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Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that helps twice-exceptional & differently-wired students to feel seen, nurtured, and happy as heck through strength-based courses, camps, and community!
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Whether you're a parent, educator, or simply passionate about supporting neurodivergent learners, this blog is your go-to resource for all things related to strength-based education and fostering a community of belonging.
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Finding Your Tribe: A Family’s Journey From Isolation To Inspiration
As a parent of a 2e child, finding a place where both my son and I could feel truly supported was a struggle. Traditional environments just didn’t offer the space for him to be himself, and I felt isolated in my journey. But when we found Young Scholars Academy, everything changed—not just for my son, but for me, too. YSA became a place where my son could thrive alongside other kids who "get it," and where I connected with a supportive community of parents who truly understand the challenges of raising a 2e child. In this blog, I’ll share how YSA has become a home for both of us—a place where we’ve found not only acceptance but a true sense of belonging
What a Virtual Birthday Party Taught Me About Connection
What can a virtual birthday party teach us about connection? For Oliver, a boy who once felt isolated, it was life-changing. Thanks to Young Scholars Academy, he found a community of kids who truly get him, turning his struggles into triumphs. This story is a testament to the power of belonging. If your child needs their own transformation, join our upcoming open house and discover the magic.
Neuro-Affirming Resources for Twice-Exceptional (2e) & Gifted Kids: A Guide for Families in the Greater New York City Area
Finding the right support for your 2e or gifted child can be overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. This guide offers essential resources in the Greater New York City area to help your child and family thrive. From expert therapists to specialized schools, discover the neuro-affirming professionals and programs that can make all the difference.
When the World Wasn’t Built for Your Child: Finding Strength and Hope
This week, parents have been sharing their worries about the challenges faced by our twice-exceptional (2e) kids. It’s a tough time, but amidst the concerns, there’s a powerful message of hope and resilience. Let’s look at how we can support our incredible kids and advocate for the inclusive spaces they deserve. Together, we can celebrate their uniqueness and foster environments where they truly thrive!
Small is All: Embracing a New Mindset as Parents of 2e Kids
In today’s fast-paced, “go-big-or-go-home” society, it’s easy as parents to feel overwhelmed by the emphasis placed on our children’s achievement and success. This pressure is particularly acute for parents of twice-exceptional (2e) children, as we are constantly bombarded with deficit-based narratives about our kids—daily calls from schools regarding behavior, discussions about unmet IEP goals, and the feeling of constant negativity surrounding our children’s ability to meet expectations.
Like many parents, I find this constant commentary about what my child “can't do”, “isn't doing”, and “should be able to do by now” debilitating. This deficit-based narrative is dangerous because it often impacts our perception of ourselves as parents. It can leave us feeling inadequate and like failures. Even worse, we may also start seeing our children through this deficit-based lens.
But what if we empowered ourselves to change our mindset?
What if…
Rethinking Parenting Approaches For PDA Children
Parenting a child with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) can feel isolating and challenging, especially as traditional approaches often miss the mark. If you’re raising a child with a PDA profile, this article offers a fresh perspective—one centered on empathy, collaboration, and flexibility.
Through personal insights and actionable tips, you’ll explore how small adjustments can create a more harmonious home life and help your child thrive. From reducing the pressure of daily routines to prioritizing self-care, this guide will empower you to transform struggles into strengths for both you and your child.
Transform Your Child’s School Year with a Strength-Based Approach
Are you ready to transform your neurodivergent child’s school year and set them on a path to success? A strength-based approach can do just that. Instead of focusing on challenges, this method shifts attention to your child’s unique talents and strengths, empowering them to thrive academically and socially.
This article dives into the science behind why focusing on strengths can improve your child’s mental health and academic performance. Learn actionable steps to implement this approach and discover how it will positively change your family’s outlook on education and personal growth.
New Gallup Poll Paints a Bleak Picture of Education—Have A Student At Risk?
A new Gallup poll reveals alarming statistics about Gen Z students’ lack of engagement and challenge in school.
Discover why traditional education is failing and how Young Scholars Academy offers a solution for your child’s success.
Back-to-School Success: Executive Function Tips with Seth Perler
Join Seth Perler at Young Scholars Academy for expert tips on boosting executive function in twice-exceptional and differently-wired students.
Discover strategies, resources, and mindsets to help your child thrive this school year.
Get in-depth advice and support. Watch now and transform your child’s learning journey!
Finding Heroes in the Cubing Community: Importance Of Neurodivergent Mentors For Your Child
Who are your child’s heroes? What adults do they see as examples of the possibilities in their future? Speedcubing, or the hobby of solving twisty puzzles like the Rubik’s Cube, is a gold mine of twice-exceptional adults and peers. Solving the cube alone gave me confidence that I could do hard things and as I joined the community. Through virtual competitions, discussion boards, and meet-ups I looked around the room and saw people like me. I met people who were going to college, exploring their passions, starting businesses, and who had support needs and challenges like mine. Speedcubing wasn’t the only place I found my people, as I grew, I’d find them in card shops, hockey rinks, and video game servers, but it was the first and maybe it’ll be the first for your child too.
Breaking Up With Public School And Finding A School That Fits
Finding the right fit for a twice-exceptional student can feel like ordering clothes from Wish. Everything looks really good online, but then never fits in all the right places. They may have a great program for reading, but it comes at the cost of child autonomy. T
“I Don’t Know My Passion” Unlocking Your Child’s Passion With Talent
Is your child struggling to find their passion or unsure about what they want to do in the future? You’re not alone. Many parents face the challenge of helping their children discover what truly excites them. What if the key to unlocking their potential lies not in directly searching for passion, but in nurturing their inherent talents first?
Discovering one’s passion often feels like a monumental task, especially for twice-exceptional children. They might have unique asynchronies that make finding a single interest overwhelming. However, understanding that talent often comes before passion can change everything
Unraveling Child Struggles Beyond Observation with Dr. Karen Wilson
Unlock the potential of differently-wired learners with insights from Dr. Karen Wilson, Clinical Neuropsychologist, as she uncovers essential strategies for ensuring their success.
Learn about:
Root Cause Understanding: Delve deeper into why children struggle instead of merely observing.
Validation and Communication: Validate concerns and communicate with teachers to gain insights.
Observation to Intervention: Pause before intervening; validate, understand, and consider
Letting Go: Parenting 2e Kids With Freedom, Flexibility, and Autonomy
Parenting is amazing and wonderful and hard. It is almost never what we think it will be. Having neurodivergent kids can make the journey even more adventurous because there are few guideposts for their spikey profiles. The social scripting that we were given by our families almost never fits our kids.
Our 2e children often meet growth metrics in very different ways. They can be light years ahead in some places, and seemingly behind in others. They are asynchronous with the world around them, and as parents, we have to develop asynchronous support strategies.
You may have a 12 year old that can do calculus, but can’t tie their shoes. Or perhaps you have a 6 year old going through an existential crisis about the sun blowing up, but they still need their favorite stuffed unicorn at night. Few parenting books talk about…
Lessons From The River Nile
Sending you an email from a boat on the River Nile in Egypt.
As we sail down this sacred, life-giving river, I can't help but contemplate ancient civilizations, present-day cultures, and humanity, at large.
As the sun drops below the tree line, I'm sipping date juice, hearing the call to prayer ring out from the minarets as it echos off the banks of the river, all while the ever-changing fragrance from the vegetation shifts with every gust of the warm Sahara winds.
As we drift along, red and white sail thrown to the wind, my mind keeps going back to our little virtual village.
The River Nile was, and is, a source of…
Deliberate Practice – Growing as a Parent
This is all well and good for learning a musical instrument or growing in a new field, but how does deliberate practice look for families and parents? While parenting may not come with a manual, it does come with a mountain of expectations and familial and social scripts. Many parents when they find out they are expecting read all of the books, but then once that child arrives, much of that information goes out the window. So, how do we get better?
Intentionally Opening the World of Twice Exceptionality for Culturally Diverse Learners
Several years ago, as I continued to engage with school leaders and advocates to close the gaps in gifted education services, particularly as related to meeting the needs of our most underserved populations, I discovered another population of students that was gravely underserved in gifted and advanced learner services.
This discovery came about from multiple contexts, including but not limited to—conversations with colleagues and culturally diverse parents, meetings with school personnel, a review of the literature, and continuously keeping track of online services that were erupting across the nation designed to draw attention to the needs of twice-exceptional learners.
Across all these groups what became evident was that once again, culturally diverse learners—in particular Black, Brown, and low-income gifted learners were being overlooked. As a lifetime advocate and scholar representing underrepresented gifted learners, I felt compelled to speak up.
Your Child’s Big Leap: A Framework For Unleashing Your Kiddo’s Strengths
Is your child a vibrant ray of sunshine in your world, radiating unique interests, creativity, and curiosity at home, but seems to be dimmed by the demands of school and other “social norms”?
Much of life can have both us and our kiddos wondering, "What am I doing wrong?
Let’s be clear, it doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with you or your child! Quite the contrary…
The problem that you’re facing is simply a challenge of alignment- your kiddo may be out of alignment with their strengths and the tasks that they’re being asked to do.
Would you like to know how to help your kiddo break free from this cycle? It starts by….
Creating Healthy Family Scripts When There’s No Manual
What do you do when your parent’s advice for raising your neurodivergent kiddo doesn’t work?
We learn a lot of things from our parents. We develop familial scripts, ways of talking and connecting that are often generational and unique to a family. Have you ever had the words your parents said to you fall out of your mouth?
What happens, though, when these scripts no longer work? We learn many things from our families, but even in the best of circumstances, what we learn may not fit the situation we have. We may not follow the cultural life scripts of our families. We may have children that no previous family script prepares us for.
Creating A Strength-Based Life With Intentions, Not Resolutions
Happy New Year! For many people, the new year means a chance to create a resolution. The thing is, resolutions can often include a lot of shame.
Intentions, on the other hand, are built on affirmations and goals. Instead of making a resolution this year, I invite you to set intentions around building strength-based opportunities in your child’s life.
Here are a few tips on setting intentions:
1. Focus on the present. When setting intentions, framing the intention in the present tense is important. Doing things you already believe you can do is way easier than trying to achieve something in which you doubt yourself...
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