About Me

I'm Nancy Schilling: psychology student, certified systemic coach, and mom of five. I know firsthand what daily life in a neurodivergent family actually feels like, and how to navigate it.

Experience

My practical experience is built on over 20 years of organization, daily structuring, and crisis skills within my own neurodivergent family. This is grounded further by a medical and therapeutic background from emergency services.

Education

Bachelor's in Psychology (final phase)
Certified Systemic Advisor & Coach (IHK)
Certified Systemic Parenting & Education Counselor
Background in Emergency Medical Services

Focus Areas

Autism Spectrum & Neurodivergence
Systemic Parent Coaching & Support
Daily Structure &Home Environment Adjustments
Practical Video-Based Observation

Get in Touch

CONTACT

Have questions about how coaching could work for your family? Send me an email and I'll get back to you personally.

E-MAIL

Nancyschilling@connectioncanyon.com

Why Connection Canyon? 🏜️

Because I carry two perspectives: a mother who learns to understand her child a little better every day. And a professional who knows how much half-knowledge and how many misconceptions surround autism.

Connection Canyon is meant to be the bridge between both honest, evidence-based, without telling you how to feel. Instead, I’ll show you what I see, what I learn, and sometimes, what I get wrong too.

Glad you’re here. 🤍

#autism #parentcoach #neurodivergentparenting #neurodivergent #gentleparenting

I hear this a lot. Here’s the thing: autism doesn’t have a “look.” It’s not something you can see from across a room or in a quick interaction.

What I do see, every day, in the families I work with: a child who melts down after a birthday party that seemed “fine” to everyone else. A kid who can hold it together at school and falls apart the second they get home. A toddler who lines up their toys with quiet precision and gets completely overwhelmed by a change in routine.

None of that shows up in a five-second glance. And none of it makes a parent’s concern any less valid.

If something in you keeps saying “I think there’s more going on here” trust that. You know your child better than anyone.

I’m not here to diagnose. I’m here to help you understand what you’re seeing at home, and build an environment where your child can actually thrive starting today, not after months on a waitlist.

#autism #neurodiversity #parentcoach #parentproblems #childhood

A doctor told a parent something that sounds backwards until you understand it. Your child doesn’t change after a diagnosis. Your understanding does.

💙 Save this for the parent who needs to hear it

#parentcoach #greenville #autism #neurodivergent #neurodivergentparenting

You’re not overreacting. You’re paying attention. 🤍

If this is you right now you’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure it out by yourself.

#autismawarness #autismmom #autismsupport #parentcoach #parentinglife

The person behind Connection Canyon 🤍 Iced coffee in hand, always ready for the next trip, and probably reading something in between. Nice to meet you!

#greenvillesc #autism #parentingcoach #neurodiversity #coaching

Here’s how I support families: video analysis, 1:1 parent coaching, and home environment checks practical tools for everyday life, not just theory.

#greenvillesc #spartanburgsc #familycoaching #autismawareness #autismawarness

The training and experience behind Connection Canyon because I believe families deserve support that’s both compassionate and grounded in real expertise.

#parentcoach #familycoaching #autismawareness #parentingsupport #earlychildhood

We have five kids in this house and one thing changed everything: we stopped keeping every toy out at once.

One bin of Duplo. One bin of wooden trains. One bin of Barbies. One bin of figures. Only one is out at a time the rest live in the closet until we rotate.

It’s not about having less. It’s about seeing less at once. Fewer visual choices = fewer decisions for a young brain to sort through = longer, calmer, more focused play.

This isn’t a fix for every kid, and it’s not the only thing that matters. But if playtime at your house feels short and scattered, it might be worth trying before you assume it’s your child or your parenting.

I’m a psychology student, certified systemic coach, and mom of five this is one small thing from what I do with families every week.

#sensory #neurodivergent #autism #parentcoach #familylife

🎒 Back-to-school find straight from the Walmart aisle!

I stumbled onto this section today the “Inclusive Learning Tools” line by Pen+Gear and had to film it.

👇What I found:
✋ Adaptive Cuffs for pencils & tools
🧸 Sensory Brushes (different textures)
🤟 Sign Language Sheets
✂ Loop Scissors for small hands
💫 Fidget Rings & Calming Textured Stickers
🪑 Chair Bands for kids who need to move while seated
⏱️ Mechanical Timers for structure & transitions

The best part: everything at a really affordable price (most items under $5–9!) no expensive specialty store, no waiting on an online order. Just sitting right there in the regular school supplies aisle.

School starts back up here in the US in about a month if you’re thinking about what might make the transition smoother for your child (sensory, motor, or just something to help them stay regulated), it’s worth a look next time you’re at Walmart. 🛒

#backtoschool #neurodivergent #sensoryfriendly #inclusivelearning #specialneedsparenting adhdkids autismawareness parentingtips connectioncanyon

The 2-hour screen time rule was written for neurotypical brains. But if your child is neurodivergent, standard advice often fails. Research shows screens can offer a safe, predictable anchor in an overwhelming world. When paired with headphones, it filters out the sensory chaos of a car ride or a busy room, allowing them to step into a controlled environment and actively lower their anxiety. It’s not about escaping reality it’s about surviving sensory overload.

Drop the guilt. You are giving them the tool they need to regulate.

Does your child use headphones as a sensory filter too? Let’s talk about what actually helps them regulate in the comments below! 👇

#neurodivergentparenting #gentleparenting #coregulation #autism #adhs

Every chapter, every detour, and every single milestone has led to this exact moment. 📖✨

Looking at this map, I’m reminded that no experience is ever wasted. From healthcare and therapy to deep-diving into psychology, systemic coaching, and navigating the beautiful, chaotic world of raising a large patchwork family—every step has shaped my mission.

All of these pieces are coming together in my next big chapter: helping families find alignment, connection, and deep understanding.

Your unique path is your greatest strength. What’s a milestone in your life that completely shifted your perspective? 👇

#coaching #parenting #neurodivergent #lifejourney #psychology

Out of nowhere, our pool pump kicked on. To us, it’s just a faint hum, but to him, it’s an unbearable high-frequency noise. At that exact moment, a bumblebee flew over the water, and I instinctively grabbed the big skimmer net to scoop it out. That was total overload: the humming of the pump combined with this huge, sudden movement right above his head. He completely froze in the water, covered his ears, and started screaming.

So, how do you react in that moment?
First: drop the net immediately. Don't try to explain anything—the brain isn't filtering language during an overload anyway. I firmly took him by the hands, made eye contact, and used our standard routine: "1, 2, 3—up the stairs."

Once we were out, it was all about deep pressure. We wrapped him tightly in his heavy beach towel to help ground his nervous system. Then we went straight inside, pulled down the blinds, and put on his noise-canceling headphones. After twenty minutes of being tightly cocooned on the couch, his heart rate was finally back to normal.

What’s your go-to routine when a sensory overload hits out of nowhere? Drop your tips below.
#overload #autism #adhs #neurodivergentparenting #gentleparenting

It hurts to admit it. But it is the bravest step we can ever take as parents: recognizing that our children’s behavior is often a response to our own unhealed past. 💔

(Important note: We are explicitly looking past medical or neurobiological conditions here!)

So much of how we respond to tantrums, tears, or defiance is deeply wired within us. These are the blueprints we were handed when we were small. Perhaps it was emotional distance, immense pressure to perform, or even overt aggression. These experiences leave a footprint on our nervous system. When our child pushes us to our limits, it’s rarely the adult parent responding, it’s the wounded child within us switching into defense mode.

This means if we truly want a more peaceful family life, we have to flip the perspective 180 degrees. Shift the focus from "How do I fix my child?" to "What inside of me needs healing right now?"

You aren't responsible for the weight of the backpack you were forced to carry. But you do get to decide whether you pass it on to the next generation. You have the power to break the cycle right here, right now. 🕊️

Leave a ❤️ if you are on this journey of change, or share your thoughts in the comments below.

#gentleparenting #breakingthecycle #emotionsregulation #familydynamics #coregulation

Standard parenting advice feels like a slap in the face when your family is beautifully neurospicy.

Traditional methods focus on modifying behavior through pressure. Systemic, evidence-based consulting looks deeper: What is the unseen trigger? Is it sensory overload? A communication mismatch? I’ve been in the trenches of daily life, and I have the scientific background to back it up. Let's find real solutions together.

Welcome to Connection Canyon. 🏔️✨

Follow along for parenting support that actually fits your reality.

#NeurodivergentParenting #ADHDparenting #AutismAcceptance #SystemicCoaching #autism

For neurodivergent children, emotional dysregulation or sensory overload often manifests as physical restlessness, anxiety, or internal tension. In these moments, standard verbal reasoning fails because the logical part of the brain is temporarily offline.

Actively kneading, stretching, or squeezing resistive materials provides intense tactile and proprioceptive feedback. This physical resistance sends immediate grounding signals through the joints and muscles directly to the nervous system, helping to shift the brain from a state of fight-or-flight back into a regulated state.

Integrating functional sensory strategies into daily routines allows us to co-regulate with our children proactively, preventing meltdowns before they happen.

Follow for evidence-based strategies and structured family support tailored to neurodivergent dynamics.

#neurodivergentparenting #sensoryregulation #autismsupport #coregulation #sensory

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About Me

About Me

Experience

Education

Focus Areas

Get in Touch

E-MAIL

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