THE AUTISM ADHD PODCAST

Holly’s the best! Parents and professionals who support neurodivergent kids and teens need this podcast. I’ve learned so much.

I’m constantly hearing about great resources on this show, and I think Holly has really wonderful insights for parents of autistic children.

I absolutely love this podcast! It has been very helpful and anxiety-reducing for me while navigating parenting my neurodivergent child. It’s also helped me to understand my friends’ parenting journeys, and we are more closely bonded sharing resources like this. I love Holly’s advice, perspective, and her gentle, calming voice. The only reason I am taking off one star is for one of the guests who’s been on a few times, this gentleman named Kirk. I have to stop listening when he becomes derogatory of neurotypical children and adults. Kirk, please stop saying things like we should be worried about neurotypical people, because all they know how to do is conform and never think outside the box like neurodivergent people do. This is a major oversimplification and generalization of the subject, and frankly untrue. I know lots of neurotypical people who are plenty creative and have leadership skills. Come on. I can see how this rationalization might make you feel better about your neurodivergent son, and talking about how much more money he will make as a neurodivergent person might also make you feel better, but that’s not everyone’s priority. And you seem to keep forgetting the key to his success is having *your* support. If a neurodivergent person does not have this parental support, they are much less likely to flourish and, more importantly, BE SAFE. So please stop ignoring these very real concerns for parents of neurodivergent children by putting down neurotypical people. Holly, I love your podcast and will continue to share it, but whenever you have Kirk on, and he starts to go on these sorts of tirades, the episode ceases to become helpful, and I’ll have to stop listening. Lots of other guests and you yourself have been super helpful. That’s my feedback. Thank you!

I just listened to 12/5/2023: 3 Reasons Neurodivergent Children DON’T Self-Advocate, and 3/12/2025: Self-Advocacy for Neurodivergent Kids: Why It Matters & How to Support It. Oh. My. Gosh!!! I need to re-listen to both, while reading the transcript, and typing notes, lol. This is giving me so many flashbacks to my childhood. And I’m worried this is why my son won’t tell me about his assignments or his feelings, or explain his OCD fears! So, I’m a neurodivergent mom. Wasn’t diagnosed with anything until age 30. Then, got my OCD diagnosis. In my 40’s, added ADHD. And around age 55, added Autism. I’m 56 now, soon to turn 57 in a few months. Each new diagnosis was an “Aha!” moment. Suddenly, a huge chunk of my childhood made so much more sense! Oh, this is why this skill wasn’t automatic! Oh, that’s why I couldn’t socially connect. Oh, that’s why I pretty much had a meltdown panic attack when I couldn’t get my brain to wrap around one chapter of my physics class! My son was diagnosed as on the Autism spectrum at age 2.5 years. In his early teens I saw symptoms of OCD, and a psychiatrist agreed. And lately I see some issues he has, like executive dysfunction, that I’ve learned are symptoms of ADHD, symptoms I’ve also seen in myself! I feel bad as I know there are times when I minimized what my son was feeling, forgetting that his feelings are valid, and I needed to acknowledge them. Saying “it will get better” or “everyone feels like that at some point” or “calm down, this isn’t that big a deal!” Yeah, for a neurodivergent mom, I sucked at raising a neurodivergent son!!! But maybe I can help him as he approaches adulthood. Thank you for your work! Happy to have you as another resource I can count on. :)