ADHD School Survival Guide: Expert Tips with Kate Panfile on Learning Disabilities, IEPs and Parent Empowerment

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I sit down with education pro Kate Panfile — certified Learning Disabilities Teacher Consultant (LDT-C), academic coach and IEP translator extraordinaire — and we cut through the noise about parenting a neurodivergent kid in a school system that wasn’t built for them.

If your child is navigating ADHD, reading struggles, executive function challenges or the dreaded IEP meeting, you’re about to get the real talk you didn’t know you needed. Kate shares the inside scoop on how to decode learning disabilities, partner with schools without losing your sanity, and set up your kid for success (yes, real success) instead of just survival. We get down to the messy, raw truth — no cookie-cutter formulas, no blame game, just actionable strategies you can use tonight to start shifting the trajectory for your child and your family.

Tune in for:

• How to advocate effectively at school so you don’t get bulldozed
• Concrete routines and supports that honor your kid’s brain instead of fighting it
• Why you need to care for your nervous system if you’re gonna stay in this fight

Grab your coffee (or pour the second mug) and lean in — this one’s for the parents who refuse to let the system win.

Connect with Kate 👉 Katepanfile.com or Take the Quiz

This Month’s Sponsors:

💊 NeuroNeeds

A science-backed supplement line created by Dr. Richard Boles, a geneticist and ADHD dad who walked this exact road. These all-natural formulas were developed to support focus, mood, and brain health—and they helped his own son transition off stimulants and thrive in college. 

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Social Thinking® 

A powerhouse in neurodivergent-friendly social-emotional learning. Their evidence-based methodology gives parents, educators, and therapists tools to help kids (and adults) understand why we think socially — not just how to act. 

🧮 Pop Sugar Cafe 

The printable shop saving ADHD parents everywhere from pure morning meltdown chaos. Their visual schedules, routine charts, and emotion trackers are actually cute and neurodivergent-friendly. 

🪑 Ted Kangaroo

A line of science-backed sensory furniture and tools designed for kids who feel everything — loudly, quickly, and all at once. Ted Kangaroo’s patented chairs, vests, and rockers give your child a safe, calming, multi-sensory space to refocus, self-soothe, and regulate their emotions. 

🎁 Play Therapy Supply

Because sometimes the best gifts aren’t found in the toy aisle. Play Therapy Supply curates sensory-friendly tools, fidgets, and therapeutic toys that actually help kids calm their bodies and connect with their feelings.

👩🏼‍⚕️ Dr. Lorian Phillips 

Dr. Phillips helps families ditch the chaos and build calm through emotional regulation and practical tools that actually work in real life (you know, the life with homework battles, missing shoes, and bedtime meltdowns). 

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📧 Have questions or ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected].

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Danielle is the host of Chaos & Caffeine, a fast-growing ADHD parenting podcast where she interviews leading psychologists, clinicians, researchers, and neurodivergent advocates about what actually helps ADHD kids thrive in the real world. Through science-backed conversations and very real mom-in-the-trenches storytelling, the show helps parents navigate executive function challenges, emotional regulation struggles, learning differences, and the everyday chaos of raising neurodivergent kids.

Each week, Danielle translates complex ADHD research into practical tools parents can actually use — from building routines that support developing brains to helping kids strengthen focus, flexibility, and self-regulation skills.

Listen to the podcast and explore expert interviews at:
https://linktr.ee/chaosandcaffeinepodcast

Danielle frequently speaks and writes about ADHD parenting strategies, executive function development, emotional regulation, screen use and attention, learning challenges like dyslexia, and building resilient neurodivergent families.