BRIGHT & QUIRKY CHILD SUMMIT 2022
Discover What's Possible!
Summit 2022 Program
Click here to access Day 5.
Welcome to the 5th annual Bright & Quirky Child Summit. We’re thrilled that you’ll be joining us. We’ve got 25 amazing experts ready with insights and strategies to shift your perspective and empower your progress on the bright and quirky journey. All talks begin airing at 8am Pacific time and will be free and accessible for 24 hours. Find your local time zone here.
Day 1: Discover What's Possible!
Monday, April 4, 2022. Begins at 8am Seattle/11am NY/4pm London
Why is renowned parenting expert and former gifted and special ed teacher, Michele Borba, more worried about kids like ours than ever before? Some bright and quirky kids are stressed, unhappy and struggling with mental health at alarming rates. But some of them, the thrivers, are flourishing. Why? Because they’ve learned skills that your child can learn too. Learn the 7 teachable traits for thriving that will help our kids handle life with more confidence, resilience and optimism.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Are you having a hard time talking and connecting with your bright tween or teen? In this talk with Ned Johnson, part of the dynamic duo (with Bill Stixrud) who wrote The Self-Driven Child and What Do You Say?: How to Build Motivation, Stress Tolerance, and a Happy Home, you will get immediate strategies to connect in new and effective ways with your kids. Learn how to parent as a “consultant,” and the power it holds to help our kids set goals for themselves and find their own natural motivation.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Did you know that every brain is as unique as a fingerprint? The fact is every child’s brain has areas of both strength and struggle, and those differences tend to be more pronounced in bright and quirky kids. In this accessible talk, neuroscientist Dr. Nicole Tetreault shares her own story as an unidentified twice-exceptional student and talks about the different regions of the brain and the impacts of “different wiring.” Dr. Nicole explains that our kids have their own individual “brainprints,” and shares how we can optimize learning for a child’s unique brain and their natural strengths.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
How does a bright African American boy realize his academic and life dreams when he’s shunned by his family, friends and community? According to Jeffrey Blount, award-winning author of The Emancipation of Evan Wells, even today many bright black kids struggle with this difficult dynamic. However, there are creative ways to build a successful, happy life, with intellectual challenge, friendship and community. Hear what it takes to bridge the gap in this fascinating talk.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
If you’re feeling burned out, you’re not alone. As we re-enter the post-pandemic reality of life, parents are still feeling stressed and worried as they help their kids with school resistance, social lags, and increased rates of depression and anxiety. In this video, listen how psychologist Dan Peters and parenting expert Debbie Reber are navigating this time as both parents and professionals. Watching this video is a healthy dose of parent self-care we all need right now.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page (Debbie Reber & Dan Peters).
Day 2: Challenging Behaviors & Emotional Regulation
Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Begins at 8am Seattle/11am NY/4pm London
In this game-changing talk, psychologist Mona Delahooke, PhD, draws from her new book, Brain-Body Parenting: How to Stop Managing Behavior and Start Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids, to help us understand the new lens for understanding behavior, based on emerging neuroscience. Dr. Delahooke brings new vocabulary and concepts we can use when communicating with schools to help shift the paradigm of what our kids need to be regulated, connected, and able to learn.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
“I can’t get off yet, I need five more minutes!” If you have screens in your home, you’ve probably heard this phrase many times. Renee Jain, founder of GoZen! and author of Superpowered: Transform Anxiety into Courage, Confidence, and Resilience, understands kids' resistance to homework and fascination with screens, and the parenting battles that often accompany both. Renee provides practical tips and roleplays that will help you navigate these issues with confidence and success. She also talks about perfectionism in our bright kids and how we can help them get unstuck from the grips of perfectionistic thinking.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
What if you don’t feel confident in your ability to make friends and you could actually learn the unspoken rules of conversation and friendship? Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson, Founder and Director of the UCLA PEERS® Clinic, teaches teens the art and science of friendship, using the research-based PEERS® framework. Enjoy Dr. Laugeson’s science, role plays and practical suggestions to give your child the tools to grow friendships and eliminate peer rejection.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Have you ever wondered why some boys struggle with aggression? In this talk, Tosha Schore, co-author of Listen: Five Simple Tools to Meet Your Everyday Challenges and creator of Parenting Boys Peacefully, describes what truly underlies anger and aggression in boys. She provides real-life examples of how to set loving limits to reach the ultimate goal of effective self-regulation.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Day 3: Learning, ADHD & Executive Function
Wednesday, April 6, 2022. Begins at 8am Seattle/11am NY/4pm London
This talk was so good, we created not one, but TWO versions for you! In the short, edited version, you’ll get Dr. Ned Hallowell’s pearls of wisdom on what matters most for kids with ADHD. Dr. Ned should know – he literally wrote the book on ADHD, Driven to Distraction, and 30 years later, ADHD 2.0. The unedited version is a beautiful display of ADHD in all its glory. He even makes coffee in the middle of the interview! If you’re wondering if your child will grow up to be successful, Dr. Ned will show you in living color just how someone with ADHD can live a gloriously successful life!
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
The deck is stacked against our kids with games designed to keep them playing and video platforms to keep them watching. That’s why it’s more important than ever to get a healthier tech culture established in your family, according to author and technology expert Richard Culatta. Richard shares pearls of wisdom from his book, Digital for Good: Raising Kids to Thrive in an Online World, where it’s less about setting screen time limits and more about giving our kids important skills for being a healthy, well-balanced human in a digital world.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
In this talk, one of the foremost experts in ADHD and the “godmother of 2e education” discuss how to improve the school experience for 2e kids. Listen as Dr. William Dodson, renowned psychiatrist and ADHD expert, and Dr. Sue Baum, Director of the The 2e Center for Research & Development at Bridges Academy, share what they both believe to be the missing piece to understanding how to approach ADHD students. Discover how to be your child’s best advocate for a good-fit education and learn the messages kids, especially kids with ADHD, need to hear to thrive.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page (William Dodson and Susan Baum).
Have you ever wondered what goes on inside the therapy room for neurodiverse kids? Many of our bright kids are struggling with the effects of stress, loneliness, identity issues, anxiety and depression at epidemic levels right now. Listen as two mental health clinicians, Debbie and Emily Kircher-Morris, host of the Neurodiversity Podcast, share some of their most effective strategies for working with kids, teens and families to help them move up the thrive scale.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Many bright kids often feel some worry and anxiety, but well-meaning parent responses may not help a child or teen build effective strategies to deal with that anxiety. Listen as psychologist Sharon Saline, PhD, shares a wealth of information about anxiety, including social anxiety, along with practical strategies kids and parents can use to build a robust toolkit for coping. Dr. Sharon also talks about when bright, sensitive kids, often with ADHD, have intense emotional responses to perceived criticism or rejection.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Day 4: Neurodiversity & Autism
Thursday, April 7, 2022. Begins at 8am Seattle/11am NY/4pm London
What happens if we focus on our children’s strengths and enthusiasm instead of their deficits? Barry Prizant, author of Uniquely Human and one of the world’s foremost scholars of autism and childhood autism, uses vivid examples to demonstrate how respect, trusting relationships and the nurturing of passions can inspire autistic children to develop their superpowers.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
If there’s one book our community has been buzzing about this year, it’s Linda Murphy’s Declarative Language Handbook. We’re hearing from parents in the trenches that declarative language is especially helpful for “demand avoidant” or “oppositional” kids. Learn how declarative language, as opposed to correction, can empower your kids and decrease power struggles and challenging behaviors. Speech language pathologist and author Linda Murphy shares her positive, thoughtful communication style that emphasizes understanding, patience, respect and kindness.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Autistic engineer Paul Micallef struggled for years to make meaningful friendships. It wasn’t until he altered something about his appearance that transformed everything for him socially. Once Paul felt the experience of belonging and inclusion, he could backwards engineer how to teach social/emotional intelligence to others. The key? According to Paul, it isn’t about learning social theory or stick figure facial expressions on worksheets. It’s about developing and practicing this one very important skill. This is a great talk to watch with your tweens and teens.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
There’s a lack of information on bright and quirky adults so we’re very lucky that Amanda Morin, Director of Thought Leadership and Expertise at Understood.org, agreed to join us to discuss both her personal neurodivergent journey and also how she supports neurodivergent adults in the workplace. Her message? 2e employees are fantastic talents, and self-advocating for what they need in the workplace can only improve the work world. Learn how Amanda self-advocates with her "User's Guide to Working with Me," a fabulous tool that allows co-workers to better understand "what you need, who you are, and what will be the best way to work with you." We hope all corporate leaders incorporate such a tool into their onboarding of neurodivergent employees!
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
What do you do if you’re married and the marriage isn’t going well because your brains are wired so differently? Well, if you’re Dave Finch, autistic engineer and co-host of the Uniquely Human Podcast, you start making a list of best practices so you can increase your chances of success. After experimenting and doing more of what works, Dave realized that he could approach his marriage using engineering principles, similar to AI (Artificial Intelligence), and make his relationship smarter and smarter. This engaging talk is perfect for engineers, autistics and the people who love them.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Day 5: Anxiety, Picky Eating & More
Friday, April 8, 2022. Begins at 8am Seattle/11am NY/4pm London
Chris Willard, PsyD, is a psychologist and author who speaks to us about mindfulness, a key ingredient to managing anxiety. He covers a lot of ground in this talk and does so with an ease of communication that makes us want to go right out and practice some simple strategies (with the kids!). He brings fascinating information about how mindfulness can actually change the brain, particularly that little area that carries the big emotions (the amygdala). He gives simple strategies for mindfulness and explains how it helps with co-regulation and regulation. He also covers the not-so-simple challenge of getting teens to practice mindfulness.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Dr. Jennifer Thomas, Co-Director of the Eating Disorders Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital and the author of The Picky Eaters Recovery Book: A Self-Help Guide to Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, wants parents to know that extreme picky eating is not their fault! In this talk, Dr. Thomas not only shares the latest research on Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID ), she gives us positive approaches and practical tools to help our children become comfortable with the foods and nutrition they need. If your child has extreme picky eating, this is a great talk to share with family and professionals.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
When your child is facing a challenge, like not fitting in at school or having enough intellectual stimulation, do you follow the well-meaning advice of others or trust your own gut? Intuition expert Lisa K and her adult son Chris, who studies architecture at Columbia University, tell their remarkable story of making important decisions by tapping into intuitive abilities. Lisa and Chris share how they navigated finding “good fit” learning environments, which included opportunities to develop Chris’ strengths and follow his interests. Their story may inspire you to find new ways to approach your current challenge with insight and confidence.
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Austina De Bonte helps decode the puzzle of what’s really going on with our twice exceptional kids. Sometimes there are underlying issues that are often misdiagnosed. Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD), Visual Processing disorders, and PANDAS (a medical condition caused by the strep bacteria) often look like Anxiety, ADHD and other common diagnoses, but are not. Austina offers insight into spotting these conditions, getting them diagnosed and has tips for treatment. (Also, there may just be a surprise “easter egg” hiding toward the end of this talk!)
Learn more about our speakers on our Expert Bios page.
Hi! I have enjoyed listening to the informative talks and so appreciate the access! Thanks for all you do to bring such great speakers and valuable information to us!!
I did have a problem yesterday though….didn’t receive the email with the link. And yesterday was one I really had looked forward to with directive being executive function…..Was going to wait to see if just a glitch but don’t want to miss any more….
Can you resend to my email please!!
What time is each talk? I’m trying to move work and meetings around but can’t find this info
All talks for the day are released simultaneously at 8:00am Seattle PT, and are free for 24hrs. Each day a new set of talks are released.
Where are the links to log onto the talks? I’m not seeing them anywhere near the talk info.
Assuming you’re on a mobile device, If you select the black Menu button, you can then select Day 1 to get to Day 1 videos.
If you’re on the Day 1 page, click on the large individual speaker images to watch the talks.
Hi! I am having a hard time finding links to the talks on a desktop computer. Thanks!
You’ll find the Day 1 link on the left navigation menu. Once on the Day 1 page, click on the large image of the speaker to watch that specific talk.
Looking forward to this!
Very excited to hear about these topics. I’m also thankful for a free option. I really appreciate all of the information I can get!
Thank you so much! Very interesting and diverse topics and speakers@ Looking forward to it!
Will they be recorded and available for viewing after the summit?
All talks are recorded and free to watch for the day they are released. If you want to watch the videos later, you can upgrade to the Silver or Gold Pass.
This schedule looks amazing! Thank you so much for providing such important information.
This looks fantastic! Thank you for offering this resource and support!
How long are the talks?
Hi, Kim! I’m Laura, the Bright & Quirky Concierge. Each talk varies in length, but most talks are around 30-45 minutes long. We are excited to share them with you next week.
This sounds like great info
What an awesome line-up – can’t wait!
I’m looking forward to this Summit.