A fortnightly podcast about the ludicrous realities of being a parent of neurodivergent kids.
Lapsed comedian Mark Allen has three kids - two diagnosed autistic with ADHD and one suspected autistic.
Each episode, he speaks to a similarly frazzled parent and explores how other neurodiverse families deal with seemingly simple events, such as birthday parties, holidays, mealtimes, and leaving the house.
All content for Neuroshambles is the property of Mark Allen and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
A fortnightly podcast about the ludicrous realities of being a parent of neurodivergent kids.
Lapsed comedian Mark Allen has three kids - two diagnosed autistic with ADHD and one suspected autistic.
Each episode, he speaks to a similarly frazzled parent and explores how other neurodiverse families deal with seemingly simple events, such as birthday parties, holidays, mealtimes, and leaving the house.
Following on from part 1, fan favourite Jo Matthews joins Mark once more for another laughter-filled, cathartic rant through the most mind-bogglingly ill-informed things people have said about raising autistic, ADHD, PDA and otherwise neurodivergent kids.
This one features a fresh batch of well-meaning nonsense, unsolicited advice, and flat-out offensive comments submitted by Neuroshambles listeners. It’s funny, familiar, and frighteningly relatable.
⸻
CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):
00:00 - Intro & Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews Returns
05:30 - "Have you tried a routine?"
10:30 - "Have you tried a parenting course?"
13:30 - “Have you tried changing their diet?”
17:00 - "Why don't you take their screens away?"
20:00 - "Does he have mild autism?"
25:30 - Good autism v bad autism
29:00 - “We’re all a bit autistic"
34:30 - "ADHD is just an excuse"
37:00 - “It doesn't define him”
41:00 - "There's nothing wrong with him"
43:00 - Medical v Social models of disability
47:30 - "My kid does that"
50:00 - “He'll eat when he's hungry"
52:30 - “He'll grow out of it"
54:30 - “He doesn't look autistic"
56:30 - “But, he can talk, so he can’t be autistic”
59:00 - “ADHD is just for boys”
1:01:30 - "What's wrong with him?"
1:02:30 - "I bet he's good at maths"
1:04:30 - "I don't know how you do it"
1:07:00 - Misguided empathy: "I know how you feel"
1:09:00 - "But I do that and I'm not autistic"
1:14:00 - The completely batshit mental comments
1:20:00 - Neurodiversity Champions
1:21:30 - Tiny Epic Wins
1:25:00 - "What the flip?" moments
1:27:30 - Wrap-up & contact info
⸻
LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:
The medical vs social models of disability: www.scope.org.uk/about-us/social-model-of-disability/
Autism assessments (AQ Test): www.embrace-autism.com/aq-10/#test
Bowles Outdoor Centre - www.bowles.rocks
⸻
CONTACT US
📧 Email: hello@neuroshambles.com
📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles
🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod
📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles
🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles
⸻
CREDITS
🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com
Neuroshambles
A fortnightly podcast about the ludicrous realities of being a parent of neurodivergent kids.
Lapsed comedian Mark Allen has three kids - two diagnosed autistic with ADHD and one suspected autistic.
Each episode, he speaks to a similarly frazzled parent and explores how other neurodiverse families deal with seemingly simple events, such as birthday parties, holidays, mealtimes, and leaving the house.
