Has your child recently been diagnosed with a learning disability, attention deficit disorder, or autism spectrum?

Have you been parenting a child with one of these conditions for awhile, but you’re still feeling overwhelmed?

Do you wish you had more resources available to help you deal with the emotional and day-to-day struggles that come along with parenting these wonderful, crazy-making, difficult, astonishing, one-of-a-kind kids?

I’m here to be that resource for you. As a licensed psychologist who specializes in pediatric neuropsychology and special education, for over 20 years, I’ve evaluated and worked with children who have learning disabilities, attention deficit disorders, autism spectrum, and are otherwise unusual. I also assess kids who have no obvious learning condition, but who just seem quirky or different. I’ve come to think of all of these children as being in their own special category, which I call “atypical.”

Through these years of clinical experience, I’ve become all too familiar with the challenges faced by parents of atypical kids. I know that you take your responsibility of guiding your child through a maze of treatment plans seriously, so you can find the best possible care and opportunities.

But I also know that caring for yourself and your own emotions is an important part of making you an effective advocate for your child. My therapeutic approach is geared toward both parents and children, because I’ve found that the parents’ attitude toward the child is critical to that child’s wellbeing — both now and in the future.

And that’s why I’ve started Positively Atypical, a blog dedicated to helping you as a parent take care of your emotional health so you can better focus on your child’s needs. I’m also hard at work on a book titled “Resetting Normal: A Guide for Parents of Atypical Children,” which focuses on parents’ emotional challenges as they raise children with learning or behavior disorders.

My goal is to help you and your family weather the difficult ups and downs of life with an atypical kid.

Thanks for visiting, and please don’t hesitate to let me know about your own challenges, and what you’d like me to address here on the blog.

You can learn more about me and my work at my website.