Podcast
TILT Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
Hosted by Debbie Reber · EN
Feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of raising a neurodivergent child? Tilt Parenting is here to help. Hosted by parenting activist and author Debbie Reber, this podcast is your go-to resource for navigating life with ADHD, autism, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), giftedness, and twice-exceptional (2e) kids. With expert interviews and candid conversations, you'll discover practical solutions for things like school challenges and refusal, therapy options, and fostering inclusion, social struggles, advocacy, intense behavior, and more — all through a strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming lens. Whether you're struggling with advocating for your child at school or seeking ways to better support their unique needs, Debbie offers the guidance and encouragement you need to reduce overwhelm and create a thriving, joyful family environment. It's like sitting down with a trusted friend who gets it. You’ve got this, and we’ve got your back!
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Dr. Ross Greene on the Kids Who Aren’t Okay
Feb 2500:35:31Tap to summarizeDr. Ross Greene’s work has profoundly shaped how so many of us think about kids’ behavior and what they actually need from the adults in their lives, so I’m thrilled to welcome him back to the show to talk about his brand new book, The Kids Who Aren’t Okay: The Urgent Case for Reimagining Support, Belonging, and Hope in Schools. Together, we explore the urgent need to reimagine how we support children in schools, especially as mental health concerns continue to rise. We dig into the importance of recognizing developmental variability, why meeting kids where they are is non-negotiable, and how current behavior-focused systems miss the real problems underneath. Ross also highlights the role parents and caregivers can play in advocating for meaningful change.
Transcribe →Laura Key on ADHD Aha Moments, Parenting, and Burnout
Feb 2500:31:27Tap to summarizeToday’s conversation is a candid, honest look at what it’s really like to parent while navigating ADHD yourself. My guest is Laura Key, Vice President of Content Strategy at Understood.org and the host of the award-winning ADHD Aha! podcast. Laura was diagnosed with ADHD at 30, and she brings both professional insight and lived experience to this conversation as a mom raising two neurodivergent kids. Laura and I talk about the emotional labor so many mothers carry, the unique challenges parents with ADHD face, and why self-compassion is not optional—it’s essential. We dig into shame, burnout (both the quiet, everyday kind and the big, overwhelming kind), communication with partners, and the pressure that can come with framing ADHD as a “superpower.” This episode is an honest exploration of the joys and struggles of parenting with ADHD, and a reminder that you’re not alone in any of it.
Transcribe →Debbie Reber on Restoring, Recharging & “Me Time”
Feb 1800:18:16Tap to summarizeIn this Parent Lean-In episode, Debbie answers a listener’s question about how she restores, recharges, and makes time for herself while balancing parenting her neurodivergent child and running Tilt Parenting. She shares her best practices and ideas for prioritizing activities and ways of processing emotions that support overall well-being and filling her emotional and energetic reserves.
Transcribe →Fostering Neurodiversity Affirming Schools, with Amanda Morin & Emily Kircher-Morris
Feb 1800:46:24Tap to summarizeToday we’re diving into a topic that’s not just timely but that can transform education for all students: creating neurodiversity-affirming schools. Joining me to share their vision for what’s possible in education are two extraordinary advocates and experts, Amanda Morin and Emily Kircher-Morris who have collaborated on a wonderful new book on the topic, just out today in fact, Neurodiversity Affirming Schools: Transforming Practices So All Students Feel Accepted & Supported.In today’s episode, we explored why embracing neurodiversity in schools benefits every student, not just those with IEPs. Amanda and Emily unpacked the barriers to change in education, including stigma and fear, and introduce how strategies like Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can be used to create inclusive classrooms. We also discussed the Neurodiversity Affirming Teacher’s Compact, a framework for educators to embrace diverse learning needs, and finally, the importance of fostering self-advocacy skills in neurodivergent students. As you’ll hear in the conversation, this is not about calling teachers and schools out, it’s about calling them in and working together to make education serve each individual student. Enjoy this conversation with Emily Kircher-Morris and Amanda Morin.
Transcribe →How Can I Prepare My Child for the Transition to Middle School?
Feb 1800:19:45Tap to summarizeIn this episode featuring a listener question, executive function coach Seth Perler joins Debbie to discuss how to prepare a fifth grader for the transition to middle school. They emphasize the importance of proactive planning and open communication with the child, provide strategies such as creating a study space, using calendars and planners, touring the school, setting up meetings with teachers, and decluttering and organizing, and discuss the possibility of homeschooling certain subjects.
Transcribe →How Can I Take Care of Myself While Raising Explosive Children?
Feb 1800:19:37Tap to summarizeIn this Parent Lean in episode, Margaret and I answer the following question from a listener:I’m a single parent, neurodivergent myself and in burnout. I’m trying to manage my two neurodivergent kids following a divorce from their much beloved but profoundly limited ex -husband. I’m trying to create a safe, stable household and support my own fragile mental health and grief while working full -time. Self -care sounds great and whereas I understand deeply that it’s the only way forward, it feels impossible. (Context: Two children, ages 9 and 11 year old. They take out their anger on each other and the household feels explosive.)
Transcribe →Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart on Transforming Conflict with Our Teens
Feb 1800:39:08Tap to summarizeToday we’re talking about one of my favorite topics — what it really means to connect, collaborate, and let go of control as our kids grow into themselves as they enter the transformative teen years. My guest is Dr. Ann-Louise Lockhart, a pediatric psychologist and parent coach who helps overwhelmed parents raise confident, emotionally healthy kids and teens, and the author of the brand new book, Love the Teen You Have: A Practical Guide to Transforming Conflict Into Connection. In our conversation, Ann-Louise shares insights from her book and offers a powerful reframing of what it means to parent through the teen years. We talk about shifting from control to curiosity—especially when raising neurodivergent kids—along with individuation, cognitive dissonance, and why living a fulfilling life as a parent is one of the best ways to model healthy behaviors for our teens. She also reminds us that it’s never too late to repair, reconnect, and love the teen we have right now.
Transcribe →Dr. Emily Kline Explains Motivational Interviewing
Feb 1800:39:14Tap to summarizeThis is a fascinating conversation about a straightforward and powerful tool for communication with our kids, especially if we’re stuck in conflict cycles over differing needs. Clinical psychologist Dr. Emily Kline join me for a deep dive into motivational interviewing—an approach to communication that helps parents move from fixing and convincing to connecting and collaborating. We talk about how to have hard conversations (think: hygiene, responsibility, and independence) in a way that respects our kids’ autonomy and actually opens the door to change.
Transcribe →Dr. Robyn Koslowitz on Post-Traumatic Parenting
Feb 1800:40:34Tap to summarizeToday we’re diving into the ways our own trauma can shape how we show up as parents, and how we can begin to break those inherited cycles with Dr. Robyn Koslowitz, a clinical child psychologist, trauma treatment expert, and author of Post-Traumatic Parenting: Break the Cycle, Become the Parent You Always Wanted to Be. In our conversation, Robyn shares insights from her book, including the concept of “secret ACEs,” the “trauma app” that can override our instincts, and the different subtypes of post-traumatic parenting. We also talk about how to recognize our triggers, the importance of self-care, and the role of the inner child in this work. Robyn’s approach blends research, clinical wisdom, and lived experience, and she offers practical hacks for navigating the challenges of parenting when trauma is part of our story.
Transcribe →Maggie Dent on How to Parent, Love & Support Today’s Teens
Feb 1800:41:57Tap to summarizeIn this powerful conversation, I’m joined by beloved Australian parenting expert and author Maggie Dent to explore what it really takes to raise resilient, emotionally healthy teens in today’s ever-changing world. Drawing on her experiences as a high school teacher, mother of four boys, and trusted voice in the parenting space, Maggie shares practical, compassionate guidance for navigating adolescence with insight, humor, and heart. We dive into the realities of the teenage brain, how the digital age is reshaping childhood, and why curiosity, connection, and unconditional love are more important than ever in building strong, supportive relationships with our kids.
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