529. Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools w/ Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC

In this episode, I talk with Emily Kircher-Morris, LPC, about how to create neurodiversity-affirming schools. Drawing from her dual background in education and mental health—as well as her personal experience with ADHD—Emily breaks down how schools can shift from deficit-based models to strengths-based, inclusive practices that actually work. We talk universal design, accommodations that empower (not enable), navigating school systems with private evaluations, and why changing the language we use might be the most powerful intervention of all. Topics Covered: • What “neurodiversity-affirming” really means • The role of universal design in inclusive classrooms • Why deficit-based language harms students—and how to reframe it • Accommodations that promote independence vs. enablement • Building metacognitive skills through collaborative planning • How private evaluation recommendations translate (or don’t) into school settings • Common pitfalls in IEP/504 expectations • The importance of including neurodivergent educators in systemic change • Sensory accommodations and overlooked supports • Staying hopeful amidst resistance to change Cool Things Mentioned: • The Testing Psychologist mastermind groups and business consulting: https://thetestingpsychologist.com/consulting/ • Reverb report-writing software; https://reverbreports.com/ • Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools by Emily Kircher-Morris & Amanda Morin: Buy on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Neurodiversity-Affirming-Schools-Transforming-Practices-Professional%C2%AE/dp/B0D81QWSX8) • Neurodiversity Podcast (hosted by Emily): www.neurodiversitypodcast.com • Limited series podcast Creating Neurodiversity-Affirming Schools: Listen on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/4AjZShzyzOaRkY7nwaySwU) • Lives in the Balance (Ross Greene): www.livesinthebalance.org • Dr. Ross Greene's book The Explosive Child: Buy on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Explosive-Child-Sixth-Understanding-Chronically/dp/0063092468?crid=2X1N72TM1KTZ3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.sfMh4IkHmrNslMO06mzsEpxIyL5Kf7b65T7kGBNY2_uGNeqAyyOdgMvp74trBmvJdyYDEoHsP-D5ryn-YXq4YfV5P9qQM9x5cgwzAYcqvUEyWYF1AxxKPlHBWxT7Ar9mXbWD8jz8fCEvtvOvaiDNdRlzhVPR4gpLiZ1CQMUdyAK_HKIifdAMwJP1jDh_VTWNGaAp-B-v0OpYqqqn8qTysOH_0QzZ0OnbcHKhOynB4cc.FJs1-rIONZtbRoaK2trRvkxpYMrYCDcZ3dhmO2B-C0M&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+explosive+child&qid=1757441726&sprefix=the+explosive+child,aps,155&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=thetestpsyc-20&linkId=f267705fb23aab279f45bf87d7789eac&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl)