One day they can do it. They get dressed. They brush their teeth. They transition out the door with minimal fuss. And you think, “Okay… we’ve turned a corner.” Then the next day? Shoes are a no. Teeth are a battle. Getting dressed somehow becomes a full-body protest. And you’re left thinking:“But you can do this… you literally did it yesterday?” Let’s gently reframe that. This isn’t inconsistency. This is a nervous system. Skills vs Capacity (They’re Not the Same) Just becau

“Are you neuroaffirming?” It’s a question I get asked more and more, and honestly, I love that families are asking it. But here’s the tricky part. “Neuroaffirming” has become one of those words that gets used a lot… and explained very little. It’s not a vibe. It’s not just being kind. It’s not lowering expectations. And it’s definitely not “letting kids do whatever they want.” So let’s talk about what it actually means, and what it looks like inside occupational therapy sessi

A new grad recently told a parent, “He got to choose today, so next week it’ll be my choice.”And my whole nervous system just screamed: nope! Not because they meant any harm. They were trying to teach flexibility and fairness but because this approach misses a vital truth: compromise is a developmental skill, not a moral expectation. And for neurodivergent kids, especially those with PDA profiles or anxiety, it’s a skill that comes much later, once they feel consistently safe

A parent said to me recently, “You’ve got a neurodiverse child, how do you seem so put together?” I actually laughed. Like, out loud. The...