On our first episode of 2025, Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Mind, Brain and Education expert Allison Posey, to discuss the importance of inclusive practices in education, focusing on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and its application in classrooms. Allison shares her personal journey that led her to advocate for inclusive education, she and Emily discuss the need for understanding individual learning differences, and they talk about the role of emotions in learning. They also explore how neuroscience informs educational practices and necessitates shifting mindsets within educational systems to better support all learners. And, what is the impact of educational trauma on students?

Takeaways

• Personal experiences shape advocacy for inclusive education.

• UDL aims to meet diverse learning needs from the start.

• Parents can play a crucial role in advocating for UDL.

• Neuroscience reveals the importance of emotions in learning.

• Educational trauma affects students' self-perception and learning.

• Technology can enhance access and engagement in learning.

• Learning should be viewed as a lifelong journey.

Check out Strategies for Supporting Twice-Exceptional Students, a course for educators by Emily Kircher-Morris, in the Neurodiversity University. You’ll find a variety of courses available there as well, with more being added soon.

Guest Allison Posey is an international leader for implementation of Universal Design for Learning. She works at CAST, where she collaborates to apply current understanding from brain research into innovative, equitable instructional practices. She taught a range of science courses in high school and community colleges, such as biology, genetics, anatomy, and psychology. She still teaches at Lasell University.

Allison earned a degree in Mind, Brain, and Education from Harvard Graduate School of Education, and is the author of two books, Engage the Brain: How to Design for Learning that Taps into the Power of Emotion, and Unlearning: Changing Your Beliefs and Your Classroom with UDL.

BACKGROUND READING

Allison’s website

Allison’s books and other helpful resources

On episode 252, Dr. Richard Cash and Emily Kircher-Morris talk about the importance of self-regulation in education. They discuss the emotional, behavioral, and cognitive aspects, the critical role emotions play in learning, and the necessity of teaching metacognitive skills to students. It’s not only about school, they discuss parental support in developing self-regulation at home, and the unique needs of twice-exceptional learners. This is an updated version of an encore conversation.

Takeaways

• Self-regulation consists of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions.

• Emotions significantly impact a child's ability to focus and learn.

• Metacognition involves reflecting on one's own thinking processes.

• Teaching kids to manage their feelings is crucial for learning.

• Parents should actively listen to their children to support self-regulation.

• Every child is unique, and teaching should reflect that individuality.

• Reflection time is often lacking in the school day.

• Homework should be reframed as home study to promote self-regulation.

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Clinicians, check out our courses, which can help you move toward a more neurodiversity-affirming therapy environment. Also, consider joining our Therapist Hub, which will open for new members soon!

The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you can also join our private Facebook group. For more information go to NeurodiversityPodcast.com.

Dr. Richard M Cash received a bachelor of arts degree in theater from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He then attended the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, where he received a post-baccalaureate degree in elementary education. Dr. Cash later obtained a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He returned to St. Thomas and received a doctoral degree in educational leadership.

Dr. Cash has served as the Administrator of Gifted Programs in Rochester, Minnesota, and the Director of Gifted Programs for the Bloomington Public Schools in Minnesota. He now provides workshops, presentations, and staff-development sessions throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. He’s the author of Self-Regulation in the Classroom: Helping Students Learn How to Learn.

BACKGROUND READING

Richard Cash’s website

Self-Regulation in the Classroom

Facebook

On episode 251, Emily welcomes Dr. Amy Marschall, a clinical psychologist focused on trauma-informed and neurodiversity-affirming care. They talk about the transition from traditional therapy models to neurodiversity affirming approaches, and the importance of lived experience and self-diagnosis in mental health care. They talk about the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in accessing care, particularly in rural areas. The path to neurodiversity-affirming care involves the need for some clinicians to unlearn practices that we now understand could be harmful. Emily and Amy also talk about the significance of community support in finding the right clinician, as well as the broader implications of neurodiversity affirming practices in daily life.

Takeaways

• The traditional expert-client model can be unhelpful in the world of neurodiversity.

• Lived experience is helpful in understanding mental health needs.

• Self-diagnosis is a valid and necessary option for many.

• Inappropriate therapy practices can lead to trauma that complicates healing.

• Telehealth can improve access to care, especially in rural areas.

• Community visibility is helpful to neurodiversity-affirming clinicians.

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The Neurodiversity Podcast is available on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you can also join our private Facebook group. For more information go to NeurodiversityPodcast.com.

Dr. Amy Marschall earned her doctoral degree in clinical psychology from the University of Hartford in West Hartford, Connecticut, in 2015. She completed her pre-doctoral internship through the National Psychology Training Consortium (Central Region) and her post-doctoral residency at Family Psychological Center, PA, in Harrison, Arkansas.

Dr. Marschall has been a licensed psychologist since 2016 and currently owns a private practice, RMH-Therapy, where she provides therapy primarily to children and adolescents, and psychological evaluations. Her clinical specializations include trauma-informed care, neurodiversity-affirming care, rural mental health, and telemental health.

BACKGROUND READING

Amy’s website

Facebook