Danielle Svingos on Procrastination, Praise, and the Power of Small Wins

When kids struggle with executive function, procrastination and anxiety often collide—creating a frustrating loop that impacts the whole family. In this episode, Brandon Slade sits down with Danielle Svingos, Associate Director of the Berkeley Clinic, longtime clinician, and parent of neurodiverse young adults, to explore the deep connection between executive function challenges, anxiety, and avoidance behaviors.Danielle introduces her “green brain, yellow brain, red brain” framework, showing parents how to recognize escalation early and use co-regulation to reset. She shares how creating a self-regulation menu of personalized calming strategies empowers kids to take ownership of their emotions.The conversation digs into why procrastination is not laziness but often an emotional self-protection response to overwhelming tasks. Danielle and Brandon unpack the power of positive reinforcement, why parents need to zoom out to long-term goals, and how reframing success around well-being (not just Ivy League outcomes) can transform family dynamics.Whether you’re a parent navigating homework battles, a teacher wondering if procrastination signals anxiety, or someone working on your own executive function, this episode is full of compassionate insights and practical strategies.Learn more about Danielle's work at https://www.albani.group/If you or your student are interested in learning more about what Untapped Learning has to offer, visit us at:Website: https://untappedlearning.com/FREE downloadable resources: https://untappedlearning.com/resource-type/downloads/This podcast is hosted by Brandon Slade, Founder of Untapped Learning.