Beyond My Diagnosis with Michele Weston

Michele Weston
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Welcome to Beyond My Diagnosis, the podcast that brings real conversations, real stories, and real breakthroughs in health, healing, and hope. I’m your host, Michele Weston—Holistic Health and Wellbeing Coach—and I'm here to help you look past the symptoms and into the deeper story of living with your chronic condition.Each week, we go beyond the chart and challenge the status quo of conventional care. From powerful patient journeys to expert insights in functional medicine and integrative practitioners, using mindset and lifestyle medicine, you’ll get the tools and inspiration to become the most informed, empowered version of yourself.This is not just about managing illness—it’s about reclaiming your health, your voice, and your life.Let’s get curious. Let’s get courageous. And let’s go Beyond My Diagnosis.

  1. 1d ago

    Caregiver Burnout: Practical Tips for Caring for a Parent With Dementia

    Send us Fan Mail Special Guest Host: Natalie Kime Nobody prepares you for the reality of becoming a family caregiver. One day, you are helping a parent with a few everyday tasks, and before you know it, you may be managing medications, coordinating medical appointments, preparing meals, and providing around-the-clock assistance. In this special episode of Beyond My Diagnosis, Natalie Kime, host of Chat with Nat: Conversations That Count, takes over the microphone while Michele Weston focuses on her own health. Natalie shares the practical systems and emotional lessons she has learned while caring for her mother with advanced dementia. As her mother's condition progressed, Natalie had to adapt to increasing care needs, including bathing, dressing, feeding, and positioning her mother in bed. She also continued running her business and managing family responsibilities. In this honest conversation, Natalie shares how simple organizational systems have helped reduce the mental load of caregiving. She discusses medication spreadsheets, calendar reminders, supply inventories, weekly preparation, and everyday shortcuts that make demanding routines more manageable. Natalie also opens up about caregiver guilt, frustration, and the emotional challenges of watching someone you love decline. At the time of recording, her mother had recently returned home on hospice care. Natalie reflects on learning to prioritize comfort, accept changing circumstances, and recognize that being a loving caregiver does not require perfection. This episode is a reminder that caring for someone else should not mean completely losing yourself in the process. What You'll Hear Why routines and systems can reduce caregiver stress and decision fatigueHow Natalie adapted when her mother's dementia progressed and she became bedboundPractical ways to organize medications, appointments, and caregiving suppliesHow weekly planning can make unpredictable caregiving days easier to manageWhy caregivers need to keep learning and asking healthcare professionals questionsHow eating, drinking, and daily care needs may change with advanced dementiaWhy caregiver guilt can become especially intense when a loved one's health declinesWhat Natalie learned about meeting her mother where she isHow hospice care changed her family's prioritiesWhy caregivers must protect their own physical and emotional healthHow friends and family can offer meaningful, specific assistanceSimple ways to use music, humor, and familiar routines to create moments of connectionWhy speaking directly to a loved one remains important when communication becomes difficultHow letting go of perfection can make caregiving more sustainable About Natalie Kime Natalie Kime is the host of Chat with Nat: Conversations That Count, a podcast exploring caregiving, family, faith, legacy, and meaningful conversations. Through her experiences caring for her mother with advanced dementia, Natalie shares practical strategies and honest reflections about the emotional and everyday realities of family caregiving. Connect With Natalie Podcast: Chat with Nat: Conversations That Count Connect With Michele Subscribe to Michele's free Substack for personal insights, expert perspectives, and resources for navigating life beyond a diagnosis. https://micheleweston.substack.com/

  2. Oct 14

    When Your Child Is Diagnosed With Type 1 Diabetes: A Pediatrician's Advice

    Send us Fan Mail When your child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, everything can suddenly feel uncertain. Between learning unfamiliar medical terminology, managing blood glucose levels, understanding insulin, and worrying about what the future holds, parents may feel overwhelmed before they have even had time to process the diagnosis. This week on Beyond My Diagnosis, Michele Weston welcomes a special guest-host takeover with Dr. Kristen Cook, a pediatrician with more than 15 years of clinical experience, author of Parenting Redefined, and host of Mom Doc Talk. While Michele takes time to focus on her own health, a well as being a caregiver to her husband after surgery and her aging 18-year-old terrier, Kristen steps behind the microphone to help families understand what it means to navigate a child's type 1 diabetes diagnosis. Kristen begins by explaining what type 1 diabetes is and why some children receive their diagnosis during a frightening medical emergency. She then addresses something that can be overlooked when families are suddenly immersed in medical appointments and treatment instructions: the emotional impact of learning that your child has a lifelong condition. Parents may experience fear, anger, sadness, or guilt, and children may have their own complicated feelings about being different from their friends. Kristen reminds families that these emotions deserve attention and that neither the parent nor the child caused the diagnosis. She also explains why parents need to understand their child's treatment plan, ask questions when medical language becomes confusing, and work collaboratively with their healthcare team. As children grow older, diabetes management becomes an increasingly important part of their developing independence. Kristen discusses how to involve children in their care without expecting them to assume responsibilities before they are developmentally ready. She also explores what happens when teenagers become frustrated with their diagnosis or resist parts of their treatment plan. Rather than responding only with criticism or interrogation, Kristen encourages parents to remain curious, maintain communication, and seek support from their child's medical team. Throughout the episode, Kristen offers practical perspective on blood glucose monitoring, continuous glucose monitors, insulin injections and pumps, changing treatment needs, and why individual glucose readings should not become a measure of personal success or failure. Most importantly, she reminds parents that children with type 1 diabetes can continue participating in sports, birthday celebrations, friendships, and activities they enjoy, with appropriate planning and medical guidance. A type 1 diabetes diagnosis changes how a family manages daily life, but it does not change everything about who a child is or what they can experience. What You'll Hear Why Dr. Kristen Cook is taking over Beyond My Diagnosis for this special episodeWhat happens in the body when a child develops type 1 diabetesWhy diabetic ketoacidosis can make an initial diagnosis especially frighteningHow parents and children can process the emotional impact of a lifelong diagnosisWhy parents should not blame themselves for their child's type 1 diabetesHow to ask questions and understand medical terminologyWhy birthday parties, sports, and ordinary childhood experiences can still be part of lifeHow to involve children in their medical care without pushing independence too soonWhy teenagers may resist diabetes management and how parents can respond constructivelyThe role of glucose monitoring, continuous glucose monitors, and insulin deliveryWhy glucose trends are more useful for care planning than treating one reading as a personal failureHow families can build a support system as their child's needs change About Dr. Kristen Cook Dr. Kristen Cook is a pediatrician with more than 15 years of experience caring for children and families in a busy pediatric practice. She is the author of Parenting Redefined, a guide to understanding and nurturing children's behavior, and the host of the weekly podcast Mom Doc Talk with Dr. Kristen Cook. She also writes for Psychology Today and brings her experiences as a wife and mother of two to conversations about parenting, children's health, behavior, and family relationships. Connect With Kristen Podcast: Mom Doc Talk with Dr. Kristen CookBook: Parenting Redefined, available on AmazonWriting: Psychology TodayKristen does not provide direct website or social media URLs in this transcript, so I have not inserted unverified links. Medical Information Note This episode provides general education and parenting support. Type 1 diabetes requires individualized medical management, and families should work with their child's pediatrician and diabetes care team for treatment decisions, insulin adjustments, and emergency planning.

  3. Oct 7

    Beyond the Diagnosis: Helping Neurodivergent Kids Own Who They Are

    Send us Fan Mail This week on Beyond My Diagnosis, Michele is once again handing over the microphone while she takes time to manage her own chronic conditions. Guest host Lisa Richer, neurodivergent success partner, advocate, founder of Journey to Bloom, and mother of two neurodivergent sons, steps in for a deeply personal conversation about parenting and supporting neurodivergent children. Lisa describes parenting a child with ADHD, autism, dyscalculia, executive function differences, or another neurodifference as sometimes feeling like walking a tightrope. On one side are school schedules, academic expectations, social rules, executive function demands, IEP goals, accommodations, and behavioral reports. On the other is the child standing in front of you, with their own curiosity, sensory needs, interests, communication style, strengths, and ways of experiencing the world. Parents can easily find themselves trying to manage both sides at once. Lisa knows that experience personally. She is neurodivergent herself, has raised two neurodivergent sons, and has spent years supporting families. Her perspective has changed over time. She no longer believes the goal is for a parent to become an expert tightrope walker who carries a child across while simultaneously acting as therapist, tutor, coach, advocate, and referee. Instead, she invites parents to step onto the wire with their child and become a partner. Throughout the episode, Lisa explores what can happen when children understand how their own brains work. She discusses ADHD and autistic experiences of friendship, sensory overload, rejection, communication, executive function, hyperfocus, and school expectations. She also examines the growing willingness among younger neurodivergent people to openly identify with their differences rather than automatically treating them as something to hide. Lisa introduces the three principles that guide her work at Journey to Bloom: clarity, confidence, and courage. Clarity helps a child understand their brain and gives families a shared language for what they are experiencing. Confidence grows when children participate in conversations about accommodations and learn how to advocate for what actually helps them. Courage allows families to question systems and expectations that measure children primarily by how closely they can perform according to neurotypical standards. The episode offers parents an important question to consider. Instead of asking, “How do I make my child fit into this school?” what changes when we ask, “How do I help my child understand their own brain so they can navigate this environment?” Lisa’s goal is not to help children become better at hiding who they are. It is to help them understand themselves well enough to communicate their needs, recognize their strengths, participate in decisions that affect them, and move through the world with a stronger sense of who they are. What You’ll Hear Why Lisa Richer is taking over the microphone for this special episode of Beyond My DiagnosisWhy supporting a neurodivergent child can feel like walking a tightrope between school expectations and the child’s actual needsHow parents can unintentionally become therapist, tutor, executive function coach, advocate, and referee all at onceWhy Lisa believes partnership is more useful than constantly trying to manage or fix a childHow ADHD and autism can shape experiences with peers, friendships, communication, sensory environments, and schoolWhy some younger neurodivergent people are becoming more comfortable openly identifying with their differencesWhy understanding a diagnosis can help children develop language for what they experienceHow Lisa approaches ADHD and autism through the lenses of clarity, confidence, and courageWhy children should have meaningful input into IEPs, 504 plans, accommodations, and school supportHow parents can ask better questions about what actually helps their childWhy a meltdown, shutdown, freeze response, or difficulty starting a task should not automatically be interpreted as a character problemHow parents can help children develop self-advocacy skillsWhy emotional regulation sometimes needs to take priority over academic complianceHow families can move away from neurotypical measures of success and recognize a child's individual strengths and needsAbout Lisa Richer Lisa Richer is a Neurodivergent Success Partner and Advocate who works with students, athletes, parents, and professionals to help them move through internal, relational, and systemic barriers. As the creator of the Clarity | Confidence | Courage Journey Map™, Lisa helps people better understand how they think, communicate, learn, advocate for themselves, and navigate environments that may not have been designed with neurodivergent needs in mind. Her work is also deeply personal. Lisa is neurodivergent herself and is the mother of two neurodivergent sons. She brings both lived and professional experience to conversations about ADHD, autism, learning differences, school systems, advocacy, identity, and helping people understand what they need in order to thrive. Connect With Lisa Journey to Bloom Resources Journey to Bloom on Instagram Lisa Richer on LinkedIn Journey to Bloom on YouTube

  4. Sep 30

    The Power of Community When You’re Facing a Health Crisis

    Send us Fan Mail This week on Beyond My Diagnosis, Michele is doing something special. While she is away tending to her own health, she has invited trusted members of her community to step behind the microphone and share their perspectives with you. For this special podcast takeover, sisters Amy and Nancy Harrington, co-founders of The Passionistas Project, are your guest hosts. They are talking about something they have spent years creating for other women but unexpectedly discovered they needed themselves: community. Nancy shares the deeply personal story of what began as what everyone expected to be routine gallbladder surgery. While Nancy was under anesthesia, her surgeon discovered a mass on her gallbladder that appeared suspicious enough that the planned procedure was stopped. When Nancy woke up, she did not initially know what had happened. Amy ultimately became the person who had to tell her sister that the surgery had not gone as planned and that doctors were concerned the mass might be cancerous. 52-Passionistas In the weeks that followed, Nancy was recovering from one procedure while preparing for another and living with the frightening possibility of cancer. During that uncertainty, she describes feeling surrounded by what she calls “light and love” as family, friends, and members of The Passionistas Project community reached out with messages, phone calls, practical help, and emotional support. 52-Passionistas Ultimately, testing determined that the mass was benign, but Nancy’s recovery was still long and difficult. The experience gave both sisters a very personal understanding of why community matters when health suddenly changes. Amy shares the experience from the caregiver’s side. As Nancy’s sister, business partner, and one of her primary caregivers, Amy found herself managing appointments, insurance complications, logistics, their business, and the emotional reality of watching someone she loves face a frightening diagnosis. When Nancy could not carry her usual share of their business for approximately six months, the community they had built began supporting Amy too. 52-Passionistas What makes their message especially meaningful is that Amy and Nancy are not suggesting that everyone needs to join their particular community. Their message is much simpler: find your people. Your community may be family, friends, a support group, people who share your diagnosis, a professional network, an online community, or people who understand what you are going through without requiring you to explain every part of it. Amy and Nancy also talk about the value of having a place where you do not have to talk about illness at all, where you can simply be part of life outside your diagnosis. 52-Passionistas This special episode is a reminder that support is not only emotional. Sometimes community looks like a text or a phone call. Sometimes it means helping someone navigate an insurance problem, covering part of a workload, sharing a resource, making a spreadsheet, or simply reminding someone that they do not have to figure everything out alone. What You’ll Hear Why Amy and Nancy Harrington are taking over Beyond My Diagnosis for this special episodeHow what was expected to be routine gallbladder surgery became a frightening health scare for NancyWhat it was like for Amy to receive unexpected news while Nancy was still under anesthesiaHow Nancy coped with the possibility that the mass on her gallbladder could be cancerousWhy Nancy describes feeling surrounded by “light and love” during one of the most uncertain periods of her lifeHow friends, family, and community supported Nancy through surgery and a difficult recoveryWhat caregiving looked like for Amy as both Nancy’s sister and business partnerHow illness can affect a small business when one partner suddenly cannot workWhy practical support can be just as meaningful as emotional encouragementHow Amy and Nancy’s own community stepped in when they became the ones who needed helpWhy people outside your immediate family can provide a different kind of support during illnessThe importance of finding a community where you can talk about your health when you need to, but can also simply be yourself when you do notWhy Amy and Nancy believe no one should have to navigate a difficult season completely alone About Amy and Nancy Harrington Amy and Nancy Harrington are sisters, longtime business partners, and co-founders of The Passionistas Project, a community dedicated to helping women feel seen, heard, connected, and supported. Their professional backgrounds are in entertainment and production, and they eventually brought their storytelling experience into work centered on amplifying women’s voices. Through The Passionistas Project, they have created interviews, events, publishing opportunities, and a global sisterhood where women connect around personal growth, business development, social impact, and the experiences that shape their lives. For Amy and Nancy, the word “sisterhood” has particular meaning. They describe themselves as best friends since birth and have worked together professionally for more than two decades. They created their community because they wanted other women to experience the kind of connection and support that has always been central to their own relationship. During Nancy’s health crisis, they unexpectedly experienced firsthand the support system they had worked so hard to create for others. 52-Passionistas Connect with The Passionistas Project The Passionistas Project The Passionistas Project Sisterhood The Passionistas Project on Instagram The Passionistas Project on Facebook The Passionistas Project on LinkedIn

  5. Sep 24

    Chronic Illness, Trauma, and the Nervous System: Finding Strength Without Pushing Through

    Send us Fan Mail This week on Beyond My Diagnosis, something special is happening. Michele is handing over the microphone to guest host Ramona Kossowan, a Certified Women’s Empowerment Coach, Gentle Trauma Release Practitioner, and Fitness Trainer. Rather than a traditional interview, Ramona is taking listeners through lessons she has gathered from more than a decade of working with women who have faced chronic health conditions, physical limitations, trauma, and significant life challenges. She is careful to acknowledge that every person and every diagnosis is different, so her invitation is simple: consider what is helpful for you and leave what is not. At the heart of the episode is an important distinction between acceptance and resignation. Ramona shares the story of a woman living with a progressive breathing condition who had been doing everything she could to prevent her health from worsening. When oxygen became necessary, she initially experienced it as a failure. Through their work together, Ramona watched what happened when the woman stopped using all of her energy to fight her current reality and began finding ways to work within it while remaining curious about what might still be possible. That same idea appears in Ramona’s experiences working with women living with rheumatoid arthritis and other physical limitations. Rather than measuring success against what someone “should” be able to do, she describes adapting movement and strength training to the body in front of her. One client who could not comfortably hold a five-pound dumbbell eventually reached a point where she could say something far more meaningful than a number on a workout plan: “I feel powerful.” Ramona then takes the conversation deeper into an area central to her work: the nervous system. She shares why she believes nervous system support should be considered alongside other aspects of wellness, particularly when someone has spent years living in survival mode. She discusses her work with women experiencing chronic pain and fibromyalgia and explains how trauma, stress, identity, relationships, self-care, and health can become interconnected. Importantly, this is not a conversation about blaming trauma for illness or suggesting that nervous system work replaces medical treatment. It is about widening the lens and asking what else may deserve attention when someone is trying to care for their whole self. Ramona also shares practical examples of what creating greater safety and breathing room can look like in everyday life. It might mean creating a transition between a stressful workday and the evening, noticing patterns of over-functioning, allowing yourself to receive help, eating more mindfully, spending time with safe people, connecting with pets or nature, or simply asking, “What can I do today to show up for myself?” What You’ll Hear Why Ramona Kossowan is taking over Beyond My Diagnosis as a special guest hostThe important difference Ramona sees between accepting your current reality and resigning yourself to itWhy constantly pushing against physical limitations can sometimes take more from us than it givesHow Ramona has adapted strength and movement work for women living with chronic health conditionsWhy progress does not have to look like someone else’s version of successHow curiosity can coexist with acceptance when navigating a diagnosisWhy Ramona includes nervous system support in her work with womenHow years of stress and survival mode can affect the way someone cares for themselvesWhy receiving support can be difficult for women who are accustomed to over-functioningHow small moments of safety, rest, connection, and nurturing can become meaningful forms of self-careWhy the question “What can I do to show up for myself?” can be a powerful place to begin Ramona’s Free Gentle Trauma Assessment During the episode, Ramona invites listeners to explore her Gentle Trauma Assessment, a free resource designed to help you notice physical, emotional, and cognitive patterns that may be connected to trauma and begin connecting some of the dots in your own experience. Take Ramona’s Free Gentle Trauma Assessment About Guest Host Ramona Kossowan Ramona Kossowan is a Certified Women’s Empowerment Coach, Gentle Trauma Release Practitioner, and Fitness Trainer whose work focuses on helping women reconnect with themselves and move beyond limiting narratives, past experiences, and patterns that may be keeping them stuck. Her approach grew from both professional training and personal experience. Inspired by her mother’s work in holistic health, Ramona knew she wanted to create a heart-centered business of her own. Her entrepreneurial journey began after maternity leave, when returning to a job that no longer felt meaningful prompted her to find another path. She began mentoring other mothers in herbal wellness, opened her private fitness studio in 2017, and became a certified Empowerment Coach in 2020. Today, her work brings together empowerment coaching, movement, strength, and gentle trauma release practices. Ramona believes that when women have the opportunity to heal, reconnect with themselves, and become more empowered in their own lives, the effects can extend into their families, relationships, and communities.

  6. Sep 16

    When Chronic Illness Interrupts Life: Michele’s Unexpected Hospital Stay

    Send us Fan Mail This episode of Beyond the Diagnosis was not the episode Michele planned to record. After spending several days in the hospital, Michele is finally home, and her friend Julie DeLucca-Collins has stepped behind the microphone for an unexpected podcast takeover. This time, instead of Michele asking the questions, Julie turns the conversation around and asks Michele what happened and what this experience has reminded her about living with a chronic condition. Michele shares how a long, hot day in New York was followed by a persistent headache that felt different from what she normally experiences. As the discomfort moved toward the eye where she had previously experienced optic neuritis, Michele knew she needed to pay closer attention. Her neurologist ordered blood work and a urine test, and concerns about dehydration and her kidney function eventually became part of a much larger medical evaluation. 50-Wellness Wednesday Julie DeLucca.txtTXT The conversation also explores the realities of managing more than one piece of your medical history at the same time. Michele has lived with MS for years and also has a history of bariatric surgery, which can make something as seemingly simple as drinking enough water more complicated. Julie and Michele talk about why general health recommendations still have to be considered in the context of the individual person and why patients need to be able to tell their healthcare professionals what is realistic for their bodies. Michele also shares what it felt like to become the patient again, including dealing with hospital safety protocols because of her drop foot and balance issues. She talks about the frustration that can come with losing some independence while also recognizing that the nurses caring for her have protocols they need to follow. One of the most personal parts of the conversation is Michele’s reminder that self-advocacy does not have to mean becoming adversarial. Even when she was tired, uncomfortable, and ready to go home, she tried to remember that the people caring for her were doing their jobs under difficult circumstances too. Now that she is home, wellness looks much simpler. It means seeing her dog, getting outside for a short walk, enjoying some fresh air, resting, and giving her body time to recover. Julie closes this special Wellness Wednesday conversation with a reminder that wellness practices do not always have to be complicated. A few minutes of intentional breathing, turning off notifications, listening to something calming, getting outside when you can, prioritizing sleep, or simply allowing yourself to rest can all be meaningful ways of caring for yourself. Going beyond a diagnosis does not mean pretending your diagnosis never affects your life. Sometimes it means knowing your body well enough to recognize when something has changed, communicating that clearly to your healthcare team, and accepting that there are moments when pushing through is no longer the right answer. What You’ll Hear Why Julie took over Michele’s microphone for this unusual episodeWhat happened before Michele ended up spending several days in the hospitalHow heat affects Michele personally when she is managing MSWhy the location and persistence of Michele’s headache concerned herHow her previous experience with optic neuritis affected the way she interpreted her symptomsWhy Michele’s neurologist ordered blood work and additional testingHow Michele’s history of bariatric surgery affects the way she approaches hydrationWhy knowing your own body is an important part of communicating with your healthcare teamWhat Michele experienced when hospital staff took additional precautions because of her drop foot and balance issuesWhy Michele believes kindness and self-advocacy can exist together in healthcareWhat Michele needed most when she finally came homeHow small wellness practices can support us when our bodies are asking for rest

  7. Sep 9

    Mindfulness, Mini-Meditations, and Chronic Illness: From The Archives

    Send us Fan Mail Mindfulness, Mini-Meditations, and Chronic Illness: A Healing Conversation with Simone Giangiordano In this episode of Beyond My Diagnosis, I talk with Simone Giangiordano, Compassion-Based Business and Lifestyle Coach and creator of the BalanceUP® Community. Simone joins me to explore the real, daily experience of living with chronic illness, and why mindfulness, mini-meditations, and self-compassion can change not only how we cope, but how we live. We talk about fatigue, fear, stigma, neuroplasticity, and the emotional layers of managing chronic illness in a world that doesn't slow down. Simone shares how contemplative practice helped her heal, how compassion reduces second-level suffering, and why mindfulness is not about perfection, but presence. In this episode, you will learn: • How mindfulness and mini-meditations help calm the nervous system • Why self-compassion is essential for anyone living with chronic illness • How neuroplasticity allows the brain to rewire emotional patterns • Why mindfulness reduces stress, stigma, and emotional overwhelm • Small, simple ways to bring awareness into daily tasks like walking, dishes, or brushing your teeth • How to use breath, intention, and presence to navigate pain and fatigue About Simone: Simone Giangiordano is a CCT Certified Instructor, chronic illness advocate, and the founder of the BalanceUP® Community. She teaches individuals how to build meaningful, sustainable lives and businesses that honor their health. Her signature program, The Power of I Can’t®, empowers people to find creative pathways around health limitations so they can flourish. Simone’s Links: 🌐 Website: https://www.simoneg.net 📄 Full Bio: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ck56wNRTAbFgjzVWdaLzzaVXDJ4OMMwj/view

  8. Sep 2

    Understanding Neurodivergence: How Different Brains Learn and Thrive with Lisa Richer

    Send us Fan Mail What if the problem is not that someone is unwilling to learn, communicate, or participate, but that the way we are asking them to do it does not work for their brain? In this episode of Beyond My Diagnosis, Michele Weston welcomes neurodivergent success partner and advocate Lisa Richer for a wide-ranging conversation about ADHD, autism, learning differences, late diagnosis, executive functioning, dysregulation, and what it really means to meet people where they are. Lisa was diagnosed with ADHD in her late 40s after spending decades wondering why certain expectations in school and the workplace felt so much harder for her than they seemed to be for everyone else. Her understanding of neurodivergence began even earlier as a parent. Both of her sons entered early-intervention services as toddlers, and their different learning and developmental needs eventually helped Lisa understand her own brain more clearly. Together, Michele and Lisa explore why taking notes, using captions, needing visual examples, avoiding eye contact, fidgeting, asking “why,” or requiring practical application are not signs that someone is lazy, disrespectful, or less intelligent. They may simply reflect a different way of processing information. Lisa also explains dysregulation and why behaviors such as shutting down, fidgeting, pacing, hand movements, or becoming overwhelmed can be signals that a nervous system needs support, not judgment. She shares a powerful story about realizing that requiring her autistic son to make eye contact actually made it harder for him to listen. The conversation moves from classrooms to workplaces, relationships, parenting, coaching, and leadership. Lisa challenges parents, educators, managers, and colleagues to replace assumptions with better questions: What do you need to be successful? What did you hear me say? What would help this make sense? This episode is ultimately about patience, with ourselves and with one another. Different brains learn differently. Different people communicate differently. And inclusion is not a once-a-year training or a checklist. It is the ongoing practice of creating environments where people can understand, contribute, and belong. If you have ever wondered why something that seems “easy” for one person feels impossible for another, this conversation may change the way you think about learning, communication, and success. Key TakeawaysDifferent does not mean less capable. A person can be highly intelligent and still need information presented in a different way. Memorizing something is not the same as understanding it, and understanding often improves when information is connected to practical application. Late diagnosis can reframe decades of experience. Lisa describes receiving an ADHD diagnosis in her late 40s and recognizing that many past workplace and learning struggles were not character flaws or a lack of intelligence. Learning preferences matter. Notes, captions, visual examples, hands-on practice, repetition, or extra processing time can help information become usable rather than simply heard. Eye contact is not a universal measure of listening or respect. Lisa shares that her autistic son found it harder to listen when he was required to make eye contact. The larger lesson is to avoid assuming one communication behavior works for everyone. Dysregulation can look many different ways. It may show up as fidgeting, shutting down, repetitive movements, visible anxiety, pacing, or escalating behavior. What helps one person regulate may not help another. Better questions reduce judgment. Instead of “Why don’t you get it?” Lisa encourages language such as “Tell me more,” “What did you hear me say?” or “What would help this make sense?” True inclusion is an ongoing practice. Lisa argues that inclusion cannot be reduced to a yearly training or checklist. It requires reflection, implementation, practice, evaluation, and a willingness to change systems and communication. Sometimes the best support is knowing when to hand off. Michele and Lisa discuss recognizing when a student, client, or employee needs a different kind of expertise rather than forcing one method to keep working. About Lisa RicherLisa Richer is a Neurodivergent Success Partner and Advocate who helps students, athletes, parents, professionals, schools, and organizations move from stuck to success. She is the creator of the Clarity | Confidence | Courage Journey Map™, which helps people identify internal, relational, and systemic roadblocks and build practical paths forward. Lisa combines professional experience in business, HR, career development, training, and neurodiversity consulting with more than two decades of lived experience parenting neurodivergent children and navigating her own late ADHD diagnosis. Her work centers on helping people better understand how they learn, process, communicate, and thrive. Connect with Lisa RicherJourney2Bloom Resources: https://journey2bloom.com/resources/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journey2bloom/ LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/lisa-richer-6040b74/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Journey2bloom Listener ResourcesCDC: ADHD in Adults Current information about how ADHD can present in adulthood, including organization, attention, restlessness, relationships, and workplace accommodations. https://www.cdc.gov/adhd/about/adhd-in-adults.html CDC: Autism Spectrum Disorder An overview of autism as a developmental disability involving differences in the brain, with wide variation in communication, learning, and support needs. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/about/index.html CDC: Autism Signs and Symptoms Includes information about differences in social communication, eye contact, movement, learning, and attention. https://www.cdc.gov/autism/signs-symptoms/index.html Job Accommodation Network (JAN) A practical U.S. resource for workplace accommodations and disability inclusion. https://askjan.org/ CHADD Education, advocacy, and support for people affected by ADHD. https://chadd.org/ Journey2Bloom Helpful Resources Lisa’s resource collection for parents, learners, educators, and professionals navigating neurodiversity and learning differences. https://journey2bloom.com/resources/ Know a parent, teacher, manager, coach, or colleague who keeps saying, “Why don’t they just get it?” Share this episode with them. Then visit Journey2Bloom to learn more about Lisa Richer’s work supporting neurodivergent students, families, professionals, and organizations.

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About

Welcome to Beyond My Diagnosis, the podcast that brings real conversations, real stories, and real breakthroughs in health, healing, and hope. I’m your host, Michele Weston—Holistic Health and Wellbeing Coach—and I'm here to help you look past the symptoms and into the deeper story of living with your chronic condition.Each week, we go beyond the chart and challenge the status quo of conventional care. From powerful patient journeys to expert insights in functional medicine and integrative practitioners, using mindset and lifestyle medicine, you’ll get the tools and inspiration to become the most informed, empowered version of yourself.This is not just about managing illness—it’s about reclaiming your health, your voice, and your life.Let’s get curious. Let’s get courageous. And let’s go Beyond My Diagnosis.

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