Jonathan Field’s podcast The Good Life Project
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Today we’re exploring unschooling—not just as an educational choice, but as a deeply personal and often healing journey for parents themselves. My guest is Esther Jones, an unschooling mother of three, the founder of The Unschool Space podcast, and the author of The Parent’s Handbook to Unschooling Yourself. Esther was led into unschooling by her own children, who challenged her to unravel long-held beliefs about parenting, learning, and neurodiversity. Esther and I talk about what it really takes to step away from conventional expectations and learn to trust children’s natural learning processes. We also explore the emotional work parents often need to do along the way, the importance of self-care and community support, and how mindfulness and self-compassion can become essential tools as families build lives beyond traditional schooling—ones where both kids and parents can truly thrive.

About Esther Jones

Esther Jones is an unschooling mother of three, founder of the The Unschool Space podcast and author of the recently published The Parent’s Handbook to Unschooling Yourself.Esther was led into unschooling by her children, who have helped her unravel years of conditioned beliefs around parenting, children, learning and neurodiversity. Today, she supports other parents in transforming their mindset and building a life beyond traditional schooling in which their children and themselves can thrive, using mindfulness and self-compassion as the foundational tools for change.

Things you'll learn from this episode  

How unschooling requires parents to unlearn old beliefs and embrace the discomfort that signals growth

Why trusting children to lead their own learning allows them to explore in organic, joyful ways

How self-care and community support strengthen a parent’s ability to show up for their child in an unschooling environment

Why each child’s needs may look different from their parent’s—and how modeling our own passions supports their learning

How online resources can expand support networks and deepen confidence for unschooling families

Why the unschooling journey often becomes a healing process for parents as much as a learning journey for kids

Resources mentioned

Esther Jones’ website


The Parent’s Handbook to Unschooling Yourself by Esther Jones

The Unschool Space Podcast

Esther Jones on Instagram

Esther Jones on Substack


A Conversation with Dr. Naomi Fisher on Self-Directed Learning (Tilt Parenting podcast)


Blake Boles and His Book, Why Are You Still Sending Your Child to School? (Tilt Parenting podcast)


Why Are You Still Sending Your Kids to School? The Case for Helping Them Leave, Chart Their Own Paths, and Prepare for Adulthood at Their Own Pace by Blake Boles


The Art of Self-Directed Learning: 23 Tips for Giving Yourself an Unconventional Education by Blake Boles


Blake Boles on the Gift of Unschooling (Tilt Parenting podcast)

 

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This week I’m talking with Dr. Lynyetta Willis about navigating the journey when a child is newly diagnosed with a neurodifference. A psychologist turned family coach, Lynyetta specializes in empowering women in their relationships, as well as combines her foundation in psychology and trauma healing with best practices in empowerment coaching to help her clients strengthen their parenting, partnerships, and personal growth to create joyful, connected, and harmonious families. 

There are so many things I could have talked about with Lynyetta, but I wanted to dig into what happens to a couple, and a family, when a child is newly diagnosed — an often challenging and real process for many parents of differently wired kids. We talk about the sister emotions of grief and
guilt, the importance of self-compassion and self-care in the process, how to handle different reactions in partnerships, and more.

 About Lynyetta

Dr. Lynyetta G. Willis, psychologist and family empowerment coach, helps frustrated families break unhelpful patterns and cross-generational cycles so they can move from stable misery into peaceful harmony. She helps her clients and audiences learn to strengthen their parenting, partnership, and personal growth practices so they can feel harmony in their hearts and homes.

 

What You'll Learn in this Episode:

The difference between practicing clinical psychology and coaching work

What are the common emotions after a diagnosis and how to process them in a healthy way

Lynyetta’s PATHS framework: Perspective, Awareness, Tools, Healing, Self-Empowerment

Tips for getting on the same page as parenting partners

What is meant by the term “stable misery”

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Today we’re digging into executive function — what it really is, why it matters so much for neurodivergent kids (and adults!), and how we can better support these skills without judgment or overwhelm. Sarah and I talk about how awareness around executive function has evolved, why self-regulation is foundational, and how different skills — emotional, cognitive, and behavioral — are all interconnected. She shares her supportive, nonjudgmental coaching philosophy, along with practical ideas for helping kids with lagging executive function skills and navigating resistance when it shows up. Most importantly, Sarah reminds us that there is so much hope here: executive function skills can grow, and there are concrete steps we can take to help our kids thrive.

About Sarah Kesty 

Sarah Kesty helps amazing neurodivergent people create strategies to thrive! She is an executive function, autism, and ADHD coach and host of the Executive Function Podcast. A 4-time teacher of the year, Sarah’s Brain Tools School coaching and learning programs support high schoolers, college students, adults, and coaches in developing executive function skills to smooth out life.

Sarah specializes in translating research into real-life, actionable strategies. She regularly writes and presents for international groups and publications, including The Humane Society, State Departments of Education, Psychology Today, and Edutopia. Sarah’s trainings teach businesses and schools to create environments and systems that support executive function. Her mission is to make the world brain-friendly, inclusive, and a little more fun. An avid birder and local Trail Guide, she and her family live in San Diego, surrounded by nature. Her book for teachers, Growing Executive Function, was released September 2025 (Solution Tree).

Things you'll learn from this episode 

How executive function serves as a foundation for success and why self-regulation is central to these skills

Why “living in hard mode” can hinder executive functioning and how environmental factors play a major role

How executive function skills can be taught, supported, and improved over time

Why non-judgmental, supportive coaching helps children build confidence and reduce avoidance

How visual aids and small, structured supports can make time management more accessible

Why recognizing and celebrating small wins reinforces progress and builds hope for continued growth

Resources mentioned

Sarah Kesty’s website


Growing Executive Function: Empowering Secondary Students With Skills for Lifelong Success (Executive function made easy for teachers) by Sarah Kesty


Stop Playing in Hard Mode (Psychology Today)

Sarah Kesty on Psychology Today

Sarah Kesty on Instagram

Sarah Kesty on YouTube

Sarah Kesty on Edutopia

Sarah Kesty on Facebook


Seth Perler (executive function coach)

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