April 21st, 12:30-1:30PM ET (Zoom)

Open to all caregivers with neurodivergent or disabled kids!

All too often, parents of neurodivergent kids are met with explanations for their kids’ reactions that blame and shame rather than support and accommodate.

In this workshop, psychologist Dr. Gillian Boudreau introduces the “Startled, Trapped, Shamed” framework, a powerful way to understand the nervous system triggers that often drive big reactions in neurodivergent kids - particularly autistic PDAers. 

When parents learn to recognize these hidden triggers, behaviors that once felt confusing or “out of nowhere” begin to make more sense. This shift in understanding can help parents respond with greater clarity and compassion, support their own nervous systems, and advocate more effectively for their children as they move through systems that so often misunderstand them.

Care Lab members:
RSVP directly through the Care Lab platform.

Not a Care Lab member?
Please register here: https://givebutter.com/startled-trapped-shamed

About Dr. Gillian Boudreau

Gillian Boudreau (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist in practice in Portland, Oregon, with a focus on children, families, adults, and couples at the intersection of autism, ADHD, anxiety, and trauma. Dr. Boudreau's work is about understanding and addressing our human need for attachment, connection, and effective communication in such a way that can help individuals, family systems, school systems, and larger organizations to support all brains and hearts. 

She is a national speaker on topics including psychological safety and emotional intelligence, offers many courses and trainings on fear in institutional systems, trauma, neurodiversity, and mindfulness, and provides ongoing consultation for multiple school districts and organizations on neurodiversity-affirming approaches.  Dr. Boudreau co-hosts two podcasts: "I Hate You. What's For Dinner?" With a focus on parenting and being parented, as well as "Stance of Curiosity" with a focus on school psychology.  Dr. Boudreau offers content and resources related to emotional safety and connection on Instagram at @clearconnectionpsychology.

March 25th, 8-9pm ET (Zoom)

Travel can fuel our kids’ sense of adventure, deep curiosity and love of exploration. At the same time, it can bring changes in routine, unfamiliar foods and environments, and new accessibility challenges and stressors to navigate in a world that wasn't built with disability in mind.

Let's talk about it in community!

Join Care Lab Moderator for a supportive conversation about the joys, struggles and realities of traveling with neurodivergent and/or disabled children. Meghan will share tips and lessons learned from her family's travel adventures - including the hard-earned realization that shifting expectations is the way forward - and much easier said than done. There will also be space for participants to share their own questions, strategies, and wisdom.

About Meghan: Care Lab Moderator Meghan is the proud parent of a 12-year-old neurodivergent kiddo and thrilled to be a part of the Care Lab community! She believes deeply in peer-to-peer support and that as parents, we are each other’s greatest resources when it comes to raising our children in a world that was not built for them.

Her professional background is in public health, specifically sexual and reproductive health education. Over the course of her career, she has created and led training programs that support parents and educators in talking openly and confidently with young people about sexual and reproductive health.

Meghan lives in Brooklyn, NY with her husband and son. She is a lover of travel and enjoys supporting families in crafting neurodiversity-affirming wanderlust adventures. Creative writing is also one of her favorite ways to recharge and find joy.

Wednesday, April 15th, 12pm ET (via Zoom)

What would it be like to transform our kids’ IEPs from deficit and compliance-based laundry lists into affirming tools that help foster their academic growth, well-being, and belonging? 

In this session, we’ll explore the key principles of a disability-affirming IEP.

Together, we’ll look at problematic examples, gain inspiration from neurodivergent advocates, and try our hand at basic rewrites. And we’ll have plenty of time to hold space for all the feels. 

As always, come as you are and when you can. 

Bring your kids’ IEPs to reimagine and prepare to  throw the harmful stuff in the ol’ shredder.