Building Family Culture: Solutions and Strategies to Build Intrinstic Motivation and More

How do we create an environment that supports each child’s unique learning journey, especially when working with neurodivergent children? Understanding your child’s educational needs can be a daunting task, especially when considering the mix of abilities and challenges within a family.

I had the pleasure of chatting with Nicole Santiago, an IEP coach and special education advocate. Her insights are incredibly valuable for parents navigating the special education system, balancing homeschooling, and addressing the needs of children with ADHD and autism.

Creating a Dynamic Learning Environment

Nicole focuses on two crucial aspects of educational success: intrinsic motivation and strength-based learning. Working with various families, she emphasized creating environments that foster curiosity, respect, and collaboration. She shares how to create a space where traditional grades are replaced with mastery learning, and cultivates intrinsic motivation and kindness among students.

Real-Life Chaos and Learning

Parents and children alike can engage in collaborative problem-solving, supporting one another, and reflecting on strengths and areas for growth. Nicole describes her own home as a place where respect and curiosity are paramount but also acknowledged the challenges. Implementing firm boundaries while nurturing a supportive environment is essential for a functional family dynamic.

Family Meetings: A Tool for Collaboration

Take, for example, family meetings. It’s a time for everyone to voice their perspectives, find common ground, and work together on solutions. Whether navigating a messy room or completing educational projects, the goal is to foster independence and accountability in children. By giving them autonomy and encouraging them to devise their own strategies, parents can see significant improvements.

The Benefits of Homeschooling and Flexible Approaches

Nicole’s dedication to promoting flexible educational approaches has led her to advocate for homeschooling’s diverse benefits. Each child learns differently, and homeschooling allows for customization that can cater to these individual needs. This approach often involves collaborative projects that leverage children’s strengths, like incorporating second-language vocabulary with photography, writing, or technology.

Real Challenges, Real Solutions

For families today, balancing demands and setting boundaries can be overwhelming. Nicole’s experience with her own son and her own ADHD allows her to empathize deeply with the families she supports. She encourages parents to seek knowledge and understanding, using resources such as Trello for task management and the Social Emotional Competency Assessment (SECA) to identify strengths and weaknesses.

Making a Broader Impact

One of the projects Nicole is most proud of is her work on autism awareness training for the San Antonio Police Department. Along with her occupational therapy colleague, they provided sensory toolkits for SAPD cars, facilitating better interactions between officers and individuals with autism.

Nicole also shared her journey to receiving an ADHD diagnosis and how it reshaped her approaches both personally and professionally. Understanding familial patterns and genetic influences has been pivotal in her advocacy and educational strategies.

Encouragement for Parents

Parents, take heart that you’re not alone in facing these challenges. Embrace the flexibility of thought that comes with neurodivergent traits and consider how these strengths can be harnessed to benefit your family. Whether you’re a homeschooling parent or navigating public school systems, collaboration, respect, and encouragement can transform your educational journey.

Remember, each step forward in understanding and advocating for your child is a significant achievement. Keep pushing forward with curiosity and kindness, and know that you’re building a foundation of growth and understanding for your family.

OT is IN #43 Collaborative Problem-Solving in Education and Parenting

In this episode, we’ll explore Nicole Santiago’s approach to collaborative problem-solving, her emphasis on intrinsic motivation, and how she successfully integrates these strategies into both her professional work and personal life. Nicole is a seasoned IEP coach and special education advocate, bringing a wealth of experience from her background as a dual-language teacher and a dedicated homeschooling mom. With a focus on neurodivergent families, particularly those navigating autism and ADHD, Nicole is here to share valuable insights into creating more inclusive and supportive educational environments.

We’ll also touch on the importance of family dynamics, the role of advocacy in understanding ADHD, and how Nicole leverages tools like the Social Emotional Competency Assessment (SECA) to highlight and build on a child’s strengths. From discussing flexible schooling options to the necessity of family meetings, Nicole’s expertise sheds light on actionable ways parents and educators can foster a culture of kindness, curiosity, and collaborative problem-solving.

In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Former dual language teacher with a specialty in Spanish for middle and high school students.
• Homeschooling experience with her own son diagnosed with ADHD.
• Rich history of supporting families in the special education system.
• Inspired by Dr. Ross Green’s collaborative problem-solving methods.
• Focus on intrinsic motivation and mastery learning over traditional grading.
• Merits and challenges of homeschooling vs. public schooling.
• Tailoring education to fit individual family and child needs.
• Encouraging students to self-assess and use peer feedback.
• Addressing underlying issues affecting a child’s behavior, such as undiagnosed learning disabilities or home troubles.
• Adopting firm boundaries with supportive measures for a functional family dynamic.
• Effective parent coaching emphasizing respect, curiosity, and firmness.
• Utilizing family meetings to foster culture and solve problems collaboratively.
• Creative approaches to generating solutions, allowing flexibility in task completion.
• Managing ADHD with Tools like Trello for task management.
• Nicole’s personal experience and insights on the strengths and weaknesses associated with ADHD.
• Strengths-Based Educational Approach:
• Utilizing the Social Emotional Competency Assessment (SECA) in IEP and ART meetings.
• Personalized learning projects involving second-language vocabulary and local immersive activities.

Links and Resources From Today’s Show

• Why Should I Seek Occupational Therapy?
• Reverse Planning Journal from Homeschool OT
• What are Executive Functioning Skills?
• Field Trips can Build Executive Functioning
• What are Executive Functioning Skills? – Course from Homeschool OT
• Episode 9- The Impact of Music on Executive Functioning with Mandy Doman
• Episode 10 – Streamlining Your Space: Organizing for Better Executive Functioning
• Give Grace and Reject Shame by Nicole
• Follow Family ADDventures on Instagram
• Like Family ADDventures on Facebook

Connect with our Guest, Nicole Santiago, M. Ed, AC

Nicole Santiago, M. Ed, AC, is a disability advocate and learning specialist. She is the founder of Family ADDventures– a disability advocacy and training organization. We support neurodivergent students (and their families) so they thrive at school and in life!