Our Neurodiverse Family

Alison
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Hosted by former Teacher and day care owner turned Family Dynamic Strategist & Au/ADHD Family Coach, Alison - ONDF is a resource for parents navigating  Neurodiversity within their Family unit.Alison will guide you through realistic, helpful and often simple systems, tweaks and mindset shifts to create more harmony and less confusion.Each week a new (short) episode will be waiting for you. Connect With Alison https://www.instagram.com/ourneurodiversefamily_/ and learn more https://www.ourndfamily.com/offers/FqKNz3Gp/checkout

  1. 3d ago

    The Invisible Work Of Term 4

    It’s not the concert, the awards ceremony or the dress up day that wears you down. It’s the enormous amount of invisible work surrounding each one. In episode two of the term four series, Alison unpacks why the end of the school year feels so heavy, even when you love the events themselves. With four children across junior, middle and senior school, each with their own sporting, academic and social commitments, she knows the juggle well. And as a teacher, she knows schools see each event on its own, while parents experience them all at once, stacked on top of the extracurriculars. For ADHD brains, remembering an event isn’t the same as remembering every step it takes to make it happen. Finding the costume, checking the location, organising transport, remembering to RSVP and getting everyone out the door are all separate tasks. Add multiple school apps to check, fewer emails and no notes coming home, and the mental load becomes immense. Alison explains what’s really going on: when ordinary routines are interrupted, executive functioning demands multiply, but the support doesn’t. She also shares the approach that helps her every year, sorting the rest of term four into must do, would be nice, and absolutely not this year. The first step is checking in with your kids about what actually matters to them, and getting honest about whether something is important to them or just to you. If they only care about three things, maybe that’s your permission to let the rest go. Connect with Alison Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@ourneurodiversefamily Tiktok https://www.tiktok.com/@ourneurodiversefamily Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourneurodiversefamily_/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593717252263 Website:https://www.ourndfamily.com/ Disclaimer Alison is providing general information only. Nothing shared in this episode is prescriptive or intended as individual advice. As always, listeners should consult their own health care practitioners for guidance specific to their family.

  2. Oct 26

    Why Term 4 Hits Differently

    Does term four make you tense, short-fused and quietly holding your breath until the school holidays? You’re not imagining it, and nothing has necessarily gone wrong. In the first episode of this term four series for mums, parents, neurodivergent mums and parents of neurodivergent kids, Alison unpacks why the last term of the year hits so differently. From the cumulative load of four kids with different needs, to the 47 things her brain wants done before Christmas while her capacity says “mm-mm”, she gets honest about energy limits with autism and ADHD. She also puts her ex-teacher hat on to explain why kids push boundaries harder at this point in the year. Most importantly, she shares one simple thing you can do right now: learn your first signs that you’re reaching capacity, so you can act before you’re standing in the bin and it’s on fire. In this episode Why term four isn’t harder because something’s wrong, but because tolerances shrink and we’ve been carrying too much for too longHow manageable individual demands add up to an enormous cumulative loadThe gap between a brain that wants to keep going and the actual brain and body power availableWhy the start-of-year enthusiasm for routines and lunchboxes has well and truly worn offWhat’s happening for kids developmentally as they test boundaries late in the yearWhy capacity isn’t fixed, and how it ebbs and flows even across a single dayHow to identify your first two or three signs that you’re nearing capacity Follow Alison : Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@ourneurodiversefamily Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ourneurodiversefamily Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ourneurodiversefamily_/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61593717252263 Website: https://www.ourndfamily.com/

  3. Oct 19

    Do You Speak ADHD? The Interruption Episode

    Do you (or does your child) jump from topic to topic, finish other people’s sentences, or talk over each other at the dinner table and call it connection? Or are you the one quietly thinking, “can you just let me finish?” In this episode, Alison responds to a TikTok about “speaking ADHD” and unpacks why interrupting, tangents and overlapping conversation can feel deeply connecting for some people and rude or dismissive for others. Neither experience is wrong. Drawing on her own experience as someone with both ADHD and autism, a mum of four ADHD kids, and an ADHD coach, Alison explores why ADHD brains often process out loud, why silence can feel like lost momentum, and why the same behaviour can feel supportive to one person and disrespectful to another. In this episode: What “speaking ADHD” means and why fast, overlapping conversations can feel so naturalWhy people with ADHD interrupt: excitement, impulsivity, fear of forgetting, or trying to helpHow the brain jumps from holidays to airports to lost shoes to school uniforms, and why it makes perfect senseFast versus slow conversational rhythms, and what happens when the two meetWhy some conversations leave you buzzing and others leave you exhaustedThe impact of constantly telling ADHD kids “stop interrupting” or “get to the point”Simple phrases to use with your kids, partner and friends insteadHow to name your communication preferences and repair when you get it wrongThis episode is for neurodivergent adults, parents of ADHD and autistic kids, and anyone in a relationship where conversation styles just don’t match. The goal isn’t for everyone to communicate the same way. It’s to understand how the people in your life communicate, and find ways to truly hear each other. Follow Alison on Instagram here Visit the Our Neurodiverse Family website here Follow Alison on Youtube here Follow Alison On Tiktok here  Follow Alison on Facebook here

  4. Oct 12

    The Reframe We ALL Need When It Comes To Forgetting

    Have you ever thought about someone, remembered all sorts of things about them, and still not remembered that you never replied to their message? Or are you the person waiting on that reply, wondering what you did wrong? This week Alison shares something that genuinely blew her mind. Remembering a person and remembering the task you meant to do for that person are not the same memory. She unpacks prospective memory, why some brains open someone’s “entire file” while others don’t, and why forgetting is not a reflection of how much you care. She also gets real about the way we talk about ourselves when our brains don’t do what we expect. As a mum, it breaks her heart to hear kids say “I’m hopeless at remembering things”, and she shares how we can swap self-criticism for self-compassion without letting go of accountability. In this episode: What prospective memory is, and why everyday cues (like the empty toothpaste tube) matter so muchWhy thinking about someone doesn’t guarantee you’ll remember the reply you owe themThe “open the whole file” brain vs the “there’s Alison, file closed” brainHow ADHD can affect prospective memory, and why these differences aren’t exclusive to neurodivergent peopleThe difference between “I’m struggling with this” and “I’m hopeless”Separating the behaviour from the person, for our kids and for ourselvesIntent, behaviour and impact, and why self-compassion and accountability can exist togetherPractical systems that help, from reminders to communicating how your brain worksThe hidden weight of carrying everyone’s open loops, and the idea of a little mental pruningwhich brain are you? Do you run a massive filing system, or can you think of someone and close the file? Send Alison a DM and let her know. If this episode made you think of someone, share it with them. It might change the story you’re both telling yourselves. Follow Alison On IG HERE Check out the Our Neurodiverse Family Website HERE

  5. Oct 5

    Nature Isn't a Cure for ADHD - But the Environment Changes Everything

    What if the question isn't "why can't my child regulate better?" but "where does this nervous system find regulation more easily?" In this episode, Alison shares her recent trip to Binna Burra in the Scenic Rim, where she was invited to see the new lodge ahead of its opening later this year. Visiting on the seven year anniversary of the lodge burning down made it an emotional weekend, and it got her thinking about why this place means so much to her as a neurodivergent person. When she arrives there, her brain goes quiet. Not empty, just quiet. From there, Alison explores why time in nature can feel so regulating for many ND people, and why the environment matters so much more than we give it credit for. In this episode: Why ND traits don't exist in a vacuum, and how the same child who can't concentrate in a busy classroom might spend 40 minutes examining rocks by a creekThe fascinating (and slightly weird) science of phytoncides, the compounds trees release, and what forest bathing research suggestsWhy nature's sensory input is often slower, more rhythmic and less demandingAn honest reminder that nature isn't automatically sensory friendly. Sand, heat, bugs and crowds can be awful, so it's about finding the kind of outside that works for each nervous systemHow movement outdoors happens naturally, without anyone announcing "regulation exercises"Why nature takes the pressure off performing. A tree doesn't need eye contact, and you can walk beside someone without filling every silenceA small study showing children with ADHD concentrated better after a 20 minute walk in a parkAlison is clear that nature doesn't cure ADHD or make anyone less autistic, and it isn't a replacement for medication, therapy or support. But it does show that attention and regulation are shaped by context, not just by how hard someone is trying. And this isn't another thing to add to your to do list. It can be ten minutes under a tree after school, afternoon tea in the backyard, or a quick walk collecting leaves and sticks. It still counts if it's only five minutes, and it still counts if your child brings their device along. Connect with Alison On IG HERE and Visit the OND Website here

  6. Sep 28

    A walk Isn’t Always Exercise & Lego Isn’t Always Play

    A TikTok came across Alison's feed: a woman asked if her partner could join her on a walk, and the honest internal answer was yes, absolutely, but ONLY if he can understand that he will cease to exist for the next forty minutes. It sounds harsh until you understand what that walk is actually doing. In this episode Alison pulls the whole thing apart and asks the question that changes how you look at everyone's afternoon routines, including your kids': what job is this activity doing for their nervous system? Because a walk isn't always exercise. A shower isn't always hygiene. And Lego is almost never just Lego. Follow Alison Here  Check out the ONDF Website here

  7. Sep 21

    What Do We Need To Make This Do-able??

    Why Is Brushing Your Teeth So Hard? Let's talk about the ND reality of brushing teeth- for adults and kids!  Why can something so small feel so hard to do? In this episode, Alison responds to a TikTok from a 44 year old woman who has always hated brushing her teeth, and has only just realised it might be more than a personality quirk. Alison unpacks why a simple two minute task can feel so hard for neurodivergent brains, and what that means for our kids. Because ADHD isn't a disorder of knowing what to do. It's a disorder of doing what you know you need to do. In this episode: Why task initiation, low reward and no urgency make everyday tasks feel so hardThe sensory side of teeth brushing, from buzzing electric brushes and strong mint flavours to foaming, texture and water temperatureWhy transitions are often the real barrier, and how the resistance might be about stopping what you're doing rather than the teeth brushing itselfHow the same behaviour can look very different underneath for neurotypical, ADHD, autistic and AuDHD kidsGetting curious instead of pushing harder: sensory swaps, timers, routines, pairing with music or novelty, and giving kids choices within a boundaryWhy the bathroom doesn't have to be the "right" place to brushThe small changes Alison made to make teeth brushing doable for herselfThe goal isn't to teach our kids to force themselves through every ordinary task while wondering why life feels harder for them. It's to help them understand their own brain well enough to ask, what do I need to make this doable? Mentioned in this episode: Hismile toothpaste and Curaprox toothbrushes. This episode contains explicit language in the TIKTOK played within the episode Follow Alison here Visit The Our Neurodiverse Family Website here for more info Write a message…

  8. Sep 14

    Not Exactly "The Fun Mum" | Q&A With Alison

    This episode is a bit different. My podcast producer is in the host seat and I have no idea what she's about to ask me. What came out of it: why I'm not the fun mum and never have been, the difference between the physical hard work of motherhood I expected and the emotional scaffolding I didn't, what rigid thinking actually looks like in a house with four kids, and the phrase I come back to every single time I'm spiralling about something I said or didn't say to my children. If you've been listening for a while and you know the parenting content but not much about me, this is the one. We cover masking as a kid who didn't have the words for it yet, what changes when your eldest is 16 and two years off being an adult, and why I genuinely believe you don't have to get it right, you just have to get it half right enough times. Plus a rapid fire round In this episode Why I can see every angle of a problem and why that isn't always a good thingMy best habit, and why muscle memory does the thinking for meRigid thinking: I can be talked around, but you'll need to do it gentlyThe daily nag that derails meSomething nobody knows about me, involving the Opera HouseThe North Queensland farm, 100 head of cattle, and why cut grass still takes me straight backMyself at ten: white knuckling undiagnosed autism and ADHD and masking through all of itDid I always want to be a mum? Yes. Is it what I expected? No.Why chaos as the underlying base tone means I can't function, even though I can handle last minuteNot the fun mum, the homing pigeon mum, and the steady one who's at every concertParenting wisdom from the 16 year old mark: you never master a stage, they just change againBigger kids, bigger problems, but shared solutionsLet it go to the keeper: how I triage mum guilt in the momentRapid fire, including the coffee order that is not rapid fire Follow Alison on Instagram Visit the OND Website  Alison is providing general information only, not prescriptive advice. Please consult your own healthcare practitioners for guidance specific to you and your family. Write a message…

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About

Hosted by former Teacher and day care owner turned Family Dynamic Strategist & Au/ADHD Family Coach, Alison - ONDF is a resource for parents navigating  Neurodiversity within their Family unit.Alison will guide you through realistic, helpful and often simple systems, tweaks and mindset shifts to create more harmony and less confusion.Each week a new (short) episode will be waiting for you. Connect With Alison https://www.instagram.com/ourneurodiversefamily_/ and learn more https://www.ourndfamily.com/offers/FqKNz3Gp/checkout

Information

  • Creator
    Alison
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Our Neurodiverse Family
  • Show Website
    Our Neurodiverse Family

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