Shows / Beautifully Complex
Beautifully Complex
Parenting a neurodivergent kid is one of the hardest things you will ever do. If you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and wondering why nothing seems to work, this is the place for you.
I am Penny Williams, parenting coach, author, and mom who's in the trenches alongside you. Each week on Beautifully Complex, I bring you honest conversations and real strategies for raising kids with ADHD, autism, anxiety, and learning differences. Our kids aren't broken, just wired differently.
My work is grounded…
Episodes
- Beautifully Complex
261: Extreme Language Around Emotions, with Penny Williams
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I tackle why our kids and teens might use extreme language to express their emotions. We're recognizing that…
- Beautifully Complex
259: Insights on Bullying: Understanding Aggression, Building Resilience, with Brooks Gibbs, Ph.D.
Brooks Gibbs, Ph.D. is joining me for a conversation on Insights on Bullying: Understanding Aggression, Building Resilience. His expertise in social psychology…
- Beautifully Complex
260: Navigating Life Challenges with Purpose and Progress (not perfection), with Shari Leid
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I have the pleasure of talking with Shari Leid of An Imperfectly Perfect Life. Together, we’re talking about purposeful…
- Beautifully Complex
258: What to Do When Your Kid Isn’t Listening, with Penny Williams
Let's talk about what to do when your kid isn't listening. Remember, they might be processing your words in non-traditional ways, so it's important to find…
- Beautifully Complex
257: The Control Trap, with Penny Williams
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I explore the detrimental effects of trying to control kids, emphasizing the importance of a humanistic approach to…
- Beautifully Complex
256: Breaking Down Motivation: Helping Teens and Young Adults Find Their Path to Success, with Melanie McNally, Psy.D.
In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I sit down with Dr. Melanie McNally, a clinical psychologist and brain coach who specializes in working…
- Beautifully Complex
255: 7 Steps to Help Kids & Teens with Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, with Penny Williams
In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I tackle the topic of rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) and provide 7 essential steps to help kids and…
- Beautifully Complex
254: How to Be a Neuro-Affirming Parent or Teacher, with Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.ED., LPC
In today's episode, Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.ED., LPC is back and we're unpacking what it means to be a neuro-affirmative parent or teacher. We explore…
- Beautifully Complex
253: Beyond the Power Struggles, with Richard Selznick, Ph.D.
Today, I get to talk to the incredible Dr. Richard Selznick—a renowned psychologist specializing in dyslexia and learning disabilities. We dive into the traps…
- Beautifully Complex
252: Transforming Behavior: When You Know Better You Do Better, with Penny Williams
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m sharing a deeply personal story about a challenging experience with my son and the valuable insights it brought us…
- Beautifully Complex
251: Impact of Parental Confidence and Social Pressure on Parenting Complex Kids, with Anouk Briere-Godbout
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I have a candid conversation with Anouk Briere-Godbout about the challenges of parenting neurodivergent children. Our…
- Beautifully Complex
250: Recognizing Children's Unique Love Languages, with Emily Hamblin
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m talking with Emily Hamblin about the unique ways neurodivergent kids might show their love for you. Emily shares…
- Beautifully Complex
249: Helping Neurodivergent Young Adults, with Dr. Janina Elbert Maschke
In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I had an insightful conversation with Dr. Janina Elbert Maschke, an expert in ADHD coaching and cognitive…
- Beautifully Complex
248: Successes Change Everything, No Matter How Small, with Penny Williams
In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I’m exploring the profound impact of successes on our neurodivergent kids (and all of us humans). I discuss…
- Beautifully Complex
247: Listening Isn’t a Behavior You Can See, with Elizabeth A. Sautter, MA, CCC, SLP
I'm thrilled to bring you another compelling episode of Beautifully Complex. For this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Elizabeth Sautter, MA…
- Beautifully Complex
246: Make this the Year of Connection and Collaboration, with Penny Williams
In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, we’re setting achievable intentions for the new year, with a strong focus on nurturing connections and…
- Beautifully Complex
245: Supporting Siblings of Neurodivergent Kids with Doreen Samelson, EdD, MSCP
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m joined by Doreen Samelson, EdD, MSCP to discuss the emotional impact on neurotypical siblings of neurodivergent…
- Beautifully Complex
244: Is It Can’t or Won’t?, with Penny Williams
In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I’m taking a deep dive into the concept of "can't versus won't" when examining a child's behavior. It’s…
- Beautifully Complex
243: Strategies to Strengthen Your Family, with Brent Crandal, Ph.D.
In today's episode,I have the pleasure of hosting Dr. Brent Crandal, a clinical psychologist and children's book author. Join me for this thought-provoking…
- Beautifully Complex
242: 5 Ways to Boost Your Teen’s Confidence, with Penny Williams
In this episode of the Beautifully Complex podcast, I outline five strategies to boost the confidence of neurodivergent teens and young adults. I emphasize the…
- Beautifully Complex
241: Building Habits Using Emotional Rewards, with Leslie Josel
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, Leslie Josel and I explore the crucial role of emotional rewards in building habits and fostering positive behavior in…
- Beautifully Complex
240: Navigating Childhood OCD: A Parent’s Journey, with Brendan Mahan
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, join host Penny Williams as she delves into the topic of childhood OCD with guest Brendan Mahan, M.Ed., MS. Brendan…
- Beautifully Complex
239: How to Address 5 Common Behavior Challenges at School, with Penny Williams
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, I’m diving into behavior challenges at school. We'll discuss the common struggles faced by children with ADHD, autism…
- Beautifully Complex
238: Music as Medicine, with Luke Williams
In this episode of Beautifully Complex, we’re discussing the incredible power of music for those who are neurodivergent with Penny’s son, Luke. Luke shares his…
- Beautifully Complex
237 - Keeping Your Cool: Practical Strategies for Remaining Calm When Your Child Isn’t with Penny Williams
In today's episode, our host Penny Williams dives deep into a topic that many parents struggle with: how to stay calm in the midst of the storm. As a parenting…
- Beautifully Complex
236: Insider View: How to Work with the ADHD Brain, with Alice Gendron
I have a special guest in this episode — Alice Gendron, also known as The Mini ADHD Coach. Alice shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with ADHD at…
- Beautifully Complex
235: De-escalating Challenging Behavior with Dayna Abraham
In this episode, I’m diving deep into the topic of de-escalating challenging behavior with Dayna Abraham of Calm the Chaos. As parents of neurodivergent kids…
Beautifully Complex233F Refocus on Big Picture Goals
I’m diving into the big picture goals of education and how refocusing on those overarching goals helps struggling learners thrive. Join me as I discuss how…
Beautifully Complex233E Neurobiology’s Role in Availability to Learn
In this episode, I discuss the role of neurobiology in our ability to learn. Join me as we uncover the science behind how our nervous system’s state impacts…
Beautifully Complex233D Offering Just Right Challenges
The concept of the "just right challenge" plays a crucial role in supporting growth and success for neurodivergent kids in school. I share insights on finding…
Beautifully Complex233C Fostering a Culture of Community in Schools
Connection and a sense of belonging are integral to learning. Join me as I explore strategies for creating a community that not only supports academic growth…
Beautifully Complex233B Normalizing Differences in Education
Normalizing differences in education is a key topic for creating schools that are equitable to all learners. I share valuable lessons learned from experts on…
Beautifully Complex233A The Need for Flexibility in Education
In this episode, I explore the crucial importance of providing adaptable approaches to education for neurodivergent children and those who struggle in school…
- Beautifully Complex
232: How to Talk to Kids About School Shootings, with Julie Kaplow, PhD, ABPP
In 2022, 34 students and adults died in school shootings, while more than 43,000 children were exposed to gunfire at school. These are startling statistics…
- Beautifully Complex
231: Sensory Strategies for Self-Regulation, with Rachel Harrington, COTA/L, AC and Jessica Hill, COTA/L
Everyone has eight senses — the five we know commonly, which are our “far” senses, and the three additional senses that are our “near” senses. The three…
- Beautifully Complex
230: Setting Neurodivergent Kids Up for Success at School
School is hard for neurodivergent kids — there's no question about that. Traditional educational systems are not designed for kids who learn differently. That…
- Beautifully Complex
229: Nurturing Grit — The Art of Failing Forward, with John Willson
Everyone needs grit for self-actualization. Without experiencing that we can do hard things and be okay on the other side, we don’t feel truly successful and…
- Beautifully Complex
228: Shifting Away from a Rules & Limits Mentality, with Dayna Abraham
Our culture is pretty rigid and it calls for parents to be rigid in their parenting as well — you set rules and limits, kids break them, you punish them. But…
- Beautifully Complex
227: The Trauma of Parenting and How to Heal, with Dr. Aimie Apigian, MD, MS, MPH
Parenting itself can be traumatic — it feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulders to protect your child while also teaching them to live their…
- Beautifully Complex
226: 5 Tools to Foster Self-Regulation, with Sarah Wayland, Ph.D. & Penny Williams
One of the struggles we hear from parents again and again is that their child lacks self-regulation. Being with a kid who can’t self-regulate day in and day…
- Beautifully Complex
225: Beating Overwhelm: Manage Your Energy, Not Your Time, with Heather Chauvin
It’s hard not to get overwhelmed when parenting neurodivergent kids. The chaos, the school meetings, the appointments, the seemingly never-ending need… it’s a…
- Beautifully Complex
224: Hiding in Plain Sight: Understanding Less-Obvious Autism, with Donna Henderson, Psy.D. & Sarah Wayland, Ph.D.
Though our understanding of autism has greatly expanded, many autistic individuals are still missed or misdiagnosed. Not all autistics are severely outwardly…
- Beautifully Complex
223: Feeling Stuck in the Stuck of Stuck, with Penny Williams
We talk a lot about strategies for when our kids get stuck, but what about us? Parents can certainly feel stuck too. I’m feeling it to the nth degree these…
- Beautifully Complex
222: Managing the Overwhelm in Neurodiverse Families, with Kelly Fradin, M.D.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by your child’s behavior, numerous possible interventions, school struggles, medication trials, and your feelings about all those…
- Beautifully Complex
221: The Suicide Epidemic, with Jonathan B. Singer, Ph.D., LCSW
The rate of suicide in children is rising sharply, not at a true crisis point. It’s something we worry about as parents, and rightfully so. Especially when…
- Beautifully Complex
220: Helping with Executive Functioning While Also Empowering Independence, with Franki Bagdade, M. Ed. LLMSW
Parents and teachers often worry that if they help a kid with lagging executive functioning skills that the kid won’t develop skills for independence — that…
- Beautifully Complex
219: Weeding Out Misinformation, with The Behavior Revolution
There is a LOT online about ADHD and autism. A LOT! How do you know what to trust, what to try? It can be tough, especially when you’re searching through a…
- Beautifully Complex
218: Check Your Judgment, with Penny Williams
You want to help your child. So you make some assumptions as to why they’re upset, why they’re not getting things done, why they’re avoiding or disengaging……
- Beautifully Complex
217: How to Talk to Kids About Hard Things, with Sara Olsher
There are some tough and scary things in life that we need to talk to our kids about: divorce, serious illness of a family member, moving, death of a loved…
- Beautifully Complex
216: Helping Kids & Teens Develop a Strengths-Based OS, with Matthew Zakreski, Psy.D.
Instead of viewing ADHD and autism through the medical model, we need to view them through a strengths-based model as the neurodiversity movement does. A…
- Beautifully Complex
215: IEP Strategies for Parents, with Catherine Whitcher, M.Ed.
If there’s one thing parents of struggling learners understand, it’s that the IEP process is complex. Between the law (IDEA), qualifications, the IEP document…
- Beautifully Complex
214: Helping Teachers Understand Behavior & Neurodivergence, with Emily W. King, Ph.D.
Biology influences behavior. Being neurodivergent in a neurotypical world does, too. The challenges neurodivergent kids experience at school and in their…
- Beautifully Complex
213: Relationship Reset withThe Behavior Revolution
It’s easy to fall into bad patterns with our interactions with others, especially our kids. But a better relationship is always possible, as long as you make…
- Beautifully Complex
212: Twice-Exceptionality & Asynchronous Development, with Emily Kircher-Morris, M.A., M.Ed., LPC
Intelligence and learning and doing are different things. An individual can be highly intelligent and also struggle with getting things done or even with…
- Beautifully Complex
211: My 6 Biggest Aha’s in 6 Years of the Podcast, with Penny Williams
It’s the 6 year anniversary of the Beautifully Complex podcast so I’m looking back at some of the most pivotal lessons I’ve had about parenting neurodivergent…
- Beautifully Complex
210: What to Do When Your Child is Aggressive, with Tosha Schore
Many neurodivergent kids — including those with ADHD, autism, and anxiety — can be quite aggressive at home or at school. To cope with and improve aggressive…
- Beautifully Complex
209: Foundational Principles of Behavior, with The Behavior Revolution
We’ve been busy recording the sessions for the upcoming Decoding Behavior Summit, March 3-5, 2023. In this episode of the podcast, Sarah and I reflect on the…
- Beautifully Complex
208: The Parenting Long Game, with Rachel Bailey
The parenting long game is all about putting the right mindset and strategies in play so that kids can succeed and thrive. As parents, we often spend a lot of…
- Beautifully Complex
207: Finding Your Own Path When Neurodivergent, with David Bizzaro
It can be hard for our neurodivergent kids to find their path into adulthood. They often don’t yet know what they’re interested in pursuing long term, even…
- Beautifully Complex
206: Low Demand Parenting, with Amanda Diekman
Low demand parenting doesn’t mean that we dismiss all expectations of a child and let them do whatever they want. Instead, low demand parenting means dropping…