Parenting with Impact

When it comes to parenting a complex kid, the change you've been working towards often shows up over years, not overnight. In this week’s episode, Elaine and Diane sit down with longtime ImpactParents member Andrea Osborne for a success story about parenting her ADHD daughter from the diagnosis she received after middle school through her big leap into college. Andrea gets real about letting go, grieving the kid she thought she'd have, and learning to lead with acknowledgment instead of correction. If you've ever wondered how things can feel like a mess and like you’re making real progress at the same time, this one's for you. Give it a listen.

What to expect in this episode:
Andrea Osborne shares how her ADHD diagnosis journey with her daughter began after a difficult middle school experience and evolved through high school, the pandemic, and the transition to college.
Listeners will hear a practical reframe for staying connected to a young adult child: giving them room to lead while remaining close enough to offer support when it's needed.
The episode offers a clear example of leading with acknowledgment before correction, and why that shift changes the tone of a parent-child relationship.
Andrea describes the process of grieving the child she expected in order to make room to fully embrace the child she has, a theme she and the hosts return to throughout the conversation.
The conversation shows how caregiving for a parent with dementia and parenting a child with ADHD can draw on the same coaching tools and the same core skill: letting go of what you can't control.

Download free guide: Top 12 Tips To Help Your Complex Kids

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Ever notice your team runs smoother than your household, or vice versa? Elaine sits down with her husband and colleague David Taylor Klaus (DTK Coaching) to unpack how parenting and leadership draw on the same skills and why understanding neurodiversity at work isn't just kind — it's good business. They dig into masking, quiet quitting, retention, and why "all boats rise" when workplaces are designed for how brains actually work. If you've ever wondered how the coach-approach you use at home could change your team at work, this one's for you. Listen now, and find out how to bring a neuroinformed approach to your workplace.

What to expect in this episode:
How neurodiversity shows up the same way at home, at work, at school, and in clinics — and why that matters for parents
How masking damages people emotionally and physically, and what "quiet leaving" looks like in practice
Why onboarding is one of the most underused tools for supporting neurodivergent employees and family members alike
The idea that designing for neurodivergence benefits everyone — "all boats rise"
How the same communication and trust-building skills that work at home can transform a team, and vice versa

About David Taylor-Klaus
 is a Master Certified Coach, speaker, and author on a mission to unearth and unleash the personal mastery of entrepreneurs and senior executives. Since 2008, DTK has empowered his tribe to take an active, intentional, and dynamic role in their development and create the kind of life rhythm that enables them to build profitable businesses, raise thriving families, and live wildly fulfilling lives.

His best-selling new book “Mindset Mondays with DTK: 52 Ways to REWIRE Your Thinking and Transform Your Life" is available on Amazon.

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Ever leave a doctor or therapist appointment thinking, "They were smart and kind — and still had no idea what to do to help my kid"? Elaine Taylor-Klaus and Diane Dempster explain why that happens: it takes an average of 17 years for research to make it into everyday practice, and many professionals working with neurodivergent kids simply haven't received the training yet. In this episode, they unpack the shift from a "diagnose and treat" model to an "identify and support" approach, and introduce the NeuroInformed Institute — a new training pathway for parents and professionals alike. Tune in for a clear-eyed look at why you're often ahead of the curve, and what you can do with that.

What to expect in this episode:
Why an average 17-year research-to-practice gap can leave parents feeling unsupported by professionals
How the diagnostic understanding of ADHD and autism has evolved — and where it still falls short
The shift from "diagnose and treat" to "identify and support"
Why coaches and parents are often ahead of clinical training
What the NeuroInformed Institute offers professionals and parents

Download free guide: Top 12 Tips To Help Your Complex Kids

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Reconnecting with a kid who's pulled away doesn't have to happen all at once. Elaine and Diane wrap their three-part series on relationship repair by focusing on small, doable steps — texts that don't ask for a reply, sharing popcorn on the couch, asking permission before offering advice. They talk about why their sense of safety (not your good intentions) is what determines whether your kid lets you back in, and how the phrase "up until now" can free you from the guilt spiral so you can actually get started. If you're rebuilding trust with your neurodivergent kid, this series is your roadmap. Catch up on parts one and two if you haven't yet, and let us know: what's one small reconnection move you're going to try this week?

What to expect in this episode:
Why small, everyday gestures — not big talks — are the best starting point for reconnecting with a disconnected kid
The "up until now" reframe and how it helps parents let go of guilt and blame so they can move forward
Why their feeling of safety, not your good intentions, determines whether your kid lets you back in
How asking permission before offering advice restores a kid's sense of agency
The four phases of parenting (director, collaborator, supporter, champion) and why so many parents get stuck in director mode

Download free guide: Top 12 Tips To Help Your Complex Kids

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Does it feel like your kid is pulling away? Always closing their door, avoiding you, or talking to you only when they have to? For neurodiverse families, this shift often comes from normal development colliding with an already taxed parent-child relationship. In this episode, Elaine and Diane dig into where that disconnect happens and what actually works to rebuild trust and connection with your kid. They unpack the shift from "I'm afraid for you" to "I believe in you," and why that one mindset change can transform your dynamic. If you've been feeling shut out, this is your on-ramp back in.

What to expect in this episode:
Why a teenager pulling away and closing their door is often a normal part of development, not necessarily a red flag
How the parent's role as "director" can create a second layer of disconnection on top of natural individuation
A reframe of "trust" as a felt sense of safety and comfort, not just honesty or truth-telling
A practical mindset shift — "I believe in you" instead of "I'm afraid for you" — and why it changes how our kids experience us
Why creating space for an uncertain (but very possible) positive future can help you calm enough to make reconnection possible

Download free guide: Top 12 Tips To Help Your Complex Kids

Connect with ImpactParents: 
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