Quirky Catholic Kids: Navigating Neurodivergence with Faith and Joy

By: Kochis, Ginny

Quirky kids are more: more intense, more active, more emotive, and more sensitive -- as much a parent's or educator's greatest challenge as they are their greatest joy. In Quirky Catholic Kids, Ginny Kochis explores the complex journey of parenting and educating "outside-the-box," neurodivergent children -- that is, those whose brains receive, process, and express information in unconventional ways -- sharing her authentic, often vulnerable, experience as a parent and educator alongside faith-filled strategies designed to help families thrive.

Drawing from scientific research, psychology, and her own personal faith journey, Kochis shows you how to turn hurdles into stepping stones of hope. You'll learn effective approaches for processing the challenges, fears, and frustrations common in neurodivergent family life, affording you and your children powerful techniques for gaining trust and perseverance in the valleys. You'll also discover: Methods for channeling child behaviors, such as hyperfocusing, to make them fruitfulStep-by-step advice on how to respond to meltdowns and help children regulate their emotionsHow to develop social skills through games, role-playing, and storiesTips on fostering executive functioning skills and navigating difficulties with eating and sleepingFive ways to evaluate whether inappropriate behavior is a matter of discipline or developmentWays to strike a balance with your child's daily use of screen timeGuides for effective faith formation and parent-child interactions

Through the words of Scripture and intercessory prayers of the saints, you will also learn how to combat negative self-talk, grow in temperance yourself, and share these tools with others. Kochis includes several quirky saint examples, such as Carlo Acutis, Dymphna, Joseph of Cupertino, Ignatius of Loyola, Christina the Astonishing, and Servant of God Leonie Martin. A special appendix highlights the talents and struggles of one hundred saints to help you prayerfully discern your child's patron. This invaluable resource also includes best practices for helping your family grow in faith, especially during times when your child is struggling.

Quirky Catholic Kids will help you find peace of heart, an anchor in the storm, and the tools you need to support your unique, unrepeatable children. You will see how, by accepting and celebrating God's loving plan for your neurodivergent family, you and your children won't just survive -- you'll bloom.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FWXYMVXM
• ISBN13: 9798889115984
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Raising Neurodivergent kids in the Catholic faith? YES definitely!!!! A blessing!

I can’t recommend Ginny’s book Quirky Cathoic kids enough! Authentic, practical, easy to read, encouraging, and a must read, especially if you are a Catholic family with neurodivergent kids! What a blessing Quirky Catholic Kids has been for me and my husband! When it came, I set it on the couch to pick up and read that evening and my husband (who doesn’t read many books at all) came over and picked it up and read half of it in one day! His words, “that’s a really good book you had sitting there. It has some great information and can really help us.” Ginny writes in such a relatable way, sharing the difficulties and struggles as well as suggestions that really do help in parenting neurodivergent kids! It is such an encouragement to be able to read a book that is both about raising kids in our Catholic faith AND parenting our neurodivergent kids!!!!! It doesn’t just focus on the neurodivergent parenting while leaving faith completely out of the picture and how refreshing that we can do both! I love how she includes a saint with each of the different practical tools she explains to help our neurodivergent kids thrive. She describes what the saint experienced and includes an intercessory prayer. Also, how amazing it is to read a book about parenting that actually has tools that work for my neurodivergent kids and family! And to have faith ideas for families with neurodivergence in the mix; because sometimes the things we do that are part of our Catholic faith and our family traditions may be too hard or too much for our neurdivergent kid, but when adjusted and adapted to the needs of our children, can be every bit as meaningful and beautiful and still true to our Catholic faith!

Changed my parenting for the better

As a mom to 3 boys, 2 (maybe 3) of whom are quirky or known as twice exceptional, and a devout Catholic, this book is a God send. The sections on developing executive functioning is especially helpful for me as my oldest is navigating new levels of the educational ladder and needing to grow his skills. Also, the concept of rejection-sensitive dysphoria was new to me and opened my eyes so much. It really grew my empathy and is helping me parent better. I absolutely loved the combo of faith, Saints, and Sacraments with the beauty of minds that are quirky. This book gave me hope. I have shared my copy with friends and recommend it to any person of faith who needs help parenting their wonderful quirky kids. Thank you, Ginny!