Complex Kids, Simple Solutions

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

  Send us a textIn 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, in states like Indiana, not counting toward those hours).IEPs for emotions are real. Trauma can look like ADHD or withdrawal. Under IDEA, kids may qualify via Emotional Disturbance or Other Health Impairment—and supports must match needs, not labels.Why online “school” isn’t a fix. Post-COVID, many kids were pushed to virtual programs for behavior; most don’t learn there. Trauma-aware classrooms plus in-person connection beat isolation every time.Brains can heal. Safety, attachment, and repeated positive experiences rewire neural pathways; caregivers can coach “big feelings” into words and regulation without shame.Caregiver burnout is common—grace is required. Secondary trauma is real. Use respite, therapy, and boundaries. You can’t pour from an empty cup.Quote to tape on the fridge: “Listen first. Behavior is a message—decode it before you correct it.”Whether you’re a foster parent, kinship caregiver, or raising a complex kid, Sharon’s message is simple: steady relationships plus trauma-informed supports turn survival skills into school success.👤 About Sharon Dunlevy Sharon is an educational advocate who trains foster parents to navigate schools, secure trauma-aware services, and use IDEA/504 tools to protect kids’ learning.🔗 Connect with Sharon Website: www.sharondunlevy.com Email: [email protected] Facebook: fostercaretrainingtoday Instagram: @sharondunlevy72 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/sharondunlevy#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #FosterCare #TraumaInformed #ParentBurnout #IEP #504Plan #SchoolAdvocacy #Attachment #NeuroplasticityListen to this episode and more athttps://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions 🎧 Connect with Michelle: Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com Instagram: @michellechoairy Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group 💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at [email protected] 🧠 Want simple tools that actually work? Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

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• Constance Lewis — Miles & the Colorful Capes of Feelings

  Send us a textIn 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 won’t. Stomping like a dinosaur, “angry chalk,” music & movement—simple body-based tools regulate nervous systems and make emotions less scary.Colors as a common language. Brave, silly, nervous, mad, cheerful—kids pick the color that fits, then “wear” that feeling so caregivers can meet the need without guesswork.Inclusion on every page. Friends with autism and seizure disorders appear throughout the story, modeling empathy, peer support, and everyday accessibility.From meltdown to meaning. Emotions are information, not misbehavior; curiosity (“What happened before this?”) beats shame—at home, in clinics, and at school.Quote to tape on the fridge: “Get curious, not furious. When kids ‘act out,’ they’re telling us what their bodies can’t yet say.”Whether your child is neurotypical or a complex kid navigating seizures, ADHD, or sensory needs, Constance’s message is simple: make feelings visible, practice them playfully, and kids grow emotionally resilient.👤 About Constance Lewis Constance is a nurse practitioner and mother of three. Her debut children’s book, Miles and the Colorful Capes of Feelings, turns emotional literacy into a hands-on adventure for families and classrooms.🔗 Connect with Constance & the book Website: colorfulcapesoffeelings.com Email: [email protected] Instagram: @colorful_feelings.books#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #EmotionalRegulation #Neurodiversity #ParentingTools #SeizureAwareness #FeelingsEducation #InclusionListen to this episode and more athttps://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions 🎧 Connect with Michelle: Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com Instagram: @michellechoairy Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group 💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at [email protected] 🧠 Want simple tools that actually work? Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

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

  Send us a textIn 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 “access” often isn’t accessible. PDFs and one-size-fits-all templates fail many learners; give students control over font, size, color, reminders, and formats—and pair online shells with real human mentoring.Teach self-advocacy early. Start in elementary school: “I can’t see the board,” “I need quiet headphones,” “Can I get the notes in plain text?”—so it’s automatic by college.Accommodations vs. core requirements. Extra time on a general-ed essay? Often yes. Extra time in a chemistry lab or during clinical tasks that can’t pause? Often no—if it changes the nature of the course or profession.Parent mindset that works. Lead with listening. When your child can’t find the words (dysgraphia, motor planning, language), bring in specialists to help you “hear” what they mean.Quote to tape on the fridge: “Ask the student what they need—and believe the answer. Then build the class around that truth.”Whether your learner is eye-typing on a device or juggling ADHD in a Canvas shell, Dr. Wyatt’s message is simple: relationships first, formats second—and start practicing self-advocacy long before move-in day.👤 About Dr. C. S. Wyatt Dr. Wyatt is a college instructor and researcher focused on accessibility, universal design, and communication for neurodivergent students. A technology professional turned professor—and a parent of two neurodivergent daughters—he blends lived experience with evidence-based practice to make higher education genuinely usable.🔗 Connect with Dr. Wyatt Website: tameri.com/autisticme Link hub: linktr.ee/cswyatt Email: [email protected]#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #CollegeReady #IEPtoADA #Neurodiversity #UniversalDesign #ParentAdvocacyListen to this episode and more athttps://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions 🎧 Connect with Michelle: Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com Instagram: @michellechoairy Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group 💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at [email protected] 🧠 Want simple tools that actually work? Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

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

  Send us a textIn 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 Dyslexia Task Force—and inspired a new look at what really works in literacy instruction.⌨️ Why typing beats tracing. Instead of overloading fine-motor memory, Russell’s approach builds neural bridges through typing—using repetition, self-correction, and measurable output to strengthen both spelling and comprehension.🔄 From “Orton-Gillingham or bust” to modern neuroscience. He explains why 1940s-era multi-sensory methods miss key discoveries about how the dyslexic brain processes language—and how simple tech tools can fill the gap.💡 The half-circle method. By combining reading, listening, and writing around a child’s deepest interests (Disney, animals, iPhones—anything!), parents can cut through chaos and spark genuine progress at home.💬 A parent’s perspective. Michelle shares how her son Drake’s unique learning profile reframed her belief in what literacy should look like—and why “different” doesn’t mean “less.”Quote to tape on the fridge:“We don’t need to prompt-engineer the computer. We need to prompt-engineer our brains.”Whether your child has dyslexia, ADHD, or simply struggles to get words on paper, Russell’s message is clear: with structure, curiosity, and consistency, the brain can rewire itself for success.👤 About Russell Van Brocklen A New York-based educator, researcher, and founder of Dyslexia Classes, Russell helps students and parents replace frustration with measurable progress through practical, brain-based literacy strategies.🔗 Connect with Russell 🌐 Website: dyslexiaclasses.com 💼 LinkedIn: Russell Van Brocklen#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #DyslexiaSupport #Neurodiversity #ADHDAwareness #ParentAdvocate #SpecialEducation #ReadingStrategiesListen to this episode and more athttps://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions 🎧 Connect with Michelle: Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com Instagram: @michellechoairy Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group 💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at [email protected] 🧠 Want simple tools that actually work? Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

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

  Send us a textIn 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-Gillingham. From tactile sand trays to skywriting, Emily breaks down how OG’s multi-sensory, step-by-step approach rewires how struggling readers decode and spell—helping not just kids with dyslexia, but any child who needs a foundation in literacy.Beyond the diagnosis. Emily shows how true progress comes from digging past labels and asking the real question: Which skill is this child missing right now—and how can we target it?Collaboration that works. By reviewing IEPs, conducting her own evaluations, and looping in teachers and therapists, Emily builds “Team Child” so parents never feel alone.Virtual vs. in-person. Pandemic struggles proved one thing: tech can bridge gaps. Emily shares how mailed manipulatives, interactive whiteboards, and one-on-one engagement make virtual tutoring effective—even for kids who once “hated Zoom school.”Quote to tape on the fridge: "Every child has gifts and strengths—and the ability to succeed in life. School may feel like the hardest stretch, but beyond it lies the golden end: thriving in who they are."Whether your child has dyslexia, ADHD, autism, or a rare genetic condition, Dr. Levy’s message is simple: with the right tools, teamwork, and individualized support, every child can move forward.👤 About Dr. Emily Levy A lifelong advocate for students with learning differences, Emily grew up immersed in special education—her mother founded a school for kids with disabilities in Florida. After an early career in finance, Emily pivoted back to her passion, earning her doctorate in special education and founding EBL Coaching, which now serves students in New York, New Jersey, and worldwide virtually.🔗 Connect with Emily & EBL Coaching Website: www.eblcoaching.com Facebook: EBL Coaching Instagram: @ebl_coaching LinkedIn: Emily Levy | Dr. Emily Levy#ComplexKidsSimpleSolutions #OrtonGillingham #LearningDifferences #IEPAdvocacy #DyslexiaSupportListen to this episode and more athttps://wisdom4complexkids.com/complexkidssimplesolutions 🎧 Connect with Michelle: Website: www.wisdom4complexkids.com Instagram: @michellechoairy Join the community: Wisdom 4 Complex Kids Facebook Group 💌 Have a question or want to share your story? Email Michelle at [email protected] 🧠 Want simple tools that actually work? Download the free advocacy toolkit: wisdom4complexkids.com/the-ultimate-advocacy-toolkit-pdf

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