ADHD Wise Podcast

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Separation and divorce are hard for anyone. But when ADHD, autism, trauma, emotional dysregulation, rejection sensitivity, executive functioning difficulties, financial overwhelm, parenting pressure and neurodivergent children are all in the mix, it can become even more complex.

In this episode, Jannine is joined by Katy Harris, Founder of Mediation Matters Midlands, Family & Civil Mediator, Child-Inclusive Specialist, International Speaker, Trainer and Conference Host.

Together, they talk honestly about what they wish more neurodivergent people knew before, during and after separation. They explore why court is not always the route to justice, why mediation can offer a more constructive starting point, and why children’s voices matter - without burdening them with adult choices.

This is a conversation about vulnerability, trauma, power imbalance, family systems, and the particular risks neurodivergent adults can face in relationships and separation. But it is also a conversation about survival, recovery and becoming the person you once needed.

Jannine and Katy speak from scars and bruises, not open wounds, with compassion, honesty and hope for anyone currently navigating a difficult separation or supporting someone who is.

Please note: this episode includes discussion of divorce, abuse, court trauma, family breakdown and children’s distress. It is not legal advice, but it may help you feel less alone and more informed about your options.

Katy's company profile.
https://mediationmattersmidlands.co.uk/team/katy-harris/

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In this episode of the ADHD Wise Podcast, Jannine is joined by Ryan Swain for a raw, energetic and honest conversation about ADHD, misinformation, lived experience and what happens when neurodivergent people are misunderstood.

Ryan has been speaking publicly about ADHD for many years, long before it became widely discussed on social media. Together, Jannine and Ryan explore the difference between sharing lived experience responsibly and turning ADHD into a trend, as well as the risks of glamorising ADHD or reducing it to a simple “superpower” story.

The conversation moves through social media misinformation, diagnosis, medication, self-identification, co-occurring Tourette’s, school exclusion, PRUs, EOTAS, vulnerability, adolescence, and the need for more consistent and inclusive support across education and society.

Ryan also shares the work he is doing through You, Me and ADHD, including his talks in schools and his commitment to helping young people understand ADHD from the inside out. The episode ends with Ryan’s powerful tornado analogy: ADHD, like a tornado, is a natural occurrence - but the environment around it can make all the difference.

This is a conversation about ADHD beyond the slogans: real lives, real consequences, real strengths, and the responsibility to tell the truth well.

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In this solo episode of ADHD Wise Podcast, Jannine explores what it can feel like to be newly diagnosed ADHD or another neurodivergent profile might explain parts of your life.

Diagnosis can bring relief, but it can also bring grief: grief for what might have been different if you had known sooner, anger about what was missed, and doubt about whether the diagnosis is really “true”. Jannine gently explains why this emotional process is normal, and why you are not newly neurodivergent. You are newly understanding yourself.

She also shares her own journey of recognising ADHD through her daughter, whose ADHD diagnosis was added to an existing autism diagnosis at 19. At first, Jannine struggled to accept it, but later realised she had been wrong.

This episode explores why shame is not a support strategy, why acceptance and commitment matter, how masking can be protective, and why unmasking needs safety. Jannine also talks about time blindness, the ebb and wave of ADHD energy, reasonable adjustments at work, rejection sensitivity, and the importance of finding people who understand.

If you are newly diagnosed, waiting for assessment, recognising yourself through your child, or supporting someone you love, this episode is designed to be a steady place to start.

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In Episode 10 of the ADHD Wise Podcast, Jannine is joined by Michaela from Spilling the Tea on Autism and ADHD for an honest, warm and powerful conversation about neurodivergent parenting, SEND, school struggles, advocacy, and what happens when parents are expected to become experts in systems they never asked to fight.

Together, they reflect on the reality of raising neurodivergent children while also recognising their own neurodivergence, the loneliness many parents feel in school meetings, and the painful moment when you realise your child is not being understood, supported or kept emotionally safe.

This episode explores why so many parents become advocates by necessity, how children can be harmed by compliance led systems, and why finding your people can be life changing. Jannine and Michaela also talk about children playing outside, online friendships, phones, safety, trust, and the importance of making sure our children know they can come to us with anything.

This is an episode for parents, carers, professionals and anyone who has ever felt alone in the SEND system. The message is clear: you are not alone, even when the system makes you feel like you are.

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In this solo episode, Jannine explores time blindness across ADHD, dyscalculia and dyslexia,  and why difficulty with time is not laziness, carelessness or a moral failing.

She reflects on the idea of “now” and “not now”, the difficulty many neurodivergent people experience with estimating time, reading clocks, sequencing tasks, managing transitions, and staying anchored in the day. From students struggling to return from breaks on time, to adults underestimating how long it takes to get from the front door to the desk, this episode unpacks the hidden layers behind time management challenges.

Jannine also explores how dyscalculia and dyslexia can affect the way people read, interpret and mentally manipulate time, including analogue clocks, 24-hour clocks, “quarter to” language, and dates that feel too abstract to hold in mind.

With a focus on acceptance, practical workarounds and reasonable adjustments, this episode asks what might change if schools, workplaces and society stopped assuming that everyone experiences time in the same way.

It is a validating and practical listen for neurodivergent adults, parents, educators, employers and anyone who has ever wondered why time seems to get away from them.

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In Episode 8, Jannine is joined by Vicky Flood for an honest, warm and deeply relatable conversation about living with “the big three”: ADHD, autism and dyslexia.

Vicky shares her experience of late diagnosis, the relief of finally understanding herself, and the grief that can come with realising how much has been misunderstood for so long. Together, Jannine and Vicky explore how ADHD, autism and dyslexia can overlap, clash and create internal conflict, as well as how they show up differently from person to person.

The conversation moves through burnout, sensory overwhelm, time blindness, emotional regulation, workplace expectations, supportive relationships, functional language, reasonable adjustments and the importance of not mistaking neurodivergent needs for excuses.

At the heart of the episode is a powerful reminder: we do not need to work harder to be more neurotypical. We need to understand ourselves more deeply, work differently, and learn to resource ourselves.

Vicky’s North Star question is simple but important:

What do I need right now?

This episode is for anyone navigating ADHD, autism, dyslexia, late diagnosis, burnout, workplace challenges, or the ongoing process of self-understanding and self-acceptance.

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In Episode 7, Jannine is joined by Daran, the voice behind Man on Pause, for an honest and wide-ranging conversation about ADHD, masking, men’s mental health, vulnerability, and breaking generational patterns.

Daran shares why he created Man on Pause, how his ADHD and autism diagnoses have shaped his understanding of himself, and why men need safer spaces to talk about emotion, pain, addiction, friendship, fatherhood and identity.

Together, Jannine and Daran explore what it means to become the adult you needed when you were younger, why resilience is not always the gift people think it is, and how neurodivergent people often learn to mask in order to stay safe.

This episode is about pausing long enough to ask better questions: Who am I underneath the masks? What have I inherited? What do I want to pass on? And how can we make things better for the next generation?

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In Episode 6, Jannine is joined by her daughter and colleague, Becca Channon, for a personal and research-informed conversation about ADHD in women and girls.

Becca shares the focus of her psychology dissertation, which explored ADHD, sex-based social expectations, and attitudes towards traditional and egalitarian roles. Together, Jannine and Becca reflect on why girls with ADHD are so often overlooked, how hyperactivity may be missed when it appears in socially acceptable ways, and how shame can build when women are expected to manage time, organisation, birthdays, homes, emotional labour, and relationships in ways that may not match their neurobiology.

The episode explores the hidden signs of ADHD in girls, including masking, helpfulness, movement, daydreaming, anxiety, perfectionism, time blindness and trying very hard not to be seen as a problem. Jannine and Becca also consider how the same behaviour may be interpreted differently depending on whether it is seen in a boy or a girl.

Importantly, this conversation also explores the impact on boys, particularly those who are identified early but then treated as “naughty” rather than supported. Becca reflects on watching her twin brother being repeatedly misunderstood, while also learning to mask her own ADHD in order not to be treated the same way.

This episode challenges the idea that rising ADHD diagnoses represent “overdiagnosis”. Instead, it asks whether many women, girls, and quieter or more compliant children are finally being recognised after years of being missed.

A thoughtful, honest and deeply personal conversation about ADHD, shame, diagnosis, masking, social expectations, and the relief that can come from finally understanding yourself.

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RSD is currently one of the most talked about parts of ADHD. But what if the conversation is missing something important?

In this solo episode, Jannine explores rejection sensitive dysphoria, emotional intensity, criticism, shame, boundaries, and the lifelong impact of being misunderstood. But rather than framing every painful interaction as “your RSD playing up,” she introduces a more neuroaffirming idea: rejection attunement.

Sometimes, you are not imagining it. Sometimes, you are accurately noticing that something feels off. The work is not to stop noticing. The work is learning how to discern what is yours, what belongs to someone else, and how to respond without losing yourself in the process.

This episode is for anyone with ADHD who has ever wondered why rejection hurts so much, why criticism can feel so unsafe, or why they are so quick to assume they are the problem.

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In this episode, Jannine is joined by Nikki Masterman, CEO of Inspired Minds & Inspired HR, for a practical and honest conversation about ADHD, neurodiversity and HR. Together they explore disclosure at work, reasonable adjustments, workplace support, recruitment, performance, hybrid working, and what happens when employers get it right and when they get it wrong.

This is an episode for neurodivergent people who are struggling at work, wondering whether to say something, or trying to work out what support they can ask for. It is also relevant for managers, HR professionals, and employers who want to create safer, fairer and more workable environments.

Jannine and Nikki talk about the balance between employee needs and employer responsibility, why support is not the same as favouritism, and why the goal should be an equal playing field, not forcing everyone to work in the same way.

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