We have two exciting announcements for our community! ** 1. Our First Monthly Community Training Call - Friday, August 14 at 12:00 p.m. CT ** This month’s topic is: Executive Functioning - Task Initiation We’ll explore why teens and young adults can know exactly what they need to do—but still struggle to get started. You’ll learn practical ways to: - Identify what is blocking task initiation - Reduce overwhelm and avoidance - Make tasks easier to begin - Support progress without constant reminders or conflict - Build greater confidence and independence This call is open to every member of our community. Be sure to visit the Calendar tab for the event details and access link. ** 2. Anchor - Is Officially Live! ⚓** Check it out: https://idealmindsanchor.com/ After a lot of work, testing, and listening to the needs of neurodivergent job seekers and their families, Anchor is now live. Anchor is a neurodivergent-friendly career platform designed to help people: - Discover career paths that fit - Find and save jobs - Track applications and follow-ups - Build and tailor résumés - Create cover letters - Evaluate job fit - Prepare for interviews - Start a new job successfully - Build the skills needed to keep and grow in the job Anchor was created for people who may feel overwhelmed, stuck, or unsupported by the traditional job-search process. Our goal is simple: Help people wired differently land the job—and keep the job. We’ll be sharing more information, demonstrations, and resources inside the community soon. This is an exciting step forward for Ideal Minds, and we are grateful to have this community alongside us as we continue helping neurodivergent individuals build extraordinary lives.

So this week I encouraged my son to follow up on the jobs he applied for last week. Initially, he did not. He laid around in his room with his phone in his face. I simply asked him if he wanted one particular job which is in his field. He said "Yes." I replied "Then go get it." I left the house because I was frustrated. I returned about an hour later. When I pulled up into the driveway he was walking outside toward his car and he was dressed very nicely. He proceeded to tell me he was going to follow up on the job, the one that's in his field. He heard me! We are working on stepping out of his comfort zone and increasing his self confidence. This was a step in the right direction. I'm very proud of him. One small step at a time.

My son has been working full time for the past 3 months after he had been unemployed and staying up all night/sleeping all day! I am so proud of this achievement. I feel like I’ve got to keep a constant, steady foot on the gas though as to not lose this momentum! Although there is a lot of work here yet to be done, I must keep reminding myself that slow and steady wins the race. That is the hardest part for me because I want so much to see my son happy and achieve his goals.

A lot of parents are trying to help, but the moment they say something direct like: - You need to prepare for the interview - Clean your room - You need to get this done today ...it can feel like pressure. The problem is that direct language often increases pressure faster than it increases follow through, especially when a young person is already overwhelmed, avoidant, or stuck. One of the things we coach a lot around is shifting from pressure language to declarative language. Instead of: "You need to email your professor today." Try: "I wonder if drafting it together would be helpful." That small shift lowers defensiveness and creates more room for ownership. 👉 If you want, drop a direct sentence you've caught yourself using lately, and we can help rewrite it.

My son has a job interview tomorrow! He is nervous about interviewing. It is my hope he gets the job. We are working on his self confidence and self advocacy. I just wanted to share my news. 😊❤️