Neurodiversity Podcast

When creating policies and environments for neurodivergent students, schools frequently rely on outward observations, behavioral data, and the opinions of non-autistic professionals. But this approach often misses the most critical perspective of all: the lived, internal experience of autistic individuals. Today, Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes David Rivera, an autistic self-advocate, UC Berkeley student, and founder of the nonprofit organization Mentoring Autistic Minds, and they talk about why autistic adults must be recognized as a primary epistemic resource in the fight for educational reform.
Drawing from his own years in a highly segregated special education system, David talks about the culture that still permeates many schools. They discuss how the pathology model of autism hides within everyday language, why forced social skills groups fail to build genuine connection, and how true accommodations should act as scaffolding rather than a ceiling on a student's potential.
TAKEAWAYS
Autistic adults offer a unique epistemic resource, and must be consulted when creating autism policy and neurodiversity-affirming environments.

The pathology model of autism frequently manifests through implicit ableist language and a focus on cures rather than improving quality of life.

Segregating special education students creates immediate feelings of being othered and prevents organic peer relationships.

Effective mentorship for neurodivergent youth requires active listening without immediately attempting to provide or force solutions.

Late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults are frequently missed in clinical settings because their presentations - often masked by high intellect, outward compliance, or severe perfectionism - fail to match traditional diagnostic expectations. Join Emily Kircher-Morris for a targeted continuing education training video course designed to equip mental health professionals with the updated frameworks necessary to identify and support this population. This session covers the clinical complexities of burnout, masking, and the internalized stigma that accompanies late identification. Earn 1.5 APA and NBCC-approved CE hours for taking this course. Do so at neurodiversity.university, or by clicking here.
David Rivera is an autistic self-advocate and the founder of Mentoring Autistic Minds, a California-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing neurodiversity through mentorship, education, and community support. His work focuses on empowering autistic individuals while helping families, educators, and communities build more inclusive and understanding environments.
Through his advocacy, David promotes a broader vision of a neurodiversity-affirming society, where autistic voices are centered and supported. His leadership and lived experience continue to shape conversations around inclusion, access, and meaningful connection.
BACKGROUND READING
Mentoring Autistic Minds website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Podcast
The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com
If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.

When a student or child is dysregulated, adults often focus entirely on finding the right words to say or the appropriate consequence to give. But what if the most critical factor in that interaction isn't the consequence itself, but the energy of the adult delivering it?
Dr. Lori Desautels, an educator, researcher, and professor of applied educational neuroscience at Butler University, joins the podcast to reframe how we approach discipline, emotional regulation, and transitions. Her latest manual, Body and Brain Brilliance, emphasizes that true support, whether in a classroom or a living room, must begin with the adult's own nervous system.
Emily and Lori discuss why transitions are biologically exhausting, how to build a vocabulary around physical sensations, and why traditional, punitive discipline models often escalate neurodivergent students. Lori also outlines a practical, compassionate framework for repairing ruptures between teachers and students, shifting the focus away from sheer compliance and toward co-regulation.
TAKEAWAYS
A dysregulated adult cannot effectively regulate a dysregulated child, making the adult's own awareness the first pillar of support.

The goal isn't to be perfectly calm all the time, it's to cultivate "embodied awareness," recognizing the physical signs of when your nervous system is activated.

Transitions are difficult because the brain consumes significant energy moving from a predictable, comfortable state into new expectations or environments.

Effective discipline often requires an adult to offer their grounded nervous system to a child who needs to borrow a little stability.

Outward behavior is not necessarily defiance, it's often an indicator that the nervous system is struggling and requires support.

Late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults are frequently missed in clinical settings because their presentations - often masked by high intellect, outward compliance, or severe perfectionism - fail to match traditional diagnostic expectations. Join Emily Kircher-Morris on May 1st for a targeted continuing education training designed to equip mental health professionals with the updated frameworks necessary to identify and support this population. This session covers the clinical complexities of burnout, masking, and the internalized stigma that accompanies late identification. Earn 1.5 APA and NBCC-approved CE hours (available live or via recorded independent study) by registering at neurodiversity.university or clicking here.
Dr. Lori Desautels is an educator, researcher, and professor of Applied Educational Neuroscience at Butler University, where she teaches graduate students and advances research connecting brain science to classroom practice. Her work centers on trauma-accommodating, neurodiversity-affirming frameworks that support both educators and students.
Dr. Desautels is the author of several books, including her newest manual, Body and Brain Brilliance, which outlines the four pillars of the Applied Educational Neuroscience framework. Her approach provides Tier One strategies that integrate regulation, relationship, and brain-based practices to foster environments where adults, children, and youth can thrive.
BACKGROUND READING
Lori's website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn
The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com.
If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.

How often do we label someone "unmotivated" or "defiant" when they fail to start a task? What if the barrier isn't a lack of will, but an inability to simulate the future?
Sarah Ward, a speech-language pathologist and co-director of Cognitive Connections, joins Emily to redefine how we conceptualize executive function. Sarah moves the conversation beyond the ability to get things done and instead frames it as a complex mental simulation. They discuss the "time horizon" and why students with ADHD often experience time blindness not as a lack of awareness, but as a developmentally delayed ability to see future tasks with clarity. They also discuss some visual strategies to bridge this gap, shifting the burden of regulation from the adult to the student's own internal self-talk.
TAKEAWAYS
Executive function includes the ability to pre-imagine and simulate a task in the mind's eye before taking action.

Planning includes anticipating the hidden steps, such as parking, finding materials, or teacher expectations.

Students with ADHD may have a time horizon that is years behind their peers.

Motivation often stems from the ability to pre-feel the relief, pride, or even the anxiety of a future moment.

Independence is often built through a "model, help, watch" progression that turns external adult prompts into internal self-directed talk.

Late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults are frequently missed in clinical settings because their presentations - often masked by high intellect, outward compliance, or severe perfectionism - fail to match traditional diagnostic expectations. Join Emily Kircher-Morris on May 1st for a targeted continuing education training designed to equip mental health professionals with the updated frameworks necessary to identify and support this population. This session covers the clinical complexities of burnout, masking, and the internalized stigma that accompanies late identification. Earn 1.5 APA and NBCC-approved CE hours (available live or via recorded independent study) by registering at neurodiversity.university or clicking here.
Sarah Ward, M.S., CCC/SLP is an internationally recognized expert in executive function with over 25 years of experience supporting individuals with executive dysfunction. She is the Co-Director of Cognitive Connections and co-creator of the award-winning 360 Thinking Executive Function Program, which received the Innovative Promising Practices Award from CHADD for its practical, research-informed strategies.
Sarah has presented to more than 2,000 public and private schools and organizations around the world. Her latest work, The Time Tracker Program, is a groundbreaking three-volume series designed to help students shift from adult-managed to self-regulated time management. In 2023, she and her co-director, Kristen Jacobsen, were named one of the Top 10 Professional Development Providers by Education Technology Insights Magazine for their global impact on executive function in education.
BACKGROUND READING
Sarah's website, Twitter/X
The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com.
If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.

Interoception plays a pivotal role in how all people perceive and engage with their bodies and the world around them. For neurodivergent people, the differences we experience in interoception can have a bigger effect than we might expect. From the very sensation of 'feeling our feelings,' to the day-to-day experiences and potential supports for those with variations in their interoceptive system, we dig into the subject with Dr. Kelly Mahler, an occupational therapist and professor at Elizabethtown University. How well do we truly understand interoception, and how does it influence those who process it differently? Plus lots more, on this reprise conversation, episode 313.
Late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults are frequently missed in clinical settings because their presentations - often masked by high intellect, outward compliance, or severe perfectionism - fail to match traditional diagnostic expectations. Join Emily Kircher-Morris on May 1st for a targeted continuing education training designed to equip mental health professionals with the updated frameworks necessary to identify and support this population. This session covers the clinical complexities of burnout, masking, and the internalized stigma that accompanies late identification. Earn 1.5 APA and NBCC-approved CE hours (available live or via recorded independent study) by registering at neurodiversity.university or clicking here.
Kelly Mahler is an occupational therapist who has served both school-aged children and adults for the last 20 years. She earned a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University in Dallas, PA, and has won multiple awards, including the 2020 American Occupational Therapy Association Emerging and Innovative Practice Award & a Mom's Choice Gold Medal. Kelly is an adjunct faculty member at Elizabethtown College as well as at Misericordia University, and is a co-principal investigator in several research projects pertaining to topics such as interoception, self-regulation, trauma & autism.
BACKGROUND READING
Kelly's website, Facebook group, Instagram, Twitter/X, YouTube
The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com.
If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.

In this episode, Emily sits down with Dr. Danika Maddocks to deconstruct why conventional parenting advice - like reward charts and strict consequences - often backfires for gifted and twice-exceptional (2E) children. They explore the concept of capacity, the intense drive for autonomy inherent in bright minds, and how to pivot from power struggles to collaborative problem-solving. Whether you are navigating demand avoidance or simply trying to survive the bedtime routine, this evidence-based conversation offers a permission slip to parent the child in front of you, not the one described in the manuals.
TAKEAWAYS
Behavior is often a reflection of a child's current internal capacity rather than a willful choice. When a child won't do something, it is often because they can't in that specific moment.

Hierarchical parenting styles can trigger a threat response, leading to what looks like defiance but is actually a search for safety and control.

A child's ability to handle a task can change daily based on sensory input, sleep, and emotional regulation.

Moving from "How do I make them do this?" to "What is making this hard for them?" shifts the dynamic from a power struggle to a team collaboration.

Many parenting rules are based on societal expectations rather than functional necessity. Reducing arbitrary limits can significantly lower the tension in a neurodivergent household.

A reminder to sign up for a live 90-minute training workshop Emily will be presenting for parents, educators, and clinicians on Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 12:30 PM Eastern, 9:30 AM Pacific. She joins with Elizabeth Sautter to provide a neurodiversity-affirming framework that helps kids and teens build real emotional regulation and resilience without shame, pressure, or power struggles. If you can't join live, a recording will be available shortly after the presentation ends. Register here.
Dr. Danika Maddocks is a gifted and twice-exceptional (2e) parent coach and the founder of The Gifted Learning Lab. She supports parents in letting go of one-size-fits-all parenting pressures and creating a family life that truly fits the needs of their neurodivergent kids and themselves.
With over 15 years of experience as an educator, therapist, researcher, and consultant, Danika's approach is grounded in the neurodiversity paradigm and shaped by both professional insight and lived experience. As someone who grew up gifted, later recognized her own twice-exceptionality, and is now raising a young gifted/2e child, she brings empathy, expertise, and a deep understanding of what gifted and 2e families truly need.
BACKGROUND READING
Reducing Power Struggles free course, Instagram, Facebook
The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you're invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com.
If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.