In It

Listen for expert advice on ways to get kids with learning and thinking differences to spend more time on their personal hygiene.

The hosts talk with an expert about helping kids — and yourself — feel prepared for going back to school.

Get advice, camaraderie, and more on new episodes of In It, a podcast on parenting kids who learn differently.

The hosts talk with an expert about helping kids maintain friendships — and social skills — when school is out.

The hosts share podcast recommendations for kids with learning and thinking differences.

Get tips for supporting gender-expansive kids with learning and thinking differences at home, in school, and with their peers.

Get tips and strategies for managing screen time when kids are off from school.

The hosts talk about how to get advice and support on social media, without sharing too much about our kids.

Learn about common reasons families might look for a special education attorney and what their other options are.

Learn ways to advocate for your child at school while maintaining a good relationship with their teachers.

The track and field gold medalist shares her story and talks about ADHD, dyslexia, and building confidence.

The hosts interview kids’ book author Lindsey Rowe Parker. She talks about her new picture book about sensory differences in kids.

Understanding what a language disorder means for your child can be overwhelming. Here’s help from an expert.

Talking with your child about their diagnosis of a learning and thinking difference can be tough. Get advice from an expert.

How can you manage the challenges of having one child who learns and thinks differently and one child who doesn’t? Get advice from an expert.

Any sibling relationship can be hard to manage. But what happens when one of the siblings has a learning or thinking difference? Here’s one mom’s story.

Overwhelmed by talking with your child’s pediatrician about ADHD or learning differences? These tips can help.

Tantrums and meltdowns are challenges all parents face. Get tips for projecting calm when kids and teens have tantrums.

A child’s learning or thinking difference can take any parent by surprise. One mom shares how her daughter’s diagnosis changed her parenting.

Puberty can be a challenging time for kids and their families. But what about if your child going through puberty has ADHD? 

What is assistive technology? And is it something your child could benefit from? Here’s what you need to know.

The sights, sounds, and smells of the holiday season can be a lot for some kids. Get expert tips for making the holidays more manageable.

Has your child ever been bullied? Or been the one doing the bullying? Find out what’s often behind bullying behavior and how you can help.

Has your child ever refused to go to school? In this episode, learn about common reasons for school refusal and what families can do about it.

Starting a new school year can be overwhelming, especially for kids who learn and think differently. Get tips for making it more manageable.

Join us for Season 5 of In It. Listen to the trailer to learn more.

In this bonus episode, Rachel Bozek and Gretchen Vierstra share summer reading recommendations and tips to encourage kids to read.

In this bonus episode, Rachel Bozek and Gretchen Vierstra share a few of their favorite moments from Season 4 of In It.

Summer break. Some families love it. Others dread it. No matter how you feel about summer, we’ve got hacks to help your family thrive.

The teen mental health crisis. How is it showing up in kids with learning and thinking differences? And what can we do about it?

Sending kids off to the adult world can feel both scary and exciting. How can families best support their kids who learn and think differently?

How do you decide if ADHD medication is right for your child? Hear one family’s journey and get answers to common questions about ADHD medication.

What if your child gets an ADHD diagnosis and you recognize the symptoms in yourself? Hear one mom’s story and get tips from a psychologist.

How can families prepare their kids who learn and think differently for life after high school? Get advice and tips from a high school counselor.

Many kids and teens go to TikTok for information on ADHD. But is everything they find on TikTok legit? How can we help our kids navigate TikTok?

Hosts Gretchen Vierstra and Rachel Bozek share listener stories of parenting fails — plus their own stories.

How do you discipline kids who have trouble with the skills they need to behave? What works for kids with ADHD? Get tips from an expert. 

Being a couple who’s “in it” can be challenging. Get ideas on how to connect from a marriage and family therapist.

Why is math so hard for some kids? And what can we do about it? Find out from a special education and math teacher.

Homework. It’s a source of battles in many families. But does it have to be? How can we make homework less stressful for everyone?

Impulsivity can be a big challenge for kids with ADHD. But it’s also something many kids struggle with. How can we help kids manage impulsive behavior?

Self-advocacy is important for thriving in school, at work, and in life. So how do we help kids build their self-advocacy muscles?

When kids have trouble learning to read, families may wonder about dyslexia. But what exactly is dyslexia? And what are the signs to look out for?

Many families worry about their kids’ social lives. But when your child has a learning difference, you might worry even more. Hear one mom’s story.

Kids who learn and think differently are more likely to be bullied than their peers. What can families do about bullying?

You have a ton of questions for your child’s teacher, but only 15 minutes to discuss them. How can you make the most of parent-teacher conferences? 

Get ready for more parenting stories and tips on Season 4 of In It! Listen to the trailer to find out what’s in store.

If your kid is a picky eater, you’re not alone. What’s behind picky eating? And should we even be calling it that?

Messy backpacks. Forgotten lunches. Missing assignments. How can we help our kids get organized this school year?

How do schools evaluate kids for special education? Season 1 of our new Understood Explains podcast answers these questions and more.

How do we react to the judgment of others when we’re raising kids who learn differently? And how do we handle our own judgment?

Summer is a great time for kids to fall in love with reading. How can we make summer reading fun for all kids — even those who don’t think of themselves as readers?

What unique challenges do single parents face when raising kids with learning differences? Hear from a single parent who’s “in it.” 

There are plenty of myths and misconceptions about learning differences. Let’s get the facts to debunk them. 

Summer camp is a tradition for many kids. But does summer camp work for kids who learn differently?

Many kids with ADHD have trouble with sleep. How can families help kids with ADHD get a good night’s sleep? 

What’s one way to empower kids who learn differently? Connect them with near-peer mentors who learn differently, too. 

Many schools across the country are lifting their mask mandates. How can we help our kids manage these changes?  

Kids of color who learn differently face unique challenges. One challenge is the “opportunity gap.” What is this gap? And what can we do about it? 

What’s it like to be on reality TV when you’ve got ADHD, dyslexia, and dyspraxia? Just ask Lizzie Acker from The Great British Baking Show.

How can we make learning joyful? How can we build schools that include and celebrate all kids, families, and communities? 

School refusal is real, and it’s trying to tell you something. But how do you figure out what that is?

Living in a pandemic is hard. With the latest surge in COVID-19 cases, it feels even harder. How do we start off yet another year in a pandemic?

What does it mean to thrive? And how can we help our kids become thrivers? 

Many kids and teens love to play video games. Are there benefits or risks to playing video games for kids who learn differently?

The holidays can be a stressful time for families with kids who learn differently. How can families do more than just make it through the holidays?

Being an anxious kid has its challenges. But what happens when that anxious kid grows up to be a parent? 

What’s an IEP? And why are there so many confusing acronyms in special education? Hear answers to common questions about IEPs and more.

With most kids back in classrooms this year, many parents of kids who learn differently are worried that their kids are behind. But are they?

The term “neurodiversity” seems to be everywhere right now. But what exactly does it mean? And how does it apply to kids who learn and think differently?

Signs of ADHD can pop up for kids — and adults — in unexpected, emotional, and even funny ways. But sometimes there’s a single moment when it clicks.

Teacher Kara Ball shares what school was like for her as a student with dyslexia and dyscalculia, and how that experience shapes her work today.

We’ve all seen it — a child falling apart in a store or at the park. In these moments, people often assume they’re seeing a tantrum. But it might be a meltdown.

What are the unique challenges Black families face when it comes to having kids with ADHD? What does it feel like to not see your family reflected in any of the resources designed to help?

In an article for the New York Times, Andrew Solomon wrote, “The fact that you wouldn’t have chosen something doesn’t mean you can’t find joyful meaning in it.”

ADHD is just as common in girls as it is in boys. So why are girls diagnosed less often? And why do signs of ADHD in girls tend to get overlooked?

Parents rarely admit it, but sometimes our kids are hard to like. If you’ve thought this before, know you’re not alone.

Is it ever OK to let your child fail? It can be difficult to see your child try something and fail. But sometimes FAIL stands for “First Attempt At Learning.”

What’s it like to be a dad who’s “in it”? In this episode, hosts Amanda Morin and Bob Cunningham take a moment to hear from and celebrate dads of kids who learn and think differently.

Meeting the needs of kids with learning and thinking differences can be a lot. Add giftedness into the equation, and parenting takes on a whole additional dimension.

When it’s time to split a bill or calculate a tip, lots of people confess to “not being a math person.” But when does struggling with math mean something more?

Who do you tell about your child’s learning and thinking differences? When? Does the explanation depend on the situation? And how are you preparing your child to own those ongoing disclosure decisions?

Most of us can remember having to read out loud in class in school at some point. Maybe we felt shy or uncomfortable. But for the many students with reading issues like dyslexia, this experience can be downright scary. (No wonder they may conveniently opt for the bathroom pass during their turn.)

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about ADHD. The biggest (and perhaps most hurtful) myth of all? That it’s not a “real” condition.

Anyone who’s ever sat in on an IEP meeting can confirm: When parents and teachers meet to discuss the needs of a child who’s struggling in school, emotions tend to run high.