Synaptic Sarahs

Synaptic Sarahs
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Monthly

Let's talk about what it really looks like. Dr. Sarah Richie, a clinical neuropsychologist, and Sarah Lin, an educator and expert dyslexia interventionist, created Synaptic Sarahs to feature real people talking about real life in context of their personal journeys with neurodivergence. From autism to dyslexia to ADHD (and everything neurodevelopmental in between), our guests offer authentically valuable insights from their personal experiences, with refreshing doses of humor and vulnerability as they candidly share how neurodivergence has shaped their lives. Our sincere hope is that these personal stories will help listeners feel empowered, understood, and more confident in navigating the course, from early intervention to adulthood.

Episodes

  1. 1d ago

    Jamilyn Cole

    For our second episode of Synaptic Sarahs, we're joined by Jamilyn Cole, a learning specialist in Memphis who brings something rare to her work: she has walked this path herself. Jamilyn didn't start in education, but she found her way there out of a deep conviction that her own experiences could help other people — and they do, every day. Jamilyn's story begins remarkably early. She had an IEP in 1981, back when the culture around learning differences was "you're either not working hard enough or this just isn't for you." After trauma led her to stop talking around age two, she was evaluated as a young child and began years of intervention — seven years of speech therapy, five years of physical therapy, special scissors, pencil-grip work, and the therapeutic riding program whose favorite horse, Red Wing, she can still name 45 years later. Dyslexia, dysgraphia, and learning disabilities were identified through elementary school; her ADHD wouldn't be diagnosed until adulthood, a story all too familiar for girls of her generation who weren't "bouncing off the walls." She's candid about the hard parts: repeating second grade, the shame of a spelling test taken over and over in the corner, the feeling of being "dumb," and turning down the chance to study with Pulitzer winners in college because she was too afraid of her own writing. She's just as candid about what turned it around — a cousin who put the right book in her hands and unlocked reading as joy and escape, teachers who became lifelong touchstones, and a winding path through history, museums, grad school at Tufts, and Teach for America that finally landed her in a Memphis classroom. In this conversation, Jamilyn and the Sarahs dig into the topics that matter most to families navigating this world: why assistive technology is a supplement and never a substitute for retraining the brain, the power of early intervention, executive function coaching and why struggles there have nothing to do with intelligence, "spiky profiles" and interest-driven hyperfocus, and the enduring value of Orton-Gillingham and structured literacy — because it is never, ever too late to learn. They also talk honestly about the parts that are still hard, like a lifetime of battling spellcheck, and why Jamilyn shares her own diagnoses so openly with the students and families she serves. At its heart, this episode is about resourcefulness, finding the people and environments that allow us to thrive, and refusing to let neurodiversity be a word anyone has to whisper. As Jamilyn puts it, she’s not an “after picture”,  these things aren’t cured, they’re supported. With the right instruction, tools, relationships, and environments, there is real hope, and you can absolutely build a successful, meaningful life with these diagnoses. Whether you're a parent, an educator, or someone who saw a little of yourself in Jamilyn's story, this one will leave you encouraged.

  2. Jul 15

    Courtney & Sam Davis

    Welcome to the very first episode of Synaptic Sarahs, a podcast about neurodivergence and the families, clinicians, and communities who navigate it together. We couldn't imagine a better way to begin than with Sam Davis and his mom, Courtney.  Dr. Sarah Richie first met Sam over 15 years ago in her Memphis office, before his 3rd birthday. He is an amazing 18-year-old with Autism whose passion for life is inspirational and contagious. In the years since their first meeting, Courtney has become a dear friend—and Sam has grown into a young man who continually surpasses everyone's expectations and dreams for him. In this deeply honest conversation, Courtney opens up about the wins, the losses, and everything in between: the early overwhelm of a new diagnosis, learning to let family and friends into the journey instead of hiding behind closed doors, and giving yourself permission to grieve at every stage without staying stuck there. She shares the wisdom that carried the Davis family through, that nothing is ever wasted, that every day is a new day, and that progress moves in peaks and plateaus rather than a straight line. We also hear about Sam's siblings Courtney calls "actual superheroes," the therapists and mentors who became family, and the community that kept them all afloat. In the second half, Sam joins to share his personal perspective of his world through the photos he's chosen (or "invitations" as he excitedly refers to them): his amazing and ever-present service dog Chuck, his JROTC crew at Franklin High School, his love of Dolly - the school's therapy dog, time at his therapist's office ("Nose to Nose" as he calls therapy), a dental cleaning successfully done without sedation, the achieved goal of getting a haircut without fear or tears, fun times at the lake, service projects in Africa, volunteering at the WCAC's cat program "Pawsabilities," his time with Dr. Sarah's pup Piper, and more. Check out the photos Sam describes here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1n3S3WgFbbg6z75DkzZz8uwRCXjG10UiG?usp=sharing If you're a parent hearing a diagnosis for the first time, or one who's been walking this road for years, this episode is for you. You are understood. You are not alone. And as Courtney puts it: it may not look the way you thought it would...it's even better.

  • 2 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Let's talk about what it really looks like. Dr. Sarah Richie, a clinical neuropsychologist, and Sarah Lin, an educator and expert dyslexia interventionist, created Synaptic Sarahs to feature real people talking about real life in context of their personal journeys with neurodivergence. From autism to dyslexia to ADHD (and everything neurodevelopmental in between), our guests offer authentically valuable insights from their personal experiences, with refreshing doses of humor and vulnerability as they candidly share how neurodivergence has shaped their lives. Our sincere hope is that these personal stories will help listeners feel empowered, understood, and more confident in navigating the course, from early intervention to adulthood.

Information

  • Creator
    Synaptic Sarahs
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    2
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Synaptic Sarahs
  • Show Website
    Synaptic Sarahs