Autistic and ADHD Kids Parenting Strategies: Every Brain is Different

Samantha Foote & Lauren Ross | Parenting Neurodiverse Kids
  • 5.0 (31)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to Every Brain is Different, the podcast designed for parents raising kids with Autism, ADHD, and other neurodiverse conditions. Discover practical parenting strategies, expert insights, and real-life stories that highlight the strengths and challenges of neurodivergent individuals. Join us to connect with a supportive community of parents, gain tools to help your child thrive, and celebrate the unique ways every brain works. If you're looking for inspiration, effective parenting strategies, or simply a sense of connection, tune into Every Brain is Different and join a community that truly understands. Website: www.everybrainisdifferent.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent TikTok: www.tiktok.com/everybrainsidifferent YouTube: www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

  1. 2d ago

    What is Interoception and How Does it Affect Autism?

    Connect with Samantha: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Get the Ultimate Guide to Raising Your Neurodivergent Child: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Samantha and Lauren discuss Samantha’s son’s years-long struggle with chronic, debilitating pain (legs, back, migraines) and how a pain clinic evaluation led to a new explanation: sensory processing disorder with heightened interoception. After extensive normal test results, a multidisciplinary team suggested his internal body-signal sense may be “turned up,” intensifying pain perception. Samantha and Lauren define interoception (internal sensations like hunger, bathroom needs, heart rate, temperature, pain, and emotions) using occupational therapist Kelly Mahler’s framework and note that interoception differences can be muted, intense, or distorted, affecting interpretation of sensations and emotions. The episode emphasizes validation, shifting from “why does he hurt?” to “what support does his nervous system need?”, and introduces Mahler’s “body, emotion, action” approach, encouraging parents to become “body detectives” with neutral body check-ins and curiosity rather than telling kids to “calm down.” 00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup00:15 Years of Chronic Pain Search00:46 Pain Clinic Evaluation02:27 Unexpected Diagnosis Insight04:32 Interoception Explained06:24 When Signals Feel Too Loud09:23 Muted vs Intense Awareness11:56 Validation and Support Mindset15:32 Body Emotion Action Framework20:38 Becoming Body Detectives22:06 Key Takeaways and Next Steps23:44 Resources and Closing Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

    What is Interoception and How Does it Affect Autism?

  2. Oct 5

    Raising Neurodivergent Kids Without Losing Your Marriage with Susan Minor

    Connect with Samantha: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Get the Free Ultimate Guide to Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Join the Neurodivergent Parenting Community: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/membership Connect with Susan: https://www.LoveBridgecoaching.com     Samantha and Lauren interview Susan Minor, a certified relationship coach trained in the Laura Doyle method, about rebuilding connection in marriage, especially for parents under the stress of raising neurodivergent children. Susan shares how, after nearly 30 years of feeling isolated and disconnected, she used the Laura Doyle skills privately and saw her relationship transform within months, later deepening the work with coaching. She addresses common misunderstandings of The Empowered Wife, emphasizing it is not about shrinking or doing more, but about being heard and creating space for a partner to step up. The discussion covers “triage” after diagnosis, resentment, disengagement, “tools not rules,” gratitude and receiving, self-care, choosing connection over perfect logistics, and using conversation prompts to move beyond schedule-only talk.   00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:28 Susan Marriage Turning Point04:03 Empowered Wife Misconceptions06:08 Neurodivergent Parenting Strain11:16 Six Tools for Connection14:28 Gratitude and Receiving18:02 Beyond Logistics Talk24:31 Conversation Starters Ideas26:21 Where to Find Susan28:10 Fun and Final Takeaways28:54 Host Highlights and Wrap Up   Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

    Raising Neurodivergent Kids Without Losing Your Marriage with Susan Minor

  3. Sep 28

    What to do When You're Autistic Raising Autistic Kids with Dalisse Sequeiros

    Connect with Samantha: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Get the Free Ultimate Guide to Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Join the Neurodivergent Parenting Community: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/membership Connect with Dalisse:Instagram: https://instagram.com/lovingpiecesbooks LinkedIn at LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/sequeirosdalisse   Samantha and Lauren interview Dalisse, an autistic author and mom of two autistic boys, living in Barcelona, Spain, who wrote the five-book Loving Pieces series. Dalisse shares her family’s journey since her oldest son's diagnosis at 17 months, discussing early challenges such as meltdowns, guilt, grief, and uncertainty, and advises parents to give themselves time, take things one day at a time, and not treat bleak predictions as fixed outcomes. Dalisse explains receiving her own autism diagnosis after recognizing similarities with her children, emphasizes being honest without romanticizing autism, and describes balancing differing sensory needs within the family through open communication and support from her husband and grandparents.   00:00 Welcome And Guest Intro01:16 Life In Barcelona02:11 Why She Wrote The Books05:20 Advice After Diagnosis10:52 Her Late Autism Diagnosis13:34 Explaining Autism To Kids15:44 Sensory Needs At Home20:17 Finding Your Tribe22:17 Resources And Where To Find Her23:35 Fun Hobbies And Wrap Up24:50 Host Highlights And Book Recap27:45 Final Goodbye And Next Steps   Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

    What to do When You're Autistic Raising Autistic Kids with Dalisse Sequeiros

  4. Sep 21

    Out of the Box Parenting: How to Teach Your Neurodivergent Child to Cook | Ep. 184

    Connect with Samantha: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Get the Ultimate Guide to Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Join the Neurodivergent Parenting Community: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/membership   Samantha and Lauren discuss out-of-the-box ways to teach neurodivergent kids kitchen skills. They share practical strategies to include kids without overwhelm by breaking cooking into clear steps, assigning specific tasks, and using visuals, play kitchens, and practice activities like pouring between measuring cups or “mud pie” measuring. They cover progressive knife and cutting practice with kid-safe tools, softer foods, and Play-Doh, while emphasizing safety routines. The episode also highlights sensory considerations (smells, textures, loud appliances, heat/steam) and executive-function supports (picture recipes, checklists, timers, color-coded tools), encourages experimentation when safe, and suggests building independence in stages and finding ways to say yes.   00:00 Podcast Welcome01:42 Kitchen Skills Topic01:58 Cold Oven Practice04:02 Why Cooking Matters05:43 Visual Steps and Roles08:12 Play Kitchen Practice10:01 Kid Safe Cutting Skills13:37 Sensory Friendly Cooking16:58 Food Reactions and Gloves18:29 Executive Function Supports21:25 Experiment and Independence24:42 Find a Way to Yes26:06 Resources and Wrap Up   Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

    Out of the Box Parenting: How to Teach Your Neurodivergent Child to Cook | Ep. 184

  5. Sep 14

    What to do When You Face Judgement With Your ADHD/Autistic Child | Ep. 183

    Connect with Samantha: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Get the Ultimate Guide to Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/   Samantha and Lauren discuss Samantha’s weekend camping trip with extended family and how a recent change in her son’s ADHD medication affected his behavior. Her son had previously thrived on stimulant medication, describing a “quiet” brain and better focus, but after switching meds due to appetite concerns, he became unusually emotional, restless, and reactive which led to conflicts, safety concerns, and relatives criticizing Samantha’s parenting strategies and implying he needed more discipline. Once Samantha realized the new medication needed a higher dose and adjusted it, he returned to baseline and listened better, though others attributed it to discipline. Samantha and Lauren emphasize advocating for neurodivergent kids, using teachable moments to educate family, balancing compassion with expectations, and offering positive feedback amid frequent negative comments.   00:00 Welcome and Setup00:14 ADHD Meds Success Story02:24 Switching Meds Camping Meltdown04:33 Family Judgment and Discipline09:15 Safety and Fixing the Dose10:30 Counting Consequences Reset12:06 Advocating and Educating Family14:01 Teachable Moments Sensory Needs16:54 Positive Feedback and Wrap Up   Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

    What to do When You Face Judgement With Your ADHD/Autistic Child | Ep. 183

  6. Sep 7

    How to Make Sensory Friendly Hygiene Routines for Your Neurodiverse Child | Ep. 182

    Get the Guide to Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Connect with Samantha: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/   Samantha and Lauren discuss sensory-friendly hygiene routines for neurodivergent kids, emphasizing that hygiene is a health skill, not a test of compliance, and the goal is a safe, sustainable routine that supports autonomy and sensory needs. They review how sensory factors (noise, bright lights, smells, water pressure/temperature, textures) and executive-function demands can make tasks like showering, hair washing, deodorant, toothbrushing, menstrual care, and shaving difficult, and they encourage parents to “get curious, not furious.” Using a notice–name–modify framework, they suggest practical adaptations such as adjusting the bathroom environment, using handheld showerheads, keeping preferred towels nearby, offering shortened routines on hard days, trying different toothpaste/toothbrush options, and using visual schedules and timers. They also cover respectful prompting, privacy and dignity during puberty-related care, when to involve professionals, and the takeaway that sensory distress is information, not defiance.   00:00 Welcome and Topic Setup00:29 Hygiene Is a Health Skill02:01 Sensory Barriers in Bathrooms04:21 Executive Function and Toothbrushing06:21 Get Curious Not Furious08:36 Notice Name Modify Framework10:41 Sensory Friendly Shower Setup12:36 Shower Modifications and Short Routines18:19 Haircare Without the Meltdowns20:06 Skincare and Deodorant Choices23:28 Toothbrushing Adaptations26:02 Prompting Toward Independence28:44 Puberty Privacy and Dignity30:43 Routines for Hard Days32:32 Define Done and Use Supports35:08 When to Call a Professional37:08 Key Takeaways and Next Steps38:53 Resources and Closing Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

    How to Make Sensory Friendly Hygiene Routines for Your Neurodiverse Child | Ep. 182

  7. Aug 31

    How to Talk to Your Autistic Boys About Puberty | Ep. 181

    Get the Ultimate Guide to Parenting Your Neurodivergent Child: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Connect with Samantha: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/   Samantha and Lauren discuss how to support autistic boys through puberty. They emphasize that physical puberty changes are generally typical, but sensory sensitivities, uncertainty, social rules, and indirect language can make the experience harder, so autistic youth need complete, factual information about bodies, relationships, boundaries, and safety through many short, ongoing conversations. They recommend explicitly teaching what to expect (odor, acne, hair, genital growth, voice changes, erections, etc.), building visual and predictable supports (timelines, social stories, checklists), and giving choice in how information is delivered, including AAC vocabulary. They myth-bust that education encourages sexual behavior and stress concrete rules for privacy, consent, trusted-adult disclosure, and risks of nude images, plus when to consult a clinician.   00:00 Puberty Kickoff 01:50 Why This Matters 04:51 What Puberty Changes 06:49 Sensory And Routine Shifts 08:28 Myth Busting Puberty 11:00 Consent And Safety Basics 13:58 Teach Clearly And Visually 19:57 Privacy Rules And Sexting 26:38 Mental Health Check In 27:55 This Week Action Steps 30:07 When To See A Clinician 31:05 Resources And Wrap Up   Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

    How to Talk to Your Autistic Boys About Puberty | Ep. 181

  8. Aug 24

    Why Your PDA Child Isn’t Being Defiant and How to Support Them (Ep. 143 Rerun)

    In this episode, Samantha and Lauren discuss strategies for effectively parenting children with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA). They emphasize the importance of collaboration over direct demands to help children feel more in control and safe, which mitigates reactive behaviors. They explain how giving children choices and involving them in decision-making can prevent the activation of their parasympathetic nervous system, which is linked to anxiety and defensive behaviors. Practical examples like offering options instead of direct commands are given and the importance of flexibility and patience in parenting, particularly for neurodivergent families is discussed. Samantha and Lauren also highlight the significance of co-regulation and maintaining a calm demeanor to support a child's sense of autonomy and safety. A PDA cheat sheet with useful scripts and strategies is available for listeners.   00:00 Introduction 00:39 Understanding Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) 03:00 Collaborative Parenting Strategies 06:08 Practical Examples and Scripts 09:37 Managing Parental Expectations and Flexibility 21:30 Maintaining a Regulated Nervous System 24:30 Conclusion and Resources   Join the Neurodivergent Parenting Community: https://www.everybrainisdifferent.com/membership Get the PDA Cheat Sheet: https://www.everybrainisdifferent.com/pda-cheat-sheet   Connect with Samantha Foote! Website: https://everybrainisdifferent.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

See All (198)

Trailer

5
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

Welcome to Every Brain is Different, the podcast designed for parents raising kids with Autism, ADHD, and other neurodiverse conditions. Discover practical parenting strategies, expert insights, and real-life stories that highlight the strengths and challenges of neurodivergent individuals. Join us to connect with a supportive community of parents, gain tools to help your child thrive, and celebrate the unique ways every brain works. If you're looking for inspiration, effective parenting strategies, or simply a sense of connection, tune into Every Brain is Different and join a community that truly understands. Website: www.everybrainisdifferent.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/everybrainisdifferent TikTok: www.tiktok.com/everybrainsidifferent YouTube: www.youtube.com/@everybrainisdifferent

Information

You Might Also Like