Neurodivergent Conversations | Autism, ADHD, AuDHD, PDA, Emotional Regulation, SEND parent, Meltdowns, Special Needs Parent

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  When the Old Way of Parenting Stops Working 17.09.2026 31мин

  Register for the Beautifully Wired Summit: Understanding, supporting, and celebrating ADHD and Autism in girls and women. If you started out with a clear picture of the kind of parent you'd be, and then real life quietly dismantled the whole thing, this episode is going to feel like someone finally gets it. This week I'm joined by Carrie Grant, mom of four (one of whom joined their family through adoption), an autistic mama herself, and someone who has run a support group for more than 300 SEND families for nearly 15 years. Carrie talks about the moment she “jumped ship” from the parenting she'd planned to a completely new way of doing things, and how that shift was less a few tweaks and more a total worldview change. We get into what it means to become a “professional parent” overnight, learning the acronyms, writing the endless emails, holding two worlds together, and how she and her husband David landed on different pages for a while before finding their way back to the same one. Carrie shares the reframe that stuck with me most: our kids don't rise up into our world, we grow up through theirs. She has zero interest in making her children look more neurotypical, and so much interest in who they actually are. We're also honest about the hard parts. The mornings that swallow whole hours, the days you barely recognize yourself, the loneliness of feeling like no one around you understands. Carrie's answer to all of it is community, the kind of people you can sit with and just say “this morning was hard” without explaining a single thing. She talks about holding space, being held in mind, and why other SEND parents are, in her words, the most amazing parents she's ever met. And if you're running on empty right now, her take on self-care alone is worth the listen. Spoiler: she gives you full permission to ignore the advice that doesn't fit your life. Come sit with us. It does get easier, and you are so far from alone in this. GUEST LINKS:  Grab Carrie's Book Follow Carrie GET THE LINKS The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community  Exhasuted to Empowered Follow me on socials:  INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK SPONSOR LINKS: SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The 5 Stages Every Mum Goes Through Before a Neurodivergent Diagnosis 10.09.2026 35мин

  If you've ever had that quiet little feeling that something with your child is just a bit different, and you couldn't quite put it into words for anyone else, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. This week I sat down with Karla, who taught for 15 years in mainstream schools, moved into specialist neurodiversity settings, and then walked this whole journey herself as a mum. She works with parents in that tender, confusing space before there's any label or answer, and she breaks down the five stages so many of us move through without realising it even has a shape. We talk about that first nagging feeling. The way we explain it away (it's been a busy term, it's COVID, they're just tired). The dismissal stage, where you start voicing your worries and people look at you like you're imagining it, which Karla says is hands down the hardest part. And then discovery and understanding, where you finally stop and think, no, I've sat with this long enough, I'm going to trust what I'm seeing. I also share my own GP-told-me-it-was-my-American-accent story, because yes, that was a real thing someone said to me, and we get honest about how quietly we hand our power over to the professionals in the room and start losing our own voice. The thread running through all of it is simple: you are the expert on your child. Not the playground mums, not the age group, not the assessment table full of people. You. And once you get into the SEN and EHCP side of things, where the system is stretched so thin and the urgency just isn't there, that voice matters more than ever. If you're sitting in the messy middle right now, exhausted and second-guessing yourself, Karla has a message near the end that I literally soaked in while she said it. Come sit with us for a bit. You're not doing this wrong, and you're definitely not doing it alone. GUEST LINKS:  Follow Karla here Grab the ND Parent Guide GET THE LINKS The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community  Exhasuted to Empowered Follow me on socials:  INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK SPONSOR LINKS: SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to prepare your neurodivergent child for weddings and big family gatherings 03.09.2026 20мин

  When you're hearing this, my family and I are in full wedding celebration mode, because one of my brothers is getting married. And while we are beyond excited, I know that for a lot of us a wedding invite can land with a stomach drop instead of a happy dance. In this episode I walk you through exactly how we prepare our neurodivergent kids, and my own nervous system, for big family gatherings like weddings. These days stack every tricky thing on top of each other all at once. A new place, loud sounds, bright lights, itchy clothes, unpredictable timing, and a whole lot of social demand. Once you see what your child's nervous system is up against, it gets so much easier to know that a hard moment is not your child being difficult or you failing them. Then we get practical. I share how we preview the day so it stops being a mystery, how we handle clothes and safe foods, why planning your timing and breaks in advance changes everything, and how one simple message to the host ahead of time can open up a quiet space when you need it. I also walk you through my on-the-day toolkit, what to do when a meltdown starts, and the one short sentence to keep in your back pocket for those well-meaning but not-so-helpful comments. If you've ever quietly braced yourself before a big event, this one is for you. Leaving early with a regulated child in your arms is not failure. It's a total win, and you are doing a great job, mama. GET THE LINKS The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community  Exhasuted to Empowered Follow me on socials:  INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK SPONSOR LINKS: SEEDS: Download the free SEEDS app and take one small step today: plant your first seed and see what God can grow. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Start Makaton at Home (Start With Just Five Signs) 31.08.2026 34мин

  SIGN UP FOR THE REGULATED HOME WORKSHOP! TOTALLY FREE WITH REPLAY. Her son signed his first word back after a full year of her signing to him. One year. At a fridge. Asking for milk. If you have ever been told "have you looked into Makaton?" and then felt your stomach drop because that sounds like one more thing to learn, this conversation is going to feel like a big exhale. I'm sitting down with Kaley, a Makaton tutor and the mum behind @sign_possible. Her son Rui was diagnosed with low muscle tone and global developmental delay at one, and autism at four. He wasn't hitting milestones, wasn't babbling, wasn't pointing. A speech and language therapist suggested Makaton as a bridge to communication when he was two, and Kaley went all in: she and her husband did the Level 1 and 2 course, then got the nanny, granddad, and both of his nursery key workers on it too. She is honest about the middle part, the year where nothing came back and she nearly gave up. She is honest about how overwhelming it felt to be handed what looked like a whole new language while everything else in life was still happening. And she is honest about the thing that made it click: she stopped trying to learn all of it and picked five signs. Rui is seven and a half now. He said his first word at five and a half. It was "me." Then "mummy." Then "yes." I'll be honest, I learned a huge amount in this one. I know a little ASL but I really didn't know much about Makaton, and Kaley breaks down what it actually is, how it's different from British Sign Language, and exactly where to start if you're sitting there thinking "okay, I think this is us." ⁠Check out her resources Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  The Hidden Stressors Behind Your Child's ADHD Symptoms 27.08.2026 31мин

  If your child's meltdowns, big feelings, and constant motion have ever left you wondering what is really going on underneath it all, this episode is going to give you a whole new lens. This week I'm joined by Dana Kay, founder of the ADHD Thrive Institute, who has worked with more than 1,600 families and walked this road with her own son, who was diagnosed at four and is now 16 and thriving. After years of trial-and-error with medication, Dana went back to school, dug into the science, and started looking at ADHD symptoms in a completely different way. Her big idea is one I keep thinking about: behavior is communication. Instead of asking “why is my child behaving like this,” she invites us to ask “what might be stressing his system.” We talk about the hidden stressors she sees come up again and again in her work, from gut health and food sensitivities to nutrient depletion and that cumulative “trash can” load on the body. She shares the simple, doable first step she gives overwhelmed families (hint: it starts at breakfast and involves zero perfection), plus her no naked carb rule that any tired mama can actually pull off. We also get real about what thriving truly looks like, and spoiler, it is not a perfect home with zero meltdowns. It is calmer, more connected, more ordinary in the very best way. A gentle note before you dive in: everything Dana shares here comes from her own experience and her work with families, and every child is different. Think of this as food for thought, not a prescription. Please loop in your own doctor or care team before making changes to food, supplements, or anything else for your kiddo. If you've been stuck in survival mode and quietly wondering if there's more to the story, come listen. There's so much hope in this one. Check out her website and resources here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  How to Walk Into an IEP Meeting Feeling Ready 20.08.2026 35мин

  If you've ever stared at a 40-page IEP and thought “I know what all these words mean, but I have no idea what they mean together,” this episode is for you. This week I'm joined by Vicki Christensen, a parent advocate of about a decade and mom to two boys who both have IEPs and are wonderfully different from each other. Vicki has sat on both sides of these meetings, as the professional in the room and as the mum who once walked in with an empty binder and just hoped everyone was doing the right thing for her son. She's so good at making this stuff make sense. We get really practical in this one. Vicki shares how to prepare before you ever walk in, like requesting the draft documents a few days ahead so you actually have time to read them, sending your questions and concerns in advance, and making sure the right people are at the table. She talks about leading with curiosity instead of defensiveness when you disagree, and why protecting that long-term relationship with the school matters even on the days you'd love to go in guns blazing. I also share the one thing I make every person in the room do at the start of my son's meetings, and how it shifted everything. But this isn't only logistics. We talk about how lonely those early years can feel, even when you have a supportive family around you, and Vicki's beautiful reminder that if it feels like you're the only one, that feeling is real, and you're still not actually alone. Her chapter on finding your village is a favorite for a reason. Your village can be small, it can be online, it can look like whatever you need. Vicki's book, Uniquely Fully Enough: The Neurodivergent Parenting Journey, weaves her family's story together with a “love lesson from a mom” at the end of each chapter, plus quick handbook highlights you can actually use. You can also find her sharing advocacy tips on Instagram. Come sit with us. Whether you're prepping for a big meeting or just need to feel a little less alone today, this one delivers on both. Check out her book here Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Same Spectrum, Different Kids: Raising Two Autistic Boys 13.08.2026 28мин

  If you're raising more than one neurodivergent kid and quietly wondering why what works for one does absolutely nothing for the other, this conversation is going to feel like such a relief. This week I'm joined by Dalisse Sequeiros, mom to two autistic boys who could not be more different, and a children's book author who turned her family's real life into stories that help other kids feel seen. Along the way, Dalisse was also diagnosed as autistic herself, so she's parenting and understanding her own brain at the same time, something she beautifully calls rewriting her own history while staying present and building her boys' future. We talk about how one son melts down in a quiet, dim room while the other needs to move and throw and be held in a safe space, and why that old saying rings so true: when you know one autistic kid, you know one autistic kid. Dalisse shares how her books started as a simple birthday social story in PowerPoint and grew into a whole series on meltdowns, masking, bullying, and confidence. And if you're in the thick of the hard days right now, exhausted and carrying that heavy dark cloud of guilt and grief, her words for you near the end are so tender. The cloud lifts. It might not get easier exactly, but it gets easier to carry. Trust your gut, let your kid just be, and remember they're moving at their own perfect pace. Come sit with us for this one. You'll walk away feeling a little lighter and a lot less alone. GUEST LINKS: Follow Dalisse Grab her books here GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Exhausted to Empowered Course Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Routines vs rhythms: building a calmer home for your neurodivergent family 06.08.2026 19мин

  Join the After Christmas in July Sale- MAJOR SAVINGS!! If you have ever built the perfect color-coded chart, laminated it, felt so proud of it, and then watched it fall apart by Tuesday, this episode is for you. Greer opens with a picture you might recognize: 7:42 in the morning, cold coffee, a child on the kitchen floor over socks before shoes, and that sinking thought, "I did everything right. Why is the system not working?" Here is the gentle truth she landed on. The system was not broken. The expectation was. This whole episode is about one quiet shift that can change the feel of your home: trading rigid routines for simple rhythms. A routine runs on the clock. A rhythm runs on the flow. A routine shatters when the day goes sideways. A rhythm just bends, and then it comes right back. Greer walks through why rhythms work so well for neurodivergent brains. Underneath everything, our nervous systems are asking one quiet question, "Am I safe? Do I know what is coming next?" A rhythm answers that with the predictability of "this comes after that," minus the pressure of the exact minute that sets so many of our kids off. You will also hear the after-school example so many of us know by heart. That 3pm crash where your kid walks in the door and melts down ten minutes later. It is not bad behavior. It is a nervous system finally letting go in the one place it feels safe enough to. Greer shares the simple, no-clock flow that softened it in her own home: shoes off, a snack already waiting, the lights down a little, and no questions about their day for the first twenty minutes. And because real life is not tidy, she talks honestly about the days it all falls apart, why missing the rhythm is not the same as failing it, and why you get to be the thermostat in your home, not the thermometer. If you walk away with one thing, let it be this. You do not need a better chart. You do not need to overhaul everything by Sunday. You just need one small rhythm, anchored to the part of the day that hurts the most. Start there. You are not doing it wrong. And you are not doing it alone. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why talking it out doesn’t always work for neurodivergent kids 30.07.2026 29мин

  Have you ever tried to talk your neurodivergent child through a big feeling and just hit a wall? Same. In this episode I sat down with Katherine, a neuro-affirming counsellor and craniosacral therapist, to talk about why words are not always the way in, and what to reach for instead. We start somewhere that might gently rearrange how you think about feelings. You know the “name it to tame it” idea? Katherine reminds us that naming a feeling is actually the last step, not the first. For so many neurodivergent and highly sensitive kids, the felt experience in the body comes long before the words, and honestly our language is too small to hold all of it. She also says something I have been shouting about for years: we are not meant to tell our kids how they feel. Instead of “I see you’re sad,” we can get down on their level and ask, what is happening in your body? What do you notice in your heart, your tummy, your feet? Is there a colour for this? An animal? A character? For the kids who love to get into character, this can open a door that “use your words” never could. We get into the vagus nerve too (yes, I am obsessed, and no, you are not crazy for finding it fascinating). Katherine breaks down how our nervous system is constantly scanning for safety, why co-regulation matters so much, and why she is not a fan of the word “regulation” at all. A lot of what gets called regulation, she says, is really just asking our kids to keep their feelings in and perform calm for the world. And then there is the part for you, mama. Because you are co-regulating everyone in your house, often while running on empty. Katherine shares simple ways to come back to your own body so you can respond instead of react, and she even guides us through a short somatic exercise called the salamander (from Stanley Rosenberg’s book Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve). It takes a couple of minutes, and I felt the shift in real time. A gentle note before you listen: Katherine is sharing from her own training and experience as a counsellor and craniosacral therapist, so think of everything here as encouragement and ideas rather than a prescription. You know your family best, so take what fits and loop in your own care team or practitioner for anything specific to you or your child. If you have ever felt like the talk-it-out approach just is not landing, this one is for you. Come listen, take a breath, and remember you are not doing any of this alone. GUEST LINKS:  Grab some great resources by Katherine here GET THE LINKS The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community  Exhasuted to Empowered Follow me on socials:  INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Morning Chaos to Morning Wins: How Movement and Mindset Help ADHD Families Break the Loop 23.07.2026 31мин

  If mornings in your house feel like a pressure cooker that goes off before you've even had your coffee — this episode is for you. Greer sits down with Rob Edmonds, co-founder of MindShift Mentors and a strategic psychotherapist and clinical hypnotherapist, and Carl (Col), a movement coach who has worked with over 3,000 families. Together, they've created a program called Morning Wars — a dual approach that combines intentional movement with cognitive pattern reprogramming to help ADHD kids (and their whole families) actually change the morning experience. What they share in this conversation is both validating and genuinely hopeful. Because the message isn't "your kid needs to be fixed." It's that nobody is the problem — the patterns are. And patterns can change. You'll hear them talk about why ADHD brains respond so powerfully to movement, how building a "bank of morning victories" can reduce meltdowns later in the day, and why what happens in your household before the school run is often less about your child's behavior and more about the loop the whole family is running together. There's something really grounding in this conversation about the idea that regulation is contagious — in both directions. When mum or dad wakes up already braced for a hard morning, that stress transfers. But when kids start the day doing something that builds their confidence, something shifts for the whole household. They also get practical: one instruction at a time, preparing the night before, specific guided audios and nighttime stories designed for little ones aged 3–10, and movement exercises that get the brain and body actually talking to each other. If you've been doing the same thing every morning and wondering why it isn't working, this episode offers a genuinely different way in — without blame, without pressure, and with a lot of warmth. GUEST LINKS: Mindshift Mentors Download the App & get the sleepy hallow story FREE GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Exhausted to Empowered Course Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Why Your Child Can't Hear You During a Meltdown and What Actually Helps 16.07.2026 31мин

  JOIN CHRISTMAS IN JULY- Come connect, have fun, and get free gifts/resources all month long! If you've ever crouched next to your child mid-meltdown, saying all the right things, and watched it make zero difference — this episode will finally explain why. And more importantly, it will make you feel a whole lot less like you're doing it wrong. Greer sits down with Nikki, founder of HushAway — a gentle, sound-based platform built specifically for neurodivergent children aged four to ten — for a conversation that is equal parts science and soul. Nikki has spent years in early education, coaching, and neurodivergent-inclusive mentoring, and she created HushAway after noticing the same gap everywhere she looked: the tools we hand children in moments of overwhelm require the exact part of the brain that's already gone offline. In this episode, Nikki walks through what's actually happening in a child's body during a meltdown — from the prefrontal cortex going offline, to cortisol flooding the system, to the amygdala firing as if there's genuine danger. And she explains, so clearly and so kindly, why "calm down," "take a breath," or "imagine a peaceful beach" simply can't land in those moments. It's not that they won't. It's that they can't. Then she talks about sound — and why it's different. Sound travels through the ear, through the cochlea, directly into the brainstem and the autonomic nervous system in milliseconds. Before a child has a single conscious thought, their body is already responding. No language required. No cooperation needed. Just softness, doing its quiet work. They also get into the 3:30pm wall — that moment when a child who has been holding it together all day at school walks through your front door and falls completely apart. Nikki reframes it in a way that will genuinely stay with you: that isn't bad behaviour. That is a child who trusts you enough to finally let go. HushAway uses soundscapes, gentle frequencies, somatic storytelling, and ASMR-inspired sounds — all curated to help a child's nervous system find its way back to safe. And it's currently heading into formal EEG research at the University of East London, which means the science is catching up with what a lot of parents are already experiencing at home. This one is for every mum who has felt helpless in the middle of the storm — and needed someone to hand her something that actually works. GUEST LINKS: Follow Hush Away Check out Hush Away more GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Exhausted to Empowered Course Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  You Get to Choose Your People: Neurodivergent Friendship, Masking & Unmasking 09.07.2026 27мин

  Join Christmas in July here! ⁠ If you've ever looked back on your life and realized how much energy went into just fitting in, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. Greer sits down with author and ADHD coach Caroline Maguire for an honest conversation about friendship, masking, and what it really means to find your people as a neurodivergent adult — and to help your kids do the same. Together they talk about why "just fit in" was never good advice, why unmasking is a journey rather than a switch you flip, and the difference between masking out of fear and choosing to keep yourself safe in a room that isn't safe yet. Caroline also shares one of her favorite parenting reframes: trading "why can't you be like everyone else?" for a curious "what happened, buddy?" You'll hear why interest is the real fuel for connection, how starting small (even one activity) beats trying to do it all, and the permission so many of us need — to stop collecting any-old friends and start finding people who actually treat us well. If you're tired, stretched thin, and wondering where friendship even fits right now, consider this your reminder: you're doing the best you can, and you get to choose. Caroline's books, Why Will No One Play With Me? and Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults, are linked below, and you can find her on Instagram GUEST LINKS: ⁠Follow Caroline here⁠ ⁠Grab her book: Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults: A Guide for the Anxious, Uniquely Wired, and Easily Distracted⁠ GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website⁠ ⁠Join the Unfinished Community ⁠ ⁠Exhausted to Empowered Course⁠ Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  When Every Day Is Different: Raising a Neurodivergent Child While Navigating Your Own Nervous System 02.07.2026 31мин

  Join us for Christmas in July as we connect, celebrate, and have a little fun! If you've ever cancelled plans not because you didn't want to go, but because there was just no capacity left in the house — this one's for you. In this episode, Greer sits down with Tracey Jewel Constable, a late-diagnosed neurodivergent mum raising her son Frankie, who is autistic and navigating ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). Together, they get into the honest, unglamorous, and also genuinely beautiful reality of parenting a child with additional needs when you're also managing your own nervous system. Tracey talks about what "extra time" actually means in their house — and why it's not minutes, it's sometimes hours, or sometimes it means canceling everything and ordering Uber Eats. She shares how she and her husband use a simple battery-level check-in (think Brené Brown energy) to navigate days when capacity is low for one or both of them, and why pushing through doesn't help anyone when the tank is empty. They also dig into Frankie's ARFID journey, including what it looked like before his PEG tube — and the beautiful shift Tracey has witnessed since he's been getting the nutrition his body needs. There's so much warmth in the way she talks about his stims and zoomies coming to life. And then there's the social side — the invisible nature of neurodivergence, the comments from strangers in grocery stores, the friends who quietly drift away (Greer calls it "the silent slip away" and honestly, it's the most accurate phrase). Tracey and Greer both share how finding their people online changed everything — not a big circle, but a real one, where you don't have to mask or say you're fine when you're not. This episode ends with something worth sitting with: it's not just awareness we're after anymore. It's acceptance. And that starts with meeting people where they are — with kindness, with dignity, and with the understanding that compassion doesn't cost a thing. If you've been feeling lonely on this road, you are not alone. This community is out there, and it is waiting for you. GUEST LINKS: Follow Tracey on Instagram GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Grab Exhausted to Empowered Course Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  When Grandparents Shift Their Expectations: Supporting Your Neurodivergent Grandchild 25.06.2026 29мин

  JOIN CHRISTMAS IN JULY- a place to connect, receive free gifts, and have a little fun! If you've ever wished the people around you just got it — this episode is for you. Greer sits down with Jennifer Kaufman, school principal, author, and grandmother to a grandson with autism, to talk about what it actually looks like when extended family shows up well — and what gets in the way. Jennifer brings a rare perspective. She's spent her career in autism education, but when her own grandchild was diagnosed, she had to learn something different: how to set aside the expert hat and just be grandma. That shift wasn't automatic. It was intentional. Together, Greer and Jennifer get honest about the expectation piece (the holiday table you imagined vs. the one that's actually yours), the advice trap that even well-meaning grandparents fall into, and what it really means to be a safe space — not just a safe person. Plus: the small gestures that land hardest, why an offer feels so different from a request when you're already stretched thin, and a reminder worth holding onto — neurodiverse people aren't giving us a hard time. They're having a hard time. 📖 Jennifer's book is linked below.  Also mentioned: The Blue Envelope Program — a simple tool to help keep neurodivergent people safer during police encounters. Search "Blue Envelope Program" to find it in your area. The Wonder Project: Subscriber support makes more great content like I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs possible. The Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video is available in the U.S. for $8.99/month or $89.99/year after a 7-day free trial.Visit IGottaAsk.com to learn more! GUEST LINKS: Check out Jennifer's book GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Exhausted to Empowered Course Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  ADHD Teens Need Structure, Not Pressure: Helping Them Start (Without Shame) 18.06.2026 27мин

  What actually changes when a child with ADHD becomes a teenager? In this episode, Carla names something so many families are living: as kids grow, the support systems drop (parents reminding, teachers prompting, schedules structuring)… but the expectations rise (more deadlines, longer projects, less supervision). And for ADHD brains—where the planning and regulation center is still developing—this creates a painful gap between what’s expected and what’s neurologically ready. Carla reframes what parents often interpret as “lack of motivation” as something else entirely: a regulation + structure need. She explains why teens might say, “I know what to do, but I just can’t start,” and how that isn’t defiance—it’s overwhelm and executive overload. You’ll also hear how constant reminders (even well-intentioned ones) can turn a teen’s name into correction… and how that can quietly erode self-esteem over time. Carla offers small, practical shifts that help teens feel less attacked and more supported—like pausing before speaking, lowering your voice, using “we” language, and asking “What’s the first step?” instead of “Why haven’t you started?” This is a deeply grounding conversation if you’re parenting an ADHD teen and you’re tired of the power struggles. It’s not about letting everything slide—it’s about building the kind of structure that helps your teen’s brain quiet down, so they can access their skills… and keep their confidence intact. The Wonder Project: Subscriber support makes more great content like I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs possible. The Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video is available in the U.S. for $8.99/month or $89.99/year after a 7-day free trial.Visit IGottaAsk.com to learn more! GET THE LINKS⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea WebsiteJoin the Unfinished Community Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Am I Married to Someone with PDA? What I've Learned, What's Helped, and What's Still Hard 11.06.2026 16мин

  BIRTHDAY DISCOUNT: 30% off Exhausted to Empowered Course use code BIRTHDAY at checkout! Have you ever asked your partner to pass you something and gotten a "why?" in return — and thought, wait, what just happened? If that moment felt strangely familiar, this episode might be for you. Greer is getting honest about something she doesn't see talked about enough: what it's like to be married to someone who may have PDA (pathological demand avoidance). Not from a place of frustration or blame — but from a place of real, lived experience, ongoing learning, and genuine love for her husband and their marriage. She walks through what PDA actually is, why it can look like defiance even when it isn't, and the two things that have made the biggest difference in her own relationship — neither of which she came to perfectly, or all at once. What you'll hear in this episode: Setting expectations before the moment matters — way before. Not at the airport. Not when you're already frustrated. Greer shares how pre-loading expectations (sometimes weeks in advance) has quietly lowered the demand pressure in her home and made daily life feel a little more like a team effort. Bringing your partner into the solution — not as a strategy to "trick" them, but as a genuine invitation to be part of the answer. It doesn't always look the way you'd do it. And Greer's honest about the fact that she's still figuring this out (the missing lightbulb is proof). She also talks about the importance of low-demand evenings, why adults with PDA are often holding so much together during the day, and why asking your partner what actually helps them is always worth trying. This episode won't hand you a perfect system. But it will remind you that you're not alone in this — and that both of you are learning, even when it's hard. The Wonder Project: Subscriber support makes more great content like I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs possible. The Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video is available in the U.S. for $8.99/month or $89.99/year after a 7-day free trial.Visit IGottaAsk.com to learn more! GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  What Dads Are Really Thinking When Your Child Gets Diagnosed (And How to Get on the Same Team) 04.06.2026 27мин

  If you've ever felt like you're paddling your kayak alone while your partner watches from the shore — this episode is for you. Harry Psaros is an autism advocate, author, and dad to Gus, who is graduating from Kent State University this week. Harry joins us to talk about something we don't hear enough of: what it actually looks like inside a dad's head when their child is diagnosed with autism — and why so many of them go quiet. Harry gets real about his own journey. He wasn't the hero in the early days. His wife Michelle was. She saw the signs, pushed through dismissive pediatricians, and kept advocating while Harry wrestled with his ego and his fear. It wasn't until they sat in that car, driving home from Cleveland, that something shifted — and Harry made a choice to be all in. In this conversation, you'll hear: Why dads often go silent after a diagnosis (and what's actually happening underneath that silence), the two types of dads Harry sees in his counseling work — and how to reach both of them, what it looks like to build your village when you're new to all of this, how to protect your relationship when the stress of parenting a neurodivergent child starts pulling you apart, and why Harry believes his son Gus — a happy hippie who looks for the good in everyone — is not a scarlet letter. He's a blessing. This episode is for the moms carrying the mental load. It's also for the dads who want to do better but don't know where to start. And it's for anyone who needs a reminder: your child was born out of love, and that love is still your compass. Harry's message is warm, direct, and full of hard-won wisdom from two decades on this road. You're going to want to share this one. The Wonder Project: Subscriber support makes more great content like I Gotta Ask with Annie F. Downs possible. The Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video is available in the U.S. for $8.99/month or $89.99/year after a 7-day free trial.Visit IGottaAsk.com to learn more! GUEST LINKS: Follow Harry Check out his book GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Neurodivergent Sleep Struggles (and Hope): Bedtime Routines, Restless Legs & Screen-Time Truths 28.05.2026 27мин

  If sleep feels like the hardest part of neurodivergent family life, you’re not imagining it—and you’re not failing. In this episode, Greer Jones talks with sleep specialist Melisa Moore about why neurodivergent kids (and adults!) often have more sleep challenges… and what can actually make things gentler. Melisa breaks down the “why” in a way that’s clear and grounding: biology and genetics can play a role, circadian rhythms can be different (like ADHD tending later and autism sometimes being inconsistent), and some neurodivergent profiles come with a higher likelihood of specific sleep disorders. Then there’s the big real-life layer: things like allergies, eczema, reflux, anxiety, and more—stuff that isn’t “a sleep disorder,” but absolutely messes with sleep. From there, you’ll get practical support that doesn’t demand perfection. Melisa shares her “5 S’s” of bedtime routines—short, sweet, sensory-soothing, streamlined, and steady—and offers permission to stop chasing the ideal. Even a bedtime routine once a week can help. You’ll also hear a refreshingly nuanced take on screens: the research isn’t as black-and-white as “all devices ruin sleep.” For some kids (and adults), a little screen time can quiet the brain enough to fall asleep faster—and you can still move toward “good, better, best” without turning bedtime into a battle. Finally, if your child wakes in the night and needs the exact same sound/light setup to settle again, you’ll understand why—and what to tweak so everyone gets more rest. In this episode, we talk about: Why neurodivergent sleep can be more complicated (circadian rhythm, biology, and more) Restless legs/restless sleep and why kids describe it in the most creative ways The “5 S’s” bedtime routine that supports nervous systems without rigid rules A realistic, research-led perspective on iPads/screens before bed Why sound machines and night lights help only if they stay consistent all night How to think about “how much sleep is enough” by watching daytime functioning The reminder every tired parent needs: there’s hope, and there’s always something else to try GUEST LINKS: Follow Melissa GET THE LINKS⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea WebsiteJoin the Unfinished Community Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  Thriving in the Chaos: ADHD, Motherhood, and Running a Business Without Burning Out 21.05.2026 26мин

  If your life feels like a beautiful, noisy jumble—kids, work, relationships, responsibilities, and about 47 open tabs in your brain—this episode will feel like a deep exhale. Greer Jones sits down with Jessica Lamb (mom, business owner, podcaster, and recently diagnosed ADHDer) to talk about what it’s actually like to hold all the roles at once—especially when you don’t naturally compartmentalise and everything feels layered on top of everything else. Jessica describes family life as “chaos,” but not in a hopeless way—more like: this is the water we swim in, and we’ve learned how to live here. They get honest about the season of early motherhood and how ADHD can show up hard when executive functioning takes a hit—right when you’re trying to learn how to be a parent. Jessica shares that she’s still figuring out what “self-care” even means for her, but one thing is clear: therapy is her anchor—a predictable space to decompress and untangle the mental knots. You’ll also hear the kind of practical, real-life support that doesn’t require a perfect routine: embracing the ebbs and flows of different seasons using small “reset pockets” of time (like 30 minutes after school drop-off) to create a calmer home base the surprising power of tiny cues—like Greer’s “earrings on = I can do things” mindset shift why reframing “chaos” as manageable chaos can change how you show up day-to-day Jessica also talks about redefining success as an ADHD entrepreneur—success as the right systems, the right number of clients, and work that supports the life you actually want (not just what looks impressive from the outside). And in a moment that will make so many ADHD brains feel seen, she shares how she’s learned to stop shaming her procrastination and instead build around it—setting herself up so deadline-time focus becomes a strength, not a moral failure. This episode is for the mom who looks “put together” on the outside but feels like a duck paddling furiously underneath. It’s a reminder that you’re not behind—you’re adapting. And a little more grace (from you and from others) goes a long way. GUEST LINKS: GET THE LINKS⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea WebsiteJoin the Unfinished Community Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  When Did You Last Have Fun? Finding Little Pockets of Joy in an Overwhelming Life 14.05.2026 31мин

  JOIN THE EVERYDAY NEURODIVERGENT PARENTING SUMMIT Have you ever noticed that fun is usually the first thing to go when life gets hard? When the budget is tight, when you're exhausted, when you're running on fumes — fun feels like a luxury you can't afford. But what if that's exactly backwards? In this episode, Greer sits down with Annie F. Downs — author, podcaster, and all-around fun enthusiast — for a conversation that feels like a warm exhale. Annie gently challenges the idea that fun has to be big, expensive, or perfectly timed. She makes the case that the moments we need fun the most are usually the ones where we think we can't have it. Together, Greer and Annie explore: Why we've been taught to think of fun as something we have to earn or save up for — and why that's getting in the way A simple question that can help you rediscover what actually fills you up (hint: think back to age eight) Small, low-cost ways to bring joy to an ordinary Tuesday — even when you're tired, stretched thin, or parenting through the hard stuff Why "scrolling" doesn't count as a hobby, and what to do instead How just 15 minutes a day of something you actually enjoy can start to bring you back to yourself This episode is for any mom who has quietly stopped doing the things that used to light her up — and who needs a gentle reminder that she still matters in the equation too. You don't need a vacation. You don't need three days off. You might just need a slushie, a craft store, and permission to play again. GUEST LINKS: Follow Annie Listen to That Sounds Fun Podcast GET THE LINKS ⁠⁠⁠The Unfinished Idea Website Join the Unfinished Community Follow me on socials: ⁠⁠⁠INSTAGRAM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠FACEBOOK⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices