Neurodiversity Podcast
Psychology & Relationships
About
The Neurodiversity Podcast talks with leaders in the fields of psychology, education, and beyond, about positively impacting neurodivergent people. Our goal is to reframe differences that were once considered disabilities or disorders, promote awareness of this unique population, and improve the lives of neurodivergent and high-ability people.
Episodes
- Deconstructing Gifted Burnout
When highly capable children spend years cruising through an educational system where academic rigor is geared toward the average, they fail to develop the neurological muscles required to process difficulty. This week, we present an encor…
- Waiting for Sleep: Chronobiology and Neurodivergence
When a neurodivergent child or teen struggles with daytime focus, emotional volatility, or low frustration tolerance, caregivers naturally look for behavioral or psychological explanations. However, chronic sleep deprivation frequently hid…
- Understanding ADHD Children
Dr. Sharon Saline, a clinical psychologist and author, explains how to understand children with ADHD better. She discusses how ADHD can complicate parent-child relationships. This conversation was previously released.
- From Special Ed to Law School: Redefining Autistic Potential
David Rivera, an autistic self-advocate, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to discuss the need to include autistic individuals' lived experiences in educational policy. They explore the negative impacts of the pathology model in schools, the inef…
- The Secret Ingredients for Emotional Regulation
Dr. Lori Desautels explains that an adult's nervous system state is critical for regulating a dysregulated child. The discussion covers why transitions are taxing, how to develop a vocabulary for sensations, and challenges punitive discipl…
- Beyond Motivation: Why We Struggle to Start
Sarah Ward explains executive function as a mental simulation of future tasks, challenging the notion of "unmotivated" individuals. She details how ADHD can impact this simulation, leading to "time blindness," and discusses strategies to s…
- Interoception Is a Sense Few Understand
This episode features Dr. Kelly Mahler discussing interoception, a sense that influences body perception and engagement with the world. The conversation explores how variations in interoception affect neurodivergent individuals, touching u…
- Why Conventional Parenting Fails 2E Kids
Dr. Danika Maddocks explains to host Emily why conventional parenting methods fail neurodivergent children, emphasizing that behavior reflects capacity and advocating for collaborative problem-solving over power struggles.
- The Lost Girls of ADHD: Inattentive in Girls and Women
Cynthia Hammer, author and founder of the Inattentive ADHD Coalition, discusses the frequent misdiagnosis of inattentive ADHD in girls and women with host Emily Kircher-Morris. They cover subtle signs, the link between ADHD and autism, mas…
- Radical Self-Grace: Accepting the Brain You Have
This episode features Kyrus Keenan Westcott discussing his ADHD diagnosis at 34, the emotional journey of acceptance, and the challenges neurodivergent individuals face with task initiation and the Western 9-to-5 structure. The conversatio…
- The Friendship Playbook: Building Connection on Your Own Terms
Why does friendship feel like an intuitive gift for some, but a complex, manual process for others? This week, Emily Kircher-Morris sits down with social-emotional learning expert Caroline Maguire, author of the award-winning Why Will No O…
- Belonging Before Achievement: Redesigning Middle School for Neurodivergent Minds
In this episode, Emily sits down with education leader, school founder, and author Chris Balme to completely reframe how we view the middle school years. Rather than treating early adolescence as a miserable phase to simply muddle through,…
- Accepting and Embracing Your Autistic Self
This week, Emily sits down with advisory teacher Rebecca Duffus, and neurodiversity advocate Lyric Rivera, to discuss the critical shift from viewing autism as a purely medical diagnosis to embracing it as a core identity. Lyric shares the…
- Self-Compassion, Mindfulness, and Letting Go of Perfect
Parenting often feels like a high-stakes balancing act, especially when raising neurodivergent children. The pressure to get it right, advocate effectively, and manage dysregulation can leave parents frustrated and exhausted. But what if t…
- Child-Led Support: The Concept of Compromise Over Compliance
Child-led support is often misunderstood. Some imagine it as a chaotic free-for-all where the child runs the show. Some worry it means abandoning all structure. In reality, a child-led approach is about moving from being a director to bein…
- Unmasking Autism: Why You Might Feel Like an Imposter
This week, Emily Kircher-Morris sits down with Sol Smith, the founder of the NeuroSpicy Community and author of The Autistic's Guide to Self-Discovery . Sol brings two decades of education, and his lived experience as an Autistic, ADHD, an…
- The Empathetic Classroom: A Mental Health Mindset for Educators
Why do certain student behaviors trigger an intense emotional reaction in us? According to Maria Munro-Schuster, it often has less to do with the child and more to do with our own history. In this episode, Emily sits down with Maria, a lic…
- Connection Before Correction: Autism Understanding & Support
David Smith spent years working as a therapist specializing in neurodiversity-affirming care, but it wasn't until age 56, prompted by his wife and his own clients, that he sought his own autism diagnosis. That confirmation fundamentally sh…
- Parenting the Child You Have (Not the One You Expected)
"Parent the child you have," is a common piece of advice in the neurodiversity community, but what does it actually look like in practice when stress is high and patience is low? Why do traditional consequences often fail to build the skil…
- The Myth of Willful Defiance with Ross Greene
Episode 300! For decades, the standard response to challenging behavior has been simple: reward the good, punish the bad. But what if non-compliance isn't a sign of disrespect, but a signal of distress? Why do traditional behavioral framew…
- Unlocking Motivation in Neurodivergent Children (reprise)
Emily Kircher-Morris chats today with Diane Dempster and Elaine Taylor-Klaus from Impact Parents, hosts of the Parenting with Impact podcast. They talk about the challenge of motivating neurodivergent kids, and break down why it's so chall…
- 2E Or Not 2E: The Nuts and Bolts of Twice-Exceptionality (reprise)
Many brilliant young people experience the dichotomy of disability layered on top of their intelligence. It's called twice-exceptionality, or 2e for short. What are the common misconceptions about twice-exceptional individuals? How do trad…
- Measuring Thinking Rather Than Knowledge with Dr. Jack Naglieri (reprise)
As we wrap up 2025, we are featuring some of our most important conversations, including this conversation about IQ, intelligence, and intelligence assessment. Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Dr. Jack Naglieri, an emeritus professor at Georg…
- Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria with Dr. Bill Dodson (reprise)
Emily Kircher-Morris and Dr. William Dodson have a conversation about the complexities of ADHD, in which they discuss emotional dysregulation, Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD), and social anxiety. They talk about how RSD manifests in…
- Building a Culture of Inclusion and Belonging
Emily Kircher-Morris is joined by Tim Villegas, the Director of Communications at the Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education (MCIE) and the founder and host of the Think Inclusive Podcast , to discuss the concept of inclusion in educat…
- Late Diagnosis ADHD: Looking Back for Context, Looking Forward for Clarity
Today, Emily Kircher-Morris talks with Carla Ciccone, a Toronto-based writer and author of the book Nowhere Girl, about her experiences with ADHD, identity, and motherhood. Carla talks about dealing with her late diagnosis of ADHD, and the…
- The Over-Under on Achievement with Jim Delisle
Cookie-cutter curriculum can be Kryptonite to a gifted kid, and can often spark a decline into a place where underachievement becomes the norm. Dr. Jim Delisle helps us probe the world of underachievement, and suggests ways to help people…
- Presuming Competence: A Nonspeaking Person Finds His Voice
Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Sumit and Viraj Dhanda, a father-son duo who are working to update and rethink norms around communication, intelligence, and inclusion. Viraj is a nonspeaking autistic student who was diagnosed with autism and…
- Building Henry's Classroom: An Advocacy Master Class
Emily Kircher-Morris talks with writer Amy Mackin, author of Henry's Classroom: A Special Education in American Motherhood , about her experiences navigating the special education system for her son, Henry. They discuss the challenges of a…
- Adult-Diagnosed ADHD: Grieving What Might Have Been
Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Dr. Jennifer Dall, a grief-informed neurodivergence specialist and the founder of ADHD Holistically. Jennifer was diagnosed with ADHD in her 50s, and is now an educator, administrator, coach, and grief special…
- Parenting Through the Chaos and Finding Peace (reprise)
aising kids and teens who struggle with emotional regulation can be tough. Parents must navigate the complexities of societal pressures, and it can lower self-esteem and cause self-doubt. Today we talk about some essential strategies to es…
- Beyond the Lesson Plan: Vulnerability Builds Bridges
Emily Kircher-Morris sits down with Tom Rademacher, an award-winning educator and author, to explore the nuances of creating affirming educational environments. They discuss the importance of vulnerability in teaching, the impact of neurod…
- The Pressure and Peril of Perfectionism
On this episode, Emily Kircher-Morris chats with licensed mental health counselor Leon Garber, host of the Seize the Moment podcast, about the complexities of perfectionism. They explore the many layers, its ties to neurodivergence, and it…
- Epilepsy Through the Lens of a Mother's Love
In this episode, Emily Kircher-Morris has a heartfelt conversation with Lake Bell, an award-winning actress, writer, and director, who opens up about her journey as a mother navigating her daughter Nova's epilepsy diagnosis. Emily and Lake…
- Finding Magic in Neurodiversity and Vice Versa
Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Cody Clark, a magician and autistic self-advocate, to talk about Cody's unique approach to blending storytelling and sleight of hand to offer audiences a more authentic perspective on autism. They discuss Cody…
- The Self-Regulation Revolution: Mastering Executive Function
Emily Kircher-Morris sits down with Sarah Kesty, an executive function coach and host of the Executive Function podcast, to talk about challenges and strategies for supporting neurodivergent individuals with executive function and emotiona…
- Surfing Waves of Emotion Through Emotional Regulation
On episode 282, Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes occupational therapist and author Tracey DeMaria, to explore emotional regulation through a metaphor of "surfing the waves." They talk about how the analogy helps both children and adults visua…
- What Behavior is Really Telling Us
In this episode, Emily Kircher-Morris sits down with Joshua Stamper, author of The Language of Behavior, to explore decoding and rethinking behavior. Joshua describes his personal journey from a reluctant student to an inspiring educator,…
- Playing May Be the Most Important Work We Do
On today's episode, Emily Kircher-Morris talks about the transformative power of play with Georgie Wisen-Vincent, a nationally recognized expert in play therapy. Emily and Georgie explore how play supports emotional resilience, not just in…
- Christopher Willard on Mental Health, Education, and Farts (!?)
Emily Kircher-Morris talks with Dr. Christopher Willard, a clinical psychologist and author, about the complexities of life's major transitions. At this time of year, this is an especially-important conversation, as some students prepare f…
- Revisiting Girls and ADHD
Generalizations about ADHD haven't done girls any favors. ADHD often manifests very differently in girls than in boys. What causes parents, educators, and even doctors, to view the symptoms of ADHD differently with girls? We know that mask…
- Why Do We Still Debate Overexcitabilities?
Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Dr. Chris Wells, a writer, researcher, and podcaster who specializes in positive disintegration. They break down the theory of positive disintegration, developed by Kazimierz Dąbrowski, and its relevance to pe…
- Love on the Spectrum's Kaelynn Partlow on Autism, Advocacy, and Acceptance
Kaelynn Partlow is an autism advocate and author, and one of the stars of the Netflix series, Love on the Spectrum. Today she joins Emily to talk about her experiences with autism, and they cover a lot of ground in this conversation. They…
- Understanding Yourself: A Process for Finding the Person Inside
Today's episode is a heartfelt conversation about the importance of helping neurodivergent children understand themselves and their brain profile, and how this understanding can foster confidence and self-advocacy. Emily talks with Dr. Liz…
- Beyond Buzzwords: Rethinking Our Neurodiversity Discourse
Emily Kircher-Morris chats with Emily Paige Ballou about the need for a more nuanced conversation around identity and support for neurodivergent individuals. They talk about the social model of disability, and the implications of public di…
- Dietary Difficulty: Fueling the Neurodivergent Brain
Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes registered dietician Jackie Silver, who specializes in nutrition for neurodivergent people. They discuss the unique challenges faced by the neurodiversity community, including sensory differences, interoceptio…
- Time Blindness: What To Do When Now Isn't Now
Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Dr. Ari Tuckman for a conversation about time blindness, the complexities of ADHD, and the stigma surrounding the disorder. They discuss why ADHD is more about the struggle to convert attention into action tha…
- Is It PDA? Demand Avoidance in the Context of Autism
On episode 270, Emily Kircher-Morris welcomes Dr. Taylor Day, a licensed psychologist who specializes in neuro-affirming care for autistic children and their families. They discuss the complexities of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in…