Struggling to get your child to go to school?
In this deeply affirming episode, Laetitia speaks with Corinne Smith, founder of KinHub, about the misunderstood and often mislabelled experience of School Can’t, when a child’s nervous system simply cannot cope with attending school.
Corinne shares her personal story as a neurodivergent parent navigating education breakdown with her eldest child, and how this experience inspired her to create KinHub: a grassroots, neuroaffirming space for families navigating alternative paths.
Together, they explore the emotional and systemic toll of School Can’t, the stigma families face, and the healing power of rest, regulation and community. If your child has ever struggled with school, and you’ve felt alone, judged, or unsure what to do next - this conversation is for you.
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 School Can’t is not the same as school refusal
🧠 Mainstream schooling doesn’t work for every child
🧠 The early warning signs
🧠 Why community matters
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
ABOUT THE GUEST 👇
Corinne Smith is the founder of KinHub, a grassroots neuroaffirming space for children and families navigating School Can’t, education breakdown, and exclusion from traditional systems.
A neurodivergent parent herself, Corinne founded KinHub after her eldest child could no longer attend mainstream school.
KinHub provides space for connection, co-regulation, creativity and community, offering weekly in-person programs in Merriville (NSW) and online support Australia-wide.
🌐 Website: www.kinhub.org.au
📘 Facebook: @kinhubau
Feeling like you are playing tug-of-war?
In this uplifting and insightful episode, Laetitia is joined by Brianna, late-identified AuDHD (Autistic and ADHD) clinical psychologist, creator of The Psych Archive, and joyful neurodivergent space-holder.
Together, they dive into what it really means to live with the “tug-of-war brain” - navigating two seemingly opposing needs that come from a beautifully blended neurotype. From sensory contradictions to social challenges and internalised ableism, Brianna shares tools, truths, and hope for embracing your whole self (or helping your child do the same).
They also discuss emotional regulation, green flag friendships, and the importance of naming your needs without shame.
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 AuDHD isn’t two hats - it’s one operating system.🧠 Internal tug-of-war is real. Your brain can crave deep stillness and novelty at the same time, and that’s valid.🧠 Scripts help, not hinder.🧠 Co-regulation starts with your own nervous system.🧠 No one "looks" autistic or ADHD.🧠 Stimming is self-regulation. Teaching others how it helps you concentrate, connect or feel safe can reduce stigma.
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
ABOUT THE GUEST 👇
Brianna is a late-identified Autistic + ADHD clinical psychologist and founder of The Psych Archive, a neuroaffirming practice that supports AuDHD children, teens, and adults across Australia.
She’s known for her playful, creative therapy style (her art room is legendary), and her deep understanding of how to honour neurodivergence with compassion, regulation and respect.
From group programs to self-paced courses, Bri is passionate about helping people embrace their unique brain blend—and offering tools to move from survival to thriving.
🌐 Website: www.thepsycharchive.com
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepsychhive/
We don’t need to follow the “old rules” and this episode will explain why.
In this thought-provoking episode, we’re joined by Caitlin Hughes, a multi-exceptional (Autistic, ADHD, Gifted) Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and founder of Cathartic Collaborations.
We unpack the hidden impact of neuronormativity - the unspoken social rules that define what's "acceptable" and what gets labelled as “different.”
Caitlin shares both lived experience and deep professional insight as we explore how outdated ideas around communication, behaviour and productivity harm neurodivergent people, and what it looks like to rebuild systems through a neuroaffirming lens.
We also explore masking, systemic exclusion, school trauma, therapy done differently, and the big (and small) ways we can create safer, more inclusive spaces where neurodivergent people can be seen, supported, and self-defined.
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 Neuronormativity isn’t neutral
🧠 Why the “old rules” are rooted in compliance and control
🧠 Why masking may look like success, but it comes at a huge cost
🧠 Neuroaffirming practice starts with curiosity, not correction🧠 Small actions create big ripples. Whether you’re a teacher, parent, therapist or policymaker, you can help dismantle neuronormativity one inclusive decision at a time.
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
ABOUT THE GUEST 👇
Caitlin Hughes (she/they) is a multi-exceptional (Autistic, ADHD, Gifted) Accredited Mental Health Social Worker and the founder of Cathartic Collaborations, a neuroaffirming private practice based on Meanjin (Brisbane).
Caitlin is also a PhD candidate at QUT, researching neuroaffirming mental health care for autistic adults. They offer somatic support, clinical supervision, and neurodiversity-affirming education across sectors.
They also co-host the Divergent Dialogues podcast—a powerful mix of research, lived experience, and advocacy for neurodivergent wellbeing.
🌐 www.catharticcollaborations.com.au
🎙️ Divergent Dialogues Podcast
📸 Instagram: @cathartic.collaborations
📘Facebook: Cathartic Collaborations
🎵TikTok: @cathartic.collaborations
💼 LinkedIn: Caitlin Hughes
How can we create an affirming and safe space by the pool for our neurodivergent children?
Antoinette Spear, General Manager of Autism Swim - a global charity committed to making aquatic environments safer and more inclusive for neurodivergent people, is here to tell us.
We talk about the shocking statistics around water safety for autistic children, and how Autism Swim is tackling this crisis by empowering swim centres, educators, and families with neuroaffirming tools and knowledge.
Antoinette shares both her professional expertise and personal experience as a parent of neurodivergent children, offering practical, compassionate insight into what inclusive aquatic support can (and should) look like.
Whether you’re a parent, swim teacher, therapist or policymaker - this conversation is essential listening.
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 Exclusion is often unintentional, but built into the design of swim programs.
🧠 There’s no one-size-fits-all model.
🧠 Parents should look for swim providers who communicate clearly, ask strengths-based questions, and share upcoming changes in advance.
🧠 Water can be a place of safety, confidence, and joy, not fear. With the right support, every child deserves the chance to belong in the water.
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
ABOUT THE GUEST 👇
Antoinette Spear is the General Manager of Autism Swim, an award-winning, international Australian charity and global leader in neurodiversity and aquatics. She brings a unique combination of lived experience as a parent of neurodivergent children and a professional background in financial services and tech startups.
Antoinette leads Autism Swim’s mission to reduce the disproportionate drowning statistics among neurodivergent people and ensure all aquatic spaces are safe, welcoming, and affirming.
🌊 Find an Autism Swim approved provider
📸 Follow @autismswim on Instagram
In this deeply affirming episode, we sit down with Mariam Shapera, mother of three, part-time family doctor, and author of two beautifully illustrated children’s books inspired by her autistic son.
Mariam shares her family’s journey from deficit-based therapies to discovering Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) and the neurodiversity paradigm.
She offers invaluable insights into how children who are gestalt language processors experience communication - and what families, therapists, and schools can do to support connection over compliance.
From debunking common myths to explaining why scripting and echolalia are valid communication methods, this episode is a must-listen for parents, educators, and anyone committed to creating communication-affirming environments for neurodivergent children.
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 GLP is a valid, natural way to learn language, often through scripts, phrases, and chunks rather than individual words.
🧠 Scripting is communication, not behaviour to be extinguished. Mariam explains how echolalia is often rich with meaning.
🧠 Affirming therapy starts with connection, not correction. Therapists should follow the child’s interests, regulate the nervous system, and never force compliance.
🧠 Speech is not superior to other forms of communication. AAC, sign language, and visuals all help reduce frustration and honour the child’s needs.
🧠 Schools must adapt, not the child. Teachers and support staff need training in GLP and should collaborate with families to ensure meaningful goals and affirming approaches.
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
ABOUT THE GUEST 👇
Mariam Shapera is a part-time family doctor and mum of three. Her middle child, Joe, is autistic and the inspiration behind her advocacy, education, and writing.
Through her lived experience and deep dive into the world of Gestalt Language Processing, Mariam has become a trusted voice for families navigating autism with a strengths-based lens.
She’s the author of two children’s books that celebrate neurodiversity and autistic joy, and she regularly shares accessible, neuroaffirming content on Instagram and through her website.
📸 Instagram: @mariamshaperatales
This heartfelt conversation with accredited social worker, author, and equine-assisted psychotherapist Sarah Hayden dives deep into what it means to parent neurodivergent children with affirmation and compassion.
We explore Sarah’s personal and professional journey, including her late ADHD diagnosis, raising five incredible kids (including author and advocate Chloe Hayden), and how horses transformed her daughter’s life and led her to found Wild One Therapy.
From redefining success as a parent to reframing support as co-regulation, not correction, this episode is a must-listen for families and care teams navigating neurodivergence with love.
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 Neuro-sparkly > neuro-spicy: Why Sarah uses the term “neuro-sparkly” to affirm the brilliance and creativity of neurodivergent minds
🧠 Equine-assisted therapy isn’t about riding horses, it’s about nervous system regulation, safe connection, and opening communication
🧠 Parents often discover their own neurodivergence through their kids, and that diagnosis can be liberating, not limiting
🧠 Instead of fixing “weaknesses,” focus on strengths
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
ABOUT THE GUEST 👇
Sarah Hayden is an accredited social worker and qualified equine-assisted psychotherapist, specialising in autism, neurodivergence, and complex family dynamics. She’s also mum to five neurodivergent kids, including actor, author, and autism advocate Chloe Hayden.
Diagnosed with ADHD herself at 48, Sarah brings lived experience and professional expertise to her practice. She’s the founder of Wild One Therapy and the bestselling author of Parenting Different: How to Raise Your Neurodivergent Kids to Be Their Authentic, Awesome Selves - a powerful, affirming guide for modern families.
📸 Follow Sarah on Instagram: @mama_slayden @wild.one.therapy
📖 Get her book Parenting Different: [Available via major booksellers].
In this powerful conversation, we’re joined by neurodivergent educator and founder of Unmasking Education, Millie Carr (our first official guest).
We explore what it really means to create neuroaffirming classrooms, where students are seen, supported, and safe.
Millie shares practical ways teachers and parents can collaborate to create inclusive learning environments rooted in respect, equity, and universal design. We also discuss the challenges teachers face, how to approach resistant schools, and why the words we use matter more than ever.
🌈 Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or part of a child’s care village - this episode offers insight and hope.
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 What is a neuroaffirming classroom? It’s not about fixing kids, it’s about creating spaces that embrace and prepare for brain diversity from the start.
🧠 Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is one of the most powerful and practical tools schools can implement to support all learners.
🧠 Parents and teachers working together with curiosity (not confrontation) can shift resistance and lead to meaningful change.
🧠 Equity ≠ Equality. Teaching children the difference between fairness and sameness helps build inclusive, empathetic communities.
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE GUEST 👇
Millie Carr is a neurodivergent educator, inclusive education specialist, and the founder of Unmasking Education. With over a decade of classroom experience and a Master’s in Inclusive Education underway, she blends lived experience as a parent of neurodivergent children with a deep understanding of what schools really need. Millie is the creator of practical resources, professional learning, and children’s books that help schools move beyond compliance into connection. She’s passionate about creating classrooms where every brain type belongs.
📝 EveryBrain Survey: Take it here
📢 Petition for Inclusive Education: Sign here
📸 Follow Millie on Instagram: @unmaskingeducation
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
Welcome to Ep 1 of Neurodivergent Pulse! In this short episode, we are giving you a taste into what you can expect with our small pulse checks we will be doing with Zoe (my daughter and inspiration for creating Understanding Zoe).
Each week moving forward, you can expect amazing guests sharing their insights. With Zoe’s pulse check at the end!
✨ Try Understanding Zoe free for 30 days – the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step.
KEY TAKEAWAYS 👇
🧠 What Zoe is enjoying at the moment
🧠 What is a pulse check on this podcast
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.
Neurodivergent Pulse is a heartfelt, practical podcast for parents, allies, and neurodivergent adults. Hosted by Laetitia (founder of Understanding Zoe, the neuroaffirming app turning every report, observation and meltdown into an actionable next step) with guest pulse checks from her daughter Zoe.
Each 20–30 min episode features expert guests with lived experience, sharing honest stories and actionable insights for real life.
💛 Love what you heard? Subscribe, share with your care village, and leave us a review so more families can find this support.
🔗 Try Understanding Zoe for free today
ABOUT THE HOST 👇
Laetitia Andrac (Autistic & ADHDer) is an award-winning entrepreneur, international speaker, and podcast host.
She is the bestselling author of Light It: How to Trust Your Intuition and Build a Thriving Business. With over 15 years of experience in consulting, strategy, and innovation, Laetitia has worked with industry leaders like Deloitte and Telstra.
Inspired by my journey as a neurodivergent parent, she co-founded Understanding Zoe, an AI-driven solution dedicated to supporting caregivers of neurodivergent children.
Her passion is creating a more neuroinclusive world, where everyone can thrive—whether in their homes, communities, or workplaces.