The DadDHD Podcast

Shane Thrapp and Braden Young

We're Shane Thrapp and Braden Young, two neurodivergent dads talking about the things that matter to fathers who are neurodivergent, or who have neurodivergent kids. No perfect parenting BS, just what actually works when your brain's wired different.  We're both certified ADHD life coaches, community leaders, and fathers who got our diagnoses as adults. We know what it's like to figure out parenting when you're also figuring out your own brain. And we're here to help you do the same. Each episode, we bring you practical strategies for neurodivergent parenting, the kind that actually fit into real life with real kids and real challenges. You're raising kids who might be neurodivergent. You might be neurodivergent yourself. Either way, you're dealing with executive function challenges, sensory issues, time blindness, and all the chaos that comes with parenting when traditional advice doesn't cut it. We break down the latest research on ADHD, autism, and neurodivergence into stuff you can actually use. We tackle spousal relationships, supporting your kids across different spectrums, managing your own regulation while helping your kids with theirs, and building systems that work with your brain instead of against it. You'll also hear from experts, researchers, therapists, and other father's navigating this journey. No gatekeeping, no misinformation, just evidence-based approaches delivered in a way that makes sense. This isn't about being perfect dads. It's about being dads who get it—and building lives that work for our whole families.

  1. 16 APR

    Connecting With Our Kids Through the Things We and They Love

    Join Shane Thrapp of Creating Order From Chaos and Braden Young of Empower ADHD Solutions as they talk about the quiet distance that builds between neurodivergent dads and their kids when we keep our lives and theirs in separate lanes. Our hobbies over here, their stuff over there. Our downtime on one side of the house, them on the other. This episode is about closing that gap by including our kids in what we already love, letting our ADHD brains do what they do best, and showing up for the small moments that actually build the relationship. Learn about why sometimes embracing the chaos of our ADHD brains is exactly how we connect with our kids in ways nobody else can, how our tendency to bounce from interest to interest is actually a gift when it comes to helping our kids explore the world and find what they love, why rough-housing, bedtime, and homework are where the real connection gets built, how to find shared interests without forcing them, the language you need for birthday parties and social events so you stop standing around like a statue, and why being present with your kids is also one of the biggest gifts you can give your partner. Don't miss the part where we get into what it actually looks like to let your ADHD inner kid out and play, and why the neurodivergent dads who lean into the chaos end up building connections their neurotypical counterparts can't touch.  You can find Shane Thrapp at www.creatingorderfromchaos.com.  You can find Braden Young at www.empoweradhdsolutions.com.

    24 min
  2. 17 FEB

    Masking and Being a Neurodivergent Father

    Join Shane Thrapp of Creating Order From Chaos and Braden Young of Empower ADHD Solutions as we dig into masking—the pressure to perform a version of yourself that isn't really you to hide your ADHD or Autism. We talk about where masking starts (the "be a man" messages, the bootstrap CEO myth), how it shows up in our relationships and kills intimacy, and why we accidentally teach our kids to mask when we do it ourselves. Learn about the difference between strategic masking and masking out of fear, how to unmask safely with your partner without dropping it all at once, and why naming what's happening ("Dad's brain is having a loud day") teaches your kids more about emotional regulation than "I'm fine" ever will. Don't miss our conversation on how masking hits boys and girls differently, why emotions like sadness and overwhelm aren't "soft"—they're human, and how to break the cycle so your kids don't spend decades hiding who they are. You can find Shane Thrapp at www.creatingorderfromchaos.com You can find Braden Young at www.empoweradhdsolutions.com 00:18 Welcome to The DadDHD Podcast + Today’s Topic: Masking as Neurodivergent Dads 02:00 Where the Mask Starts: “Be a Man,” Don’t Ask for Help, and Internalized Pressure 05:46 Provider Expectations, Burnout, and the Hidden Cost of Performing ‘Normal’ 07:04 Masking at Home: Why It Damages Intimacy and Relationships 09:01 Dating & Persona-Building: When People Fall for the Mask, Not You 10:24 Sensory Overload, Sex, and Having the Hard Conversations (Not Mid-Moment) 14:12 Unmasking Safely: Let the Real You Out Gradually with Clear Communication 16:42 How Parents Teach Kids to Mask (and Why It Hits Boys & Girls Differently) 22:31 Breaking the Cycle: Modeling Emotional Regulation and Naming What’s Happening 26:30 Strategic Masking vs. 24/7 Masking: Making It a Choice, Not a Default 30:37 Authenticity with Kindness

    33 min

About

We're Shane Thrapp and Braden Young, two neurodivergent dads talking about the things that matter to fathers who are neurodivergent, or who have neurodivergent kids. No perfect parenting BS, just what actually works when your brain's wired different.  We're both certified ADHD life coaches, community leaders, and fathers who got our diagnoses as adults. We know what it's like to figure out parenting when you're also figuring out your own brain. And we're here to help you do the same. Each episode, we bring you practical strategies for neurodivergent parenting, the kind that actually fit into real life with real kids and real challenges. You're raising kids who might be neurodivergent. You might be neurodivergent yourself. Either way, you're dealing with executive function challenges, sensory issues, time blindness, and all the chaos that comes with parenting when traditional advice doesn't cut it. We break down the latest research on ADHD, autism, and neurodivergence into stuff you can actually use. We tackle spousal relationships, supporting your kids across different spectrums, managing your own regulation while helping your kids with theirs, and building systems that work with your brain instead of against it. You'll also hear from experts, researchers, therapists, and other father's navigating this journey. No gatekeeping, no misinformation, just evidence-based approaches delivered in a way that makes sense. This isn't about being perfect dads. It's about being dads who get it—and building lives that work for our whole families.