Your Child Isn’t Giving You a Hard Time, They’re Having a Hard Time w/ Christian Vinceneux

Mike and Chaya sit down with Christian Vinceneux, ADHD advocate, coach (Life Guide Coaching), and former occupational therapist with over 30 years of experience working with neurodivergent families. Diagnosed with ADHD later in life, Christian reflects on growing up as a neurodivergent child in France, navigating challenges without the tools or words to define them, and how his father’s own quirks helped him learn the art of self-regulation. An art he now passes onto families--transforming the lives of neurodivergent children.We Also Cover:

• Growing up with ADHD before the term was widely known
• The imperative need for societal acknowledgements
• Key lessons Christian learned from his neurodivergent father about regulation
• Why it’s essential to understand “your child’s not giving you a hard time—they’re having a hard time”
• Common household struggles like transitions and hyperactivity, and how to guide kids through them
• Why punitive approaches don’t work and how to build empowering, relationship-based solutions
• How self-regulation in parents cascades into growth for their children
• Practical tools for helping kids advocate for their needs (even before they fully understand them)
• How social media has broadened the conversation around neurodivergence

Quotes:

• "If you if you believe your child is giving you a hard time, then, of course, you're gonna be more likely to look at things from a compliance standpoint and from a punitive standpoint. You need to stop doing this, period."
• "A very common response is to tell the child, 'you just need to calm down.' Well, the problem with that is that the child has no idea why they're doing the things that they're doing. They have no idea why their body is hyper. Nobody's explained it to them. Teachers won't explain it to them, pediatricians won't explain it to them, and the kid has no idea how to calm their body."
• "Often when I work with parents, they realize that they're not self-regulating the best they can. They have an opportunity to learn about their own self-regulation and how the nervous system is operating under challenging conditions. So, often, it's that symbiotic exchange with helping your child learn how to self-regulate gives you the opportunity to learn as a parent."

About Christian VinceneuxChristian Vinceneux's childhood was marked by a blend of shyness, distractibility, profound imagination, and deep empathy, often leading to conflicting feedback from teachers who recognized his giftedness yet noted his unfulfilled potential. Growing up in a neurodiverse family, he developed a keen awareness of sensory influences and adaptive behaviors. This personal history, combined with his later realization of his own neurodivergence, profoundly shaped his path toward working with neurodivergent individuals. He understands the challenges of navigating a world that often misunderstands neurodiversity and is committed to fostering acceptance and growth. Vinceneux's personal development and professional journey are deeply intertwined, fueling his passionate and empathetic approach to his work.Connect with Christian

• https://www.lifeguidecoaching.org/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-vinceneux/
• https://www.tiktok.com/@christian.vinceneux

As always, thanks for lending us your ears and keep igniting that spark!Stay Connected:

• Website: https://sparklaunchpodcast.com/
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• https://web.withwarmer.com/customer/browse-experts/593