Calm Connection Parenting | Neurodivergent, Meltdowns, Emotional Regulation, DMDD, Tantrums, SPD, Defiance, Angry Behaviors

Is your child struggling at school, but you are not sure whether they need an IEP, a 504 plan, accommodations, evaluations, services, goals, or a behavior plan?
In this episode of the Calm Connection Parenting Podcast, Jami Kirkbride talks with Karen Mayer Cunningham, the Special Education Boss®, about IEP and 504 help for parents who do not know where to start.
If you have ever wondered whether your child needs more school support, what the difference is between a 504 plan and an IEP, or how to begin advocating without feeling overwhelmed or intimidated, this conversation will help you take the next best step.
In this first part of a two-part conversation, Karen helps parents understand where to begin when a child is struggling at school. You’ll hear how to think about IEPs, 504 plans, evaluations, accommodations, services, goals, behavior plans, and the parent’s role in the process.
This episode also speaks directly to parents raising children with ADHD, DMDD, autism, anxiety, sensory needs, emotional dysregulation, meltdowns, or challenging behaviors, especially when those needs show up at school in ways that may be misunderstood.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• The first step parents can take when they suspect their child needs more school support
 • The difference between a 504 plan and an IEP in simple, parent-friendly language
 • Why behavior may be connected to an unmet support need
 • Why so many parents feel intimidated walking into an IEP meeting
 • What to do if you are afraid of being seen as difficult, pushy, or “that parent”
 
 This episode is part one of a two-part conversation with Karen Mayer Cunningham. In Part 2, we’ll talk more about how to advocate at the IEP table, what to do when you feel dismissed, what to ask, what to document, and how to keep the focus on your child’s needs.
This episode is also part of the special series leading up to the Mom’s Retreat, It Is Well… Finding Your Calm in the Chaos, happening August 27-31 in Loveland, Colorado.
The retreat is for moms raising emotionally intense, uniquely wired, neurodivergent, or struggling children. It is a small, personal retreat created to help moms step away, be encouraged, connect with others who understand, learn practical tools, and return home with more calm, clarity, and hope.
A few spots are still available, and early bird pricing is ending soon.
Learn more or register here:
 CalmConnectionParent.com/retreat2026
Join the Calm Connection Parenting Group and find free parenting resources at:
 CalmConnectionParenting.org
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Take Your Next Step:  Emotional Forecast Quiz
Visit CalmConnectionParenting.org to become an insider and receive weekly news. Find information about the coaching program (and scholarships), free parenting resources, and how we can connect.
*Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified professional for individual support.

Happy and Joyful Children by Free Music • Happy Children Background Music / Joyful U... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/free-... Music promoted by Audio Library • Happy and Joyful Children – Free Music (No... ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
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Just Believe

Parenting a child with ADHD, DMDD, ASD, emotional dysregulation, meltdowns or challenging behaviors can feel overwhelming, especially when you are trying to carry it all without enough support.
If you have ever wondered what kind of help would actually make a difference, this episode is for you.
In this episode of the Calm Connection Parenting Podcast, we’re talking about how to find the support you need to stay afloat when parenting a high-needs, emotionally intense, or neurodivergent child.
Support is not one-size-fits-all. For some parents, support may look like counseling. For others, it may be coaching, a support group, a trusted friend, respite, a retreat, or simply space to breathe and think clearly again.
Jami shares why many parents feel guilty seeking support, especially when family time, finances, and a child’s needs already feel stretched. She also talks about why it can feel awkward or uncomfortable to step away from constant parent mode, even when you know you need rest, encouragement, or practical help.
This episode will help you think through what kind of support may fit your real life, your personality, your emotional needs, your family situation, and the season you are in.
You’ll also hear the story behind the Mom’s Retreat, It Is Well… Finding Your Calm in the Chaos, and how a simple comment during the Calm Connection Parenting Summit turned into a retreat for moms who need rest, connection, practical tools, encouragement, and a small group of women who understand without needing a long explanation.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• How to identify what kind of support may actually help you right now
• Why counseling, coaching, support groups, trusted friends, respite, and retreats can all serve different needs
• Why parents of children with ADHD, DMDD, emotional dysregulation, or challenging behaviors often feel guilty taking time or using resources for themselves
• How support can help you return to your family with more clarity, calm, and hope
• One small step you can take this week toward the support you need
This episode is also part of the special series leading up to the Mom’s Retreat, It Is Well… Finding Your Calm in the Chaos, happening August 27-31 in Loveland, Colorado.
This retreat is for moms raising emotionally intense, uniquely wired, neurodivergent, or struggling children. It is intentionally small and personal, with time for rest, connection, practical tools, coaching, personal reflection, fun activities, delicious meals, a mountain trip, and space to breathe.
A few spots are still available, and early bird pricing may be ending soon.
Learn more, apply for a possible scholarship, or register here:
CalmConnectionParent.com/retreat2026
Join the Calm Connection Parenting Facebook Group and find free parenting resources at:
CalmConnectionParenting.org
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Take Your Next Step:  Emotional Forecast Quiz
Visit CalmConnectionParenting.org to become an insider and receive weekly news. Find information about the coaching program (and scholarships), free parenting resources, and how we can connect.
*Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified professional for individual support.

Happy and Joyful Children by Free Music • Happy Children Background Music / Joyful U... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/free-... Music promoted by Audio Library • Happy and Joyful Children – Free Music (No... ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Just Believe

Is it selfish to take a break when parenting a child with ADHD, DMDD, emotional dysregulation, big emotions, meltdowns, or challenging behaviors?
When your child needs extra support, extra patience, extra tools, and extra advocacy, it can feel hard to step away, even when you know you are exhausted.
In this episode of the Calm Connection Parenting Podcast, we’re talking about why self-care is not selfish, why support is essential for parents raising high-needs or neurodivergent children, and what can happen when you get the space you need to breathe, think, and come back with more calm and clarity.
Jami shares honestly about the guilt many parents feel when they consider taking time for themselves, especially when their child has ADHD, DMDD, emotional dysregulation, sensory needs, anxiety, meltdowns, or challenging behaviors. She also shares personal stories of how stepping away for encouragement, connection, and support helped her reconnect with gifts and parts of herself that had been put on hold during busy or stressful seasons.
This episode explores why overwhelmed parents often react from depletion instead of clarity, why rest can help you reconnect with who you are and how you want to parent, and why taking care of yourself is one way to steward your time, energy, effort, emotions, and capacity to love your family well.
You’ll also hear why support does not pull you away from your family when it helps you return with more of who you really are.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why taking a break from parenting ADHD, DMDD, or challenging behaviors is not selfish
• How support helps parents return with more calm, clarity, and confidence
• Why self-care is essential when parenting a child who needs extra support
• How chronic stress can dampen your gifts, strengths, passions, and sense of purpose
This episode is also part of the special series leading up to the Mom’s Retreat, It Is Well… Finding Your Calm in the Chaos, happening August 27-31 in Loveland, Colorado.
This retreat was created for the mom raising an emotionally intense, uniquely wired, neurodivergent, or struggling child. It is for the mom who loves her family deeply but feels tired from holding so much together.
The retreat is intentionally small and personal, with time for rest, encouragement, practical tools, coaching, smaller group connection, personal reflection, laughter, fun activities, delicious meals you do not have to cook, a mountain trip, crafts, and special drink bars including dirty soda, lemonade, and cocoa.
Lodging, food, drinks, snacks, activities, outings, and special care elements are included. You only need to take care of travel, one meal out, and any personal spending money.
A few spots are still available, and early bird pricing may be ending soon. Payment plans and scholarship applications are available.
If you invite a friend who registers for the retreat, you can receive $100 off your own registration fee.
Learn more, apply for a possible scholarship, or register here:
CalmConnectionParent.com/retreat2026
Join the Calm Connection Parenting Group and find free resources at:
CalmConnectionParenting.org
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Take Your Next Step:  Emotional Forecast Quiz
Visit CalmConnectionParenting.org to become an insider and receive weekly news. Find information about the coaching program (and scholarships), free parenting resources, and how we can connect.
*Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified professional for individual support.

Happy and Joyful Children by Free Music • Happy Children Background Music / Joyful U... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/free-... Music promoted by Audio Library • Happy and Joyful Children – Free Music (No... ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Just Believe

Do you feel lonely parenting a child with ADHD, DMDD, emotional dysregulation, meltdowns, big emotions, or challenging behaviors?
Even when you are surrounded by people, parenting a high-needs or neurodivergent child can feel isolating when others do not understand what your family is carrying.
In this episode of the Calm Connection Parenting Podcast, we’re talking about why support matters so much for parents raising children with ADHD, DMDD, autism, anxiety, sensory needs, emotional dysregulation, or challenging behaviors.
Jami shares honestly about the loneliness that can come in the hardest seasons of parenting a high-needs child, including what it feels like to be physically present with people while internally consumed by your child’s needs, daily struggles, fears, problem-solving, and emotional exhaustion.
This episode explores why isolation can make parenting challenges feel more personal and permanent, why safe support helps moms feel seen instead of judged, and how encouragement from other parents can restore hope and perspective.
You’ll also hear a personal story about how support groups not only helped Jami feel less alone, but also helped one of her children realize their family was not the only one walking through these struggles.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why parenting ADHD, DMDD, meltdowns, and big emotions can feel so isolating
 • How judgment from others can make parents pull further into loneliness
 • What safe support actually looks like for parents of high-needs children
 • Why needing support does not mean you are failing
 • How other parents’ stories can help you see the journey instead of feeling stuck on an island
 • One small step you can take this week toward connection and support
This episode is also part of the special series leading up to the Mom’s Retreat, It Is Well… Finding Your Calm in the Chaos, happening August 27-31 in Loveland, Colorado.
This small, personal retreat is for moms raising emotionally intense, uniquely wired, neurodivergent, or struggling children. It is a place to rest, connect, be encouraged, hear other families’ stories, learn practical tools, and be reminded that you are not alone.
There are a few spots still open, and early bird pricing is ending soon. If you invite a friend who registers for the retreat, you can receive $100 off your own registration fee.
Learn more, apply for a possible scholarship, or register here:
 CalmConnectionParent.com/retreat2026
Join the Calm Connection Parenting Group and take the Emotional Forecast Quiz at:
 CalmConnectionParenting.org
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Take Your Next Step:  Emotional Forecast Quiz
Visit CalmConnectionParenting.org to become an insider and receive weekly news. Find information about the coaching program (and scholarships), free parenting resources, and how we can connect.
*Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified professional for individual support.

Happy and Joyful Children by Free Music • Happy Children Background Music / Joyful U... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/free-... Music promoted by Audio Library • Happy and Joyful Children – Free Music (No... ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Just Believe

Moms of neurodivergent kids, ADHD, emotional dysregulation, meltdowns, big emotions, or challenging behaviors often feel like they are always on alert and struggle to rest.
In this episode we talk about why rest can feel so hard when your body is used to being on guard, constantly anticipating the next argument, meltdown, sibling conflict, school concern, or emotional shift.
If you are raising a child with ADHD, autism, DMDD, anxiety, sensory needs, emotional dysregulation, meltdowns, or challenging behaviors, this episode will help you understand why “just take a break” often doesn’t work, and why true rest is not laziness. It is restoration.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
• Why moms of neurodivergent kids often live in anticipation mode
• Why rest can feel uncomfortable when you are used to constant pressure
• Why guilt can make rest feel undeserved
• Why true rest restores your mind, body, and emotional capacity
• One simple way to practice rest this week before you feel like you have earned it
This episode is part of a special series leading up to the Mom’s Retreat, It Is Well… Finding Your Calm in the Chaos, happening August 27-31 in Loveland, Colorado.
This small, restorative retreat is for moms raising emotionally intense, uniquely wired, neurodivergent, or struggling children. Registration includes lodging, meals, and activity costs. Early bird pricing, payment plans, and scholarship applications are available. There are only 10 spots still open, and early bird pricing will be ending soon.
Special invitation: If you invite a friend who registers for the retreat, you can receive $100 off your own registration fee.
Learn more, apply for a possible scholarship, or register here:
CalmConnectionParent.com/retreat2026
Take the Emotional Forecast Quiz and find free parenting resources at:
CalmConnectionParenting.org
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Send a text and share your thoughts!
Take Your Next Step:  Emotional Forecast Quiz
Visit CalmConnectionParenting.org to become an insider and receive weekly news. Find information about the coaching program (and scholarships), free parenting resources, and how we can connect.
*Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified professional for individual support.

Happy and Joyful Children by Free Music • Happy Children Background Music / Joyful U... Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://www.audiolibrary.com.co/free-... Music promoted by Audio Library • Happy and Joyful Children – Free Music (No... ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Music from #InAudio: https://inaudio.org/ 
Just Believe