In this conversation, Tanya and Elen delve into the concepts of interoception and neuroception, exploring how these senses impact our understanding of bodily signals and emotional responses. They discuss the importance of recognizing and responding to internal cues for self-regulation, particularly in neurodivergent individuals. The conversation also highlights the significance of creating safe environments and understanding survival responses, such as fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. Finally, they emphasize the need to find glimmers of joy in everyday life to support emotional well-being and resilience.

• Interoception is our sense of what's happening inside our body.
• Neuroception is our sense of safety and danger.
• Everyone has sensory systems, and understanding them is crucial.
• Self-regulation starts with noticing internal sensations.
• Not everyone receives interoceptive messages reliably.
• Children may struggle with recognizing bodily cues due to various factors.
• Trauma can impact one's ability to sense internal messages.
• Finding glimmers of joy can enhance emotional resilience.
• Practicing self-regulation strategies when calm is more effective.
• Understanding survival responses helps in supporting children.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Overview

03:12 Understanding Interoception and Neuroception

06:36 The Impact of Interoception on Daily Activities

14:29 Challenges and Variations in Interoception

19:13 Being Trauma-Informed in Interoception Work

27:27 Strategies for Developing Interoception Awareness

40:23 Supporting Children in Using Self-Regulation Strategies

50:00 Understanding Neuroception: Our Sense of Safety and Danger

55:41 The Different Threat Responses: Mobilization and Immobilization

01:13:37 Signaling Safety to Children: Tuning into Glimmers and Moments of Joy

You can connect with Elen Nathan here:

Website: https://theplayfulplace.co.nz/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePlayfulPlace

⁠⁠Click here to find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠⁠⁠

If you would like to join the conversation by being a guest on the show, please email Tanya at tanya@tanyavalentin.com.

Aleesha White, founder of Moody, shares her journey of supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families.

She discusses the challenges she faced as a high school student with seizures and her subsequent passion for helping neurodivergent people.

Aleesha emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive opportunities and supporting neurodivergent individuals outside of the traditional classroom environment.

She also highlights the need for neuro-affirming strategies in education and offers advice for educators and parents. Moody aims to provide a supportive platform for teachers, students, and parents on their neurodiverse journey.

What we chatted about on the show:

• Supporting neurodivergent students requires creating inclusive opportunities and focusing on their well-being and mental health.
• Neurodivergent students may face challenges in traditional classroom environments, and it is important to provide support outside of the curriculum.
• Teachers can make a positive impact by modifying and differentiating their teaching strategies to meet the needs of neurodivergent students.
• Parents can advocate for their neurodivergent children by establishing open communication with teachers and sharing concerns and successes.
• Moody aims to provide a supportive platform for teachers, students, and parents, offering resources and strategies for the neurodiverse community.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Aleesha White and Moody

01:27 Creating Inclusive Opportunities for Neurodivergent Individuals

04:17 Supporting Neurodivergent Students Outside of the Classroom

09:06 Neuro-Affirming Strategies for Educators

16:10 Advocating for Neurodivergent Children: Tips for Parents

22:47 Moody: A Supportive Platform for the Neurodiverse Community

Connect with Aleesha:

Free guide: empowering parents of neurodivergent children https://moody.myflodesk.com Instagram @themoodydifference

The full transcript for this episode is available HERE

Find out more about The Neurodivergent Family Toolbox

For many parents of neurodivergent children, bedtime is one of the hardest and most stressful times of the day. If this is true for you and your family, you're not alone, as many neurodivergent individuals find sleep challenging.

In this episode, I chat with Laura Hellfeld, neurodivergent nurse and sleep consultant.

Here are some of the topics we discussed:

• Changing the paradigm from traditional parenting perspectives on sleep and bedtime to a more connection-oriented approach.
• Helpful insights to support parents at bedtime.
• Giving yourself permission to listen to your child and your intuition and take the road of least resistance at bedtime.

To Follow Laura’s Work

⁠Facebook⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

⁠LinkedIn⁠

⁠Webpage⁠

Resources

⁠Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People paperback⁠

⁠Creating Safe Spaces for Autistic People Ebook⁠

⁠Autistic Revolution online magazine⁠

⁠Find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox⁠