The Neurodivergent Experience

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott explore why Autistic and ADHD people continue to face systemic discrimination when looking for work — even in industries that quietly depend on neurodivergent talent. Responding to recent reporting on neurodivergent employment discrimination, they share personal experiences of job interviews, disclosure, work...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott explore the powerful role animals play in neurodivergent lives — from emotional regulation and routine to responsibility and companionship. Sparked by Simon adopting a dog, the conversation moves through childhood memories of pets as lifelines, the unique bond many Autistic and ADHD people form with animals, and why pe...

In this week’s Mindful Mondays, Ashley Bentley explores the Circle of Control - a simple yet deeply regulating framework that helps neurodivergent nervous systems find steadiness in moments of anger, overwhelm, and emotional overload. Building on themes from recent episodes on December fatigue and nervous system regulation, Ashley shares how learning to release what is outside our control can radi...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott respond to an Independent article exploring whether undiagnosed ADHD increases the likelihood of young people going missing — and why headlines like this often oversimplify a much deeper issue. Jordan shares raw, personal stories of repeatedly running away as a child and how abuse, zero support, and misinterp...

In this festive episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott are joined by hypnotherapist and breathwork practitioner Ashley Bentley for a warm, funny, and deeply relatable conversation about navigating Christmas as autistic and ADHD adults. From sensory overwhelm to social expectations, gift-giving anxiety to family dynamics, they explore why the holiday season can feel...

In this week’s Mindful Mondays, Ashley Bentley explores the quiet emotional weight that December so often brings - especially for neurodivergent nervous systems. Through gentle storytelling, neuroscience, and ND-affirming insight, she unpacks why this season can feel overwhelming: the sensory demands, disrupted routines, family dynamics, social expectations, and the tender ache of loneliness that...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott react to a recent article claiming dogs can be “autistic” — and unpack why this framing misunderstands both animals and neurodivergence. They discuss how natural behaviours in animals get mislabelled as “autistic traits,” why deficit-based language harms autistic people, and how ableist assumptions shape rese...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott share a warm, funny, and deeply relatable account of their weekend in Liverpool — a true neurodivergent experience of travel, routine disruption, sensory differences, social energy, and feeling safe with the right people. From road-trip anxiety and hyperfocus preparation to navigating cities, accents, crowds, and new e...

In this week’s Mindful Mondays, Ashley Bentley begins December with one of the most transformative practices in meditation - Loving-Kindness, or Metta - a heart-centred practice that played a pivotal role in her own healing during one of the most difficult winters of her life. In this deeply reflective episode, Ashley shares how she first encountered loving-kindness meditation during a period mark...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott respond to shocking recent comments from Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice — whose claims about “overdiagnosis,” ear defenders, and SEND support reveal just how dangerously out of touch his party is with neurodivergent realities. They break down Tice’s statements about “too many labels,” “overdiagnosed...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott look back at five years since the COVID-19 lockdown — and how that period reshaped society, mental health, and the lives of autistic and ADHD adults. With honesty, humour, and emotional depth, they revisit the fear, isolation, shifting rules and political failures of 2020, and how lockdown exposed their neurodivergence...

Your brain is constantly switching between two modes of knowing: the left hemisphere’s precision and prediction, and the right hemisphere’s intuition and imagination. Between them lies the tender space where narrative forms — and where regulation becomes possible. In this episode, we explore how these two worlds create your ongoing “story of self,” and how that story becomes the map your nervous s...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott break down a new research article showing how major autism charities portray autistic people as helpless, burdensome, and in constant need of “saving.” Jordan and Simon explore why so many large charities rely on harmful tropes (puzzle pieces, sad children, deficit language) to generate donations, while autis...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott dive into a huge question many late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD adults wrestle with: Would a childhood diagnosis have actually changed anything — or possibly made life harder? Jordan and Simon share personal stories of bullying, masking, meltdowns, stigma, and internalised ableism — and reflect on how childhood diagnosi...

November Neuroscience for the Neurodivergent Nervous System In this deeply grounding episode, we explore the gentle, transformative world of somatic regulation - the bottom-up path that helps a neurodivergent nervous system feel safe, calm, and connected again. You’ll learn why the body is often the first place we must return to when the mind becomes overwhelmed, and how sensation, rhythm, movemen...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott pull apart the latest headline claiming that “COVID during pregnancy causes autism.” With sarcasm, dark humour and actual science, they look at why every week the media invents a new “cause” — Tylenol, vaccines, circumcision, video games, rain — and how these stories spread without logic, peer review or any un...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott open up about imposter syndrome — the belief that you’re never good enough, never qualified enough, and that one day everyone will “figure you out.” With humour and honesty, they share personal stories of childhood bullying, masking, perfectionism and self-doubt, and how growing up misunderstood leaves many autistic an...

Part 2 of our November Neuroscience for the Neurodivergent Nervous System series Your breath is more than air - it’s a bridge between worlds. In this week’s Mindful Mondays, Ashley Bentley explores the mystical and scientific magic of the breath — how this constant companion connects body and mind, order and chaos, logic and emotion. Through science, story, and spirit, we uncover why the breath is...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott discuss two shocking news stories exposing how autistic workers are being used as unpaid labour — ‘volunteering’ in supermarkets and retail stores for months or even years, only to be dismissed the moment they ask to be paid. They break down how companies hide exploitation behind charity language and “work ex...

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott dive into the complicated relationship between money and neurodivergent brains— from impulsive spending and overdrafts to financial fear and learning to save later in life. They share their own journey with overdrafts, dopamine-driven purchases, budgeting avoidance, and learning financial responsibility later in life —...

 Learning the language of safety, connection, and calm for the neurodivergent brain and body. This week, we begin a brand new series - November Neuroscience for The Neurodivergent Nervous System. Our journey starts with the foundation of it all: your nervous system — the hidden ladder within that shapes how you experience the world. We’ll explore how your body’s three main states — rest, acti...

In this Halloween edition of The Hot Topic , Jordan James and Simon Scott delve into why many autistic and ADHD individuals are drawn to horror — from jump scares and haunted houses to true crime and the works of Stephen King. They unpack the neuroscience and psychology behind the connection between fear, curiosity, and regulation, and why being safely scared can be surprisingly calming for neurod...

In this milestone episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott celebrate a huge moment — over 100,000 downloads — and reflect on how the podcast has transformed their lives and the wider neurodivergent community. What began as a passion project between two friends has become a lifeline for thousands of listeners around the world. Jordan and Simon open up about the behind...

Learning to bend, flow, and rise again. In this final episode of the Nature as Teacher month, Ashley Bentley explores how the changing elements - wind, water, and stars - mirror the flexibility and strength within us. From the fierce gales of the Isle of Man to the calm rhythm of the tides, she reveals how adaptation, contrast, and curiosity build resilience in the neurodivergent mind and body. As...

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience , Jordan James and Simon Scott react to a recent Independent article questioning the old idea of a “single autism spectrum” — and explain why autism isn’t something you’re on , but something you live within . They explore how the linear model of autism — from “mild” to “severe” — misrepresents reality, fuels stigma, and limits understandin...