A live, candid conversation with Parenting Pivot creator Patrick Weir on parenting special needs kids, ambiguous loss, and finding connection when you feel alone.

When you first notice something’s different — finding connection, clarity, and compassion through community.

Meet Patrick Weir, dad to a 10-year-old daughter with special needs.

Patrick shares the story behind Parenting Pivot — a passion project built to help parents feel less alone through honest conversations with both caregivers and experts.

We discuss the early days of realizing something was different, navigating evaluations, and the emotional terrain of ambiguous loss.

Together, they explore what it means to center parents’ voices while advocating for their kids.

This episode reminds us that no matter where you are in your parenting journey, you’re not alone — and community makes all the difference.

"Every episode, I want parents to feel seen and walk away with something useful.”

— Patrick Weir

"We don’t have to be perfect parents to be present ones.”

— Kate Lynch

Topics:

• Why Patrick started Parenting Pivot

• The moment parents realize something is different

• Navigating the diagnostic process and finding a neuropsychologist

• The concept of ambiguous loss and redefining expectations

• Finding your people: community, compassion, and support for parents

• What it means to put parents at the center of the conversation

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  Timestamps:

  [00:00] Welcome and Introductions – Kate introduces Patrick and the Parenting Pivot Podcast

• [02:45] Why Patrick Created Parenting Pivot – Turning pain into purpose

• [08:30] The Parent’s Point of View: Centering Caregivers’ Stories

• [13:10] From “Something’s Different” to Diagnosis: The Early Steps

• [20:00] Ambiguous Loss and the Power of Community

  [27:30] Advice for Parents of Neurodivergent Kids