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Neurodiversity Podcast

Neurodiversity Podcast

By: Emily Kircher-Morris
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The Neurodiversity Podcast talks with leaders in the fields of psychology, education, and beyond, about positively impacting neurodivergent people. Our goal is to reframe differences that were once considered disabilities or disorders, promote awareness of this unique population, and improve the lives of neurodivergent and high-ability people.2026 Neurodiversity Alliance Hygiene & Healthy Living Parenting & Families Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Relationships
Episodes
  • The Rewards and Punishment Paradox with Alfie Kohn

    The Rewards and Punishment Paradox with Alfie Kohn
    Jun 17 2026
    Within traditional educational and parenting paradigms, behaviorist strategies such as token economies, behavior color charts, and positive reinforcement models are frequently treated as standard mechanisms for human development. However, these compliance-driven metrics often collapse under long-term evaluation, obscuring the critical psychological friction they introduce. Alfie Kohn, a prominent educational theorist and author of Punished by Rewards, joins the program to systematically critique the reliance on traditional behavioral modification systems, including school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS). Emily and Alfie break down the critical neurodivergent intersections of these models, explore the hidden psychological cost of praise, and discuss ways of shifting focus away from surface-level behavior modification and toward the collaborative cultivation of student-led problem-solving. TAKEAWAYS Behaviorist interventions like rewards and punishments function as temporary methods of external control rather than sustainable catalysts for authentic development. Extrinsic rewards actively diminish intrinsic motivation by shifting focus away from the task itself and toward the acquisition of the reward. Conditional rewards and continuous verbal praise implicitly communicates that fundamental human worth is tethered to performance and utility. Applied behavioral modification techniques often target observable surface actions while systematically ignoring the underlying physical, emotional, and sensory needs driving those behaviors. Cultivating a child's authentic self-regulation requires shifting from unilateral adult control to active, collaborative decision-making processes. Check out our continuing education courses for educators through our online platform, the Neurodiversity University! Find them here and here. Alfie Kohn is a prominent author, lecturer, and progressive education advocate whose work challenges traditional frameworks in schooling, parenting, and human behavior. He holds a bachelor's degree from Brown University and a master's degree from the University of Chicago. He has authored 14 books, including seminal titles such as Punished by Rewards, The Schools Our Children Deserve, Unconditional Parenting, and The Myth of the Spoiled Child. Described by Time magazine as perhaps the country's most outspoken critic of education's fixation on grades and test scores, Kohn's insights have significantly shaped the practices of educators, parents, and managers worldwide. His work has been profiled in major publications like the Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times, and he has been featured on hundreds of TV and radio programs, including The Today Show and two appearances on Oprah. Based in the Boston area, Kohn lectures extensively at universities, national education conferences, and parent organizations while maintaining his comprehensive digital archive at alfiekohn.org. BACKGROUND READING Alfie's books, website, Twitter/X The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.
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    32 mins
  • Educator Burnout: Why "Remember Your Why" Isn't Enough

    Educator Burnout: Why "Remember Your Why" Isn't Enough
    Jun 12 2026

    The high statistical prevalence of burnout in the education system has moved past the realm of speculation and into undeniable systemic reality. While modern teacher preparation programs provide good technical training, they consistently fail to equip people with the emotional tools required to withstand chronic occupational stress. Katrina G. Huels, an educational consultant, former special education leader, and author of Transformational Tools for Special Educators, joins Emily to talk about the cumulative emotional load of behavior management, chronic staffing shortages, and high administrative demands. They outline practical micro-interventions, and reframe emotional intelligence not as a passive wellness trend, but as a critical, evidence-based instructional skill set.

    TAKEAWAYS

    • Educator burnout frequently leads to detachment from instructional purpose, high absenteeism, and significant early-career retention deficits.

    • Teacher preparation and district professional development programs rarely include formal training on managing chronic physiological stress and emotional fatigue.

    • Shifting an educator's baseline out of a chronic survival state requires self-awareness, self-regulation, and internal motivation.

    • Integrating brief, structured regulatory check-ins into existing daily routines helps prevent acute stress responses from overriding clear situational analysis.

    • Sustained district-wide improvements in school culture and collaboration starts at the top, in administration.

    Check out our continuing education courses for educators through our online platform, the Neurodiversity University! Find them here and here.

    Katrina G. Huels is an educational consultant and former special education leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning classrooms, specialized programs, and district leadership. Her work focuses on helping educators sustain both their effectiveness and well-being in one of the most emotionally demanding areas of education.

    Drawing on her background in psychology, neuroscience-informed practice, and educational leadership, Katrina translates research into practical, real-world tools educators can use throughout the school day. Her work emphasizes emotional intelligence, neuroplasticity, and professional resilience. She is the author of Transformational Tools for Special Educators: How to Beat Burnout and Become the Best at What You Do and The Motivation Toolkit: Cultivate Your Inner Drive.

    BACKGROUND READING

    Katrina's website, Instagram

    The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com

    If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.
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    36 mins
  • Deconstructing Gifted Burnout

    Deconstructing Gifted Burnout
    Jun 2 2026
    When highly capable children spend years cruising through an educational system where academic rigor is geared toward the average, they fail to develop the neurological muscles required to process difficulty. This week, we present an encore chat with Dr. Brian Housand, coordinator of the academically or intellectually gifted program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Andi McNair, a gifted education author and digital innovation specialist. They discuss how burnout can be a result of long-term exposure to unrealistic expectations and a profound fear of failure, and how it can also manifest in a sort of imposter phenomenon among high-ability learners. They explain why teachers and parents should resist the urge to rescue high-ability kids from cognitive discomfort, instead allowing space for productive struggle. TAKEAWAYS Equating intelligence with "quick and easy" creates a highly fragile academic identity that collapses the moment a learner encounters an authentic cognitive challenge. The feeling of ineffectiveness that comes with burnout often stems from an internalized need for external validation. Depriving high-ability students of productive struggle prevents them from building coping mechanisms and adaptive emotional resilience. High-ability learners sometimes experience a profound sense of isolation, which can be minimized by structuring shared spaces to foster a sense of universality. Gifted burnout in adults sometimes signals an unidentified twice-exceptional presentation, where early compensation strategies have finally been overwhelmed by adult executive demands. Perfectionism can be difficult to identify in therapy, and once identified, still very difficult to overcome. If you're a mental health professional, join us for Overcoming Perfectionism in Therapy: Supporting Neurodivergent Clients Who Keep Moving the Finish Line. Matt Zakreski will present this 1.5 hour continuing education course this Friday, June 5th at 1:00 pm Central, and if you can't join us live, that's okay. The video will be available afterward for anyone who registers, and either version is APA and NBCC approved for 1.5 hours of continuing education credit. Register now or learn more at this link, or just go to neurodiversity.university. Dr. Brian Housand is the coordinator of the Academically or Intellectually Gifted program at University of North Carolina Wilmington, and creator of Gifted360.com. He is also a published author and speaker, and has worked in education as a classroom teacher, gifted ed teacher, and university professor for over 20 years. Andi McNair is a passionate educator, author and speaker. Andi taught in the gen-ed classroom for 16 years, and then switched to serving gifted learners where she found her calling. She enjoys sharing her passion for innovative education through her books for educators, speaking nationally, and finding meaningful ways to use technology. Andi currently works as the Digital Innovation Specialist in a Waco, Texas school district. BACKGROUND READING Brian Housand's website, BH Facebook, BH Twitter/X, BH Instagram Andi McNair's website, AM Facebook, AM Twitter/X, AM Instagram The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.
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    37 mins
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Wow! I’m so grateful for these riveting podcasts with people who are specialised in this subject. I’m at the beginning of understanding this topic, desperately wanting to understand more because I have family members who are neurodiverse, and I’m neurotypical.

Absolutely riveting!

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