Stop Reacting - Start Rewiring Your Response
Like Duolingo for neurodivergent emotional regulation—bite-sized, daily practice to help parents and educators fluently speak calm in the heat of MELTDOWNS, OUTBURSTS, and BIG BEHAVIORS.
Welcome to Rewire the Response!
What if it’s not the behavior that needs fixing—what if it’s the system that taught you how to react to it?
Hey—I’m Dr. David A. Palmer.
Parent. Educator. Neurodivergent human. And I’ve been where you are.
If you're reading this, chances are high that you're raising, teaching, or loving a neurodivergent or trauma-impacted kid—and it’s breaking your heart.
Not because they're broken. But because every strategy you’ve been given to “help” them feels like it’s making things worse.
You're told to manage behavior.
To stay consistent.
To use the charts, the warnings, the consequences.
But you’re still walking on eggshells.
Still bracing for the next meltdown.
Still wondering:
“Why isn’t this working?”
“What am I doing wrong?”
“Why does it feel like I’m losing this battle… with a child I love?”
Let me tell you the truth:
You’re not failing.
You’re using strategies built for compliance, not connection.
For control, not regulation.
For neurotypical kids in ideal circumstances—not your child.
Enter: Rewire the Response
This is not a parenting philosophy.
It’s not a classroom management trick.
And it’s definitely not another behavior chart disguised as compassion.
Rewire the Response© is a trauma-informed, nervous-system-first framework that teaches adults how to lead with regulation—especially when kids can’t.
It’s built on 6 practical steps:
Embrace. Engage. Enhance. Equip. Empower. Embody.
These aren’t just feel-good buzzwords or the latest trending nonsense.
They’re a blueprint for transforming how you show up when it matters most—
When your kid is melting down, shutting down, or lashing out.
This Substack is your go-to space for:
🧠 Nervous system science that actually makes sense
💥 Disruptive truths about behavior, punishment, and outdated discipline
💡 Real-world scripts, tools, and stories from homes and classrooms
🔥 Emotional courage to look in the mirror and lead with presence, not pressure
Here, you’ll find blog posts, podcast episodes, and weekly newsletters that don’t sugarcoat the struggle—but do offer a radically different way through it.
Because here’s what I know:
You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be regulated.
When you change how you respond, you unlock everything.
So if you're tired of reaction, ready for real change, and craving a way to lead from calm—not control—you're in the right place.
👇 Start here:
📥 Download the free guide – “5 Myths Keeping You in Survival Mode”
🎙️ Listen to the podcast – Rewire the Response™
📰 Sign up for the newsletter – and get weekly insight that grounds, guides, and grows you
You’re not alone. You’re just finally being handed the map that works.
Welcome to the revolution.
Let’s rewire it—together.
—
Dr. David A. Palmer
Founder, Rewire the Response©
@drdavidapalmer