Featuring:

Matthew Seneshen, clinical counselor & educator specializing in neurodiversity and workplace mental health

How do you survive at work when the system expects you to prove you’re struggling before it offers help?

In this episode, we explore:

Neurodiversity & Identity

• Early diagnosis, dysgraphia, and processing differences

• Shifting from “broken” to understanding neurodivergence as natural variation

Workplace Reality

• Why accommodations often fail in real-world settings

• The gap between inclusive policies and actual day-to-day experiences

• Stigma, “othering,” and the pressure to self-disclose

Systems & Models

• Medical model vs. social model of disability

• Introducing the biopsychosocial approach to workplace support

• Why workplaces struggle to implement meaningful change

Universal Design & Solutions

• Moving from individual accommodations to universal workplace design

• Collaborative, proactive support instead of reactive gatekeeping

• Why supporting all workers improves outcomes (and retention)

Self-Advocacy & Boundaries

• How to communicate needs without over-pathologizing yourself

• Knowing your “line” at work before burnout hits

• Navigating conflict with managers and systems

Mental Health & Meaning

• Separating your worth from productivity

• Values-based work and identity outside of your job

• Grief, burnout, and rebuilding a sense of self

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why do workplaces require proof of struggle before offering support?

2. How do you know in advance if an accommodation will be helpful or sustainable?

3. How do you advocate for yourself without oversharing or stigmatizing yourself?

• https://walktalkcounselling.com/about
• Email: Contact@walktalkcounselling.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-seneshen-5347ab172/

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Featuring: Janet Jay, writer and advocate exploring intersection of chronic pain, ADHD, and community care

How do you navigate life when your body and your brain aren’t cooperating & there’s no system in place to provide support?

In this episode, we explore:

Chronic Pain & ADHD

• Overlap between chronic pain and ADHD

• Adult ADHD diagnosis and identity shift

Navigating Systems

• Barriers within the healthcare system

• Using technology/AI to manage care and information

Community & Support

• Community as a survival tool

• Finding and building supportive networks

Coping & Regulation

• Practical coping tools and workarounds

• Creative practices as regulation (knitting, art, movement)

Life Integration

• Parenting, emotional regulation, and nervous system support

• Grief, resilience, and meaning-making

• Building a life that works with your limitations, not against them

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do you build a meaningful life when your body and brain both create barriers?

2. What actually helps when the healthcare system fails you?

3. How do you find (or build) community that truly gets it?

Resources Mentioned:

• JanetJay.com (blog, tools, and upcoming projects)

• The US Pain Foundation + The Invisible Project magazine: https://uspainfoundation.org/

• Our Painful Truth: https://www.youtube.com/@OurPainfulTruth
  

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What happens when your softness isn’t perceived as a weakness but your strategy for sustainability?

This episode challenges the idea that activism has to be loud, dangerous, or perfect to make a difference.

In this episode, we explore:

• Women’s Work is Political: Jocie breaks down how reclaiming knitting as activism is both intentional and disruptive.

• Small Impact Still Counts: From classrooms to community hats, we assert that changing even one life is meaningful & why quantitative scale isn’t the only measure of impact.

• "Everyone is big enough to do something" Framework from Mister Rogers: Craftivism becomes an accessible entry point for people who can’t engage in traditional activism but still want to contribute in tangible ways.

• Protecting Your Peace: We talk about perfectionism, the “digital HOA,” and how fear of doing it wrong stops people from doing anything at all.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Is craftivism “enough” to make a real difference?
2. How do you contribute to change if your body/brain/nervous system can’t tolerate traditional activism?
3. What does a sustainable craftivism practice actually look like?

Resources Mentioned:

CVNT Collective – https://cvntcollective.org

Instagram: @cvnt.collective

Join our crafting community >>>https://www.facebook.com/groups/1827428261337223

Donate, shop, craft, or share to support the mission!

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The Neurodivergent Report

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Featuring:

Peter Shankman, entrepreneur, founder of Source of Sources, and early architect of the AOL newsroom

Before the internet became corporate and slow, it was chaos... and a lot of it was built by neurodivergent brains moving fast and breaking things.

Peter Shankman joins Sarah to talk about helping build the AOL newsroom, quitting the corporate meeting machine, and accidentally creating one of the most powerful media networking tools on the internet.

In this episode, we explore:

The First Real Job:

Peter lands at America Online in the 90s (back when AOL was the internet) and helps create the AOL Newsroom by experimenting & moving fast.

The Identity Shift:

Next, Peter tries a traditional media job and immediately hits a wall: endless meetings, zero momentum, and a structure that was never gonna work for him.

Protecting Your Peace:

Find the workaround for you: if the system isn’t working, try something new.

Unexpected Details:

Peter grew up in NYC, went to a performing arts high school, and sang for decades?!

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why do so many ADHD people end up building companies or working in startups?

2. What was it actually like inside AOL when the internet was first exploding?

3. How can creators, podcasters, and entrepreneurs get press and media attention without hiring a PR firm?

Resources Mentioned:

Source of Sources (SOS) – connect journalists and experts

https://sourceofsources.com

Peter's Website https://www.shankman.com

Follow Peter on social (@petershankman)

Featuring: Cate Osborn & Eric Gude, authors of The ADHD Field Guide for Adults

What happens when you finally get the thing you’ve worked toward for years before you suddenly realize you can’t sustain it?

This conversation explores the grief, identity shifts, and radical self-honesty at the heart of the ADHD experience.

In this episode, we explore:

The Tower Moment: Cate’s 2018 medical crisis and late ADHD diagnosis reframed her entire life, while Eric’s teenage realization that effort alone couldn’t override his brain shattered his “mind over matter” narrative.

The Identity Grief Spiral: From Shakespeare professor dreams to professional sourdough baker pivots, we unpack the heartbreak of loving something deeply — and still having to let it go.

The Field Guide Framework: Their book is designed as a non-linear, shame-free resource that teaches readers how to name their wants, needs, strengths, and limits instead of prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions.

Protecting Your Peace: We talk about radical patience — with yourself, with neurotypicals, and with the parts of you that are still learning — plus the power of asking directly for what you want without apology.

The Very Human Stuff: Wednesday Addams airport pickups, Renaissance festivals, ungraded papers from 10 years ago, sourdough at 3am, touching grass and trees to regulate, and the fear of liking something too much.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why does life with ADHD feel like an ongoing cycle of grief and reinvention?
2. How do you tell the difference between “this is hard” and “this isn’t for me”?
3. What does it actually mean to be a fearless student of your own brain?

Resources Mentioned:

The ADHD Field Guide for Adults by Cate Osborn & Eric Gude

Website: Catieosaurus.com + national tour info

@Catieosaurus & @HeyGude (Erik) on TikTok/IG

Cate and Eric’s Infinite Quest (podcast): https://infinitequestpodcast.com/

Sorry, I Missed This (podcast): https://www.understood.org/en/podcasts/sorry-i-missed-this

Featuring: Dr. Melisa Moore, licensed psychologist & board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist

If you’ve ever whispered “why can’t I get my kid to sleep?” at 10:47 p.m., this episode dismantles the guilt and replaces it with biology, nuance, and real-life flexibility.

In this episode, we explore:

You’re Not a Bad Parent: Is there a rational reason why I struggle with sleep routines as a parent?

“Adolescent Circadian Shift”: What do child development studies tell us about early morning wake-ups for adolescents?

The Five S’s to Sleep Routines: What does it actually take to build a nighttime routine for neurodivergent kids?

Protecting Your Peace: How to make sure we don’t sacrifice connection for perfection at bedtime?

Unexpected Human Detail: This sleep specialist tells the story of supporting her AuDHD son & his late-night snacking habit... sometimes its ok to leave your kids lemon Oreos on the nightstand .

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why does traditional sleep hygiene advice often fail neurodivergent families?
2. Is screen time always the villain at bedtime or does distraction sometimes help a busy brain fall asleep?
3. How do sleep associations (like co-sleeping or listening to videos) affect middle-of-the-night wakeups?

Resources Mentioned:

The Good Sleep Guide for Neurodivergent Kids by Dr. Melisa Moore [https://newworldlibrary.com/product/the-good-sleep-guide-for-neurodivergent-kids]

drmelissamoore.com

​ ⁨@drmelisamoore⁩

​ ⁨@NewWorldLibrary⁩

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Diagnosed at four. Told what she “wouldn’t” do.

Now she’s training for triathlons while juggling college, sensory needs, and full-time endurance sport.

In this episode, we explore:

Importance of Parental Support: Doctors predicted limits. Her parents built a support network instead.

Running Changed My Life: Medication made her feel flat and lethargic. Running regulated her nervous system & finally changed everything.

Color-Coded Chaos: Google Calendar. Daily check-ins. Flexible rescheduling.

Protecting Your Peace: tips for managing sensory overwhelm

Plastic Feet Totem: cute story about how movement + tangible goals = motivation.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do you train for Ironman without burning out?

2. What does early autism support actually look like?

3. How do you juggle school, sport, and sensory regulation without melting down?

Resources Mentioned:

TriGirlAdrienne.com

IG: trigirl_16

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NDReportPod.com

Featuring: Struan Mackenzie, former UK civil servant & creator of the YouTube channel Am I Neurodivergent?

This is a conversation about burnout, identity collapse, and rebuilding from the inside out.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Late Diagnosis: From stress breakdown to rabbit-hole of autism research... suddenly realized his entire life made sense.
• The Identity Reformation: Another non-linear story of diagnosis. From ASD, to combined-type ADHD, to discovering AuDHD; Struan shares how each diagnosis both clarified and destabilized his sense of self... including deconstructing internalized ableism.
• Protecting Your Peace: From scripting work meetings for hours during COVID to redefining his relationship with alcohol and social energy, Struan shares how he’s learning to honor his nervous system instead of pushing through it.
• The Unexpected Human Detail: Childhood quirks (i.e. lining up toy cars in perfect order, or hiding inside a bookcase) behavior no one recognized at the time, but now reads like a neon sign for autism.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why were so many high-achieving neurodivergent adults missed in childhood, especially in the 70s, 80s, and 90s?

2. What does cyclical burnout actually look like & where does it come from?

3. How does alcohol uniquely affect autistic and ADHD nervous systems & why does the crash hit so hard?

Looking for Struan?

youtube.com/@amineurodivergent

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