TPP 313a: Dr. Devorah Heitner on Online Safety and Internet “Rabbit Holes” and Neurodivergent Kids

TPP 313a: Dr. Devorah Heitner on Online Safety and Internet “Rabbit Holes” and Neurodivergent Kids

Author: Debbie Reber October 17, 2025 Duration: 41:46
Today is an important conversation about online communities and internet rabbit holes. And I felt pulled to tackle this topic for the show because I know that the past few years in particularly has been a time where differently wired kids have beenspending a LOT more time online and connecting with people they may not have even meant in real life and doing their identity development largely online. And I also know that this can put our kids, and us as their parents and caregivers, in challenging positions as we navigate a seemingly endless stream of discourse that may lead our kids down the wrong paths. So I asked my friend and screen and tech expert Dr. Devorah Heitner to join me for a frank and open conversation about it all. We talked about the ways differently wired kids might be exposed to harmful content, and why our kids may be more susceptible to toxic or unhealthy virtual rabbit holes in the first place, the popular places where teens and kids are hanging out the most right now, the way our kids’ worldview and their brain development is impacted they content their engaging with, and what we parents might not know that we should know about regarding this topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children is a space for parents who are moving at the speed their kids require. Hosted by Debbie Reber, an author and activist who understands the terrain, this podcast offers more than just advice-it offers a sense of shared experience. Each episode delves into the real-world challenges and joys of raising children with ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA), giftedness, or twice-exceptional (2e) profiles. You’ll hear from specialists, educators, and therapists who provide actionable strategies, but the core of the conversation is always connection. Debbie guides discussions that move beyond theory to address the daily realities: managing meltdowns, advocating within school systems, nurturing a child’s unique strengths, and preserving your own well-being in the process. It’s a resource for those moments when standard parenting approaches fall short, offering insights that are both practical and deeply empathetic. Listening to this podcast feels like a conversation with a knowledgeable friend who gets it, one that leaves you with tangible ideas and the reassurance that you’re not navigating this path alone. The focus is on building a supportive framework for your family, one episode at a time.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent Children
Podcast Episodes
TPP 307a: Eliza Fricker Talks Parenting a Child with PDA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:55
Eliza Fricker joins me to talk about PDA or pathological demand avoidance – and in fact I know many people interpret PDA as persistent desire for autonomy. I’ve done a few episodes on PDA before but never from a parent’s…
TPP 504: Celia Bray on Staying Anchored in an Intense World [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:13
Today we’re exploring what it means to reconnect with our bodies and how that can transform not just our emotional health, but our parenting and relationships as well, with Celia Bray, a psychologist, somatic therapist,…