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GETTING REEL


Strengthening Executive Functioning at Home
Having a kiddo with lagging executive function skills can make parents feel panicked. But we parents are uniquely well-positioned to help.


You Don't Have to Do it All! Valid Reasons for Saying “No”
Lital encouraged parents to slow down when deciding which services and therapies are truly the best fit for their child and family.
Reduce Power Struggles With Your 2e Kid
Danika Maddocks will explain why power struggles are so common with twice-exceptional kids and she’ll help you approach these dynamics from a new perspective. She’ll share three powerful, practical strategies to prevent and defuse power struggles - plus real-life examples to help you apply these strategies to your particular family situation.


Sensory Challenges and Masking
This presentation will outline the relevant neuropsychological differences between neurotypical and neurodivergent learners and how those differences manifest in and outside of the classroom. We will also connect sensory needs to masking behavior and explore ways to that impact. Lastly, we will talk about ways to manage sensory needs in different environments, with an emphasis on doing so safely.


Video: Integrating Neurodivergent Strengths at School
Understanding, honoring, and integrating the interest and strengths of 2e learners is paramount to their well-being, and yet so rarely considered in the educational context. How can parents work with their child's school to encourage strength-based approaches, whether that be in a teacher conference, the IEP process, or other conversations? Join us for this special Neurodiversity Celebration Week lunchtime meetup with Dr. Jade Rivera, Director of the Strength-Based Assessment


2e Emotional Regulation
Emily will break down the 4-step process of emotional regulation so we can help our kids who are "a little bit extra" find healthy ways to manage their emotions.


The Power of Mentorship for 2e Learners
We were joined by Curious Cardinals (@curiouscardinals7363 to learn how mentorship helps students discover their full potential and explore their passions through interest-based learning. Twice-exceptional and neurodivergent learners can explore, learn, and grow with mentors who also have high abilities and learning challenges, in a truly inclusive and supportive environment with someone who finally “gets” them


2e & Executive Functioning
in this talk our panelists focused on planning and prioritizing, task initiation, and organization. Experts Sam Young, Marcie Habell, and Mason Tudor provided tips on how to support your 2e student through a strength-based lens, including what accommodations to ask for at school as well as strategies for tackling tasks such as homework, note taking, project planning, task management, and goal setting.


Key Take-Aways from REEL’s 4th Annual Private School Panel
REEL hosted its fourth annual private school panel event in October 2023. The event featured five panelists sharing their unique perspectives on what parents should think about when considering private school placement for their twice-exceptional children.


2e Math Solutions - Resources
how dyslexia, dysgraphia, working memory, and processing speed can impact performance in math.


What Can You Ask Your School For?
What is reasonable and likely to be accepted and what is not? Our panel of two parents and a neuropsychologist discussed and suggested concrete support and accommodation options as well as answered questions from our parent community.


Walking the 2e Parent Path
learn how to not only accept, but celebrate, the children we have; to frame our children’s behaviors in a new light of self protection; to explore ways to minimize our own inner critics; the importance of caring for ourselves; and the need to celebrate all that we do. Dr. Oswald left us with hope, peace, acceptance, empowerment and celebration—for ourselves and our children.


Being Mindful - Tools To Understand & Manage Anxiety
Learn clear and useful strategies for addressing anxiety. Get advice to address high anxiety situations with your children. Hear strategies for self-regulation and co-regulation, which are so important in the parenting journey.


Autism Level Up: How Adults Can Best Support Neurodivergent Children
the dynamic duo of Amy & Jac of Autism Level Up (ALU) spoke to REEL about how adults can be neurodiversity affirming forces in the lives of their 2e students.


Video: Living and Learning 2e: What Neurodivergent Teen Students Say
Neurodivergent, twice-exceptional students have few forums to express their lived educational experiences. Recently, Silicon Valley 2e advocacy group REEL launched its “Living & Learning 2e” blog series, dedicated to giving twice-exceptional teen and young adult students a place to share their voices.


Dyslexia Design Thinking: When Neurodivergence and Creativity Meet
how dyslexia offers a heightened advantage, what he calls his “hyper-ability.” Learn how parents and educators can find the hyper-ability in children’s differences and foster these unique strengths to boost self-esteem, school/career pathways, and finding their place in the world.


Video Game Design: The Where, What and How of College Programs
We spent an hour in conversation with Irene Vassilopoulos, whose oldest child recently explored the video game design programs at colleges across the U.S. How did her family discover and evaluate programs? What was the application process like? Is there anything she wished she’d known before starting the process? Were there any surprises along the way?


Working Memory and the 2e Learner
Working memory affects every part of a child's life; however, most people know little about it beyond perhaps a score on the WISC test. REEL hosted Thea Slingland, Director of Educational Services for Learnfully, to talk about where working memory is used in daily life and how it affects routines, academics, socializing, and emotions for 2e learners.


2e Private School Panel 2022
REEL hosted a panel of parents with kids who have attended both private and public schools as well as psychologist Dr. Lisa White of Summit Center, who advises families on schools for 2e learners. We did not record the session in order to protect the privacy of our panelists.


Private School Parent Panel
Are you considering a private school for your 2e child? Join REEL members Abby Kirigin, Carmen O'Shea, and Callie Turk - three parents of 2e kids that have experienced a dozen Bay Area K-12 schools firsthand and researched 30+ more. Learn about the various foci of local private, public, and charter schools as well as the tradeoffs of each for 2e kids. Ask questions and get answers from the parent perspective.
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