The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

What Caregiving Really Looks Like When the System Falls Short What happens when you’re raising two neurodivergent children and the help you need still doesn’t meet real life? In this episode, I sit down with Danielle for an honest conversation about Autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, single parenthood, and the kind of caregiving most people never fully see. I’m sharing a story that speaks to parents, c...

When Chronic Illness Changes Your Identity: My Conversation with Dr. Jeff Bone What do you do when your body says something is wrong, but no one seems to hear you? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jeff Bone to talk about the hidden weight of chronic illness, what it feels like to be misdiagnosed, and how life can change when your health no longer feels predictable. This conversation goes far b...

Why So Many Neurodivergent Kids Struggle in School — And What Needs to Change If school feels more like a battle than a place to learn, this conversation will hit home. In this episode, I sit down with Lisa Riegel to talk about why so many neurodivergent students are misunderstood in classrooms, IEP meetings, and behavior systems. We get into the gap between what schools measure, what they actuall...

What Happens When You Look Fine on the Outside but Feel Lost Inside? In this episode, I sit down with Mike Dyson for an honest conversation about identity, discouragement, grief, and what it takes to keep going when life feels heavier than you can explain. Mike shares parts of his story that many people hide: childhood rejection, the pressure to perform, silent insecurity, and the kind of pain tha...

When “This Wasn’t the Plan” Becomes Your Reality as a Parent What happens when the life I imagined for my children suddenly changes—and I can’t fix it the way I thought I could? In this episode, I sit down with Tabitha deGrave for an honest conversation about parenting through diagnosis, uncertainty, and the kind of strength people often praise but rarely understand. We talk about what it feels li...

When ADHD, Trauma, and “Whispers” Start Making Sense In this episode, I sit down with Annie talk about what it feels like when your brain, body, and past are all trying to get your attention at once. We get into Annie’s path from military service to trauma research, and how an ADHD diagnosis helped her make sense of years of feeling out of step with the world around her. Along the way, we talk abo...

What If the Life You’re Living Was Never Really Yours? In this episode, I sit down with Shruti Trivedi to talk about purpose, grief, mental health, and the quiet pressure of living by someone else’s script. We explore what happens when life forces you to stop, question everything, and ask, Whose life am I living? Shruti shares how moving from IT into coaching changed the way she sees success, self...

When Neurodivergence, Identity, and Spiritual Sensitivity Collide What happens when a diagnosis doesn’t feel big enough to explain your experience of the world? In this episode, I sit down with Alice Dillon to explore that question from a deeply personal and thought-provoking angle. We talk about what it means to live with labels like ADHD and neurodivergent while also feeling that something more...

Why Connection Can Feel So Hard for Autistic Adults—and What Might Help What if the problem isn’t a lack of interest in connection, but years of being misunderstood? In this episode, I sit down with Trista to talk about autism, loneliness, safety, and why finding the right kind of connection can feel so complicated for autistic adults. We explore the gap between being around people and actually fe...

How Catherine Hughes Turned a Family Crisis Into Advocacy, Belonging, and Hope What happens when a parent asks for help and the system gets it painfully wrong? In this episode, I sit down with Catherine Hughes for a conversation that starts with heartbreak and grows into something every caregiver, educator, and neurodivergent person needs to hear. Catherine shares the moment that changed her life...

When Advocacy Starts at Home: What Beth Silver Taught Me About Support, Labels, and Being Brave What happens when a parent stops waiting for answers and starts building a way forward for their child? In this episode, I sit down with Beth Silver for a deeply honest conversation about raising neurodivergent children, facing fear in real time, and learning how to ask for help without shame. Beth shar...

When Co-Parenting Keeps You on Edge: Finding Peace After Divorce with Sol I sat down with Sol for a deeply honest conversation about divorce, co-parenting, healing, and what it takes to stop living in constant reaction mode. In this episode, I explore what life can feel like after a relationship ends, especially when you still have to stay connected as parents. Sal shares how overwhelm, conflict,...

What a Late ADHD Diagnosis Can Change About Identity, Belonging, and Self-Forgiveness What happens when you spend decades feeling different, and then finally get the words for why? In this conversation, I sit down with Mark Steiner to talk about what shifted for him after receiving an ADHD diagnosis later in life. We talk about the quiet friction so many people carry for years, especially when the...

What Changes When I Stop Asking “What’s Wrong With Me?” If you’ve ever felt too much, too different, or deeply misunderstood, this conversation will stay with you. In this episode, I sit down with Patricia Stellamares to talk about masking, survival, late-diagnosed AuDHD, and what happens when we stop trying to be easier for other people to understand. We explore the quiet cost of living in self-p...

When Co-Parenting Keeps You on Edge: Finding Peace After Divorce with Sol I sat down with Sal for a deeply honest conversation about divorce, co-parenting, healing, and what it takes to stop living in constant reaction mode. In this episode, I explore what life can feel like after a relationship ends, especially when you still have to stay connected as parents. Sal shares how overwhelm, conflict,...

What Helps Neurodivergent Kids Thrive When School Doesn’t Fit? What happens when a child isn’t failing because they can’t learn, but because the system isn’t built for how they learn? In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Jeremy Tiegerman to talk about what truly helps neurodivergent students grow. We get into the teachers who change everything, why confidence can matter just as much as accomm...

When You’ve Always Felt Different: Marie on Being Seen Beyond Labels If you’ve ever felt too sensitive, too different, or too hard to explain, this conversation will likely stay with you. In this episode, I sit down with Marie to talk about what it’s like to move through life without neat labels, while still knowing you don’t fit the mold. We talk about feeling “other” from a young age, the deep r...

When AuDHD, Unmasking, and Perimenopause Collide What happens when your brain finally makes sense, just as your old coping tools stop working? In this episode, I sit down with Heather Zimmerman for an honest conversation about late discovery, AuDHD, masking, and the very real shift that can happen during perimenopause. We talk about what it’s like to look back at your life through a new lens, why...

How Rhythm Can Calm the Nervous System and Support Neurodivergent Brains What if something as simple as rhythm could help with stress, focus, and regulation in ways many people never expect? In this episode, I sit down with Dori to talk about how drumming became more than music. What started as a childhood love of tapping on everything grew into a science-based wellness tool she now uses with neur...

What It Really Takes to Keep Going When Life Doesn’t Follow the Plan What happens when grief, parenting, leadership, and faith all collide in one life story? In this conversation, I sit down with Debbie Simmons to talk about the moments that shaped her most—and the choices that kept her moving when it would’ve been easier to stop. Debbie’s story doesn’t fit into a neat box. She’s a former engineer...

What Happens to Home, Identity, and Grief When You Build a Life Abroad? What if starting over in a new country doesn’t just change your address, but brings you face to face with who you really are? In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Parks to talk about living abroad, coming home, and the quiet emotional weight that can come with both. We explore what happens when the life you once wanted tur...

What Burnout, Trust, and Real Support Look Like for Neurodivergent Kids and Their Families If you’ve ever wondered what real support actually looks like for a neurodivergent child and their family, this conversation will stay with you. In this episode, I sit down with Antoinette Elliott to talk about the things many people miss: parent burnout, the quiet signs behind a child’s behavior, and why fe...

When Life Stops You Cold: Andrea’s 101 Days in the Hospital and What Came After One ordinary season turned into a fight for life, and in this conversation, I sit with Andrea as she shares what changed when her body could no longer keep going. I wanted to tell this story with care because it speaks to something many of us carry quietly: the pressure to keep pushing, even when something feels deeply...

Are We Seeing Autism Clearly, or Through a Lens That Misses the Whole Person? What if the way I’ve been taught to understand autism is also the thing that keeps me from seeing the full picture? In this conversation, I sit down with Leila Farshchian to talk about a question that doesn’t get asked often enough: when autism is filtered through clinical language, school systems, and service models, wh...

When a Diagnosis Changes Everything: Parenting Autism, Finding Support, and Using Your Voice What happens when you know something is different, but you still don’t have answers? In this episode, I sit down with Missy Brown for an honest conversation about parenting a child with autism and ADHD, the fear and confusion that can come before a diagnosis, and what it really feels like when support is t...