Adulting with Autism

In this episode of Adulting With Autism, April is joined by Helene Zupanc and Beth Valdez—licensed professional counselors in Arizona with 25+ years of combined experience—about how to interrupt negative thought loops using simple, personalized mantras that actually feel authentic.
Helene and Beth are the co-authors of Sticky Note Mantras: The Art and Science of Choosing Your Thoughts, a practical mental health toolkit built from real therapy sessions: the "one thing" clients needed to remember after they walked out the door. We talk about why the brain gets stuck in repetitive patterns like "I'm not good enough," "I'm not loved," or "I can't," and how the survival brain (including the amygdala) can send false alarms based on old experiences.
This conversation includes:
How to create mantras that work for autistic and neurodivergent adults (without toxic positivity)
Why repetition builds new neural pathways—and what consistency realistically looks like
Tools for regulation beyond talk therapy: somatic yoga, sound therapy, and "bottoms‑up" nervous system support
How to "catch it, check it, change it" when the spiral starts
Self-compassion prompts that don't feel fake—and how gratitude can shift internal dialogue
Practical mantra examples like "That's just a brain glitch," "People will people," and "Just don't stand still."
If you want mental health strategies that are simple, research-informed, and usable on hard days—this episode delivers.
Guests: Helene Zupanc, LPC + Beth Valdez, LPC
Book: Sticky Note Mantras: The Art and Science of Choosing Your Thoughts
Website: https://stickynotemantras.com
Therapy (AZ Telehealth): Available via their website
Topics: autism and adulting, neurodivergent mental health, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, trauma, rumination, self-compassion, gratitude practice, mantras, nervous system regulation, somatic tools.

In this episode of Adulting With Autism, April talks with Princess Merrilee—Ambassador of Love, minister, existential philosopher (Ph.D.), mentor, speaker, and award‑winning international bestselling author—about what it actually means to live by love in a world that constantly triggers fear, distrust, and overwhelm.
Princess Merrilee shares the pivotal moment that shifted her life: during a painful divorce with four kids, bills stacked on the desk, and life feeling like too much—she opened her Bible and felt a clear message: "All you have to do is love." From that promise, she built a practical framework for how love shows up in daily life through communication, patience, diplomacy, and self‑mastery—especially when your nervous system wants to react first and think later.
This conversation explores why so many autistic and neurodivergent adults feel disconnected, how trust breaks through "authentic" but painful communication, and why internal safety starts with learning to pause before spiraling into worst‑case scenarios. We also discuss her concept of "The Game"—a rules‑based way to simplify the complexity of love, identify untrustworthy patterns, and stop self‑sacrificing in relationships that repeatedly cause harm.
If you've been struggling with masking, anxiety, conflict, belonging, or purpose—this episode offers a different lens: love as a practice, love as a discipline, and love as the foundation for a calmer, more connected adult life.
Guest: Princess Merrilee
Website: https://merrileeofsalana.com
Facebook: Princess Merrilee (search by name)
Book: The Game (available by request via email through her website)
Topics: autism and adulting, neurodivergent communication, emotional regulation, anxiety and overwhelm, relationships and trust, self‑forgiveness, self‑worth, purpose, spirituality and mental health, belonging.

In this episode of Adulting With Autism, we sit down with Travis Cournoyer (Lucid Motors engineer, former startup CEO, and author of Courageous Curiosity: Find the Answers Where Everyone Else Is Afraid to Look) to talk about the kind of questions autistic adults and neurodivergent people often carry in silence—the ones we're afraid will make us look "stupid," "too much," or "difficult."
Travis shares the moment that changed his life—moving from shame and silence in graduate school to building a career in high-pressure tech environments by doing the one thing many of us avoid: asking the question anyway. We unpack his definition of a "stupid question" (an honest question you've been shamed for asking), how to disrupt the shame spiral, and practical ways to start speaking up at work, in school, and in everyday life—without abandoning your authenticity.
If you've ever felt like an alien trying to survive adulthood, this one will feel like belonging.
Guest: Travis Cournoyer
Book: Courageous Curiosity (Launch: Nov 14)
Website: https://www.askanyway.org
Topics: autism & adulting, masking, communication, workplace anxiety, shame resilience, neurodivergence, self-advocacy, confidence, asking questions, authenticity.

In this episode of Adulting with Autism, April sits down with Leah Marone — psychotherapist, speaker, and author of Serial Fixer: Break Free from the Habit of Solving Other People's Problems — to unpack why autistic and neurodivergent adults are often vulnerable to people-pleasing, masking, over-accommodating, and chronic burnout.
Leah explains how "fixer mode" can start in childhood as a trauma response or learned pattern tied to love, praise, and survival — and how it becomes an exhausting loop of false ownership, hypervigilance, and anxiety.
In this conversation, we cover:
What it really means to be a "serial fixer" and how to recognize the pattern

Why high emotional intelligence can become premature problem-solving

How anxiety pulls us into the past (rumination) or future (worst-case planning)

The connection between masking, people-pleasing, and losing your authentic self

How to set boundaries without collapsing into guilt or conflict avoidance

Why recovery matters for autistic adults navigating overstimulation and social decoding

Micro-regulation tools for anxiety (cold on the chest, breath, movement, blood flow shifts)

How caregivers can support neurodivergent young adults without "over-solving"

Practical strategies for boundaries and burnout prevention in the workplace

This episode is especially helpful for autistic adults, ADHDers, late-diagnosed individuals, caregivers, and high-achievers who feel stuck in overfunctioning and want to find their own version of calm, balance, and "enoughness."
Guest: Leah Marone Website: leahmarone.com Book: Serial Fixer: Break Free from the Habit of Solving Other People's Problems

If you live in a rural area, you already know the struggle: the internet will have you stuck in the dark ages… and then everybody acts surprised when you can't stream, work, or upload a thing.
In this episode of Adulting with Autism, I'm talking with Mashood Ahmad, founder and CEO of Gigabit IQ — known as the UK's "Safe Broadband Provider." Mashood has spent 25+ years in telecom and broadband, and he's on a mission to make internet access not only fast, but also safer for families.
And y'all… we get into the part parents are exhausted by: online safety. Because once kids hit the internet, it can turn into the Wild West real quick — especially for autistic and neurodivergent kids who may be more vulnerable to manipulation, grooming, cyberbullying, and unsafe content. We talk about why "basic" parental controls aren't enough when you've got 20 devices in one house, and how network-level tools (aka controls that work across your home Wi-Fi) can reduce the chaos.
We also get REAL about:
Why "super fast fiber" isn't always super, fast, or fiber

Roblox, in-game chats, and how "kid games" can still be unsafe

FamilyGuard+ features like age-based filtering, screen time limits, app blocking, alerts, and VPN bypass blocking (because these kids are SMART smart)

How parents can set digital boundaries without turning into full-time detectives

Why safety needs to be the standard — like seatbelts — not an optional add-on

Connect with Mashood / Gigabit IQ: Website: gigabitiq.com Learn about FamilyGuard+: Gigabit IQ FamilyGuard+