84: How to Support Neurodivergent Teens Without Trying to "Fix" Them with Jamie Roberts
About this episode
This episode discusses how to support neurodivergent teens by fostering emotional safety rather than trying to fix their behavior.
When our kids are struggling, our natural instinct as parents is often to jump right into problem-solving mode . We want to push harder, structure tighter, or fix whatever is going wrong . But what if the more you try to fix, the less safe they actually feel on the inside? In this episode of the Communicate & Connect Podcast , I sit down with Jamie Roberts, a licensed marriage and family therapist and author who specializes in working with neurodivergent and neuroqueer teenagers . Jamie courageously shares her own journey as a late-diagnosed adult with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia, explaining how different life looks when a teen is met with curious connection instead of high-pressure compliance demands . We unpack the intense tug-and-pull of the teenage years—where kids crave independence but still deeply need to be taken care of . Jamie introduces the beautiful metaphor of "bowling alley bumpers" to describe healthy parental boundaries and explains how to shift from viewing a child's behavior as "defiance" to seeing it as a cry for nervous system regulation . Whether your teen has a formal diagnostic label or simply thinks a little outside the box, this episode will help you slow…
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