Ep. 58 - Unschooling Students with Disabilities with Dr. Gina Riley

What this episode covers

What happens when school is not a match for a learner? For many disabled and neurodivergent children and teens, traditional school environments create anxiety, shutdown, and loss of self-trust. In this conversation, we sit down with Dr. Gina Riley, educational psychologist, Associate Professor of Special Education at Hunter College - School of Education (CUNY), researcher, and unschooling parent to unpack the first peer-reviewed study on unschooling students with disabilities. We explore why families of autistic, ADHD, learning disabled, and neurodivergent children are moving away from traditional school and toward self-directed education This episode covers: Why families leave school (and it’s rarely ideology) Unschooling as a healing environment Intrinsic motivation and self-determination Nervous system safety and learning How unschooling functions as built-in accommodation Caregiver fatigue and lack of respite The need for unschooling-informed doctors, therapists, and educators Why research matters for advocacy and legitimacy Dr. Riley brings both academic research and lived experience as an unschooling parent to this conversation, offering insight for: ✔ Parents of disabled and neurodivergent children✔ Pediatricians, therapists, psychologists, occupational therapists✔ Educators and special education professionals✔ Anyone rethinking what meaningful learning can look like   Unschooling is not the absence of education.   For some learners, it may be the least restrictive and most developmentally appropriate environment available.   Resources Mentioned Dr. Riley’s study: Unschooling Students with Disabilities Learn more about Dr. Riley Join Day in the Life Community Learn more about the 90-Minute School Day   Share This Episode If this conversation gave you language you’ve been needing: Send it to the friend who needs to hear this. Send it to your co-parent. Send it to a concerned family member. Send it to your child’s care team. Send it to an educator who wants to understand.   Research and advocacy matter. And conversations like this move us toward educational models that respect both learning and humanity.

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