On this episode of the Curious Incident Podcast, NYC special education attorney Adam Dayan sits down with Lisa Abbrecht, clinical psychologist and founder of New Orleans Anxiety and OCD, LLC. Together, they explore the everyday realities of living with anxiety and OCD, offering a clear, practical look at Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) and how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) deepens its impact. The conversation also addresses highly stigmatized experiences with nuance and clarity - emphasizing proper understanding, thoughtful treatment, and why healing is about changing your relationship with thoughts, not trying to erase them.

On this episode of The Curious Incident Podcast, NYC Special Education Attorney Adam Dayan speaks with TeachRock Executive Director Bill Carbone and Gina Machado, Director of Programs and Partnerships, about how their curriculum uses music to engage students in learning and combat school disengagement. Inspired by founder Stevie Van Zandt's own experience as a struggling student who found his path through music, TeachRock helps K–12 students connect core subjects. Bill and Gina share how music's abstract, identity-building nature makes classrooms feel safer, more inclusive, and more student-centered. The conversation also highlights TeachRock's commitment to teacher feedback, flexible scaffolding for students with disabilities, and creating simple, joyful tools that remind educators why they entered the profession in the first place.

In this episode of The Curious Incident Podcast, NYC special education attorney Adam Dayan sits down with educator and school founder Shirley Aninias—the visionary behind The Shirley Aninias School, a program for neurodiverse learners that blends academics, social–emotional learning, daily living skills, and naturalistic ABA. Shirley shares how a vibrant on-campus "town" fosters creativity, autonomy, and joyful learning while helping students discover how they learn best. Tune in to hear powerful stories of progress, inclusive education, and the small steps that lead to big, life-changing outcomes for neurodiverse children and their families.

In this episode of The Curious Incident Podcast, NYC Special Education Attorney Adam Dayan sits down with Beth Rosenberg, educator, and founder of Tech Unlimited, empowering neurodiverse students to develop real-world technology and workplace skills. Beth shares how her experience as a parent of a neurodiverse child inspired her to create a program that now serves more than 500 students with autism, ADHD, OCD, and learning differences - teaching everything from digital media and game design to communication and collaboration. Together, Adam and Beth discuss how technology can unlock new opportunities for students with disabilities, the importance of soft skills, and how parents can foster greater independence and confidence in their children.

In this episode of The Curious Incident Podcast, Special Education Attorney Adam Dayan sits down with Janet Wolfe, Head of School at The IDEAL School of Manhattan - New York City's only K–12 independent inclusion school. Since joining IDEAL in 2016, Janet has led its transformation into a fully accredited program with a thriving high school including post-secondary initiative for students ages 18 to 21. Together, Adam and Janet explore what true inclusion looks like in practice. From classrooms that celebrate every learner's individuality to programs that promote academic challenges, social-emotional growth, and lifelong community. This conversation reveals how IDEAL is reshaping education to ensure every student feels seen, supported, and authentically themselves.

NYC Special Education Attorney Adam Dayan explores the critical role of Executive Functioning along with Social and Emotional Learning in a conversation with Randall Klein, education strategist and Director of Educational Services at Pediatric Assessment and Learning Support (PALS), on The Curious Incident Podcast. Randall shares her belief that every student can thrive when provided with the right tools, time, and trust, advocating for a whole-child approach that integrates social, emotional, and academic development. She explains how executive functioning—the brain's self-management system—shapes organization, time management, planning, and emotional regulation, and how challenges in these areas often appear as misunderstood behaviors rather than willful defiance. Offering practical strategies such as using checklists, breaking tasks into smaller steps, practicing time estimation, and asking curiosity-driven questions, Randall encourages parents and educators to help students understand how they learn best, embrace mistakes, and develop resilience. She also describes the benefits of creative, low-pressure activities like Lego projects and improv to build problem-solving, flexibility, and collaboration, emphasizing that these "soft" skills—often the most challenging to master—are vital for lifelong success.

In this powerful and personal episode, NYC Special Education Attorney Adam Dayan speaks with his Executive Assistant, Kristine Champagne, about her lived experience with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). With years of professional experience and a deep passion for supporting children, Kristine opens up about the often-invisible struggles she's faced since childhood. Together, they explore the complexities of intrusive thoughts, compulsive rituals, and the shame and guilt often hidden behind high-functioning exteriors. Kristine also shares how avoidance shaped her life, her initial fears around therapy and medication, and how she's learning to live with OCD rather than fight against it—offering hope and insight to others on a similar path.