What happens when your perfectly planned approach to parenting collides with the unpredictable reality and it doesn't end up fitting the job description! Helen Buzdugan knows this territory intimately. As a late-diagnosed ADHDer, careers advisor, and founder of True To You Careers, Helen shares her raw, emotional journey from parenting, discovering not only hers but her children's neurotype, from juggling work and parenting, to burnout and then recovery.

Helen's story begins with a self-confessed perfectionist approach to parenthood, to her noticing the diverging paths between her experience of parenting and those of other parents, whose challenges seemed to ease while hers intensified. Helen's experience ultimately led her to create her business helping parents in neurodivergent families find employment that accommodates their complex lives.

Helen brings a unique perspective to the workforce challenges facing parents and carers in neurodivergent households, highlighting the valuable transferable skills parents develop through advocacy, from research abilities to negotiation tactics honed in countless school meetings. Her practical advice includes understanding workplace rights like emergency leave for dependents, separating immediate crisis management from long-term career planning, and building essential support systems.

Ready to transform your approach to balancing career and family? Connect with Helen's free resources and community support to discover work that truly works for your neurodivergent family life.

You can find Helen on:

Facebook, LinkedIn and her links page

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I work with parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to support them with burnout, mental health and well-being. When we support parents, everyone benefits.

To connect with me you'll find all my links on Linktree:

The Untypical OT Linktree

If you would like to contact me about the podcast please email me at:

contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com

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Welcome to The Untypical OT Talks to Herself—the mini podcast for typically untypical parents! Bite-sized episodes packed with real talk about parenting in additional needs families. No fluff, no judgment—just honest conversations about the stuff that truly matters.

💡 This week’s episode: My top tip for managing burnout, overwhelm, and stress at work. This also works at home. It's all about the boundaries! Do you know where your boundaries are? Are they hard boundaries or flexible ones? How easy are they to put in place? Join me for a mini podcast to think about your boundaries.

🎧 Are you ready? Come join me.

🔗 To connect with Liz, find all the details on her Linktree:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

☕ If you'd like to support the podcast, you can buy me a coffee here:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/the.untypical.ot⁠⁠

Topics: If you have a request for a particular topic when it comes to parenting in additional needs families, please just drop the podcast an email at contact@untypicalparentpodcast.com


Take care

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What happens when we stop trying to fit neurodivergent children into a neurotypical world? In this eye-opening conversation, Helen Daniel—author, late-diagnosed neurodivergent, and sensory expert, —challenges everything we've been taught about "perfect parenting" and reveals how societal expectations create unnecessary struggles for neurodivergent families.

Helen shares her theory of neurosensory divergence, which sees autism not as a deficit but as sensory abundance—a richer way of experiencing the world that brings unique ways of learning and thinking, moving away from stigma and highlighting the strengths of neurodivergent minds.

She dives into the everyday struggles neurodivergent kids face in schools, where traditional methods often don’t work for different sensory styles. Whether a child focuses deeply on one sense or takes in everything at once, both can feel out of place in typical classrooms.

This conversation is full of practical insights for parents, teachers, and professionals alike. By understanding sensory needs, we can create better learning environments, support self-advocacy, and build a world that embraces neurodivergence instead of trying to "fix" it.

Helen's book Neurosensory Divergence: Autistic Languages: A Roadmap To An Equitable Life For Autistic Children, is available to buy.

You can find Helen on her social media platforms:

Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn

I'm Liz, The Untypical OT. I work with parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to support them with burnout, mental health and well-being. When we support parents, everyone benefits.

To connect with me you'll find all my links on Linktree:

The Untypical OT Linktree

If you would like to contact me about the podcast please email me at:

Helllo@the-untypical-ot.co.uk

Click here to text the show

Support the show

Welcome to The Untypical OT Talks to Herself—the mini podcast for typically untypical parents! Bite-sized episodes packed with real talk about parenting in additional needs families. No fluff, no judgment—just honest conversations about the stuff that truly matters.

💡 This week’s episode: My top tip for managing burnout, overwhelm, and stress in the family home. If you’re feeling stretched thin, this one's for you!

🎧 Are you ready? Come join me.

🔗 To connect with Liz, find all the details on her Linktree:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot⁠⁠⁠⁠

☕ If you'd like to support the podcast, you can buy me a coffee here:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/the.untypical.ot

Topics: If you have a request for a particular topic when it comes to parenting in additional needs families please just drop the podcast an email at hello@the-untpical-ot.co.uk

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The Untypical OT Talks with Carla Berlin from Carla’s Classroom

In this episode, I sit down with the insightful and passionate Carla Berlin, the founder of Carla’s Classroom. We cover so much in our conversation—cultural influences on parenting, the role of step-parents, recognising neurodivergence in children when they are older, and Carla’s own personal experiences of being parented.

Carla brings her deep understanding and lived experience to the table, sharing valuable perspectives on how cultural background shapes parenting styles and expectations. We also explore the unique challenges and joys of blended families, diving into the complexities of step-parenting.

Expect real talk, powerful insights, and plenty of relatable moments as we navigate these important topics together.

🔗 Connect with Carla on:

I’m Liz, The Untypical OT. I work with parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to support them with burnout, mental health, and well-being. When we support parents, everyone benefits. Don't miss my free video and handout called "Worn Out or Burnt Out"—a guide to help spot the signs of parental burnout.
👉 Download it here

🔗 To connect with me, you find all my details on Linktree:
The Untypical OT Linktree

☕ If you’d like to support the podcast, you can buy me a coffee here:
Buy Me a Coffee

And if you'd like to contact me about the podcast please email at:

hello@the-untypical-ot.co.uk

Click here to text the show

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The Untypical OT Talks with Teo from SendWise HubIn this episode, I sit down with the no-nonsense, straight-talking Teo from SendWise Hub to dive into the messy, beautiful, and often chaotic reality of parenting. Teo shares candid moments—when she got it right, when she got it wrong, and why the idea of a "perfect parent" is pure fiction. We talk about the highs, the lows, and everything in between, with plenty of laughs and hard-hitting truths along the way. Expect honesty, wisdom, and a reminder that doing your best is enough.🔗 Connect with Teo on:Facebook: SendWise Hub Instagram: @sendwisehubMy is Liz and I am The Untypical OT. I work with parents and carers in additional needs and neurodivergent families to support them with burnout, mental health and wellbeing. When we support parents everyone benefits. Don't miss my free video and handout called "Worn Out of Burnt Out". A guide to help spot the signs of parental burnout. https://the-untypical-ot.co.uk/worn-out-or-burnt-out🔗 To connect with Liz, find all the details on her Linktree:⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot⁠⁠☕ If you'd like to support the podcast, you can buy me a coffee here:⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/the.untypical.ot

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The Untypical OT Talks with Heidi Mavir

In this episode, I sit down with the brilliant and unfiltered Heidi Mavir to talk all things parenting, self-trust, and surviving the education system with our sanity (mostly) intact. We tackle the stigma around disability, the emotional toll of advocacy, and why setting boundaries is an act of self-care. Expect real talk, hard-won wisdom, and a reminder that youare the expert on your child.

You can connect with Heidi on:

Facebook:Education Otherwise Than At School - EOTAS Matters supporting SEN Families

Instragram:@heidimavir

Website:heidimavir.com

🔗To connect with Liz please find all the details on her linktree:

⁠https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot⁠

If you'd like to buy me a coffee to help the podcast continue please use this link:⁠buymeacoffee.com/the.untypical.ot

Click here to text the show

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Podcast Series 1: Are You The Perfect Parent?

Episode 5: Bracky from Supergood Bikers for Autism

🎙 The Untypical OT Talks with Bracky from Supergood Bikers for Autism

In this episode, Liz sits down with Paul Brackstone, affectionately known as Bracky, the passionate founder of Supergood Bikers for Autism. Together, they explore the unique challenges and rewards of parenting neurodivergent children, with a special focus on reaching dads who might not always feel included in the conversation.

Bracky opens up about his journey as a dad raising an autistic child, sharing raw and honest insights into the highs, the lows, and the moments in between. From navigating a diagnosis to finding his voice as a parent and advocate.

How motorbikes became a lifeline for processing his son's diagnosis and building a supportive community for parents like him.

From organizing charity ride-outs to designing a specially-built sidecar for individuals with mobility needs, Bracky is on a mission to make a difference.

This episode isn’t just for dads and bikers—it’s for anyone any parent looking for support. Whether you’re a dad yourself or a mum listening in, this is an episode to share with your partner or grab your partner and listen together.

You can connect with Bracky and Supergood Bikers on:

Facebook Supergood Bikers - for Autism

Instagram supergood_bikers_for_autismWebsite: https://www.supergoodbikersforautism.com/whyweride

Apologies for the delay in the connection at the end of the podcast. Two boys gaming and the time of day - my internet was struggling!

🔗To connect with Liz please find all the details on her linktree:

https://linktr.ee/the_untypical_ot

If you'd like to buy me a coffee to help the podcast continue please use this link: buymeacoffee.com/the.untypical.ot

Click here to text the show

Support the show