When Autism Grows Up STRONG

How can you help your autistic young adult build greater self-reliance without adding more pressure? As parents, we want to see our young adults grow, make their own choices, and build lives that work for them. But knowing when to step in, when to step back, and how to encourage progress isn't always easy. In this video, Lynn Davison shares 7 Habits of Highly Impactful Parents of Autistic Young Ad...

For many autistic and neurodivergent adults, getting hired is only part of the challenge. Finding a workplace where their strengths are valued, communication is clear, and support is available can make all the difference. In this episode, Lynn Davison sits down with Nathaniel Hawley, founder of Divergent Thinking, a UK neuroinclusion consultancy. Drawing on his lived experience of autism, dyslexia...

What do autistic young adults really need to build healthy, meaningful, self-directed lives? In this powerful conversation, Lynn Davison sits down with Dr. Tempest McDonald, autistic researcher, counselor, and parent, to challenge some of the assumptions we make about autism, independence, and adulthood. They explore why traditional transition plans can miss important pieces, the difference betwee...

What do autistic young adults really need to build healthy, meaningful, self-directed lives? Is it getting a job, moving out, and doing everything independently? Or are we missing something much bigger? In this episode, Lynn Davison shares 10 important lessons from The Transmitter podcast series, When Autistic Kids Grow Up, hosted by Brady Huggett and Dr. Tempest McDonald. These lessons chall...

What happens when autistic children grow up, but the systems meant to support them aren't prepared for their adult lives? Dr. Tempest McDonald's extraordinary journey, from a childhood marked by trauma and teenage homelessness to becoming an autism researcher, counselor, and advocate, raises a question we cannot afford to ignore: Why do we invest so much in studying autistic children, yet so littl...

Do you ever feel like you’re having the same difficult conversations with your autistic young adult over and over again? You remind. They resist or withdraw. You become more worried. They feel more pressured. Everyone is trying, but somehow nothing seems to change. What if the problem isn’t a lack of love, effort, or motivation? What if your family is simply dealing with too many surprises? N...

What actually helps autistic young adults build meaningful, self-reliant adult lives? For many families, adulthood can feel slower, less predictable, and very different from the path they expected. And parents are often left wondering: Are we doing too much? Not enough? Should we push harder? Should we step back? In this episode, we look at what recent research can teach us about autisti...

What if your autistic young adult wants to move forward, but the approach meant to help them is actually making things harder? When traditional coaching focuses on trying harder, accountability, and pushing through, it can miss an important question: What’s really getting in the way? In this podcast episode, I explore why traditional coaching often doesn’t work for many autistic young adults...

What if your autistic young adult never changes in the ways you’ve been hoping for? What if they don’t become more motivated, more organized, more receptive to advice, or make progress on the timeline you imagined? It’s an uncomfortable question. But after more than 3,600 conversations with autistic young adults and their families, I’ve come to believe there may be an even more important question...

If you’re parenting an autistic young adult, you may sometimes wonder: How do I support them without doing too much for them? In this podcast, I share 10 habits I’ve found can help parents support their autistic young adults in becoming increasingly self-reliant. These aren’t habits of perfect parents. They’re small, intentional shifts in how we respond, communicate, mentor, and connect. You'll le...

Why can something you know you need to do still feel incredibly difficult to start? In this powerful conversation, Lynn Davison sits down with Brendan Mahan, ADHD coach, educator, speaker, and author of Overcoming the Wall of Awful, to explore what may really be happening when ADHD and autistic people feel stuck. Brendan introduces his “Wall of Awful” framework, which helps explain the emotional w...

Why does it feel like your autistic young adult is stuck? If you're the parent of an autistic young adult, you've probably wondered: "Why does everything feel so hard?", "are we making any progress?", or "will things ever get better?" After more than 3,600 coaching conversations with autistic young adults and their families, we've discovered something that has changed the way we understand gr...

Have you ever wondered how someone can be incredibly intelligent yet struggle to send an email, make a phone call, or start a simple task? It's a question many parents ask. The answer isn't laziness or a lack of intelligence. In this new podcast episode, Lynn shares the 9 hidden reasons why so many smart autistic young adults get stuck and what actually helps young adults build momentum, conf...

As parents, we want to help. We solve problems, protect our children from discomfort, and do everything we can to help them succeed. But sometimes, the very things we do out of love can unintentionally make it harder for autistic and neurodivergent young adults to develop self-reliance. In this episode, I share the 5 parenting patterns I've seen over 40 years of raising six neurodivergent chi...

After seven years of coaching autistic young adults and their parents, I've noticed something important: the struggles may look different on the surface, but underneath, they're often deeply human struggles. In this episode, I share the seven patterns I see over and over again that tend to hold people back. We'll explore why lasting growth doesn't come from pushing harder, controlling more, or try...

What if autism isn't primarily a social or communication condition—but a condition of sensory surplus? In this thought-provoking conversation, Lynn Davison sits down with Sarah Bergenfield, author of Wired to Feel , to explore a groundbreaking perspective on autism, sensory processing, and the nervous system. Together, they discuss why the world can feel overwhelming for autistic people, the role...

Why does friendship feel so hard for so many neurodivergent adults? In this powerful conversation, internationally recognized ADHD coach, educator, and author Caroline Maguire shares why traditional friendship advice often fails autistic and ADHD adults, and what actually helps. We talk about loneliness, masking, self-advocacy, online communities, friendship burnout, social anxiety, and how to bui...

Many autistic and neurodivergent young adults aren’t lazy — they’re living with nervous systems overwhelmed by uncertainty, anxiety, sensory overload, and chronic stress. In this podcast, Lynn explains why shutdown and avoidance happen, and how families can support peaceful progress, self-reliance, and growth without shame or pressure. You can also watch the YouTube video here.

Join Lynn in a powerful, honest conversation with Haley Moss, bestselling author, keynote speaker, advocate, artist, consultant, and the first openly autistic lawyer in Florida. She is one of the most influential voices in autistic self-advocacy today. Together, they dive deep into what autistic adulthood really looks like, challenging outdated ideas about independence and success. This...

In this episode, Lynn Davison discusses the unique challenges of supporting autistic young adults in their 20s and 30s, particularly in the context of the overwhelming choices and distractions created by modern technology. Drawing from her experience raising six neurodivergent adults, Lynn emphasizes the importance of forming a collaborative support team and understanding both the parents' and gra...

Join Lynn in a powerful conversation with Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and leading advocate for late-diagnosed, high-masking autistic adults. Together, they dive deep into what it really takes to understand hidden autism, unmask safely, reclaim identity, and build a life rooted in authenticity and acceptance — especially for autistic women, girls, and adults who have...

Join Lynn in a powerful conversation with Dr. Francis Tabone, educator, author, and lifelong advocate for autistic and neurodivergent young adults. Together, they dive deep into what it really takes to build independence, dignity, and purpose after high school — and how parents, educators, and communities can better support this journey.  You can watch the video interview here.

In this inspiring episode, Lynn Davison of Art of Adulting talks with Silvia Gil, founder of NeuroConsulting Solutions, about practical ways to design inclusive workplaces and empower neurodiverse individuals. Listen now and discover how strength-based strategies, visual systems, and universal design can unlock potential and create environments where everyone thrives. You can watch the video...

In this powerful interview, Lynn sits down with Tara May, CEO of Aspiritech, a world-class QA testing company breaking barriers and transforming the future of autism employment. Discover how Aspiritech is building truly inclusive workplaces, offering FREE job training programs (QA testing, cybersecurity, and more), and helping autistic and neurodivergent adults gain confidence, independence, and p...

Here’s a summary of my “Understanding Autism PTx” presentation: Purpose & My Background • Delivered for Autism Awareness Month by me, a neurodivergent coach with lived experience raising six neurodiverse children. • The session is aimed at improving understanding, inclusion, and support for autistic individuals. Key Concepts 1. What is Autism? • A neurological developmental condition—not a def...