The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

Finding Your Voice When the Path Doesn’t Make Sense Yet What happens when your voice belongs to more than one world? In this conversation, I sit down with Sonia Sohn to talk about art, identity, and the strange in-between space where so many creative lives are built. Sonya is known for her viral performances with Julian the piano player, including the flash mobs that have caught millions of eyes a...

What a Late Autism Diagnosis Can Reveal About ADHD, School, and Self-Understanding I sat down with Carly Faye to talk about what happens when a late autism diagnosis suddenly puts years of questions into focus. In this conversation, I explore Carly’s path from educator to functional nutrition practitioner and coach, and how her ADHD and recent autism diagnosis changed the way she sees her past, he...

SSI Pitfalls: What No One Tells You About Disability Benefits (with Former SSA Attorney Spencer) Fighting for SSI isn’t simple. I’m exposing the hidden hurdles—and how to avoid costly mistakes that put benefits at risk. I’ve battled Social Security myself, and I know how confusing and exhausting it can feel—especially with autism, ADHD, or other invisible disabilities. In this episode, I sit down...

Late Diagnosis, Grief, and Growth with AuDHD Coach Jenny Lucas Late diagnosis can feel like a relief and a gut punch. In this episode, I sit with Jenny Lucas to name both—then move forward. I talk with Jenny about what the world saw versus what was really happening inside, the moment she heard “autistic” and “ADHD,” and the very real grief that followed. You’ll hear how she began unmasking in smal...

When a Dad Chooses to Show Up: Autism, Ego, and the Moment That Changed Everything We often hear autism stories from moms—today, I sit with a dad who faced denial, checked his ego, and chose to show up for his child. In this conversation, I open a door many families don’t talk about: what it takes for a father to move from “I’m fine” to “I’m here.” You’ll hear how one moment—unexpected and ordinar...

ADHD at Work and at Home: Motivation, Masking, and Real Support with Dr. Saara Haapanen What happens when an Olympic-level athlete-turned-psychologist maps ADHD from the inside—and shows us what actually helps? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Saara Haapanen to explore ADHD beyond stereotypes. You’ll hear how almost making the Olympics, years of elite sport, and a late ADHD diagnosis shaped he...

Non-Speaking Is Not Non-Understanding: Autism-Affirming Inclusion with Amanda Toren Non-speaking doesn’t mean non-understanding. In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Toren to rethink communication and real inclusion. Amanda is an autism mom, speech and behavioral therapist, clinical autism specialist, and inclusion specialist who runs an inclusive martial arts academy. Together, we get honest a...

Seeing Ourselves in Fiction: Neurodivergent Characters That Actually Feel Real with Author Luna Westish Representation isn’t just about labels—it’s about feeling seen. Today, I sit down with debut author Luna Westish to explore how fiction can shift how we understand Autism, ADHD, anxiety, and ourselves. You’ll hear how Luna wrote a character readers either relate to deeply or find frustrating and...

Executive Function Isn’t Laziness: Rethinking “Motivation,” Shame, and Support with Coach Carrie Bonnet Executive function isn’t laziness—it’s a brain thing. In this episode, I sit with coach Carrie Bonnet to reframe the struggle. If you’ve ever wondered why smart kids (and adults) still miss deadlines, lose steam, or freeze at “start,” this conversation will feel like a breath out. I ask Carrie B...

Late-Diagnosed at 65: Creativity, Compassion, and Coming Home to Yourself with Caroline Carey I sit down with Caroline Carey, a creative, author, and grandmother who was diagnosed with AuDHD in her mid-60s—and everything started to make sense. In this conversation, I open up about my own assessment experience while Caroline shares how a “you’re not depressed, you’re overwhelmed” moment changed her...

Dana’s journey into the world of parenting a nonverbal autistic child began with a heavy sense of uncertainty, realizing in a little gym class that her daughter wasn’t meeting the same milestones as the other kids. At first, she tried to brush off her worries, chalking it up to first-time parent nerves and hoping her daughter was just a late bloomer. But those feelings of doubt grew stronger as sh...

Support the show via my Patreon https://www.patreon.com/AspergersStudio Vicki’s journey into special education advocacy started not from a classroom or office, but right at her own kitchen table as a mom trying to figure out how to help her son, Luke, who was born with an incredibly rare chromosome disorder. Facing a room full of educators and specialists at Luke’s first IEP meeting, she nodded al...

In this episode, you’ll get to hear Laura Zane share her journey as a neurodivergent woman, opening up about what it was like to discover her ADHD later in life and how that shaped her approach to therapy. As someone who’s walked this path herself, Laura really understands the unique challenges you might face with late diagnosis, sensory overload, and anxiety. She talks about how embracing her neu...

Karyn Whitaker has turned her own journey with ADHD, autism, and dyslexia into a mission to make life easier for others navigating similar paths. As the founder of Try Harder is BS, she’s all about ditching the old advice that just leads to frustration and burnout. Karyn’s style is refreshingly honest and relatable—she’s been through the messy moments and knows that real solutions come from lived...

Raising Neurodivergent Kids in a Digital World: What I Wish Every Parent Knew Online rules are invisible—and for neurodivergent kids, that can be costly. This conversation shows a safer way. I sit down with Dr. Clark and her son, Chris, to talk about the moment a simple post turned into threats, what that did to their family, and how guidance changed everything. We get real about bullying, anxiety...

AUDHD Is Its Own Thing: Stephanie Lewis on RSD, Sensory Life, and a Therapy That Doesn’t Rely on Talking Struggling with therapy that asks you to “talk it out” when words won’t come? This one’s for you. In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Lewis—retired special education teacher, school psychologist, and coach—who discovered her own autism and ADHD in her 60s. We unpack why AUDHD isn’t just...

Comedy, Genetics, and Autism: A Real-World Guide with Dr. Sam Shay Can stand-up comedy help autistic adults feel seen—and can genetics make life simpler? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sam Shay, an autistic functional medicine practitioner and stand-up comic. We talk about sound sensitivity that feels like a “kidney stone in the skull,” why testing beats guessing when you’re exhausted, and h...

Late-Diagnosed ADHD, Masking at Work, and Real Self-Advocacy with Samantha Kelly If you’ve ever asked “Is it me or my brain?” this one’s for you. I sit down with Samantha Kelly to make sense of late diagnosis, masking, and what true accessibility at work can feel like. In this episode, you’ll hear how Samantha went from a panic attack at the office to becoming a sought-after neurodivergent speaker...

From “Not College Material” to Advocate: Katie Shelby on Voice, Belonging, and Real Inclusion Told she wasn’t “college material,” Katie Shelby went anyway—and what she learned can change how we support students. In this episode of The Neurodiversion Connection, I sit down with Katie Shelby, a paraprofessional from St. Louis living with a language impairment and learning disabilities. She went from...

Something has changed. What started as conversations… has become something deeper. Both shows have shifted from asking questions… to exploring the stories behind them. Because the most powerful moments aren’t scripted. They’re lived. These are stories about: who we are how we think what we struggle with and what we’re still trying to understand From neurodivergent experiences to curiosity-driven c...

Intuitive Communication with Nonverbal Individuals: A 30-Year Exploration Can intuitive communication help us better support nonverbal people? I sit down with a guest who’s spent 30+ years exploring it. In this episode, I share the moment that set her work in motion: a horseback therapy session where she says she heard a child who didn’t use spoken language communicate with her. From there, we ope...

ADHD Paralysis, The Anti-Planner, and Getting Unstuck with Dani Donovan Feeling stuck but can’t explain why? In this episode, I sit with ADHD creator Dani Donovan to unpack what “stuck” really feels like—and how we can move again. I ask Dani to paint that frozen moment we all know: the mess is obvious, the guilt is loud, and your body still won’t start. From there, we explore the real reasons ADHD...

Patience, Progress, and Real-World Teaching with Joseph Galloway A 16-year-old lesson in patience reshaped how I see ability, progress, and what real teaching asks of us. In this episode, I sit down with martial arts instructor and community advocate Joseph Galloway to talk about how one early teaching moment with a student with Down syndrome reframed success for him—and for me. We get real about...

Autistic Kids and Sleep: What Parents Often Miss (and What Actually Helps) Exhausted at 2 a.m.? You’re not alone. In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Ann Riley Smith to talk real-world fixes for autistic sleep struggles. Kelly’s a neurodivergent former teacher, a mom of four neurodivergent kids, and an autism-and-anxiety sleep specialist. We get honest about what “my child doesn’t sleep” really...

Writing as a Lifeline: AuDHD, Burnout, and Building Soul Scribe with Kristy Lee Rackham What if the story you’re scared to share is the one that helps someone heal? In this candid conversation, I sit down with Kristy Lee Rackham AuDHD mom, former nurse, boutique publisher, and creator of the Wisdom Keepers series. You’ll hear how she went from full burnout to building Soul Scribe Publishing, why w...