Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET discuss how important educational therapy is when learners have a busy schedule. As educational therapists, Rachel and Steph are constantly supporting busy learners who want to accomplish and engage with all the things–and look at educational therapy as a “waste” of their very valuable time. In this episode, Rachel and Steph dig into how vital it is for a busy learner to have strong executive functioning skills and that busy-ness is often a critical sign that educational therapy is necessary. 

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Other episodes mentioned:

Ep 297: Time Blindness (Educational Therapy Series)

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET discuss metacognition, which is the idea of “thinking about thinking”. The ability to reflect back and compassionately examine one's own thinking is an important skill developed in educational therapy. Rachel and Steph talk through how to develop this with learners. 

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET share a behind the scenes episode on Steph’s executive functioning experience (nightmare?) of moving homes. She shares the challenges, overwhelm, and curveballs that occurred during her recent move and how it has helped her empathize with executive functioning skills challenges.

Support us on Patreon:

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Other episodes mentioned:

Ep 03: The Do’s and Don’ts of Studying

Ep 04: Creating a Study Plan

Ep 126: How to Study for a Math Test

Ep 140: The Secret to "Studying Harder" (Educational Therapy Series)

Ep 160: Our #1 Study Hack (Tricks of the Trade Series)

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET reair episode 50 of Learn Smarter: the Educational Therapy podcast to remember their guest, Dr. Thomas Brown. 

To contribute to his memorial fund, click here. 

To read his obituary, click here.

 

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How to connect with us:

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@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET discuss a major parent, learner, and educational therapist frustration today–which is why strategies don’t stick. In this episode they dig into the plethora of reasons why strategies don’t stick or rather become “generalized skills”. 

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Other episodes mentioned:

Ep 87: Why Every Learner Needs a Living Strategies Document (Educational Therapy Series)

Ep 79: The 4 excuses kids have for not calendaring (Executive Function Series)

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET welcome back Diane Dempster, co-founder of Impact Parents. She discusses the different flavors of parent roles in the educational therapy process (“you handle it,” “micromanager,” and “in-betweeners”). She shares about the importance of creating a relationship with parents and personalizing the relationship. She also shares a tool, AC-E (acknowledge, show compassion, wait and explore) that can help diffuse upregulated situations. They once again discuss the differences between boundaries and agreements as well as discussions about recalibration of collaborative agreements.

 

Connect with Diane: Parenting with Impact

impactparenting.com/podcast 

Homework Without Headaches Workshop:
https://impactparents.securechkout.com/HomeworkWorkshopSpecial?orid=23056&opid=255

10 Parenting Tips for School Success:

https://impactparents.pages.ontraport.net/homework-headaches-freebie?utm_campaign=imp-freebie&utm_source=learn-smarter-podcast&utm_medium=event&utm_content=hh

 

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast

 

How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Other episodes mentioned: 

Ep 135: Parenting your Complex Kid with Elaine Taylor-Klaus (Author Series)

Ep 149: How to Prioritize while Parenting with Elaine Taylor-Klaus and Diane Dempster (Author Series)

Ep 157: Anatomy of the Trigger with Diane Dempster (Parenting Series)

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET discuss the complex nature of disclosing diagnoses to learners. They discuss parents' fear of disclosing diagnoses versus the reality of what it actually means to share diagnostic information. 

Support us on Patreon:

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

In this re-air of episode 186,  Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET explore the concept of the “all or nothing brain” and how it impacts learning, school, and daily life. Rachel and Steph break down what it means, how it commonly shows up, and why recognizing this pattern is so important. Through real-world examples, they highlight the ways an all-or-nothing mindset can influence decision-making and share insights into supporting learners who think this way.

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET welcome Dr. Brennan Chandler, Assistant Professor at Georgia State University, for the second half of their conversation. Dr. Chandler shares what works: effective instruction and support can lead to skilled, confident readers. He discusses his role of breaking down the research and talks about the benefit of targeted, direct, explicit instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling and reading fluency support. He discusses our job as interventionists is to “crack the code” coupled with a lot of feedback. He also shares practical routines and advice and emphasizes different instructional routines to meet a child’s needs. He even shares free, evidence-based researched interventions that work! He also talks about the importance of generalizing sounds to words to connected text. 

Sound Partners –https://www.voyagersopris.com/products/reading/sound-partners 

Maryanne Wolf–RAVO–https://www.maryannewolf.com/raveo-intervention

Word Connections–Free online https://www.jessicatoste.com/wordconnections

Rewords–Anita Archer https://www.voyagersopris.com/products/reading/rewards

Connect with Dr. Chandler: BrennanChandler.com

 

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET welcome Dr. Brennan Chandler, Assistant Professor at Georgia State University for the first part of our conversation. He defines dyslexia for us in 3 different ways (legal, medical, IDA/practical) and discusses myths of dyslexia. He discusses risk factors and protective or resilience factors which impact risk for dyslexia. He talks about how intervention needs to be maintained throughout education, not just in K-2. He shares how overaccommodation with older learners should not take the place of individualized intervention. He also shares how dyslexia impacts other domains beyond just reading.

Connect with Dr. Chandler: BrennanChandler.com

 

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast

 

How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET, discuss their favorite word: studenting. They explain the concept, why it’s important to understand and how to use it as an effective tool to understand how time is best spent for learners. 

Support us on Patreon:

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Other episodes mentioned: 

Ep 109: Learning About Learning with Dr. Rishi Sriram

Ep 115: Learning About Learning with Dr Rishi Part 2 (Author Series)

Ep 130: The 5 M's of Talent with Dr. Rishi Sriram (Author Series)

Ep 48: Success Stories with Kathryn Schnabel AKA Milkshake Girl’s Mom

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET welcome Rachel’s client, Luke, to the podcast. Luke initially started working with Rachel to support his ability to organize, study, and learn how to be less reliant on his memory. Luke shares how simplifying his systems, learning to keep everything in one place and learning HOW to study was a gamechanger for him.

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast

 

How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

In this re-air episode, Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET, sit down with Diane Gould to explore Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). Diane shares how she became interested in PDA, her role in raising awareness in the United States, and why traditional behavioral strategies often fall short for individuals with PDA.

She explains the “can’t, not won’t” perspective, offering practical ways to provide support—such as building trust, prioritizing connection, fostering collaboration, and sharing demands. This conversation offers valuable insights for anyone seeking to better understand and work alongside individuals with PDA.

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast

How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET welcome Dr. Johan Wiklund, a Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship at Syracuse University. He chats with Rachel and Stephanie about how ADHD can be a huge benefit for entrepreneurs with ADHD. He discusses benefits of the high adaptability of individuals with ADHD and their ability to outsource tasks for which they’re not well-suited. He highlights that individuals with ADHD are more driven to take steps forward without worrying about consequences and how passion is a driving force for their high engagement and extreme focus. He also discusses how gender differences for individuals with ADHD are displayed in entrepreneurship.

 

Learn more about Dr. Wiklund

 

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@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET explore the connection between ADHD and executive functioning in this re-air of episode 10. The discussion includes practical strategies to support skill development in reading, writing, and math, as well as methods for strengthening executive functioning. This episode highlights effective ways to build collaboration and promote academic growth in learners both in and out of the classroom.

Support us on Patreon:

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

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@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

 

 

In this re-air of episode 141, Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET sit down with clinical psychologist Dr. Donna Henderson to explore how our understanding of autism has evolved over time. Dr. Henderson shares the benefits of receiving a diagnosis, when it can be most useful, and why autism is often misunderstood—especially in girls. She offers expert insight into the nuanced ways autism presents differently across genders, helping listeners better understand why so many girls are underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

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How to connect with us:

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Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Other episodes mentioned:

Ep 142: Understanding Autism in Girls with Dr. Donna Henderson Part 2 (Professionals Series)

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET chat about a familiar story–“This year is going to be different.” Students start off the school year optimistic, energized, and determined to stay on top of their assignments, keep their binders neat, and avoid procrastination. Rachel and Steph unpack why students are so certain each new year will be different, typical executive functioning traps and what can be done to support systemic and sustainable change.

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast

 

How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

 

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET share all the ways strengthening executive functioning skills are layered into all the traditional summer things: beaches, camps and vacations. In this episode they break down all the executive functioning skills that learners can and do acquire over the course of their summers and some simple, non-demanding ways the adults in their lives can reinforce their growth. 

Support us on Patreon:

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET are excited to share this much requested episode about independent games that learners can play. Steph, the resident Game Guru, shares some of her favorite games and why they strengthen skills in an independent, fun, engaging way that mitigates learner resistance.

Support us on Patreon:

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How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist

Rachel Kapp, M.Ed., BCET, and Stephanie Pitts, M.Ed., BCET welcome Integrative Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Sara Langley. She talks about what integrative psychiatric nurse practitioners do, how nutrition works in tandem with medication, and why it’s beneficial to look at the whole picture of a learner. She also makes some simple recommendations that are easy to implement and can have a tremendous impact. 

 

Connect with Sara Langley: 

www.childkindpsychiatry.com 

www.mommiesinmind.com

 

Support us on Patreon:

https://www.patreon.com/learnsmarterpodcast

 

How to connect with us:

Join our e-mail list

Rachel’s Kapp Educational Therapy Group website

Steph’s My Ed Therapist website 

@learnsmarterpodcast, @kappedtherapy, @myedtherapist