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

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That Sounds Fun Network
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What’s it really like parenting a child with ADHD and autism? How can parents, teachers, and communities better support neurodivergent children? How do autistic and ADHD individuals experience the world? Each week, we explore these questions with practical strategies, emotional insight, and real stories. I’m Greer — a mum of two boys (and two dogs!) raising a child with special educational needs (SEN) alongside my husband. Our daily life looks different from the norm, but it’s full of love, advocacy, and growth. I started this podcast to create a space for parents of neurodivergent kids, educators, and allies to learn, connect, and build understanding together. You’ll hear parenting tips, advocacy guidance, sensory strategies, and personal reflections that shine a light on both the joys and challenges of neurodivergent parenting. Through heartfelt solo episodes and guest interviews, we’ll talk about EHCP or IEP processes, school support, emotional regulation, and the big feelings that come with raising ND kids. Whether you’re here as a parent of an autistic or ADHD child, a late-diagnosed adult, a teacher seeking insight, or someone wanting to understand the neurodivergent world, this podcast is your space to grow, connect, and know you’re not alone. Welcome to The Unfinished Idea — a podcast all about parenting, autism, ADHD, and life in a neurodivergent family. Here, we open up honest conversations about neurodiversity, raising neurodivergent children, and navigating the everyday realities of SEN parenting.

  1. 1d ago

    Special Interests Are Not a Reward: Autistic Culture with Dr Angela Kingdon

    ** Sign up to the Beautifully Wired Summit for FREE** She was 21 years old before she found out that most people do not love their job. Angela grew up in a family where her dad fell in love with cars at 12, shined shoes outside a church for a quarter a go, bought and fixed up his first car at 16, and built a life inside the thing he loved. Nobody sat her down and explained any of this. She just absorbed it. Find the thing at 12. Charge for it at 16. Build the career. So she did. First book of poetry at 7. First novel at 12. Writing other people's papers for money at 16. And then a 30-year career as a ghostwriter with more than 2,000 books behind her. It wasn't until a friend's dad's retirement party, when Angela earnestly asked him when he first knew he loved insurance, that she found out the rest of the world was not operating this way at all. What she describes, of course, is monotropic focus. And here is why I wanted to talk to her about it: going all the way down the rabbit hole builds a kind of confidence you cannot get anywhere else. Angela says she has imposter syndrome about plenty of things, but never about writing. Which is why she is so firm that a special interest is not a reward and should never be used as one. Her advice for the 10-year-old in an Oxford pub with a stack of books about German tanks was simple: fill the house with German tanks. We also talk about the harder side, which nobody warns you about. Special interests move on. Sometimes right after you have learned everything about skateboarding, or bought the expensive Yu-Gi-Oh card, or rearranged the bedroom. There is real grief in that, and Angela names it honestly. Then she takes us somewhere I found genuinely brilliant, which is autistic culture. We talk about autism almost entirely in medical language, and yet for most of human history it was simply the way certain people were. Angela has boiled it down to 10 pillars of autistic culture, and she tells a story about her grandmother, cut glass and an encyclopaedic knowledge that came from absolutely nowhere except pure, deep interest. GUEST LINKS:  Check out Angela's Substack 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. Seeds by Orchard App - App Store Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    Special Interests Are Not a Reward: Autistic Culture with Dr Angela Kingdon

  2. Sep 17

    When the Old Way of Parenting Stops Working

    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

    When the Old Way of Parenting Stops Working

  3. Sep 10

    The 5 Stages Every Mum Goes Through Before a Neurodivergent Diagnosis

    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

    The 5 Stages Every Mum Goes Through Before a Neurodivergent Diagnosis

  4. Sep 3

    How to prepare your neurodivergent child for weddings and big family gatherings

    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

    How to prepare your neurodivergent child for weddings and big family gatherings

  5. Aug 31

    How to Start Makaton at Home (Start With Just Five Signs)

    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

    How to Start Makaton at Home (Start With Just Five Signs)

  6. Aug 27

    The Hidden Stressors Behind Your Child's ADHD Symptoms

    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

    The Hidden Stressors Behind Your Child's ADHD Symptoms

  7. Aug 20

    How to Walk Into an IEP Meeting Feeling Ready

    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

    How to Walk Into an IEP Meeting Feeling Ready

  8. Aug 13

    Same Spectrum, Different Kids: Raising Two Autistic Boys

    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

    Same Spectrum, Different Kids: Raising Two Autistic Boys
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What’s it really like parenting a child with ADHD and autism? How can parents, teachers, and communities better support neurodivergent children? How do autistic and ADHD individuals experience the world? Each week, we explore these questions with practical strategies, emotional insight, and real stories. I’m Greer — a mum of two boys (and two dogs!) raising a child with special educational needs (SEN) alongside my husband. Our daily life looks different from the norm, but it’s full of love, advocacy, and growth. I started this podcast to create a space for parents of neurodivergent kids, educators, and allies to learn, connect, and build understanding together. You’ll hear parenting tips, advocacy guidance, sensory strategies, and personal reflections that shine a light on both the joys and challenges of neurodivergent parenting. Through heartfelt solo episodes and guest interviews, we’ll talk about EHCP or IEP processes, school support, emotional regulation, and the big feelings that come with raising ND kids. Whether you’re here as a parent of an autistic or ADHD child, a late-diagnosed adult, a teacher seeking insight, or someone wanting to understand the neurodivergent world, this podcast is your space to grow, connect, and know you’re not alone. Welcome to The Unfinished Idea — a podcast all about parenting, autism, ADHD, and life in a neurodivergent family. Here, we open up honest conversations about neurodiversity, raising neurodivergent children, and navigating the everyday realities of SEN parenting.

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