Your Child Learns Differently — Now What? A Conversation with Roger Stark
Roger Stark is the CEO of BrainWare Learning Company and, together with award-winning educator Betsy Hill, co-author of the book Your Child Learns Differently, Now What?: The Truth for Parents. In a recent episode produced by The Authority Podcast and released on TL Talk Radio, Stark joined host Ross Romano to explore how parents and educators can recognize and respond when a child learns differently.
Episode Highlights
During the conversation, Roger Stark and Ross Romano cover a range of practical and research-informed topics. The discussion explains how learning works, what parents should notice first, and which interventions can genuinely support cognitive development. Key points include:
- Emotion and memory: We retain experiences that are connected to strong emotion. Learning that engages feelings—whether curiosity, excitement, or meaningful challenge—tends to stick. The hosts discuss why emotional context matters and how parents and teachers can create learning moments that are memorable for the right reasons.
- Cognitive skills are developable: The episode emphasizes that cognitive capacity is not fixed. With targeted training and the right supports, many aspects of a child’s ability to learn can be improved more than most people expect. Stark describes how structured cognitive training approaches can strengthen working memory, attention, processing speed, and other foundational skills.
- Video games vs. brain-training games: The conversation distinguishes between entertainment video games and designed cognitive training tools. While many commercial games are engaging, cognitive training programs intentionally scaffold skills in ways that promote transfer to classroom tasks and everyday learning.
- Parents notice first—what to do next: Parents are often the first to sense a child is struggling. Stark and Romano discuss how parents can document observations, seek constructive assessments, and pursue interventions that are evidence-based and aligned with a child’s learning profile.
- Setting high standards and why it’s hard: Raising expectations while supporting a child’s needs requires balance. The hosts explore common barriers to setting high standards—fear of failure, lack of information, or low confidence—and offer guidance for maintaining high but achievable expectations that motivate growth.
- Confidence matters more than “grit” alone: The episode argues that students need genuine confidence rooted in competence. Building skill through practiced success enhances confidence more reliably than repeatedly exhorting persistence without clear skill-building strategies.
- The future of work and skills for tomorrow: Stark and Romano touch on how the evolving job market influences the skills children will need. Emphasis is placed on foundational cognitive abilities and adaptability—skills that support lifelong learning and career flexibility.
About the Book
Your Child Learns Differently, Now What?: The Truth for Parents offers parents a clear, pragmatic guide to recognizing learning differences, choosing appropriate supports, and partnering with schools. The book distills research and practical strategies into an accessible resource for families seeking reasonable, evidence-based pathways to help children thrive.
About Roger Stark
Roger Stark is the CEO of BrainWare Learning Company. His work began with a question: what do we know about the brain, and how can that knowledge be applied to help learners? Stark’s vision was to combine multidisciplinary clinical cognitive training with engaging, game-like delivery. Over the past fifteen years he has worked to expand access to comprehensive cognitive skills training and assessment. He led development of BrainWare SAFARI, an integrated cognitive training tool delivered online, and has taken a leading role in efforts to bring cognitive training into classrooms and homes.
About the Host
Ross Romano is co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm focused on the K‑12 education industry. He works with organizations and leaders to clarify vision, communicate effectively, and make strategic decisions that support long‑term success. Romano hosts deep-dive interviews with education authors and thought leaders, exploring ideas that matter to educators and families alike.
Listen and Subscribe
This episode is part of The Authority Podcast series, which features more than 70 in-depth interviews with education authors and experts. Recent guests have included pioneers in gaming, bestselling education writers, and award-winning teachers. For those interested in practical guidance and expert perspectives on learning and education, subscribing to the series offers a substantive library of conversations.
Where to Find the Book and Resources
The book Your Child Learns Differently, Now What?: The Truth for Parents is available from common book retailers and through libraries. The episode and related resources are distributed through TL Talk Radio and the Be Podcast Network for educators.
If you are a parent, teacher, or school leader seeking ways to help a child who learns differently, this episode provides actionable ideas: look for emotional engagement in learning, document what you observe, consider evidence-based cognitive training where appropriate, and focus on building real competence to foster confidence.