ADHD at Work and at Home: Motivation, Masking, and Real Support with Dr. Saara Haapanen

What happens when an Olympic-level athlete-turned-psychologist maps ADHD from the inside—and shows us what actually helps?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Saara Haapanen to explore ADHD beyond stereotypes. You’ll hear how almost making the Olympics, years of elite sport, and a late ADHD diagnosis shaped her work helping individuals and organizations create environments where neurodivergent people can truly perform. I reveal the key questions I ask to shift shame into self-trust, while Sara shares a simple motivation model you can remember and use today.

You’ll discover why “just focus” backfires, what looks like laziness but isn’t, and the one feedback change workplaces can make that instantly eases RSD. We also get into perimenopause, parenting through a child’s assessment, and the very real emotional load adults carry—plus the small language tweaks that lower demand and raise follow-through.

By the end, you’ll be asking: Which part of motivation do I boost first? How do I request support at work without feeling exposed? And what would change if I spoke to myself like my own best friend?

About the Guest

Dr. Saara Haapanen is a sports and exercise psychology PhD, former elite diver ranked 30th in the world, and founder of Performance Is Haapanen. Since 2013, she’s coached high performers and advised schools, healthcare systems, and companies on neurodiversity, motivation, and well-being.

Key Timestamps

• 0:02 – Meet Dr. Saara Haapanen and her path from elite sport to health and performance

• 4:40 – Finland, near-Olympic selection, and the spark that led to sports psychology

• 11:26 – “I know what to do—why am I not doing it?” Motivation without a map

• 16:14 – From her own diagnosis to helping others thrive

• 24:09 – The most common misunderstanding about adult ADHD

• 27:46 – Inside the ADHD brain: floodlight vs. flashlight focus

• 33:35 – What looks like laziness but isn’t

• 35:41 – ADHD in a workplace not built for it: where things break down

• 44:10 – One feedback shift that reduces RSD on the spot

• 48:03 – The FUN.COM motivation model you’ll actually remember

• 53:42 – Do companies get it yet?

• 75:46 – A client story that changed a whole family’s trajectory

• 80:51 – “Nothing’s wrong with you”—what I want you to hear

• 82:27 – What I’d tell my younger self

• 84:38 – Where to find Dr. Saara

If this helped, share it with a parent, educator, or manager who needs it. Subscribe for more supportive conversations on neurodiversity, and tell me in the comments: Which part of FUN.COM do you need most this week?

Keywords: ADHD, neurodivergent, workplace inclusion, motivation, executive function, rejection sensitivity, perimenopause, body doubling, movement, positive psychology

#ADHD #Neurodiversity #WorkplaceInclusion #ParentingADHD #ExecutiveFunction

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.

🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Non-Speaking Is Not Non-Understanding: Autism-Affirming Inclusion with Amanda Toren

Non-speaking doesn’t mean non-understanding. In this episode, I sit down with Amanda Toren to rethink communication and real inclusion.

Amanda is an autism mom, speech and behavioral therapist, clinical autism specialist, and inclusion specialist who runs an inclusive martial arts academy. Together, we get honest about what belonging looks like beyond words—and what schools and programs often miss.

You’ll hear how Amanda builds autism-affirming environments where communication is a human right, why regulation comes before compliance, and how small wins add up to big change. I also press into the question so many parents and educators ask: What does success look like for a non-speaking student—and how do we know it’s happening?

I reveal the shift that changes outcomes in both the dojo and the classroom, and you’ll discover the first small step any educator can put in place tomorrow. We also talk about the quiet grief parents carry, what to say instead of “I’m sorry,” and the moment a single bow on the mat changed everything.

If you’ve wondered how AAC fits into sports, what “autism-affirming” really looks like, or why inclusion isn’t just “sharing a room,” this one’s for you.

About the Guest

Amanda Toren is an autism mom and a speech and behavioral therapist with 14+ years of experience. She’s a clinical autism specialist and inclusion specialist who owns an inclusive martial arts school focused on AAC, regulation, and strengths-based coaching for neurodivergent kids.

Timestamps

• 0:02 – Welcome and who Amanda is

• 1:12 – The early emotions of parenting a non-speaking child

• 3:03 – Behavior as communication and the role of AAC

• 6:31 – Support gaps and what to say instead of “I’m sorry”

• 12:19 – Why martial arts and what it builds beyond kicks and punches

• 16:33 – Honoring communication beyond words

• 18:08 – Autism-affirming inclusion in practice

• 20:29 – What well-meaning programs often get wrong

• 26:37 – Regulation before compliance: the shift

• 29:23 – A small step educators can use tomorrow

• 30:55 – The power of small wins: one student’s breakthrough

• 38:23 – Taking inclusion beyond one academy (Amanda’s e-book)

• 41:46 – Where to find Amanda

If this episode helped you, share it with a parent, teacher, or coach who cares about doing inclusion well.

Subscribe for more real conversations on autism, ADHD, AAC, regulation, and creating communities where everyone belongs.

#Neurodiversity #AutismAcceptance #AAC #Inclusion #SpecialEducation

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.

🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Seeing Ourselves in Fiction: Neurodivergent Characters That Actually Feel Real with Author Luna Westish

Representation isn’t just about labels—it’s about feeling seen. Today, I sit down with debut author Luna Westish to explore how fiction can shift how we understand Autism, ADHD, anxiety, and ourselves.

You’ll hear how Luna wrote a character readers either relate to deeply or find frustrating and why both reactions matter. I reveal the surprising moments that made me rethink labels, we compare “token” characters to fully human ones, and you’ll discover how inner monologue, sensory detail, and own voices storytelling can change empathy without turning pain into plot armor.

We also talk about growth that doesn’t erase struggle, the lines between honest depiction and drama, and why reading outside our comfort zones prepares us for real life at home, in classrooms, and in community.

If you’ve never seen yourself on the page, this conversation offers a starting point and a few questions that might change what you pick up next

About the Guest

Luna Westish is the author of Meet Me at the Ruins, a character-driven novel that threads anxiety, relationships, and messy growth with care. She’s also taught business to kids and adults, worked in federal policy, and made jewelry because one lane was never going to cut it.

Key Timestamps

• 0:03 – Why fiction can change how we see our own minds

• 2:06 – The first time a character felt “too familiar”

• 6:49 – What representation gets wrong (and what’s finally improving)

• 10:01 – Sensory layers that make characters believable

• 11:22 – Real vs. tokenized: the role of inner life

• 13:07 – Do labels help—or do subtleties matter more?

• 15:19 – Writing Meet Me at the Ruins: when representation found her

• 19:10 – Writing as healing (and why it can feel like therapy)

• 24:27 – Honoring struggle without exploiting it

• 29:04 – Showing growth without minimizing the hard stuff

• 32:50 – Why “just a story” isn’t just a story

• 44:14 – Readers who felt seen—and why that matters

• 51:46 – Where to find Luna’s book and connect

Resources: lunawestish.com • bookshop.org • Available via libraries on Hoopla and Libby

If this episode resonated, subscribe, rate, and share it with a parent, educator, caregiver, or friend. Your support helps our community grow.

#Neurodiversity #Fiction #MentalHealth #Autism #ADHD

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.

🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.