The Neurodivergent Experience

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott explore stimming — what it is, why it happens, and how it shows up in everyday neurodivergent life. They break down the different forms of stimming, from visual and auditory to tactile and movement-based, sharing personal examples that many people may not even realise count as stims. From fidgeting and pacing to echola...

In this episode of Mindful Mondays, we continue our exploration of the senses by turning toward something deeply personal and often overlooked: touch and movement. For many neurodivergent and highly sensitive people, the body can feel confusing, overwhelming, or even unsafe at times. And yet, movement and touch are not optional extras - they are fundamental ways the nervous system orients, regulat...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott react to Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2026 and question what it really achieves. They explore the confusion around language, breaking down the difference between neurodiversity and neurodivergence and explaining why those terms are so often used interchangeably, even though they mean very different things....

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott explore the reality of accommodations as neurodivergent adults, from legal rights in the workplace to the everyday challenge of asking for support in social situations. Simon shares his experience travelling abroad with a group, navigating pain, overwhelm, and the difficulty of explaining invisible disabilities to othe...

In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Ashley explores something we live within every day, yet rarely stop to consider: light. Light shapes far more than our ability to see. It influences our sleep, mood, hormones, nervous system regulation, and overall wellbeing. For neurodivergent people especially, light can sometimes feel overwhelming or dysregulating - but when we understand how it works, it can...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott respond to the controversial article “ Uta Frith: why I no longer think autism is a spectrum .” Reading and reacting to sections of the interview, they unpack the claims that rising autism diagnoses are a problem and that the label of autism should be restricted to those diagnosed in early childhood with more...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott react to the sudden cancellation of Smiling Friends — a hugely popular animated show created by Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel. At the height of its success, the creators announced they were ending the show after season three due to burnout. Jordan and Simon unpack what that decision means, not just for fans, b...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott explore why neurodivergent people can be more vulnerable to negative influence. Growing up feeling different often leads to masking, people-pleasing, and a fragile sense of identity. When belonging has felt conditional, it can become easier to agree, adapt, and absorb the views of others just to avoid rejection. Jordan...

Six months ago, Mindful Mondays began as a simple weekly pause - a space to soften into presence and honour the neurodivergent nervous system. Twenty-six episodes later, something far more coherent has emerged. In this special half-year reflection, Ashley traces the living map that has been quietly forming beneath the surface - from radical acceptance and time reframing, to forest wisdom and the a...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott react to major BAFTA wins for I Swear — including Robert Aramayo taking home Best Actor and the EE Rising Star Award. After previously calling it a “travesty” that Aramayo wasn’t Oscar-nominated, Jordan reflects on why this win feels so significant — not just for the actor, but for neurodivergent representatio...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James returns from New Zealand and joins Simon Scott for an honest and surprisingly positive conversation about travelling as a neurodivergent person. From long-haul flights and jet lag to airport anxiety and invisible disability accommodations, they reflect on how different this trip felt compared to previous travel experiences. Jordan shar...

Sound is one of the fastest, most powerful systems in the human brain. It can soothe, destabilise, regulate, overwhelm - and, when used intentionally, it can become a profound tool for nervous system support. In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Ashley explores the neuroscience and lived experience of sound for neurodivergent minds. From music and rhythm as ancient emotional language, to binaural b...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Simon Scott is joined by Ashley Dupuy to explore why the news feels so overwhelming — especially for neurodivergent brains. With relentless headlines, graphic footage, political division, and algorithm-driven doom-scrolling, they unpack how constant exposure to crisis can heighten anxiety, disrupt sleep, and intensify black-and-white thin...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Simon Scott is joined by Ashley Dupuy to explore the emotional reality of unmasking as a neurodivergent adult — especially after late diagnosis. With Jordan still in New Zealand, Simon and Ashley dive into identity shifts, grief, anger, boundaries, and the destabilising question so many people face: Who am I without the mask? They discuss how mask...

If the word gratitude has ever made you roll your eyes, this episode is for you. This isn’t about toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine. It’s about neuroscience. In this episode, Ashley explores how gratitude reshapes your Reticular Activating System (RAS) — the brain’s internal filter that decides what gets noticed. For neurodivergent nervous systems wired for intensity, pattern recog...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott explore the powerful impact of the British biographical drama I Swear — a neuroaffirming film based on the life of John Davidson, who developed Tourette’s syndrome as a child and later became a speaker and advocate. They reflect on their wider experiences of being neurodivergent — the bullying, blame, masking, rejection...

In this milestone 100th episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott reflect on self-sabotaging behaviours — from procrastination and perfectionism to impulsivity, addiction, rigid thinking, and negative self-talk. They share personal stories about turning down opportunities, abandoning creative projects, gaming addiction, risk-taking, substance use, phone dependence, an...

Seeing your life clearly doesn’t mean seeing it harshly. In this episode of Mindful Mondays, we explore how mindset and reframing shape not just how we think - but how our nervous system experiences the world. Many neurodivergent and highly sensitive people live with a loud inner commentary. Thoughts can feel convincing, critical, and fixed - yet thoughts are not facts. Together, we explore: * Gro...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott react to a BBC story about schools opening specialist units for autistic pupils — and question whether these plans are about support, or simply about moving autistic children out of sight. They unpack concerns around lumping autistic children together across wide age ranges, the overuse of special units as a c...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott explore the overlap — and important differences — between executive dysfunction and pathological demand avoidance (PDA), and why both can make everyday tasks feel overwhelming. They unpack how executive dysfunction is linked to planning, organisation, and overload, while PDA is driven by anxiety, autonomy, and threat r...

Resilience is often misunderstood. It’s not about pushing through at all costs, pretending you’re fine, or never getting overwhelmed — especially if you’re sensitive or neurodivergent. Real resilience is something far more human, far more embodied. In this episode of Mindful Mondays, we explore what resilience actually looks like in the nervous system — the ability to move through challenge, to fe...

⚠️This episode includes discussion of suicide, mental health crises, and systemic failures in neurodivergent healthcare. Listener discretion is advised, and we encourage you to prioritise your wellbeing while listening ⚠️. In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott respond to reports that the NHS is once again restricting access to ADHD assessments in...

In this season 3 opening episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott revisit a foundational question from the very first episode of the podcast: what makes me neurodivergent? Returning to the topic with years of lived experience, self-understanding, and community insight, they reflect on how their understanding of autism, ADHD, and neurodivergence has evolved. They expl...

In this final episode of our January series on The Anatomy of a Breakthrough, we arrive at strategy - not as hustle, force, or rigid self-improvement, but as a creative, embodied collaboration with your own life. Throughout the month, we’ve explored how real change unfolds when state comes first, story begins to soften, and strategy is allowed to emerge from alignment rather than pressure. In this...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott are joined by hypnotherapist and breathwork practitioner Ashley Bentley to unpack the release of “Autistic Barbie” by Mattel — and why representation isn’t always as simple as it sounds. Rather than rejecting the doll outright, the conversation explores the risks of giving autism a visual “look.” Jordan expla...