Anxiety Archives - Family Pathways Coaching

November 4, 2025

Categories

From Stigma to Strength

When one of my sons was a preteen, we met with the director of a weekend program to see if he would match with the group. This meeting took place around the same time the world was debating whether vaccines caused autism, and my son surprised me by raising the topic. He told the program director he was offended by the conjecture that vaccines induce autism for two reasons. First, as a scientist, he was bothered that people confused causation and correlation. Second, as an autistic person, he was hurt that some parents would choose to risk their children contracting a potentially deadly disease like measles over ending up like him.

October 28, 2025

Categories

Guiding Without Grabbing: How to Support Without Taking Over

Parents, can you relate: It’s homework time. The clock is ticking, and your child is stuck. They don’t know how to complete an assignment (or study for a test or apply for a job). You want to help, so – with the best intentions – you offer suggestions, reminders, and little nuggets of wisdom, all meant to provide support for your struggling child. But rather than delivering relief and momentum, your efforts yield only anger, resentment, and obstinate refusals.

September 30, 2025

Categories

When Mom & Dad Disagree: Parenting Neurodiverse Kids with Unity

My husband and I have been married for 32 years. We have raised four sons. All four of our sons fall under that great big umbrella called “neurodiversity,” so we have seen our fair share of discord! The key isn’t that we always agree on how to deal with challenges, but rather that we are able to navigate our own differences of opinion with respect and care. Unfortunately for one of our sons, we learned the hard way what happens to our children when parents aren’t able to work collaboratively to address a child’s problem. If your family is struggling because mom and dad have drastically different opinions about how to nurture your neurodiverse children, read on for important tips to help you bridge the gap and support your children along the way.

August 5, 2025

Categories

Vacationing with Your Neurodiverse Kids

When my boys were young, we were lucky to enjoy family vacations, creating memories that have grown with us over the years. And yet, vacationing with our neurodiverse kids took planning and thoughtful deliberation. We needed to consider our boys’ emotional comfort as much as any desire for new adventures, exotic locales, or squeezing every minute out of our itineraries. It took some time, but we found great ways to maximize the fun and minimize the anxiety. Read on for suggestions that may help as you plan a late summer getaway of your own.

March 18, 2025

Categories

Beyond Butterflies: Understanding Childhood Anxiety

When my youngest son was in preschool, he was the boldest kid on the playground. He lost recess privileges because he wouldn’t abide by the school’s safety rules (Who says he’s not allowed to climb to the top of the jungle gym… and maybe jump off?). He happily ran to greet kids on the street he recognized from the baseball diamond or the soccer field, and he was never intimidated by the big kids on the bus. But something changed when he was in grade school.