Your child is bright, curious, and full of interests, yet traditional school may leave them bored, disconnected, frustrated, or feeling like they simply do not fit. What if the problem is not your child, but the way they are being asked to learn? In this episode of Parenting on the Spectrum, Theresa Alexander Inman, BCBA, talks with Ben Somers, CEO of Recess.gg, about alternative education, neurodivergent learners, homeschooling, social connection, and creating learning experiences that adapt to children instead of forcing children into one educational mold. Recess.gg gives children ages 8 to 14 opportunities to choose what they want to learn, connect with peers who share their interests, and explore subjects such as engineering, coding, AI, art, science, Minecraft, design, and more through collaborative and social learning experiences. Ben explains why children often become more engaged when they have choice, ownership, meaningful friendships, and interesting problems to solve. He also explores an important distinction for autistic and neurodivergent children: learning social skills and actually developing friendships are not the same thing. Why choice increases motivation and engagement and how giving children ownership of their education can transform the way they approach learning. Why friendship matters for learning and how shared interests can help children build genuine connections while strengthening collaboration, communication, and problem-solving skills. How following your child’s interests can reveal their strengths and provide clues about the skills, passions, and possible paths they may want to pursue later. Instead of only asking your child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” pay attention to what they want to do right now. Their interests may already be showing you where they come alive. Ben Summers is the CEO of Recess.gg, an online learning and social platform for children ages 8 to 14. Inspired by his own frustration with traditional education, Ben built Recess around two simple ideas: learning is better with friends, and kids are more engaged when they get to choose what they explore. Through Recess, children can build friendships and explore interest-based classes in engineering, coding, art, science, design, Minecraft, and more in a collaborative environment. Learn more:https://recess.gg Questions about helping your child explore engineering?ben@recess.gg I’m Theresa Alexander Inman, BCBA, founder of Parenting on the Spectrum. I help parents of autistic children strengthen communication, daily living skills, participation, and confidence through compassionate, play-based strategies rooted in connection before correction. The Parenting on the Spectrum App gives families practical tools to support communication, track growth, and build everyday skills. No waitlist required:http://app.parentingonthespectrum.co/ Pathways to Early Communication gives parents and professionals practical strategies for building foundational communication skills. https://books2read.com/How-can-I-help-my-child-communicate Explore neurodiversity-affirming parent courses with practical strategies, worksheets, and simple action steps. https://courses.parentingonthespectrum.co/ Follow Parenting on the Spectrum and share this episode with a parent whose child learns, connects, or experiences the world differently. Sometimes the goal is not getting the child to fit the learning environment. It is creating a learning environment that fits the child. #ParentingOnTheSpectrum #NeurodivergentKids #AutisticChildren #ADHDKids #Homeschooling #AlternativeEducation #ChildLedLearning #InterestBasedLearning #DifferentLearners #RecessGG #BenSomers #STEMForKids #EngineeringForKids #SocialSkills #SocialConnection #HomeschoolCommunity #Neurodiversity #ParentingSupport #AutismSupport #TheresaAlexanderInman #ConnectionBeforeCorrection
