Zooming In on Neurodiversity with Matthew J. Zakreski, PsyD
Resources:
The Neurodiversity Collective - Dr. Matt’s Therapy Practice
Overview:
Introduction and Podcast Overview
Melissa Milner introduces herself as the host of the "Teacher as Podcast" and mentions the podcast's seventh season.
Melissa highlights the growth in the number of educators listening to the podcast and encourages listeners to rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Melissa announces the Career Mentorship Program, Major Choice, as a new sponsor of the podcast and provides information on how to become a mentor.
Melissa welcomes Dr. Matt Zucresky, a clinical psychologist and professional speaker from New Jersey, who specializes in working with neurodivergent kids.
Dr. Matt's Background and Specialization
Dr. Matt explains his focus on working with neurodivergent kids, including those with ADHD, autism, giftedness, OCD, and dyslexia.
Dr. Matt discusses the importance of creating awareness about neurodiversity and the need for more school psychologists and counselors.
Melissa asks Dr. Matt why he didn't become a school psychologist, and Dr. Matt explains the lack of school psychologists and counselors and his flexibility as an outside provider.
Dr. Matt shares his mentor's advice against becoming a school psychologist and his efforts to speak education to do his job effectively.
Dr. Matt's Career Journey
Melissa inquires about Dr. Matt's career path, and Dr. Matt describes his accidental second career as a therapist and his initial plan to work in a private practice.
Dr. Matt discusses the neurodiversity movement's explosion online and the analogy of "weird horses" and "zebras" to explain the differences between neurotypical and neurodivergent kids.
Dr. Matt emphasizes the importance of helping teachers and administrators understand neurodivergent kids and the impact of labeling and awareness.
Melissa and Dr. Matt discuss the misconception that giftedness is not neurodivergent and the neuroscience behind giftedness, including the corpus callosum and amygdala.
Impact of Gifted Programs and Performance Cliff
Melissa shares her experience with a gifted program that didn't teach study skills, leading to her late husband's struggle in college.
Dr. Matt explains the concept of the performance cliff, where gifted kids don't get challenged in school and develop bad habits or no habits at all.
Dr. Matt shares a case example of a gifted kid in Pennsylvania who was bored and misbehaved until placed in the gifted program.
Melissa and Dr. Matt discuss the importance of grounding work in neuroscience and the need for gifted programs to teach study skills and other essential habits.
Challenges and Strategies for Neurodivergent Kids
Dr. Matt discusses the importance of involving parents, teachers, and kids in addressing neurodivergent challenges.
Dr. Matt shares a case example of a kid with intrusive thoughts and the power of therapy in making unspoken things spoken.
Dr. Matt emphasizes the importance of externalizing issues and using language that helps kids understand their challenges are not their fault.
Dr. Matt explains the concept of neurodiversity as context, not an excuse, and the importance of adapting to individual needs.
Universal Design, Praise, and Curiosity
Dr. Matt highlights the importance of universal design in education, where best practices for a group of people benefit everyone.
Dr. Matt emphasizes the power of praise over punishment and the need to praise behaviors rather than shame kids.
Dr. Matt advises educators to be curious about neurodivergent behaviors and to understand them as attempts to meet needs.
Dr. Matt stresses the importance of searching for kids' strengths rather than focusing on deficits and the need to open doors for kids, not slam them shut.
Anxiety and Neurodivergence
Dr. Matt discusses the normalcy of anxiety and the importance of understanding the stories anxiety tells us.
Dr. Matt uses the analogy of being left-handed to explain the challenges neurodivergent kids face and the need to adapt environments to their needs.
Dr. Matt emphasizes the importance of building accommodations for every student from a place of knowledge and compassion.
Dr. Matt advises educators to be curious about behaviors and to understand them as attempts to get needs met.
Impact of Dr. Matt's Work
Melissa asks Dr. Matt about the biggest impact of his work, and Dr. Matt explains the different ways his work impacts people, including podcasts, keynotes, and one-on-one therapy.
Dr. Matt highlights the global impact of speaking to large groups of educators and the importance of meeting the moment in as many ways as possible.
Dr. Matt mentions his efforts to record an audiobook and the challenges of making money from audio books.
Dr. Matt provides information on how to book him for family, kids, or organizational talks and mentions his podcast, "Nerding Out on Neurodiversity."