That AuDHD Teacher

Emily Sigglekow

Welcome to That AuDHD Teacher, a podcast about making sense of life through the lens of a late AuDHD diagnosis. I'm Emily, an early childhood teacher and someone who spent years wondering why life always seemed a little harder than it looked for everyone else. After being diagnosed with Autism and ADHD as an adult, so many pieces of my life started to make sense. Each episode is an honest conversation about neurodivergence, mental wellbeing, teaching, and the everyday experiences that often go unseen. So lets get comfortable and make sense of this beautifully complicated brain together.

Episodes

  1. 20 Jul

    Episode 4: The Exhausting Art of Looking Like You're Coping | Understanding Masking and AuDHD

    What if the person who looks like they're coping the best is actually working the hardest? In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, we're talking about masking, the invisible effort many autistic and AuDHD people put into appearing calm, capable, and "normal," even when they're feeling overwhelmed inside. For years, I didn't even realise I was masking. I thought I was simply being professional, polite, and trying to fit in. It wasn't until my late AuDHD diagnosis that I understood just how much energy I had spent monitoring my facial expressions, rehearsing conversations, forcing eye contact, hiding sensory overwhelm, and trying to become the version of myself I thought everyone else expected. Together we'll explore what masking actually is, why so many neurodivergent people do it, what it can cost us over time, and what it means to slowly begin unmasking in safe and supportive environments. This isn't an episode about stopping masking overnight. It's about understanding why it happens, treating ourselves with compassion, and finding places where we can finally let ourselves breathe. Whether you're neurodivergent yourself, questioning your own experiences, supporting someone you love, or you're an educator wanting to better understand the children in your care, I hope this episode reminds you that you're not alone. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love it if you followed That AuDHD Teacher and left a rating or review. It really helps others discover these conversations. You can also connect with me on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at @thataudhdteacher. Remember, different doesn't mean broken. It simply means different.

  2. 17 Jul

    Episode 3: The Clues Were There All Along | The Signs I Missed for Nearly 30 Years

    Have you ever looked back on your life and realised the clues were there all along? After receiving my AuDHD diagnosis, I found myself replaying my childhood, school years, university, and teaching career through a completely different lens. Suddenly, so many experiences that I'd always explained away as personality traits started to make sense. In this episode of That AuDHD Teacher, I share the signs I missed for nearly 30 years, from feeling like everyone else had the rulebook for life, to navigating the hidden curriculum at school and university, to the perfectionism, exhaustion, and constant feeling that I was working harder than everyone else just to keep up. We'll also explore the concept of the hidden curriculum, the unwritten social rules that many people seem to learn naturally, but that can be incredibly challenging for neurodivergent people to navigate. This episode isn't about looking back with regret. It's about looking back with compassion and understanding. If this episode resonated with you, I'd love for you to follow That AuDHD Teacher and leave a rating or review. It really helps others find these conversations. You can also connect with me on Instagram and TikTok @thataudhdteacher, where I share more about my AuDHD journey, life as an early childhood teacher, and practical resources for educators and families. Thank you so much for listening. I'll see you in the next episode.

About

Welcome to That AuDHD Teacher, a podcast about making sense of life through the lens of a late AuDHD diagnosis. I'm Emily, an early childhood teacher and someone who spent years wondering why life always seemed a little harder than it looked for everyone else. After being diagnosed with Autism and ADHD as an adult, so many pieces of my life started to make sense. Each episode is an honest conversation about neurodivergence, mental wellbeing, teaching, and the everyday experiences that often go unseen. So lets get comfortable and make sense of this beautifully complicated brain together.