Why two behaviors that look almost identical need completely different responses... and how to tell them apart. Your child is on the floor of the grocery store, screaming, and you have about four seconds to decide what's happening. Is this a kid testing limits because the checkout line is boring and whining has worked before? Or is this a kid whose nervous system has genuinely gone offline, who can't hear you, and who isn't choosing this? Those two situations can look almost

If you've ever repeated yourself five times before your child finally looked up from their tablet, or asked “how was school?” and gotten a one-word “fine” in return, you're not doing anything wrong. You're running into one of the most common (and most fixable) communication gaps between parents and kids. The good news: the way we talk and the way we listen are both skills. They can be practiced, adjusted, and improved... and small shifts in how a conversation starts can chang

Separating the science from the social-media oversimplification “Dopamine” has become one of the most talked-about words in ADHD conversations across parenting forums, social media, and dinner-table debates about screens, motivation, and “five more minutes.” Parents hear it used to explain everything from why a child can’t start homework to why bedtime turns into a negotiation. But the popular version of the dopamine story, that ADHD simply means a child has “too little” of t

Understanding the Link Between Worry and Organization By Dr. McKinzie Duesenberg-Marshall, PhD, LP, NCSP | Minds in Progress, LLC You've probably noticed it: your child seems smart and capable one moment, then completely falls apart trying to organize homework, start a big project, or remember multi-step instructions. If your child also describes feeling worried, anxious, or overwhelmed, you might be wondering if these challenges are connected. The short answer: yes. Anxiety

Why the overlap between these two conditions leads to missed diagnoses — and how to tell the difference. By Dr. McKinzie Duesenberg-Marshall, PhD, LP, NCSP | Minds in Progress, LLC If you've ever wondered whether your child's struggles with focus, restlessness, or avoidance are "just anxiety" or something more... you're asking exactly the right question. The challenge is that anxiety and ADHD look remarkably similar on the surface. Both can cause inattention, emotional dy

By Dr. McKinzie Duesenberg-Marshall, PhD, LP, NCSP | Minds in Progress, LLC Picture a child who can explain the lifecycle of a star but can't organize her backpack. Or a boy who reads three grade levels ahead yet melts down at the sound of the cafeteria. Or a teenager who scores in the gifted range on every reasoning measure but hasn't turned in a homework assignment in weeks. These children are not lazy, disorganized, or tempermental. They are twice-exceptional. Twice-except

By Dr. McKinzie Duesenberg-Marshall, PhD, LP, NCSP | Minds in Progress, LLC Writing is hard. Most parents know this instinctively when they watch their child stare at a blank page, lose their grip on a pencil, or spend 20 minutes producing three sentences that their classmates wrote in five. What parents often don’t know is that this struggle usually has a clear, identifiable cause...and that research-backed strategies exist to address it. A study recently published in The Re

By Dr. McKinzie Duesenberg-Marshall, PhD, LP, NCSP | Minds in Progress, LLC Your child's teacher has flagged concerns about focus. Maybe your child is shutting down during tests, avoiding social situations, or struggling to finish anything at home. You've Googled "signs of ADHD" and checked most of the boxes...but something feels off. Could it be anxiety? Could it be both? You're not overthinking this. Anxiety and ADHD are genuinely difficult to tell apart in children, and ev

Understanding the Gap Between a Medical Diagnosis and Educational Eligibility If you've recently received an autism diagnosis for your child from a psychologist, developmental pediatrician, or psychiatrist, and then turned around to find that your child's school says they don't qualify for special education services...you are not alone. This is one of the most confusing and frustrating experiences families navigate; it happens far more often than most people realize, and one

If you have a child who receives, or may qualify for, special education services, the Individualized Education Program (IEP) process can feel equal parts essential and overwhelming. The room is full of professionals, the document is dense, and the stakes feel high. But here's the truth: you are the most important person in that room. You know your child better than any teacher, specialist, or administrator. Walking in prepared, with clear, specific questions, can shift the

And the questions you should ask before committing to one. You've done the research. You've made the calls. You've probably waited weeks for an opening. And when the evaluation report finally arrives — thick, formal, and full of terms like 'processing speed index' and 'confidence interval' — you sit down to read it and realize you can barely understand what it says about your own child. You're not alone, and you're not the problem. A peer-reviewed study published this year in

As a parent, you know your child better than anyone. You notice the small things — the way they play, how they communicate, how they respond to the world around them. And sometimes, something just feels a little different. If you’ve found yourself wondering whether your child might be on the autism spectrum, you’re not alone — and asking that question takes both courage and love. At Minds in Progress, we believe that every child deserves to be understood. A comprehensive auti

What You Need to Know at Every Stage of Life If you've ever wondered whether you or someone you love might have ADHD, you're not alone. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions in the world — and one of the most misunderstood. For many people, receiving a formal diagnosis is a life-changing moment that finally gives a name to years of struggle. For others, the idea of seeking a diagnosis feels daunting or unnecessary. So