”Too Much,” ”Too Distracted,” ”Too Sensitive”: What Happens When School Isn’t Built for Your Kid

If your child has ever been called "too much," "too distracted," or "too sensitive" — if you're the parent who tenses up every time the school's number lights up your phone — this episode is for you. Laurie sits down with Jori Broidy, director of the new Milwaukee campus of Open Wings Learning Community, a school designed around neurodivergent kids, alongside Stacey Glasenapp, MS LPC, a child therapist at Shoreside Therapies. Together they get into what school looks like when it's built to believe in kids instead of manage them: six students to two teachers, learning partners matched by where a child actually is (not their birth year), zones of regulation woven into every morning, twice-daily outdoor time, and a culture where a meltdown is part of learning — not a reason to call home. You'll also leave with tools that work at any school: mirroring the classroom routine at home, the parent–teacher notebook, and the "frustration bag" — a simple, mirrored calm-down kit for the cubby, the house, and the car. Resources & links: Open Wings Learning Community (Milwaukee & Kenosha): openwingslearning.org — tour requests and enrollment questions (tuition and financial questions: contact the school directly) Work with Stacey Glasenapp, MS LPC — child therapy and support for moms of kids with special needs: shoresidetherapies.com St. Francis Children's Center (speech & OT partnership mentioned in-episode) Zones of Regulation (framework mentioned in-episode)