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

Today we’re diving into dysgraphia—what it is, how it’s different from general handwriting struggles, and why so many kids go unsupported for far too long. My guest is Kelli Fetter, a certified handwriting specialist and occupational therapist, and the founder of Handwriting Solutions. Kelli breaks down the neurological underpinnings of dysgraphia, how it can show up differently from child to child, and why early recognition is so important. We talk about the role of assessment, how to distinguish dysgraphia from more general handwriting difficulties, and what meaningful support can look like at home and in school. This is a practical, eye-opening conversation for anyone trying to better understand—and advocate for—a child struggling with writing.

About Kelli Fetter

Kelli Fetter, MS, OTR/L is a Certified Handwriting Specialist and the founder of Handwriting Solutions, LLC, where she and her team provide world-class handwriting, reading, and spelling tutoring to students virtually across the globe. Beyond her direct work with families, Kelli is a recognized leader in teacher and therapist education, equipping professionals with evidence-based strategies that transform student outcomes.

With a career rooted in occupational therapy, Kelli has practiced in pediatric outpatient clinics, early intervention programs, preschools, and private schools, and has also served as an adjunct professor in pediatrics and kinesiology. Her expertise spans handwriting, dysgraphia, and dyslexia, supported by extensive advanced training in these areas.Kelli’s passion is deeply personal, fueled by her own daughter’s journey with dyslexia and dysgraphia. This lived experience drives her mission to empower parents, educators, and therapists with the tools and confidence they need to unlock every child’s potential.

Things you'll learn from this episode

How dysgraphia differs from messy handwriting and why it’s rooted in complex neurological processes

Why handwriting is such a demanding task for the brain, involving multiple systems working together

How to recognize common signs like avoidance, frustration, and inconsistent output

Why dysgraphia is often overlooked in schools and the importance of comprehensive assessment and advocacy

How to balance skill-building with technology accommodations to support functional success

Why focusing on confidence and real-world skills matters more than striving for perfect handwriting

Resources mentioned

Handwriting Solutions (Kelli’s website)

Handwriting Solutions Blog

Red Flags of Handwriting Struggles (freebie)

Schedule a free consultation

Email Kelli

Kelli on Instagram

Kelli on Facebook

What is Dyscalculia? Parent Advocate Laura Jackson Talks About her Family’s Journey with a Math Disability (Tilt Parenting episode)

Rebecca Bush Offers a Pathway for Parents with Newly-Identified Dyslexic Kids (Tilt Parenting episode)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Deb Dana, a clinician, consultant, and author, gives us a primer of the key points of Polyvagal Theory, and in doing so, explains the ways in which it can support the way we parent our differently-wired kids. Deb explains the nervous system pathways, why co-regulation is essential to our survival, what befriending and listening to our autonomic nervous system looks like in practice, and the benefits of having a breathing practice. We also talk about why these concepts can change our relationships to our daily life even if our circumstances stay the same.

Things you'll learn from this episode

The mission behind Deb’s book Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory

What the nervous system pathways are and the three states we can be in

What aspects of our nervous systems are innate or “hardwired” versus routed in nurture or life experience

Why co-regulation is essential to our survival and examples for ways in which we constantly do naturally

What befriending and listening to our autonomic nervous system looks like in practice

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we’re talking about boys—the messages they receive about emotions, strength, masculinity, and what it means to “be a man” in today’s world. My guest is Dr. Katie Hurley, a child and adolescent psychotherapist, parenting educator, and Vice President of Community Initiatives for The Jed Foundation, a nonprofit focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention. Katie is the author of several books on kids’ and teens’ mental health, and her newest release, Breaking the Boy Code, takes a deep look at the societal pressures shaping boys’ emotional lives.

In our conversation, Katie and I explore how traditional expectations around masculinity can impact boys’ mental health, emotional expression, and relationships. We talk about the unique pressures boys are facing today, what can happen when emotions get pushed underground, and practical ways parents can support boys in developing emotional awareness, resilience, and a healthier sense of self. 

About Dr. Katie Hurley

 

Dr. Katie Hurley is a child and adolescent psychotherapist, parenting educator, public speaker, and writer, and is the Vice President of Community Initiatives for The Jed Foundation (JED), a nonprofit dedicated to youth and young adult mental health and suicide prevention. She is the author of the award-winning No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls, The Depression Workbook for Teens: Tools to Improve Your Mood, Build Self-Esteem, and Stay Motivated, The Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World, A Year of Positive Thinking for Teens, and her newest book, The Stress-Buster Workbook for Kids. Her newest book is Breaking the Boy Code, which came out in March 2026.

Katie covers mental health, child and adolescent development, and parenting for The Washington Post, PBS Parents, Psychology Today, Everyday Health, PsyCom, and US News and World Report, among other places. She splits her time between Los Angeles, California and coastal Connecticut with her husband and two children.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

Why the “Man Box” and traditional messages about masculinity can limit boys’ emotional well-being and self-expression

How social media, gaming culture, and online spaces can influence boys’ identities, including exposure to red pill and incel ideologies

Why open conversations about feelings and mental health are critical for helping boys thrive

How practical tools, coping strategies, and supportive school environments can strengthen boys’ resilience and self-awareness

Why media literacy, positive role models, and inclusive communities help boys navigate today’s complex world with greater confidence and authenticity

 

Resources mentioned


Breaking the Boy Code: The New Playbook for Raising Resilience Boys by Dr. Katie Hurley

Katie Hurley’s website

Katie Hurley on Facebook

Katie Hurley on Instagram

Katie Hurley on Twitter

Teen Talk / Katie’s Facebook Group for Parents of Teens

Katie’s Facebook Group for Parents of younger children


The Stress-Buster Workbook for Kids by Katie Hurley


A Year of Positive Thinking for Teens by Katie Hurley


The Happy Kid Handbook: How to Raise Joyful Children in a Stressful World by Katie Hurley


The Depression Workbook for Teens: Tools to Improve Your Mood, Build Self-Esteem, and Stay Motivated by Katie Hurley


No More Mean Girls: The Secret to Raising Strong, Confident, and Compassionate Girls by Katie Hurley


Not familiar with ‘red pill’ content? Teen boys are, whether they want to be or not (Katie’s article on CNN)


We’re Family, and We Lost Loved Ones to Suicide 25 Years Apart. Here’s What’s Changed About Suicide in America, and What Hasn’t (Katie’s article on Oprah Magazine)

Ecumundo

Dr. Tina Payne Bryson


Louis Theroux Inside the Manosphere (documentary on Netflix)


Sex Educator Amy Lang Talks About Kids & Pornography (Full-Tilt Parenting)

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we’re talking about the power of community, resilience, and what it really means to show up bravely in the caregiver parenting journey. My guest is fellow community builder and mom on a mission Jessica Patay, the founder of We Are Brave Together, a global community supporting moms raising children with disabilities and other unique needs. Jessica’s work is deeply rooted in her own experience as a caregiving mom to her son Ryan, who was diagnosed with Prader-Willi syndrome, and her mission is all about making sure no parent has to walk this path alone.

In our conversation, Jessica shares her story and the inspiration behind building such a powerful, life-giving community for mothers. We talk about the isolation so many caregivers experience, the importance of connection and support, and what it looks like to cultivate resilience in the midst of ongoing challenges. Jessica also offers practical, compassionate insights for parents who are feeling overwhelmed, reminding us that even in the hardest seasons, we are not alone—and we were never meant to do this by ourselves.

About Jessica Patay 

Jessica Patay is passionate about serving caregiving moms and creating authentic communities.  She has always fostered deep, life-giving friendships and has been intentional about her community of girlfriends.  As a caregiving mom herself, this passion carries on as she gathers women to encourage them, mentor them, inspire them, and validate their intense and precious journeys.

Her own story as a mom to a child with a disability, began in 2003 when her second son, Ryan, was born and diagnosed with a rare, genetic disorder, called Prader-Willi syndrome. Within two days of receiving this diagnosis, she received a phone call from a mentor mom from the Prader-Willi California Foundation.  Immediately she felt relief and comfort knowing she was NOT ALONE. Thankfully, Ryan is sandwiched in the middle of siblings Luke and Kate, both fierce and loving cheerleaders and helpers to Ryan.

Jessica is the founder of The We Are Brave Together organization, a supportive community for moms of children with disabilities and all unique needs, which has grown into an international community of over 4200 moms. She has helped launch over 25 support groups all over the United States, and in New Zealand and Australia, in the last five years. She is the host of the Brave Together Podcast.

Things you'll learn from this episode 

Why community is a critical foundation for healing, resilience, and feeling less alone as a caregiver

How distinguishing between caregiving and motherhood can help parents better understand their experience

How We Are Brave Together creates connection through circles, retreats, and shared storytelling

Why bravery often shows up in small, everyday moments rather than big, visible acts

How Jessica’s work, including Suddenly Brave Together, reflects and validates the lived experience of caregivers

Why systemic challenges can leave caregivers isolated—and how taking small, practical steps can help them find support now

Resources mentioned 

We Are Brave Together

Brave Together Podcast


Becoming Brave Together: Heroic, Extraordinary Caregiving Stories from Mothers Hidden in Plain Sight by Jessica Patay


Suddenly Brave Together: Letters to Caregiving Moms in a Defining Moment of Their Lives by Jessica Patay

We Are Brave Together Facebook Group


Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally by Emily Ladau


Emily Ladau on Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally (Tilt Parenting Podcast)


Kelley Coleman on Everything No One Tells You About Parenting a Disabled Child (Tilt Parenting Podcast)

Margaret Webb Parent Coaching

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are kicking off this season with a conversation with Dr. Stuart Shanker, who I first learned about through my friend Seth Perler as he’s been part of the TEFOS Summit. I love Stuart's message and recently devoured his book Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and You) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage With Life, and wanted to dive deeper with Stuart about it. In this episode, we get into the ways in which the brain controls the levels of stress, the difference between self-regulation and self-control, and the difference between stress behavior and misbehaving. Stuart also walks us through his 5 steps to Self-Reg, and talks about the power of us as parents and caregivers and educators doing our own self-reg work so we can support the kids around us.

Things you'll learn from this episode

* How the explosion of stress-related problems in recent years among children has augmented the need for additional self-reg resources for parents and educators

* How the brain controls the levels of stress and simple strategies that can be used to calm the nervous system response

* Why self-reg practices for parents and teachers other adults begin with learning how to regulate ourselves

* The difference between misbehavior and stress behavior

* How self-regulation mechanisms evolve as we get older

* The distinction between self-control and self-regulation and the five steps to self-regulation

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices