The NeuroDADverse is more than just a podcast, it’s a weekly therapy session between two long-time friends reconnecting through the shared highs and lows of neurodivergent parenthood.
Danny is raising a six-year-old, while Ben is navigating life with two teenagers. Between them, their lived experiences span early years and adolescence, offering valuable perspective for any parent on the neurodivergent journey. Their conversations blend lived wisdom, raw honesty, and light-hearted reflection, often with Danny just entering stages that Ben has already faced. This dynamic brings warmth, curiosity, and relatable storytelling that resonates across all ages and stages of parenting.
At its heart, The NeuroDADverse exists because parenting neurodivergent children can feel incredibly isolating. Many of society’s norms simply don’t apply and it’s rare to find someone who truly hears you. This podcast was born from the need to find and grow that tribe. A space where parents can feel seen, heard, and appreciated.
Whether you’re in the thick of meltdowns, laughing uncontrollably with them or even just wondering about diagnoses you’re not alone.
Here, we speak with love, lead though our understanding and share with honesty. This is a space for ideas, laughter, and connection.
Please remember:
You are doing better than you think.
You are enough.
You are not alone.
Welcome to the NeuroDADverse.“
Real talk from two dads raising neurodivergent kids with love, laughter, and plenty of chaos.
Connect with us on Instagram, TikTok and watch us on Youtube @NeuroDadversepodcast
Theme music by Hands Up! https://www.instagram.com/handsuppunk/?hl=en
Show produced by Squid Shack Studios https://www.instagram.com/squidshackstudios/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The NeuroDADverse is more than just a podcast, it’s a weekly therapy session between two long-time friends reconnecting through the shared highs and lows of neurodivergent parenthood.
Danny is raising a six-year-old, while Ben is navigating life with two teenagers. Between them, their lived experiences span early years and adolescence, offering valuable perspective for any parent on the neurodivergent journey. Their conversations blend lived wisdom, raw honesty, and light-hearted reflection, often with Danny just entering stages that Ben has already faced. This dynamic brings warmth, curiosity, and relatable storytelling that resonates across all ages and stages of parenting.
At its heart, The NeuroDADverse exists because parenting neurodivergent children can feel incredibly isolating. Many of society’s norms simply don’t apply and it’s rare to find someone who truly hears you. This podcast was born from the need to find and grow that tribe. A space where parents can feel seen, heard, and appreciated.
Whether you’re in the thick of meltdowns, laughing uncontrollably with them or even just wondering about diagnoses you’re not alone.
Here, we speak with love, lead though our understanding and share with honesty. This is a space for ideas, laughter, and connection.
Please remember:
You are doing better than you think.
You are enough.
You are not alone.
Welcome to the NeuroDADverse.“
Real talk from two dads raising neurodivergent kids with love, laughter, and plenty of chaos.
Connect with us on Instagram, TikTok and watch us on Youtube @NeuroDadversepodcast
Theme music by Hands Up! https://www.instagram.com/handsuppunk/?hl=en
Show produced by Squid Shack Studios https://www.instagram.com/squidshackstudios/
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
🎧 Episode 15
This week, Ben and Dan explore the emotional tightrope of raising neurodivergent teens during school term chaos. Ben shares the heavy emotional load of supporting Mabel through school-related overwhelm, where advocacy, compassion, and a newly diagnosed ADHD perspective all collide. There’s honest discussion about balancing being a teacher and a parent — and how not every school interaction needs to be a battleground.
Meanwhile, Dan celebrates some unexpected strides in Frankie’s social and language development — including a newfound confidence at school drop-off. Plus: Oscar introduces a DVD bartering system with Mabel (aka “Blockbuster”), and bedtime tech management finally starts to click.
As always, the episode ends with candid bath-time scores and family in-jokes involving “Bum Back” and “Sleepy Night-Nights.” It’s an episode full of heart, laughter, emotional maturity — and just a hint of Palmolive.
💬 Topics Covered This Episode
• Supporting teens with school avoidance and emotional overwhelm
• Balancing ND advocacy with professional boundaries
• Laura’s ADHD diagnosis is helping shape family understanding
• Mabel and Oscar’s sibling bond and gentle leadership
• Frankie’s social breakthroughs and naming moments
• Screens vs. DVDs: Neurodivergent bedtime management
• Blockbuster DVD swaps and parenting nostalgia
• Solo parenting wins and the pressure of the “perfect” week
• Bath-time routines, sensory wins & hygiene breakthroughs
• Family language quirks and neurodivergent household humour
⏱️ YouTube Chapter Timestamps
00:43 – 🐴 Welcome to the Paddock
02:03 – 🧠 Ben’s Delayed Headspace & Rescheduling
02:48 – 🔤 Ben’s Week in 3 Words: Maturity, Siblings, Sadness
04:10 – 📉 Challenge of the Week: Mabel’s Tough School Transition
09:36 – 🤝 Advocating While Parenting: Teacher Hat vs. Parent Hat
13:00 – ✊ Fight for Ordinary Rally Reflections
16:42 – ✨ Win of the Week: Oscar’s Flexibility & Independence
23:20 – 🗣️ Frankie Says What?! A Language Leap
25:30 – 📀 Blockbuster Swap: The Sibling DVD System
30:00 – ❤️ Emotional Sibling Support & Advocacy
33:24 – 🔭 Looking Ahead to the Week Ahead
36:15 – 🎉 Event Flashbacks: Weddings, Parties & Trains in the Collection Plate
43:00 – 🛁 Bath Time Scores & Puberty Talk
47:00 – 🧼 Frankie’s Hygiene Win & Hair-Drying Triumph
50:00 – 🧂 Classic Family Mispronunciations: Bum Back & Sleepy Night Nights
54:00 – 🤣 Guess the Phrase Game Begins
57:00 – 💌 Listener Call-Out: Send Us Your Weird Family Words
58:12 – 🎧 Outro & Final Message
If this episode resonates with you, whether you’re a zebra or a stripy horse or just figuring it out, there’s space for you in the NeuroDADverse.
🔔 Subscribe for weekly relatable ND parenting chats
👍 Like & share and leave a comment to help more parents find us
📧 Contact: neurodadverse@gmail.com
📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @NeuroDadversePodcast
Join us in the NeuroDADverse in all the usual places in our link tree:
https://linktr.ee/NeuroDADverse
🎧Listen to us on:
Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/neurodadverse/id1828520219
Spotify
https://open.spotify.com/show/0dcFZNbAX4eixDu3vLLPWF?si=ee285ea2e8ab4fb
#NeurodiverseParenting #SENDLife #AutismAdvocacy #ParentingPodcast #EmotionalRegulation #NeuroDadverse #autismawareness #autismacceptance #autismfamily #autismlife #adhdlife #differentnotless #inclusion #TeenageMentalHealth #AutisticTeens #SENDSupport #SiblingSupport #ParentingWins #NeuroSpicyLife #NeurodiversePodcast
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
