Join us for our very first panel discussion episode!

In this episode of Mentorships in Education, we welcome a panel consisting of Atty Maureen Graves, Dr Sharon Saline, and Steve Waters CEO, Teach Well Alliance.  Mentorships in Education is brought to you by Just Education, LLC and is hosted by Judith Epstein. Judith has a Master's degree in Education with a concentration in Language Acquisition. She is certified in special education with post-graduate coursework and professional development in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Social Thinking, and Collaborative & Proactive Solutions and Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT). Judith created Just Education, LLC to compile a free resource library for mentors of students who struggle on a wide variety of topics that are all related to education and student success.

It's been months since many of us across the nation have had to change our way of life. It's a difficult time for everyone, but having a child with special needs comes with additional obstacles.

In this edition of Parenting Impossible, Annette speaks with licensed clinical psychologist Dr. Sharon Saline. Dr. Saline is a top expert on ADHD, anxiety, learning differences and mental health challenges and their impact on school and family dynamics.

Annette and Dr. Saline begin their conversation with a discussion about school cancellations and the added difficulties children with neurodiversity are facing during these unprecedented times. Some of these issues include missing their friends, lacking classroom cues from other students, and harboring feelings of anxiety, hopelessness, and anger.

Dr. Saline also shares her thoughts about creating a long-term plan and the importance of accepting the lack of answers available to us right now. She gives suggestions about ways special needs parents can navigate through this pandemic, especially with kids who are neurodiverse. It's crucial to take into consideration, neurodiverse children need more help along the way, and that requires positive feedback.

Annette and the doctor also touch on the importance of self-care and what it really looks like. Dr. Saline stresses the need for parents to first help themselves before helping their children. People are living online today more than ever, and that comes with a lot of judgment and self-doubt. Limiting your interactions on social media is just one way to prevent getting sucked into negativity energy according to Dr. Saline.