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by Rachel Estes Leyk (Author), Marsha Erickson (Designed by), Anamaria Stefan (Illustrator)
A transformative and empowering framework for parents, educators, and mentors raising children with the ability to respond.
In Response - ABILITY: Empowering Children to Choose Growth Over Reactivity, coach, advocate, and corporate strategist Rachel Estes Leyk delivers a heartfelt and highly practical guide to raising emotionally resilient, self-aware children. Rooted in a decade of research with lived experience as the mother of an autistic child and the precision of her MBA and strategy career (Target, Salesforce, Slalom), this book introduces the Response - ABILITY Toolbox, a powerful set of tools designed to equip parents, caregivers, mentors, and educators with the tools and understanding needed to effectively support the children we serve.
Rachel's mission is urgent and deeply personal. After her son Cooper was violently beaten at school, what followed wasn't an emotional collapse, but an extraordinary response that revealed the true impact of the tools she had quietly instilled over years. That moment of crisis became the catalyst for this book: a roadmap to raise children who respond with clarity, rather than react in fear or confusion.
With deep compassion and strategic guidance, Rachel shows parents, caregivers, mentors, and educators how to:
- Rewire reactive patterns into confident, values-based decision-making
- Equip children with emotional regulation tools for high-pressure moments
- Shift from fear-based parenting to intentional leadership
- Build resilience through consistent, empowering daily practices
- Help kids discover who they are-before the world tells them who to be
Perfect for anyone determined to break cycles of emotional chaos and cultivate strength, self-awareness, and inner leadership in the next generation, Response - ABILITY is not just a parenting book, it's a shift. A mindset shift, equipping ourselves with the tools and understanding we need, so we can more effectively support the children we serve.
