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Insights From Insight

Insights From Insight

By: Insights From Insight
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Welcome to Insights with Insight, the podcast where education, neurodiversity, and parenting meet real talk and research-backed strategies. Hosted by Amanda Armstrong—former public school educator with decades of experience, Master's in Exceptional Student Education, and mom to four amazing neurodiverse kids—this podcast is for parents, educators, and anyone navigating the beautiful complexity of ADHD, giftedness, anxiety, and learning differences. Each episode, we tackle the myths, share the science, and give you practical tools to support the neurodiverse learners in your life.Insights From Insight
Episodes
  • The Summer Launch Pad: Your Complete EF Plan

    The Summer Launch Pad: Your Complete EF Plan
    May 26 2026

    The Summer Blueprint series finale. Amanda pulls together everything from May — the summer cliff, parent EF, and flexible structure — into a step-by-step, four-week launch plan you can start Memorial Day weekend. She names the three traps that derail summer plans (and how to dodge them), delivers a complete summer launch checklist, and announces her Executive Function course launching in June. If you only listen to one episode before summer, make it this one.


    Blog post: The Summer Launch Pad: Everything Your Family Needs to Turn This Summer Into a Turning Point

    Email signup:⁠ insighteducationacademy.org⁠

    YouTube: ⁠@InsightEducationAcademy⁠

    Instagram: @insighteducationacademy



    References

    Bernier, A., Carlson, S. M., & Whipple, N. (2010). From external regulation to self-regulation: Early parenting precursors of young children's executive functioning. Child Development, 81(1), 326–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01397.x

    Blair, C., & Razza, R. P. (2007). Relating effortful control, executive function, and false belief understanding to emerging math and literacy ability in kindergarten. Child Development, 78(2), 647–663. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01019.x

    Bridgett, D. J., Burt, N. M., Edwards, E. S., & Deater-Deckard, K. (2015). Intergenerational transmission of self-regulation: A multidisciplinary review and integrative conceptual framework. Psychological Bulletin, 141(3), 602–654. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038662

    Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2018). Executive skills in children and adolescents: A practical guide to assessment and intervention (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.

    Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01

    Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750

    Diamond, A., & Lee, K. (2011). Interventions shown to aid executive function development in children 4 to 12 years old. Science, 333(6045), 959–964. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1204529

    Duckworth, A. L., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2005). Self-discipline outdoes IQ in predicting academic performance of adolescents. Psychological Science, 16(12), 939–944. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01641.x

    Fabiano, G. A., Pelham, W. E., Coles, E. K., Gnagy, E. M., Chronis-Tuscano, A., & O'Connor, B. C. (2009). A meta-analysis of behavioral treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(2), 129–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2008.11.001

    Masten, A. S. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. American Psychologist, 56(3), 227–238. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.227

    Moffitt, T. E., Arseneault, L., Belsky, D., Dickson, N., Hancox, R. J., Harrington, H., Houts, R., Poulton, R., Roberts, B. W., Ross, S., Sears, M. R., Thomson, W. M., & Caspi, A. (2011). A gradient of childhood self-control predicts health, wealth, and public safety. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1087), 2693–2698. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1010076108
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    16 mins
  • Flexible Structure: Summer Routines That Actually Work for Neurodiverse Kids

    Flexible Structure: Summer Routines That Actually Work for Neurodiverse Kids
    May 19 2026

    Rigid schedules break by Tuesday. Total freedom turns into screen-time chaos by Friday. In this episode, Amanda introduces a third approach — "Flexible Structure" — a three-layer framework (Anchors, Blocks, and Choice Boards) designed to support executive function all summer without turning your house into boot camp. She explains why each layer works, gives practical implementation tips including how to handle screens, and offers a step-by-step plan for co-creating the system with your child before school lets out.


    Blog post: ⁠ Flexible Structure: Building Summer Routines for Neurodiverse Kids That Actually Work

    Email signup:⁠ insighteducationacademy.org⁠

    YouTube: ⁠@InsightEducationAcademy⁠

    Instagram: @insighteducationacademy



    References

    • Barkley, R. A. (2012). Executive functions: What they are, how they work, and why they evolved. Guilford Press.
    • Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2018). Executive skills in children and adolescents: A practical guide to assessment and intervention (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
    • Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The "what" and "why" of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01
    • Diamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750
    • Dunn, W. (2007). Supporting children to participate successfully in everyday life by using sensory processing knowledge. Infants & Young Children, 20(2), 84–101. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.IYC.0000264477.05076.5d
    • Hume, K., Loftin, R., & Lantz, J. (2009). Increasing independence in autism spectrum disorders: A review of three focused strategies. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(9), 1329–1338. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-009-0751-2
    • Knight, V., Sartini, E., & Spriggs, A. D. (2015). Evaluating visual activity schedules as evidence-based practice for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2201-z
    • Shogren, K. A., Faggella-Luby, M. N., Bae, S. J., & Wehmeyer, M. L. (2004). The effect of choice-making as an intervention for problem behavior: A meta-analysis. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 6(4), 228–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/10983007040060040401
    • Spagnola, M., & Fiese, B. H. (2007). Family routines and rituals: A context for development in the lives of young children. Infants & Young Children, 20(4), 284–299. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.IYC.0000290352.32170.5a
    • Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.
    • Willcutt, E. G., Doyle, A. E., Nigg, J. T., Faraone, S. V., & Pennington, B. F. (2005). Validity of the executive function theory of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A meta-analytic review. Biological Psychiatry, 57(11), 1336–1346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2005.02.006
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    18 mins
  • The Parent's EF Upgrade: Why Taking Care of Your Own Brain Is the Best Gift You Can Give Your Kid

    The Parent's EF Upgrade: Why Taking Care of Your Own Brain Is the Best Gift You Can Give Your Kid
    May 12 2026
    This Mother's Day episode turns the mirror on parents. Amanda walks through all eight executive function skills — from working memory to task initiation — and asks you to honestly assess your own. She shares research on how parents' EF directly shapes their children's development, confesses her own struggles, and delivers five concrete strategies for upgrading your executive function without adding more to your plate. If you've ever lost your keys, raised your voice about a backpack, or procrastinated on an IEP form — this one's for you.Blog post: The Parent's EF Upgrade: Why Taking Care of Your Own Brain Is the Best Gift You Can Give Your Kids Email signup: insighteducationacademy.org YouTube: @InsightEducationAcademyInstagram: @insighteducationacademyReferencesBandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Prentice-Hall.Barkley, R. A. (2012). Executive functions: What they are, how they work, and why they evolved. Guilford Press.Bernier, A., Carlson, S. M., & Whipple, N. (2010). From external regulation to self-regulation: Early parenting precursors of young children's executive functioning. Child Development, 81(1), 326–339. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01397.xBridgett, D. J., Burt, N. M., Edwards, E. S., & Deater-Deckard, K. (2015). Intergenerational transmission of self-regulation: A multidisciplinary review and integrative conceptual framework. *Psychological Bulletin, 141*(3), 602–654. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038662Crnic, K. A., Gaze, C., & Hoffman, C. (2005). Cumulative parenting stress across the preschool period: Relations to maternal parenting and child behaviour at age 5. Infant and Child Development, 14(2), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.384Dawson, P., & Guare, R. (2018). Executive skills in children and adolescents: A practical guide to assessment and intervention (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.Deater-Deckard, K. (1998). Parenting stress and child adjustment: Some old hypotheses and new questions. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 5(3), 314–332. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2850.1998.tb00152.xDiamond, A. (2013). Executive functions. Annual Review of Psychology, 64, 135–168. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-113011-143750Grolnick, W. S., & Ryan, R. M. (1989). Parent styles associated with children's self-regulation and competence in school. Journal of Educational Psychology, 81(2), 143–154. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.81.2.143Lieberman, M. D., Eisenberger, N. I., Crockett, M. J., Tom, S. M., Pfeifer, J. H., & Way, B. M. (2007). Putting feelings into words: Affect labeling disrupts amygdala activity in response to affective stimuli. Psychological Science, 18(5), 421–428. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01916.xLim, J., & Dinges, D. F. (2010). A meta-analysis of the impact of short-term sleep deprivation on cognitive variables. Psychological Bulletin, 136(3), 375–389. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0018883Mikolajczak, M., Gross, J. J., & Roskam, I. (2019). Parental burnout: What is it, and why does it matter? Clinical Psychological Science, 7(6), 1319–1329. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702619858430Monsell, S. (2003). Task switching. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 7(3), 134–140. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(03)00028-7Neff, K. D. (2003). The development and validation of a scale to measure self-compassion. Self and Identity, 2(3), 223–250. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309027Roskam, I., Raes, M.-E., & Mikolajczak, M. (2017). Exhausted parents: Development and preliminary validation of the Parental Burnout Inventory. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 163. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00163
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    17 mins
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