BORDERLINE PERSONALITY DISORDER

Click here to view all Different Brains content about borderline personality disorder What is Borderline Personality Disorder? Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a serious mental illness defined by pervasive instability in moods, self-image, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. This often disrupts long-term planning, an individual’s sense of identity, and family and work life. People with BPD […]

EATING DISORDERS

Click here for our content related to eating disorders. What is an Eating Disorder? An eating disorder is a serious mental health illness, characterized by eating, body weight or shape, or exercise becoming an unhealthy absorption of someone’s life. They include bulimia nervosa (where people binge and then self-induce vomit to undo those effects), anorexia nervosa (where […]

The Best of the Week In Neurodiversity – 2017 Year in Review

(6 min 9 sec) In this episode, we count down our top ten stories from 2017, including the army vet who traveled the country on foot to spread awareness for PTSD, and the young woman who lost her hearing at age 18 that stunned the world on America’s Got Talent! These stories and more in this super sized episode! Happy New Years!

Can Dogs Sniff-Out Parkinson’s? – Week in Neurodiversity (8/12/17)

(4 mins 7 secs) In this episode, a deaf grandmother with dyslexia fulfills her dream of going to nursing school, Chicago Cub Willson Contreras surprises a 10-yr-old boy with Down syndrome for his birthday, and how are dogs learning to detect Parkinson’s? These stories and more in this week’s edition!

TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY

Click here to view all Different Brains content about traumatic brain injury   What is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)? Traumatic Brain Injury is caused by a violent blow or jolt to the head or body, from a car accident, bullet, severe sports injury, falls, etc. Open Head Injury, Closed Head Injury, Deceleration Injuries, Chemical/Toxic, Hypoxia, […]

INSOMNIA

Click here to view all Different Brains content about insomnia   What is Insomnia? Insomnia, which is the most common sleep disorder, can be simply defined as a condition that makes the process of falling asleep or staying asleep difficult. The three different classifications of insomnia according to the duration of their symptoms, are transient […]

TOURETTE SYNDROME

Click here to view all Different Brains content about Tourette’s What is Tourette Syndrome? Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurological disorder characterized by repetitive, rapid, involuntary movements and vocalizations called tics. The early symptoms of TS are typically noticed first in childhood, usually between the ages of 5 and 10 years. TS occurs in people […]

OTHER

Different Brains™ is dedicated to giving a voice to all of the differences in our brains. Do you, or someone you care about, have a neurodiverse label we don’t yet have in our resources? Do you have experience with any of the conditions below? Contact us! This is a community for ALL of us- and we […]

Giuliana Fenwick’s Story

Giuliana Fenwick is an author , specialist therapist , teacher , fundraiser and public speaker who refined her unique massage techniques on her own autistic son , Ollie , when he hit an extremely low period aged 13. In spite of many social challenges , academic support – under Giuliana’s constant vigilance and intervention at […]

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Click here to view all Different Brains content about Parkinson’s disease What is Parkinson’s Disease? Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects movement. Symptoms appear gradually over time, and can start out as just a barely noticeable tremor in the hand. Parkinson’s Disease does not just cause tremors but can also cause stiffness […]

APRAXIA

Click here to view all Different Brains content about apraxia What is apraxia? Apraxia is a complex disorder, with no medical test offering a definitive diagnosis. Instead, professionals look to a constellation of signs and symptoms along with astute evaluations in order to determine if a child who is considered a late talker has apraxia […]

MISOPHONIA

Click here to view all Different Brains content about misophonia What is Misophonia?   Misophonia is a recently proposed disorder characterized by extreme sensitivity to “patterned based sounds.” It was termed in 2001 by Pawel and Margaret Jastreboff of Emory University. Reactivity to aversive sounds includes heightened autonomic nervous system and negative emotional arousal. Pattern […]

OUR FOUNDER

Our Founder: Harold “Hackie” Reitman, M.D. Dr. Harold “Hackie” Reitman is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, children’s activist, and neurodiversity advocate. He is also a retired orthopaedic surgeon and a former professional heavyweight boxer who currently serves as the CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based PCE Media, LLC, the multi-platform production company he founded in 2004.  Dr. Reitman’s mission […]

NEWSLETTER SIGN-UP

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GUESTS

    Ana Anselma is the co-founder of the Social Mind Center in Davie, Florida. She is also the mother of   Click to hear Ana discuss the importance of creating safe environments for children with autism and asperger’s syndrome to develop social skills on Exploring Different Brains. Karina Barley M.Ed. founder of Project Autism Australia/USA, is […]

BLOGGERS

Dr. Harold “Hackie” Reitman is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, children’s activist, and neurodiversity advocate. He is also a retired orthopaedic surgeon and a former professional heavyweight boxer who currently serves as the CEO of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based PCE Media, LLC, the multi-platform production company he founded in 2004.  Dr. Reitman’s mission is to achieve excellence in creating […]

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 09: Ron Large TRANSCRIPT

HACKIE REITMAN, M.D. (HR) Hi, this is Dr. Hackie Reitman for another episode of Exploring Different Brains, today we’re very lucky to have a true educator: Ron Large, the author of Larger Lessons. A very dedicated educator, as you’ll see, who really gets that everybody’s brain is different. Ron, welcome to the show! RON LARGE […]

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 08: Debra Muzikar TRANSCRIPT

HACKIE REITMAN, M.D. (HR) This is Dr. Hackie Reitman, welcome to Exploring Different Brains, and our special guest today, all the way from southern California, is one of the co-founders of the Art of Autism, Debra Muzikar. Debra, welcome to the show! DEBRA MUZIKAR (DM) Thank you, Hackie, I’m glad to be here. HR Well, […]

Autism Advocate Stephen Shore | EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 07

In this episode, Dr. Hackie Reitman speaks with author and autism advocate Stephen Shore. Stephen was diagnosed as non-verbal and autistic at the age of 4, when doctors suggested his parents institutionalize him. Since then he has gone on an amazing journey that has led him to speaking on behalf of autism and neurodiversity in 49 countries and all but one continent.

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 07: Stephen Shore TRANSCRIPT

  HACKIE REITMAN (HR)   Hi, this is Dr. Hackie Reitman with another episode of Exploring Different Brains, and I have a real fun different brain to explore today: Stephen Shore, who’s one of my idols in the neurodiversity world, who I had the pleasure of meeting out at the World Autism Conference in Tucson, […]

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 06: Jim Sporleder TRANSCRIPT

HACKIE REITMAN, M.D. (HR)   Hi, I’m Hackie Reitman and this is Exploring Different Brains. Today, we are speaking with Jim Sporleder, the former principal of Lincoln High School in Walla Walla, Washington; That school, and Jim’s tenure there are the subject of a new documentary: Paper Tiger. Hello, Jim.   JIM SPORLEDER (JS)   […]

EPILEPSY

Click here to view all Different Brains content about epilepsy What is Epilepsy? Epilepsy, also known as seizure disorder, is a group of related disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent seizures. Epilepsy is usually diagnosed after a person has had more than one seizure. When identifiable, the causes of epilepsy usually involve either a […]

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 05: Michael Bernick TRANSCRIPT

  HACKIE REITMAN, M.D. (HR)   Hi, I’m Dr. Hackie Reitman and we’re exploring different brains, and today, we’ve got a pretty cool guy here, we’ve got Michael Bernick, who is the former secretary and director of labor and employment in California, which is about 1/6th of the US population, and the author of The […]

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 04: Michael Tolleson TRANSCRIPT

  HAROLD REITMAN, M.D. (HR)   Welcome to Exploring Different Brains. I’m Dr. Hackie Reitman and our guest today, Michael Tolleson, is an autistic-savant artist. Michael, welcome to Exploring Different Brains.   MICHAEL TOLLESON (MT)   Glad to be here.   HR   Now, why don’t you tell our audience what autistic-savant artist means, and […]

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS – Episode 03: Ana Anselma TRANSCRIPT

HAROLD REITMAN, MD (HR) Welcome to exploring different brains. My name is Hackie Reitman and we’re going to be interviewing today Ana Anselma. She is the head of the Social Minds center in Fort Lauderdale. Before I mess it up any further, we’re going to introduce Ana herself and have her tell you all about […]

Depression changes gray matter in young brains

The brains of children who suffer clinical depression as preschoolers develop differently than those of preschoolers not affected by the disorder, according to a new study conducted at Washington University in St. Louis.

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS Episode 02: Derek Volk Full Transcript

HACKIE REITMAN, M.D. (HR)   Hi this is Hackie Reitman again, talking about neurodiversity. We are so fortunate today to be talking to Derek Volk. He is way up in Maine, he owns a box company, Volk Packaging, he’s got a radio show called The Derek Volk Show, his son’s name is Dylan and he […]

EXPLORING DIFFERENT BRAINS Episode 01: Raun Kaufman Full Transcript

Hackie Reitman, M.D. (HR):  Alright, Hackie Reitman here and today we are talking with Raun Kaufman. Raun, thank you so much for coming on.   Raun Kaufman (RK): Thanks for having me, Hackie.   HR: Well, you are a very controversial character, you know.   RK: In some circles, sure.   HR: Well, you’ve had a remarkable history, […]

DOWN SYNDROME

Click here to view all Different Brains content about Down syndrome   WHAT IS DOWN SYNDROME? Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in extra genetic material from chromosome 21. Down syndrome varies in severity and causes lifelong intellectual disability and developmental delays. It also causes health problems to some […]

TRAILER – Asperger’s, Autism, and the Square Root of 2: A Neurodiversity Documentary

To view the full documentary free of charge, please click here. “Asperger’s, Autism, and The Square Root of 2: A Neurodiversity Documentary” tells the story of one parent’s journey to discovering that his daughter, recently diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome (also referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder or ASD), has a brain that works just a little […]

BIPOLAR DISORDER

Click here to view all Different Brains content about bipolar disorder   What is Bipolar Disorder? Bipolar disorder, or manic-depressive illness, is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. Symptoms are severe and can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school […]

OCD

Click here to view all Different Brains content about OCD What is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)? Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), once considered a type of anxiety disorder, is now regarded as a potentially disabling illness that traps people in endless cycles of repetitive thoughts, behaviors and rituals that can interfere with normal activities. Symptoms of […]

CONCUSSIONS

Click here to view all Different Brains content about concussions What are Concussions? A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that alters the way the brain functions. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination. If a concussive brain injury is mild, people usually recover fully, but […]

ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

Click here to view all Different Brains content about Alzheimer’s disease What is Alzheimer’s Disease? Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurological disorder in which the death of brain cells causes memory loss, as well as a decline in language, problem-solving and other cognitive skills. Alzheimer’s is a neurodegenerative type of dementia, which means that over the […]

Renowned Neurologist And Author Oliver Sacks Dies At 82

Author and respected neurologist Oliver Sacks has passed away at the age of 82. Dr. Sacks may be best known as the inspiration for the film Awakenings, starring Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro. The film told of Oliver Sack’s research and attempts to bring encephalitis patients out of their persistent comas. He also authored a […]

UNDIAGNOSED

What about the Undiagnosed? Some conditions or disorders are hard to diagnose, and there are several reasons why. Many conditions have similar symptoms. Some children have a number of problems that do not fit into one specific disorder. There are substantial variations in the degree to which a child might be affected by a disorder […]

ANXIETY

Click here to view all Different Brains content about anxiety What Are Anxiety Disorders? Anxiety is a normal human emotion that everyone experiences at one time or another, for instance, when faced with a problem at work, before taking a test, or making a big decision. Anxiety disorders, however, are different. The distress they cause […]