Learn with Dr. Emily®

<p><strong><em>Hey Y’all,</em></strong></p><p>As part of a 3-part series on public education funding in North Carolina, <a target="_blank" href="https://drmelaniemccabe.com/">Dr. Melanie McCabe</a> and I are bringing you a conversation with NC State Representative <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncleg.gov/Members/Biography/H/758">Julie von Haefen</a>.</p><p>You can listen to the first interview in this series on proposed cuts to special education in Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) <a target="_blank" href="https://open.substack.com/pub/learnwithdremily/p/join-us-on-our-soapbox-how-the-proposed?r=1a6jof&#38;utm_campaign=post&#38;utm_medium=web">here</a>. The WCPSS Superintendent has since dropped his proposal to cut special education funding but due to a lack of funding at the state level, public schools are having to make very hard budgeting decisions.</p><p>This leads me to today’s conversation with State Rep. Julie von Haefen. Julie is a former PTA leader and advocate who currently serves District 36 in Wake County, North Carolina. In this conversation we cover:</p><p>* The importance of getting to know your representative</p><p>* Why the North Carolina Legislature hasn’t passed a budget</p><p>* How the Leandro case was dropped</p><p>* How NC is diverting $1 BILLION a year to private school vouchers despite a budget not being passed</p><p>* How the money flows from federal, state, and county resources</p><p>* How Medicaid funding is impacted by a financial deficit for the state</p><p>* Our thoughts in mental healthcare and school violence</p><p>* How to be an informed voter and the power of telling your friends!</p><p>* Look up your representative's voting record at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncleg.gov/">https://www.ncleg.gov/</a></p><p><strong><em>Listen here:</em></strong></p><p><strong><em>About Dr. Emily</em></strong></p><p><strong>As a child psychologist, former school psychologist, and parent, I’ve spent the last two decades working with neurodivergent children and teens alongside their families and teachers.</strong></p><p>Our kids are complex. What works for one child may or may not work for another. There is so much information out there, but you are ultimately the decision-maker of the next best step on your child’s path. I’m here to help you to feel more capable and experience more joy on this parenting journey.</p><p><strong>If you’re ready to learn how to reduce the stress in your home, help others understand your kid, and find more joy, you are in the right place.</strong></p><p><em>Let’s do this together,</em></p><p><em>~Dr. Emily</em></p><p><em>**All content provided is protected under applicable copyright, patent, trademark, and other proprietary rights. All content is provided for informational and education purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical or psychological diagnosis, advice or treatment. Information provided does not create an agreement for service between Dr. Emily W. King and the recipient. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to you or your child’s symptoms or medical condition. Children or adults who show signs of dangerous behavior toward themselves and/or others, should be placed immediately under the care of a qualified professional.**</em></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p><strong><em>Hey y’all!</em></strong></p><p>On today’s podcast, Elizabeth Sautter and I chat about energy and motivation, which is especially challenging as we enter this final portion of the school year. Listen in as we discuss what’s on our mind this time of year. We also share details of two workshops we hope you’ll find helpful. Details on those below!</p><p><strong><em>Let’s stay connected!</em></strong></p><p><strong><em>~Dr. Emily</em></strong></p><p>Dr. Emily’s LIVE Workshop tomorrow at 12:30pm ET / 9:30am PT</p><p>If you’re the parent or teacher of a neurodivergent kid or teen, you’ve likely wondered how to get them engaged with learning—especially if they find it boring or irrelevant to their life! Neurodivergent learners are often more motivated by novelty, satisfaction, and interests than by following the crowd. Understanding this changes everything!</p><p><strong><em>Elizabeth’s workshop with Emily Kircher-Morris on Wednesday April 15th</em></strong></p><p><strong>Educators</strong>, below you will find a link to a LIVE workshop from my colleagues <a target="_blank" href="https://www.emilykirchermorris.com/">Emily Kircher-Morris</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://elizabethsautter.com/">Elizabeth Sautter</a> on <a target="_blank" href="https://dremilyking--elizabethsautter.thrivecart.com/emotional-regulation-and-resilience/">Emotional Regulation and Resilience</a>. Teachers, Speech-Language Pathologists, and School Counselors can receive CEUs for this workshops! Parents are also welcome to attend. </p><p><strong>Parents</strong>, in this email you will find links to my most-watched workshop replays. Remember, my blogs and live chats are always free and workshops are for paid subscribers. Subscribe below to unlock the workshop replay archive.</p><p>In this training, you will learn…</p><p>* Why emotional regulation must come before learning, motivation, or persistence</p><p>* How to tell the difference between productive challenge and overload</p><p>* What actually builds distress tolerance without escalating stress</p><p>* How to support risk-taking, recovery, and resilience in everyday moments</p><p>* How to apply Emily’s ROOTS framework to help support regulation at home, in school, or in therapy</p><p>* Practical, evidence-based tools and language you can use the<strong> </strong>same day</p><p><strong><em>About Dr. Emily</em></strong></p><p><strong>As a child psychologist, former school psychologist, and parent, I’ve spent the last two decades working with neurodivergent children and teens alongside their families and teachers.</strong></p><p>Our kids are complex. What works for one child may or may not work for another. There is so much information out there, but you are ultimately the decision-maker of the next best step on your child’s path. I’m here to help you to feel more capable and experience more joy on this parenting journey.</p><p><strong>If you’re ready to learn how to reduce the stress in your home, help others understand your kid, and find more joy, you are in the right place.</strong></p><p><em>Let’s do this together,</em></p><p><em>~Dr. Emily</em></p><p><em>**All content provided is protected under applicable copyright, patent, trademark, and other proprietary rights. All content is provided for informational and education purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical or psychological diagnosis, advice or treatment. Information provided does not create an agreement for service between Dr. Emily W. King and the recipient. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to you or your child’s symptoms or medical condition. Children or adults who show signs of dangerous behavior toward themselves and/or others, should be placed immediately under the care of a qualified professional.**</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p><strong><em>Hey y’all!</em></strong></p><p>Thank you so much for following along, sending emails, and sharing posts. After the WCPSS school board meeting last night, Wake County has dropped the proposed $18 million cuts to special education. Read more <a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/education/article315159091.html">here</a>. Watch my summary of the nearly five hour school board meeting below.</p><p>We have more work to do! Limited state budgets are not isolated to North Carolina, but we are hoping that Wake County can be a model for how to push back and do the right thing in the face of funding deprivation from the state and federal governments. </p><p>Listen in as my colleages Dr. Melanie McCabe, Dr. Matt Zakreski, and I share what we are happy about and thankful for about the meeting last night and what we feel comes next!</p><p><em>Let’s stay connected!</em></p><p><em>~Dr. Emily</em></p><p><em>Advocate for Public Schools at the North Carolina General Assembly</em></p><p><strong>What’s the big deal? </strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wral.com/news/nccapitol/stein-budget-legislature-nc-march-2026/">Learn more about the NC State Legislature not passing a budget since 2023</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://publicschoolsfirstnc.org/issues/leandro/">Learn more about Leandro here</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article315085479.html">Learn more about property tax loopholes here</a></p><p><em>Join Us to Advocate for Public Schools at the North Carolina General Assembly. On day one of the North Carolina General Assembly’s short session, we’re joining a large coalition of public-school advocacy groups to deliver a petition telling our legislators that we are done waiting! We are done waiting for them to pass a budget. We are done waiting for them to comply with the Constitution of the State of North Carolina. We are done waiting for them to fully fund our public schools and honor the Leandro Decision. We are done waiting for them to do right by our teachers, our school support staff, and our children! In this midterm election year, we can’t wait any longer. They must act or we will remember in November.</em></p><p><strong><em>I missed what this is all about! Watch below…</em></strong></p><p></p><p><em>The next WCPSS Board Meeting to discuss the budget is Tuesday April 7th.</em></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wcpss.net/about-us/school-board">Read more about school board meetings here.</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wcpss.net/about-us/school-board/locate-your-school-board-member">Look up your board member here and send them an email!</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wcpss.net/about-us/school-board">Read more about school board meetings here.</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wcpss.net/about-us/school-board/locate-your-school-board-member">Look up your board member here and send them an email!</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://publicschoolsfirstnc.org/issues/school-vouchers/report-north-carolina-school-vouchers/">Learn more about private school vouchers here.</a></p><p><strong><em>About Dr. Emily</em></strong></p><p><strong>As a child psychologist, former school psychologist, and parent, I’ve spent the last two decades working with neurodivergent children and teens alongside their families and teachers.</strong></p><p>Our kids are complex. What works for one child may or may not work for another. There is so much information out there, but you are ultimately the decision-maker of the next best step on your child’s path. I’m here to help you to feel more capable and experience more joy on this parenting journey.</p><p><strong>If you’re ready to learn how to reduce the stress in your home, help others understand your kid, and find more joy, you are in the right place.</strong></p><p><em>Let’s do this together,</em></p><p><em>~Dr. Emily</em></p><p><em>**All content provided is protected under applicable copyright, patent, trademark, and other proprietary rights. All content is provided for informational and education purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical or psychological diagnosis, advice or treatment. Information provided does not create an agreement for service between Dr. Emily W. King and the recipient. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to you or your child’s symptoms or medical condition. Children or adults who show signs of dangerous behavior toward themselves and/or others, should be placed immediately under the care of a qualified professional.**</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p>As the parent of a high school senior who has had an IEP since preschool, I have watched special education resources in Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) slowly decrease over the last ten years. </p><p>Services my son received in Kindergarten are no longer available and programs he attended no longer exist. Many of the wonderful special education teachers and instructional assistants (IA) who have been a crucial part of his success have since left their positions. I don’t blame them. Special education teachers and IAs are undervalued and taken for granted when they should be our most celebrated and highest-paid educators.</p><p>The proposed budget cuts to special education are the exact opposite of what we need. We already don’t have enough special educators in WCPSS. I hear stories every day from families of autistic learners who need smaller classes and fewer substitutes so their school day can be more predictable.</p><p>Our amazing teachers are working so hard under unsustainable conditions. When teachers are stressed, students are stressed. When students are stressed, learning is negatively impacted. If we are serious about creating systems, schools, and classrooms where students thrive, we need more special education teachers and more programming options—not less.</p><p>Many children, especially those receiving special education, don’t enter school as independent learners. They need the help of an adult to understand the directions, transition between tasks, and stay safe during the school day. Understaffed schools are less safe for students and teachers, especially when teaching neurodivergent learners who more often experience frustration that can lead to negative behavior.</p><p>If WCPSS—the largest district in the state—is having to make this decision, then I can only imagine the lack of resources in more rural parts of the state. WCPSS should be considered the canary in the coal mine, sounding the alarm that we are about to fail our most vulnerable children.</p><p>Listen in as I talk with my colleagues Dr. Melanie McCabe and Dr. Matt Zakreski, both psychologists who know schools and neurodivergent kids well. The impact of these proposed cuts goes beyond students receiving special education services and their teachers. <strong><em>It’s going to affect everyone. </em></strong></p><p><strong>Links mentioned in this conversation:</strong></p><p>WCPSS School Board Special Session on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. </p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wcpss.net/about-us/school-board">Read more about school board meetings here.</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wcpss.net/about-us/school-board/locate-your-school-board-member">Look up your board member here and send them an email!</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://publicschoolsfirstnc.org/issues/school-vouchers/report-north-carolina-school-vouchers/">Learn more about private school vouchers here.</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article315085479.html">Learn more about property tax loopholes here. </a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://publicschoolsfirstnc.org/issues/leandro/">Learn more about Leandro here.</a></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.wral.com/news/nccapitol/stein-budget-legislature-nc-march-2026/">Learn more about the NC State Legislature not passing a budget since 2023.</a></p><p><strong><em>About Dr. Emily</em></strong></p><p><strong>As a child psychologist, former school psychologist, and parent, I’ve spent the last two decades working with neurodivergent children and teens alongside their families and teachers.</strong></p><p>Our kids are complex. What works for one child may or may not work for another. There is so much information out there, but you are ultimately the decision-maker of the next best step on your child’s path. I’m here to help you to feel more capable and experience more joy on this parenting journey.</p><p><strong>If you’re ready to learn how to reduce the stress in your home, help others understand your kid, and find more joy, you are in the right place.</strong></p><p><em>Let’s do this together,</em></p><p><em>~Dr. Emily</em></p><p><em>**All content provided is protected under applicable copyright, patent, trademark, and other proprietary rights. All content is provided for informational and education purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical or psychological diagnosis, advice or treatment. Information provided does not create an agreement for service between Dr. Emily W. King and the recipient. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to you or your child’s symptoms or medical condition. Children or adults who show signs of dangerous behavior toward themselves and/or others, should be placed immediately under the care of a qualified professional.**</em></p><p></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe</a>

<p><strong><em>Substack LIVE with </em></strong><a target="_blank" href="https://substack.com/profile/90933727-dr-karalynn-royster">Dr. Karalynn Royster</a>!</p><p>Dr. Royster is a Co-Parenting Expert, Child Psychologist, and a mom. She lives in Colorado and is passionate about helping moms navigate the challenges of divorce and co-parenting. She specializes in guiding moms through high-conflict situations while keeping their children’s emotional the focus.</p><p>Dr. Royster’s signature program, the Kids First Co-Parenting System, provides a high level of support for smart, high-achieving moms who are juggling the very hard job of parenting young children while managing a difficult ex. Her approach helps moms move from feeling anxious to empowered and clear about how to support their kids.</p><p>Listen in on our conversation as we talk about what is helpful when co-parenting autistic kids during this family transition.</p><p><strong><em>Let’s keep learning together~</em></strong></p><p><strong><em>~Dr. Emily</em></strong></p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/s/workshops"><strong><em>Check out Dr. Emily's Workshop Replays</em></strong></a></p><p><strong><em>About Dr. Emily</em></strong></p><p><strong>As a child psychologist, former school psychologist, and parent, I’ve spent the last two decades working with neurodivergent children and teens alongside their families and teachers.</strong></p><p>Our kids are complex. What works for one child may or may not work for another. There is so much information out there, but you are ultimately the decision-maker of the next best step on your child’s path. I’m here to help you to feel more capable and experience more joy on this parenting journey.</p><p><strong>If you’re ready to learn how to reduce the stress in your home, help others understand your kid, and find more joy, you are in the right place.</strong></p><p><em>Let’s do this together,</em></p><p><em>~Dr. Emily</em></p><p><em>**All content provided is protected under applicable copyright, patent, trademark, and other proprietary rights. All content is provided for informational and education purposes only. No content is intended to be a substitute for professional medical or psychological diagnosis, advice or treatment. Information provided does not create an agreement for service between Dr. Emily W. King and the recipient. Consult your physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to you or your child’s symptoms or medical condition. Children or adults who show signs of dangerous behavior toward themselves and/or others, should be placed immediately under the care of a qualified professional.**</em></p> <br/><br/>This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit <a href="https://learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&#38;utm_campaign=CTA_2">learnwithdremily.substack.com/subscribe</a>