Ep. 44 - Raising Kids Who Think Differently: One Psychologist's Honest Take on Neurodiversity, Testing, and the Families Behind It All

Send us Fan MailDr. Andrew Rosen and Dr. David Gross sit down with Dr. Ryan Seidman, a child psychologist and clinical director of the Children's Center for Psychiatry, Psychology, and Related Services, to talk about what it actually looks like to raise and treat a child who learns or experiences the world differently.Dr. Seidman pushes back on the idea that neurodivergent kids fit neatly into any one category. Every child has strengths and weaknesses, she says, and understanding that changes everything about how you approach treatment, school planning, and even parenting itself.The conversation gets into why public school evaluations can take up to two years in Florida, what private psychoeducational testing actually covers beyond just an IQ number, and how that data gets translated into real support through IEPs and 504 plans. There's also a candid discussion about what happens when the bigger challenge isn't the child at all.They talk about screens, structure, the loss of the family dinner table, and why so many kids today are struggling to communicate and socialize in ways that feel new and alarming. Dr. Seidman shares that she's navigating some of this herself as a parent, which is very much the point.The episode closes on what makes the Children's Center model work: not just the range of services under one roof, but the fact that the clinicians actually function as a team, communicating in real time, and treating the whole family, not just the child who walked in the door.Contact the Docs:Email: [email protected] the Docs:Email: [email protected]