Dr. Niki Elliott on skills for helping neurodiverse and marginalized children thrive

Niki Elliott, PhD, serves as director for the Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity at University of San Diego’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences. Prior to this appointment, she served for 7 years as the founding director of the Center for Neurodiversity, Learning and Wellness at the University of La Verne in California. Teacher/educator, Niki Elliot has taught students of all ages for more than 30 years. She is a staunch advocate for students whose lived experiences include learning disabilities, mental health challenges, foster care placement, and/or racialized marginalization. Her mission is to galvanize an education workforce that establishes trauma-informed, neuro-inclusive learning communities where all students and educators thrive. Today she discusses her book, Heart Centered Connections: Seven Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children Thrive Heart-Centered Connections is a research-informed guide for those who serve children who are too often misunderstood, marginalized, or labeled “difficult”—including neurodiverse learners, students with learning differences, and those impacted by trauma. Dr. Niki intends this book for the educator, parent, or professional who refuses to give up on the child who has been left out or left behind, and who is ready to transform both outcomes and relationships. Grounded in decades of research with over 1,000 child-serving professionals (teachers, school leaders, social workers, caregivers), Dr. Elliott introduces a transformative framework built on seven essential pillars: Self-Awareness, Interpersonal Awareness, Neuro-inclusive Spaces, Activated Genius, Engaged Learning, Mindful Communication, and Heart-Centered Repair.   Host/producer/engineer:  Donna Morrow Wolfe