Dr. Niki Elliott says adult stress shapes how children learn

Dr. Niki Elliott’s new book argues that a child’s ability to focus and settle depends first on the adult in the room, not just the child’s behavior. Published July 21 by Page Two, the book targets educators, parents, therapists and youth workers supporting neurodiverse and marginalized children.

Why it matters: - Dr. Niki Elliott argues that adult nervous-system state, pace and tone can determine whether children can settle, focus and learn. - The book targets neurodiverse and marginalized children, including students affected by trauma, disability, poverty and language barriers. - The framework reframes behavior as communication and shifts responsibility from fixing children to changing learning conditions.

What happened: - Page Two published Heart-Centered Connections: Seven Essential Skills for Helping Neurodiverse and Marginalized Children Thrive on July 21, 2026. - Dr. Niki Elliott wrote the book as a guide for educators, parents, school leaders, therapists and youth workers. - Elliott launched the book at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena on July 21 and followed with a keynote at Disneyland in Anaheim on July 23. - She has since appeared in Detroit, Portage, Kalamazoo, Okemos, Santa Monica and Denver on a multi-city tour.

The details: - Elliott is a clinical professor at the University of San Diego and director of the university’s Center for Embodied Equity and Neurodiversity. - The book centers on seven pillars: Self-Awareness, Interpersonal Awareness, Neuroinclusive Spaces, Activated Genius, Engaged Learning, Mindful Communication and Heart-Centered Repair. - Each pillar pairs a concept with practices adults can use in the moment, including noticing a personal stress response before answering a child and redesigning a room’s sensory and social environment. - Elliott says the skills are meant to work in classrooms, homes, therapy offices and community programs. - The book draws on educational neuroscience, mind-body practices and embodied equity, which treats race, gender, ability and socioeconomic status as inseparable from learning conditions. - The framework developed over decades of work with teachers, school leaders, social workers and caregivers. - Elliott writes that the child’s nervous-system state and capacity to focus begin with the adult in the room. - She also argues that punishment and removal can repeat the cycle they are meant to stop. - The book spans early childhood through adolescence. - The audience includes children who are neurodivergent, have learning differences, are affected by trauma or are marginalized by race, disability, poverty or language. - Dr. Elliott says the goal is not to change children, but to change the conditions in which they learn. - A quote from Elliott says that from a young age she saw inequalities in education and learned that the right teacher could make all the difference for a student of color. - Gretchen Givens Generett, dean and professor at Duquesne University’s School of Education, said the book could fundamentally change how future teachers are prepared. - Generett said the book offers a practical framework for helping pre-service educators enter diverse classrooms with insight, empathy and skill. - Generett also said the work helps educators examine their own emotional states, stress responses and communication patterns.

Between the lines: - The book pushes back on behavior-management models that focus on correcting surface actions first. - Elliott’s message is that adult regulation is not a soft skill on the margins; it is the starting point for learning environments. - By tying classroom practice to embodied equity, the book places learning outcomes in the context of identity and access, not just individual conduct.

What’s next: - Elliott is continuing her post-publication tour. - Heart-Centered Connections is available now from Page Two. - The publisher is offering review copies and interview requests through publicist Nanda Dyssou at the Coriolis Company. - More information is available through the company’s social channels: LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and X.

The bottom line: - Elliott’s book argues that helping children thrive starts with adult self-regulation, safer environments and more responsive relationships.