Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

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Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Michelle Choairy

37 episodes

22 hours ago

Send us a text In this conversation, Michelle sits down with parent coach MegAnne Ford to flip the old script—away from forcing kids to fit our vision and toward building skills, safety, and connection so families actually feel better day to day. MegAnne shares: Why control backfires. Traditional “make them comply” tactics widen the gap; centering the child’s needs helps the message land. The CLEAR method (her 5-step roadmap). Connection → Limits → Empowerment → Accountability → Recovery—so ...

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Personal Journals,

Society & Culture,

Self-Improvement

All content for Complex Kids, Simple Solutions is the property of Michelle Choairy and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Send us a text In this conversation, Michelle sits down with parent coach MegAnne Ford to flip the old script—away from forcing kids to fit our vision and toward building skills, safety, and connection so families actually feel better day to day. MegAnne shares: Why control backfires. Traditional “make them comply” tactics widen the gap; centering the child’s needs helps the message land. The CLEAR method (her 5-step roadmap). Connection → Limits → Empowerment → Accountability → Recovery—so ...

Show more...

Personal Journals,

Society & Culture,

Self-Improvement

Episodes (20/37)

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

MegAnne Ford — From “Be Better” to Feel Better: Parenting Complex Kids with CLEAR Connection

Send us a text In this conversation, Michelle sits down with parent coach MegAnne Ford to flip the old script—away from forcing kids to fit our vision and toward building skills, safety, and connection so families actually feel better day to day. MegAnne shares: Why control backfires. Traditional “make them comply” tactics widen the gap; centering the child’s needs helps the message land. The CLEAR method (her 5-step roadmap). Connection → Limits → Empowerment → Accountability → Recovery—so ...

1 day ago

33 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Sharon Dunlevy — Trauma-Wise Parenting for Foster (and All) Families

Send us a text In this conversation, Michelle sits down with educational advocate Sharon Dunlevy to demystify foster-care realities—what licensing really takes, why trauma shows up like “behavior,” and how schools can (and should) support healing with the right plans and people. Sharon shares: What becoming a foster parent actually requires. Background checks, home studies, annual license renewals, and 20–40 hours of new training each year—with CPR/First Aid often required in addition (and, i...

1 week ago

34 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Constance Lewis — Miles & the Colorful Capes of Feelings

Send us a text In this conversation, Michelle sits down with nurse practitioner and mom-author Constance Lewis to share the story behind Miles and the Colorful Capes of Feelings—a playful, powerful system that helps kids name big emotions using color, costume, and connection. Constance shares: A family’s turning point. When her son Miles developed seizures at age four, words became hard—so the family created color-coded “capes” to show feelings when speech couldn’t. Why play works when words ...

2 weeks ago

28 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

C. S. Wyatt — From Checklists to Conversations: Preparing Neurodivergent Students for College

Send us a text In this conversation, Michelle sits down with educator and accessibility advocate Dr. C. S. Wyatt to demystify the leap from K–12 supports to college reality—and how listening (not just checklists) drives real inclusion online and in the classroom. Dr. Wyatt shares: The cliff at 18. IDEA/IEP and most K–12 protections end at adulthood; in higher ed, students must personally contact Disability Services to receive ADA/504 accommodations—and parents can’t do it for them.Why online ...

3 weeks ago

42 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Russell Van Brocklen — Rethinking Dyslexia: Why Typing, Not Tracing, Unlocks Reading and Writing

Send us a text In this conversation, Michelle Choairy sits down with Russell Van Brocklen, founder of Dyslexia Classes, to uncover a radically different way of helping kids with dyslexia, ADHD, and learning differences thrive—by flipping traditional methods on their head and using neuroscience, technology, and writing itself as the therapy. Russell shares: 🧠 A senator’s wake-up call. When a New York lawmaker discovered his daughter’s dyslexia too late for early intervention, he created the Dy...

4 weeks ago

54 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Dr. Emily Levy — Unlocking Every Child’s Learning Potential with Orton-Gillingham

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Dr. Emily Levy, founder and director of EBL Coaching, to explore how customized, multi-sensory instruction can transform outcomes for students with dyslexia, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, and other learning differences. Emily shares: Why no one-size-fits-all works. With 22+ research-based methods in her toolkit, Emily explains why kids with unique learning profiles need a curriculum that’s both structured and flexible.The power of Orton-...

1 month ago

35 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Jeanine Mouchawar — Talking to Teens When “I Don’t Know” Is Every Answer

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with parenting coach Jeanine Mouchawar to unpack why the strategies that worked for little kids fall apart in the teen years—especially for neurodivergent teens—and how small shifts in tone, timing, and language rebuild connection without power struggles. Jeanine shares: The teen transition = a parent transition. Your child’s needs change at puberty; your approach must, too. “What worked at 8 won’t work at 14”—and that’s normal.Side-door conversations ...

1 month ago

37 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Nicole Runyon — Why Screens Are Rewiring Our Kids (and What We Can Do About It)

In this powerful episode, Michelle sits down with former child psychotherapist and author Nicole Runyon to tackle a controversial question every modern parent faces: Is technology quietly hijacking our kids’ mental health—and what can we do about it? Nicole shares: 📉 The silent epidemic no one saw coming. In 2014, Nicole began seeing a wave of children with severe depression, anxiety, and self-harm—and most had no trauma history. The common thread? Excessive screen time in developmentally cr...

1 month ago

38 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Dr. Karalynn Royster — Co-Parenting Through Chaos Without Breaking Your Kid

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with clinical psychologist and co-parenting coach Dr. Karalynn Royster to unpack one of the most loaded questions parents of complex kids face: What happens when the marriage isn’t working—but your child still needs both of you? Dr. Karalynn shares: 💔 Why 80% of parents with complex kids report marriage strain. From therapy schedules to meltdowns to IEP battles, the emotional weight doesn’t just stay with the child—it ripples through the relation...

2 months ago

50 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Andréane Gaulin — When It’s Not “Just a Speech Delay”

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Andréane Gaulin, a rare dual-licensed SLP + BCBA, to unpack the gut-wrenching moment many parents of neurodivergent kids face: when their toddler still isn’t talking—and no one seems to have real answers. Andréane shares: 🧠 Why “wait and see” is often the wrong advice. Pediatricians mean well, but if your child isn’t talking by two, it’s not “just a phase.” Early intervention can rewire outcomes—but only if you start early. 🗣️ The speech therapist...

2 months ago

45 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Samantha Foote — Music, Meltdowns & the Magic of Neurodivergent Parenting

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Samantha Foote—music therapist, mom of three autistic children, and host of the Every Brain Is Different Summit—to explore how sound, structure, and self-compassion can transform the neurodivergent parenting journey. Samantha shares: 🎹 How a piano prodigy became a therapy trailblazer. When Samantha realized she didn’t want to perform or teach music—she wanted to use it to heal—she became a board-certified music therapist and built her Boise-based ...

2 months ago

41 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Ryann Watkin — Rediscovering Your Feminine Energy While Raising Complex Kids

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with speaker, podcaster, and creator of the Raising Wild Hearts podcast, Ryann Watkin, to unpack the tug-of-war between strength and softness that every mom of complex kids knows too well. Together, they explore how to step out of “CEO of the household” mode and reconnect with the feminine energy that fuels joy, love, and true presence at home. Ryann shares: When strength becomes survival. From high-achieving career woman to maxed-out mom, Ryann opens ...

2 months ago

35 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Jeaneen Tang — Play Dumb & Sabotage: Tiny Habits that Unlock Speech

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Los Angeles speech-language pathologist and author Jeaneen Tang to unpack why some kids stay stuck at “grunts and grabs”—and the everyday tweaks that turn requests into real words. Jeaneen shares how to build language without fancy tools: honor a child’s “no,” engineer practice into snacks and play, and borrow the brain’s love of music to make phrases stick. Jeaneen shares: A mom’s day that changed everything. When Jeaneen’s son Che suffered a tra...

2 months ago

46 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Amanda Trisdale — Building a Dance Floor for the Kids Everyone Else Overlooked

In this heartfelt episode, Michelle sits down with Amanda Trisdale, CEO of Autistic Wings Dance Company, to spotlight what happens when a fierce mom, a fiercely talented daughter, and a fiercely broken system collide—and how they built a sanctuary for neurodivergent dancers when no one else would. Amanda shares: 💔 Why neurodivergent kids were getting shut out. From being told they must be verbal, potty-trained, and able to sit still—at three—to being denied jazz, tap, or ballet, Amanda knew t...

3 months ago

38 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Kanika Vasudeva — Tapping Earth & Sun to Calm Neuro-Spicy Storms

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with energy & consciousness coach Kanika Vasudeva to explore why many complex kids arrive as hyper-sensitive “old souls”—and how a one-minute grounding ritual can steady the whole household. Kanika shares: A daughter’s goodbye that opened a portal. Losing her infant set Kanika on an Akashic-Records quest to understand soul contracts, karmic imprints, and the bigger purpose behind every parent-child match.The science of an “earthing wire.” Just as a...

3 months ago

53 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Rebecca McAllister — Turning Playtime into Phonics Power

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Active Reader co-founder and former classroom teacher Rebecca McAllister to unpack why so many complex kids (and even their teachers!) still struggle with reading—and how a multi-sensory, five-minute-a-day routine can rewrite that story long before first grade. Rebecca shares: From “good student” to secret struggler. Undiagnosed dyslexia left Rebecca memorizing textbooks and dodging eye-contact with contracts—until Orton-Gillingham training finall...

3 months ago

34 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Dr. Kristen Williamson — Rewriting the Neuro-Spicy Rulebook for Parents and Late-Diagnosed Adults

In this conversation, Michelle welcomes therapist and EmpowerMind Solutions founder Dr. Kristen Williamson to bust the myth that ADHD and autism are deficits—and to show both parents and late-diagnosed adults how to turn “weird” traits into everyday superpowers. Kristen shares: The diagnosis after 30 that changed everything. A lifetime of “too much” finally made sense when Kristen received back-to-back ADHD and autism confirmations at 38 and 39—then realized her entire family tree was “neuro-...

4 months ago

44 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Michael Israel — Turning Back-Seat Checks into a Life-Saving Habit

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with Cleverely operations lead Michael Israel to unpack the hidden reason babies and complex kids are still left in hot cars—and the 15-second fix that turns back-seat checks into second nature. Michael shares: A dad’s near-miss that sparked a movement. One foggy commuter morning, a tech-savvy father forgot his son was still riding behind him. The memory lapse ended safely—but exposed a blind spot that kills dozens of U S children every summer.Why no o...

4 months ago

32 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

TL McCoy — Turning Genetic “What-Ifs” Into Page-Turning Superpowers

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with author and psych-nurse T.L. McCoy to unpack how a single genetic mutation—and a determined grandma—sparked the inclusive middle-grade adventure Delilah versus the Ghastly Grimm. TL shares: The diagnosis that changed everything. Her granddaughter’s first-year seizures led to a Dravet-syndrome finding—and a crash course in gene mutations, med trials, and 40-minute seizures that land kids in the ICU.Why representation can’t wait. Only 3.4 percent of ...

4 months ago

43 minutes

Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

Dinalynn Rosenbush – The Language of Play: Brave Parenting, Early Words & School-Home Teamwork

In this conversation, Michelle sits down with veteran speech-language pathologist Dinalynn Rosenbush—creator of the Language of Play podcast—to unpack what happens when an over-worked school SLP, a fired-up mom, and a “mama-gut” hunch all meet at the IEP table. Dinalynn shares: School vs. private therapy—decoded. Why public-school SLPs have to wait for an academic “hit,” how 62-kid caseloads force group sessions, and the simple question her principal always asked: *“Is it good for kids?”*🏫He...

4 months ago

34 minutes