Asperger’s Syndrome Archives - Family Pathways Coaching

March 25, 2026

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Twice-Exceptional: An Interview with Heather Goldman, PhD.

There is some confusion in the neurodiverse community about the 2e (twice-exceptional) designation. I have heard it incorrectly used to describe co-occurring conditions, and I have seen those who are 2e misunderstood as either geniuses who shouldn’t need any support or learning disabled so unable to handle the rigors of gifted classes.

March 18, 2026

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Does Your Kid Stink? Personal Hygiene and Our Neurodiverse Kids

We have all been there. We have all lost our cool at some time or another. Maybe Mary Poppins doesn’t get flustered, but for the rest of us, parenting – and especially parenting neurodiverse kids – can be frustrating, distressing, even downright infuriating at times. So what do we do when our kids have pushed our very last button? How do we stay calm and parent our kids with confidence and clarity? As with most skills, it takes practice and patience – for ourselves as much as for our kids. Read on for tips for retaining your composure so you can model appropriate behavior for your kids and help them develop skills they will need at home, at school, and beyond.

March 11, 2026

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Staying Calm in the Face of Frustration

We have all been there. We have all lost our cool at some time or another. Maybe Mary Poppins doesn’t get flustered, but for the rest of us, parenting – and especially parenting neurodiverse kids – can be frustrating, distressing, even downright infuriating at times. So what do we do when our kids have pushed our very last button? How do we stay calm and parent our kids with confidence and clarity? As with most skills, it takes practice and patience – for ourselves as much as for our kids. Read on for tips for retaining your composure so you can model appropriate behavior for your kids and help them develop skills they will need at home, at school, and beyond.

February 24, 2026

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Executive Function Skills: Managing and Organizing Life

Years ago, one of my sons complained that he lost points on his math grade not because he provided wrong answers, but because he regularly failed weekly binder checks. His teacher was trying to help her students develop organizational skills by requiring tidy binders, with all assignments, notes and tests kept neatly in date order. But my son was the kid whose backpack, locker, and bedroom were more akin to a trash heap than a well-ordered binder. Sure, his teacher was right to instruct her students on the importance of organization, but she didn’t consider that students with ADHD – and even some who do not have ADHD – struggle mightily with executive function skills like organization. Just asking her students to be neat would not help those whose brains are wired differently. And ADHD brains are wired differently.

February 10, 2026

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Screen Time: How Much is Too Much?

It’s cold in the Northeast right now. Really cold. And when it’s cold out, it’s harder and maybe less pleasant to be outdoors, away from our screens. So what happens to our kids – in particular our neurodiverse children – when they are glued to the couch and even more likely than usual to turn to their screens for entertainment, information, and company? Read on for help discerning between too much and just enough screen time, and how to use technology to support your child’s development, rather than impede it.

February 3, 2026

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In Honor of Black History Month

This past weekend, in honor of February’s Black History Month, I listened to a 2021 conversation with David Ikard, renowned professor of African American and Diaspora Studies at Vanderbilt University. Prof. Ikard’s work focuses on the idea that we need to view history accurately in order to learn from it. In this same vein, we need to examine honestly how Black neurodiverse children are diagnosed and supported in an effort to provide everyone their best care.

January 27, 2026

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How ADHD Affects Self Esteem

When one of my sons was very young and just starting school, he struggled … a lot. As a playful and friendly elementary school boy with ADHD and dyslexia, he couldn’t get the knack of sitting at a desk and reading quietly. Even harder than the constant classroom reprimand and redirection was the image he had of his brothers, who all seemed successful where he struggled. One night, he asked me tearily if perhaps he was adopted. He couldn’t possibly be related to the smart, disciplined boys he admired so reverently.

January 13, 2026

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Sleep Wisdom for the Weary

When my boys were very young, we went through one particularly challenging period when they were all up at night… every night. There was bed-wetting, hall wandering, night terrors, and night feedings. And yes, when I showed up at the bus stop those next mornings, my neighbors could see it had been yet another weary night. Recent multiple peer-reviewed studies have found a very high rate of sleep disorders among autistic and ADHD children, significantly higher than the typical population. So what’s happening, and perhaps more importantly, what’s a parent to do?

January 6, 2026

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From the Mouths of Babes

As we enter this new year, here are recommendations and suggestions for parenting our neurodiverse children – both young and old(ish) – that come directly from my four sons, each of whom fits under that great big umbrella of neurodiversity: • “Nurture Your Kids’ Interests” • “Practice What You Preach” • “Neurodivergent Kids Need to Stim” • “Little Things Matter”