Join Dr. Regan in an episode about the power of small talk as a social welcome mat and a way of testing the waters before creating longer social connections.  Neurodiverse Love Conference 2025 Use checkout code Theresa50 for $50 off _______ Autism in the Adult website Resources for professionals Video Visits Video Courses      

Join Dr. Regan for this episode of the Lifespan of a Household Series. The episode focuses on the experience of the autistic adult during the seasons of retirement and the empty nest.  Calendar example:      Autism in the Adult website Resources for professionals Video Visits Video Courses  

Join Dr. Regan for this episode of the Lifespan of a Household Series. The episode focuses on the experience of the autistic parent in a household with teens and young adults. Dr. Regan discusses the child's quest for identity and separation and the parent's changing role. She reviews coping strategies for the parent during this time of transition and uncertainty. Autism in the Adult website Resources for professionals Video Visits Video Courses  

Join Dr. Regan for the sixth episode of the Lifespan of a Household Series. The episode focuses on the experience of the autistic parent in a household with preteen children. Dr. Regan discusses the parent's shifting role across the child's developmental seasons, develops images to help parents relate to the shift, and provides practical input about succeeding in these changes in the parenting role.  The Holidays and Autism: Holding Fast and Letting Go Planning a Merry Holiday on the Autism Spectrum How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk   Autism in the Adult website Resources for professionals Video Visits Video Courses      

Join Dr. Regan for the fifth episode of the Lifespan of a Household series. Today's episode focuses on topics important to autistic individuals who are parenting young children.   Autism in the Adult website Resources for professionals Video Visits Video Courses    

Join Dr. Regan for the 4th episode in the Lifespan of a Household series. Today's episode focuses on topics important to the autistic individual who is preparing for parenting.    Autism in the Adult website Resources for professionals Video Visits Video Courses  

Join Dr. Regan for this third episode in the "Lifespan of a Household" series. This episode highlights topics important to living in shared space, including the sensory environment, alone time, and control over objects. Also, check out links to resources on her website and a transcript of the episode below.  Autism in the Adult website Resources for professionals Video Visits Video Courses   Hi, everyone. Thanks for joining me for this third episode in our series on autism and the lifespan of a household. My name is Dr. Theresa Regan, and I'm your host. I'm a neuropsychologist, a certified autism specialist, and mom to a young adult on the spectrum. This series is the result of listener requests about living as a couple or as a family within a shared household. And as we've touched on, one of the challenges of tackling the topic is that households can take so many different forms. And I know that I can't do them all justice in just one series, but I wanted to touch on some important life seasons within a household. So our first episode was about dating, and the second covered the topic of physical intimacy and relationships. And today we're going to talk about sharing physical space with other people. So joining households, living in the same space. I'll also let you know that a lot of my website renovations have been completed. There are still some things I'm tweaking and trying to make work better, but lots of the pages are active and working. And I also now have the new service of video visits for people to consult me about the topic of autism or how that impacts you in your household. There are some geographic limitations and there are some specifics about payment and if you are interested in that type of service head on over to my website at adultandgeriatricautism.com and look under video visits. So there are many different instances where physical space might be shared in a type of household. So we may be talking about a traditional couple or a family household or even other situations like having roommates or renting a portion of someone else's home. And sharing living space can be complex for lots of reasons, but for the autistic, there may be a few specific challenges that we could cover in the episode today that would help people navigate those things. So in particular, we're going to cover the sensory environment, alone time, and having control over objects. So let's tackle the sensory environment first. First, because the autistic individual may have sensory sensitivities, living in the household with other people may be overwhelming because people bump into each other or reach over each other or they brush against each other to navigate the physical space. Noise can be another sensory input that's elevated in a household, and the noise could include voices, babies crying, arguments, even just surround noise like television or music. How things smell can be important to someone on the spectrum. The scent of food cooking or aftershave, candles, cigarettes, cleaning products, taste and texture can come into play if we're talking about shared groceries or family meals, does everyone have to eat the same thing? Let's not forget about visual inputs. So not only does this include lighting, but a very common issue that I hear about is concern for the visual space or having visual chaos. So for some on the spectrum, the sight of a visual messiness or overcrowdedness or chaos can be overwhelming. And this could include things like decorations, messy work areas, things on the floor, clothes, garbage, food, strewn about various surfaces. And this visual chaos can feel overwhelming. Now, before you start laughing because you've seen someone's space and you know that they're not concerned about visual chaos, that's true. Not everyone on the spectrum will have the same sensory processing feature. And neither will everyone who is neurotypical. So people in the household will have different preferences. Many people on

Dr. Regan continues the series about the lifespan of a relationship and/or household. The first episode focused on dating relationships, and this second episode focuses on sexual intimacy in relationships with an autistic partner.    Dr. Regan's Resources: Empowered Parenting Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians      

Dr. Regan begins a new series about the lifespan of a relationship and/or household. This first episode focuses on dating relationships. The episode provides practical insights and strategies to help you make informed and intentional choices in your relationships, ensuring they are fulfilling and sustainable for both partners. Dr. Regan's Resources: Empowered Parenting Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians      

Join Dr. Regan for the final episode of the Powerful Self-Care Series. Rather than becoming the victim of an intense world, constantly in survival mode, learn strategies for self-care. This episode focuses on how to increase resilience in active and effective ways. Empowered Parenting   Dr. Regan's Resources: Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians    

Join Dr. Regan for this second episode of the Powerful Self-Care Series. Rather than becoming the victim of an intense world, constantly in survival mode, learn strategies to become effective with self-care. This episode focuses on how to reduce draining inputs in order to budget your resilience.  Explore Dr. Regan's new Learning and Equipping page and the specific course page for "Empowered Parenting."  Dr. Regan's Resources: Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians    

Join Dr. Regan for this first episode of a new self-care series. Rather than becoming the victim of an intense world, constantly in survival mode, learn strategies to become powerful at self-care. The first step is self-awareness which can begin by noticing your fight, flight, freeze, and physical reactions to events and experiences.  Explore Dr. Regan's new Learning and Equipping page and the specific course page for "Empowered Parenting."  Dr. Regan's Resources: Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians    

Join Dr. Regan for the third and final episode of the Communication Series. This episode highlights ways to communicate while talking about challenging topics.    Explore Dr. Regan's new Learning and Equipping page and the specific course page for "Empowered Parenting."    Dr. Regan's Resources: Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians    

Join Dr. Regan for the second episode in the Communication Series. This episode highlights ways to use communication to protect and grow relationships.    Dr. Regan's Resources: Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians    

Join Dr. Regan for the first episode of the new Communication Series. This first episode highlights moments of connection, such as talking in the car, going out on date night, and catching up with a friend. Tune in to hear what to avoid and what to focus on to enhance connection.    Dr. Regan's Resources: Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians      

In this third episode of the executive function series, Dr. Regan discusses sticking, releasing, and switching gears in everyday life.  Related resources: Podcast Episode: Autism and "Just Right" Podcast Episode: Gaining Momentum for Activities Amazon: Time Timer (I don't receive any income from your purchase)   Dr. Regan's Resources: Zur Institute courses for clinicians Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians    

The Holidays and Autism: Holding Fast and Letting Go Planning a Merry Holiday on the Autism Spectrum

In this second episode of the executive function series, Dr. Regan breaks down how speed, working memory, and sequencing impact daily life.  I Love Lucy chocolate factory TV clip Executive Function Book Series by Dawson and Guare: Smart But Scattered (children's version) Smart But Scattered (Teen version) Smart But Scattered (adult version)   Dr. Regan's Master Class for Clinicians (Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec 2023) Zur Institute: Master Class   Dr. Regan's Resources Book: Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians Read the transcript:  100:00:05,570 --> 00:00:06,059Hello, 200:00:06,070 --> 00:00:06,820everyone. 300:00:06,829 --> 00:00:08,659This is Doctor Regan. 400:00:08,670 --> 00:00:13,670I'm joining you for an episode of Autism in the adult podcast. 500:00:14,020 --> 00:00:14,880For those of you. 600:00:14,890 --> 00:00:16,260New to the podcast. 700:00:16,270 --> 00:00:18,020I'm a neuropsychologist, 800:00:18,030 --> 00:00:20,190a certified autism specialist, 900:00:20,420 --> 00:00:25,180and the founder and director of an autism diagnostic clinic for adolescents, 1000:00:25,190 --> 00:00:28,940adults and aging adults in Central Illinois. 1100:00:29,549 --> 00:00:35,240And today you are listening to the second episode in a series on executive function. 1200:00:35,750 --> 00:00:47,139And this is a topic we're covering because many of the strengths and challenges that go along with the autistic neurology fall within the realm of executive function. 1300:00:48,849 --> 00:00:51,619Before we dive into that topic for today, 1400:00:51,759 --> 00:00:58,540I'd like to thank Amanda who pointed out that my diagnostic terms in the first episode were imprecise. 1500:00:58,830 --> 00:01:03,279I use terms that are common in my day to day interactions with patients, 1600:01:03,290 --> 00:01:04,819families and physicians, 1700:01:05,080 --> 00:01:07,900which are the terms ADD and ADHD. 1800:01:08,089 --> 00:01:09,099However, 1900:01:09,110 --> 00:01:16,800the most precise and current terminology is ADHD predominantly inattentive presentation. 2000:01:17,379 --> 00:01:21,389ADHD predominantly hyperactive -  2100:01:21,470 --> 00:01:26,199impulsive presentation, or ADHD combined presentation. 2200:01:27,379 --> 00:01:29,589And I guess in reviewing that in my mind, 2300:01:29,599 --> 00:01:32,720I think it's similar with the term dementia, 2400:01:32,730 --> 00:01:37,550which is often still used in day to day language in clinical settings, 2500:01:37,559 --> 00:01:42,690even though the most recent and precise term is major neurocognitive disorder. 2600:01:43,360 --> 00:01:43,650So, 2700:01:43,660 --> 00:01:44,410thanks Amanda, 2800:01:44,419 --> 00:01:51,279I'll stick to being precise and specific in podcasts about the topic of ADHD 2900:01:51,839 --> 00:01:55,230And instead of using each of the subtypes, 3000:01:55,239 --> 00:02:07,379I will just use the term ADHD unless I'm speaking about specific features of one subtype. As we discussed in the first episode, 3100:02:07,389 --> 00:02:16,580executive function is really a broad term and it's includes multiple subfunctions or subcategories. 3200:02:17,179 --> 00:02:33,800And this is a series that I really encourage you to listen to the first episode before listening to subsequent episodes because it really went through a lot of layers of explaining executive function, ADHD, and autism ... 3300:02:34,350 --> 00:02:37,160how those relate or don't relate to each other. 3400:02:38,539 --> 00:02:43,720So the subcategories of executive function include things like attention, 3500:02:43,990 --> 00:02:45,919goal directed persistence, 3600:02:45,929 --> 00:02:47,949organization, response 3700:02:47,960 --> 00:02:50,020inhibition and several more. 3800:02:50,

Do you understand what Executive Function (EF) refers to and why it is important? If you have EF difficulties, have you been diagnosed with ADHD? Do you wonder if you have a diagnosis of autism or if you should have a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD? Dr. Regan breaks down the concepts and shares about the relationship between EF, ADHD, and autism.    Executive Function Book Series by Dawson and Guare: Smart But Scattered (children's version) Smart But Scattered (Teen version) Smart But Scattered (adult version)   Dr. Regan's Master Class for Clinicians: Zur Institute: Master Class   Dr. Regan's Resources Book: Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians   Read the transcript:   100:00:07,670 --> 00:00:08,560Hi there. 200:00:08,569 --> 00:00:13,960This is Doctor Regan joining you for an episode of Autism in the Adult podcast. 300:00:14,850 --> 00:00:16,670I'm a neuropsychologist, 400:00:16,680 --> 00:00:24,350the founder and director of an autism diagnostic clinic in Central Illinois and the parent of a teen on the spectrum. 500:00:25,180 --> 00:00:25,899Today, 600:00:25,909 --> 00:00:31,610you are joining me for the first episode in a new series about executive function. 700:00:31,989 --> 00:00:36,509And I'm really excited for the series since announcing the topic. 800:00:36,520 --> 00:00:38,509At the end of our last episode, 900:00:38,520 --> 00:00:45,709I've received lots of emails from interested listeners before we dive into today's episode. 1000:00:45,720 --> 00:00:45,990Though, 1100:00:46,000 --> 00:00:50,490I wanna give a shout out to the clinicians and professionals who may be listening. 1200:00:50,799 --> 00:01:00,610I'm currently developing a master class with the continuing education platform called Zur Institute. 1300:01:01,020 --> 00:01:04,010This offering is unique for several reasons. 1400:01:04,019 --> 00:01:05,449One is the format, 1500:01:06,050 --> 00:01:09,550there will be four 2-hour webinars, 1600:01:09,559 --> 00:01:11,949one in each of September, 1700:01:12,209 --> 00:01:13,099October, 1800:01:13,110 --> 00:01:16,180November and December of 2023. 1900:01:16,809 --> 00:01:23,629And the first hour will be education while the second full hour will be reserved for discussion, 2000:01:23,639 --> 00:01:32,519question and answer and interaction with you about clinical questions and practice issues related to the topic for that day. 2100:01:32,889 --> 00:01:44,419Another unique feature of this offering will be the focus on advanced topics. So click on the link in the show notes to read more about the topics and how to sign up. 2200:01:45,330 --> 00:01:49,569If you are a clinician wanting beginner or intermediate courses, 2300:01:49,599 --> 00:01:54,440check out my other offerings on Zur or at my website, 2400:01:54,449 --> 00:01:57,819which is also linked through the show notes. 2500:01:58,440 --> 00:01:59,040All right, 2600:01:59,050 --> 00:02:01,580let's talk about executive function. 2700:02:02,449 --> 00:02:07,800I'll warn you that today's episode will require some executive function to get through. 2800:02:08,350 --> 00:02:14,740And I've spent a lot of time trying to make sure that I'm linking all of the themes together. 2900:02:15,179 --> 00:02:16,649So with that in mind, 3000:02:16,800 --> 00:02:22,440I want to start off with just a general definition of executive function. 3100:02:24,440 --> 00:02:26,500Later in our talks, 3200:02:26,509 --> 00:02:34,229we will cover a more precise and descriptive definition including sub elements and what we might call those. 3300:02:35,020 --> 00:02:45,990So executive function refers to a set of brain based abilities related to the functioning of the pathways connecting the center and the front of the brain. 3400:02:46,679 -->

Have you ever struggled over whether to accept an invitation or opportunity? Should I say yes, or no? Join Dr. Regan as she discusses the importance of identifying goals and asking "what might that look like" before making a final decision.    Previous podcast episodes mentioned: Attention Deficit Disorder and Autism: Similarities and Differences Dr. Regan's Master Class for Clinicians: Zur Institute: Master Class   Dr. Regan's Resources Book: Understanding Autism in Adults and Aging Adults, 2nd ed Audiobook Book: Understanding Autistic Behaviors Autism in the Adult website homepage Website Resources for Clinicians   Read the transcript: 100:00:07,670 --> 00:00:08,520Hi there. 200:00:08,529 --> 00:00:13,520This is Doctor Regan joining you for an episode of Autism in the Adult podcast. 300:00:13,760 --> 00:00:15,029I'm your host. 400:00:15,039 --> 00:00:18,739I'm also a neuropsychologist, author and speaker, 500:00:19,000 --> 00:00:24,719a certified autism specialist and the parent of a teen on the autism spectrum. 600:00:25,850 --> 00:00:29,040You are joining me today for an episode entitled, 700:00:29,049 --> 00:00:30,620"what might that look like?" 800:00:30,909 --> 00:00:35,240One of the things that clients and families often ask me is, 900:00:35,250 --> 00:00:39,909"should we plan on this" or "should I say yes to this?" 1000:00:40,189 --> 00:00:40,669Now, 1100:00:40,680 --> 00:00:48,659this could mean being the best man at a family wedding or taking a family vacation to a cabin in the woods. 1200:00:49,419 --> 00:00:53,509It could mean accepting a full time job in an office setting. 1300:00:54,299 --> 00:00:55,029Now, 1400:00:55,529 --> 00:00:58,509my response is rarely yes or no, 1500:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,270but rather "what might that look like?" 1600:01:02,590 --> 00:01:05,519So before we jump into the topic for today, 1700:01:05,529 --> 00:01:09,559we are coming up to the third anniversary of this podcast, 1800:01:09,879 --> 00:01:19,639the first episode launched on August 7th 2020 it highlighted similarities and differences between autism and ADD or ADHD. 1900:01:20,050 --> 00:01:20,379Now, 2000:01:20,389 --> 00:01:33,279this premiere episode is one of the most popular of the podcast and I plan to expand this topic into a series after today's episode which will further define executive function, 2100:01:33,550 --> 00:01:41,050its presentation in autism and ADD, and resources for harnessing the power of executive function. 2200:01:42,199 --> 00:01:43,089Secondly, 2300:01:43,099 --> 00:01:46,930I want to inform clinicians about an upcoming master class. 2400:01:46,940 --> 00:01:52,069I'm offering through Zur Institute about autism across the lifespan. 2500:01:53,190 --> 00:02:04,459I received so many emails and messages through my website about people seeking autism informed clinicians to provide them with diagnostic input information, 2600:02:04,470 --> 00:02:08,919education and solutions for roadblocks they may have encountered. 2700:02:09,649 --> 00:02:17,270So the bottom line is that more clinicians are needed to serve individuals who are searching for this specialization. 2800:02:17,600 --> 00:02:28,779And my response has been to offer multiple courses through Zur Institute. It's a continuing education site for clinicians. 2900:02:29,330 --> 00:02:36,809My goal is to equip clinicians across various regions to assist individuals in their communities. 3000:02:36,860 --> 00:02:39,320When this type of service is needed, 3100:02:39,979 --> 00:02:51,729the master class offering will focus on advanced topics and it starts in September space is limited and I'll have the link in the show notes. 3200:02:52,360 --> 00:02:55,449So let's jump into our topic for today. 3300:02:56,380 --> 00:03:10,369The autistic individual may have opportunities to accept or decline invitations and the invitation may be to enter an ad