“Why won’t they just change their mind?”

If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by a neurodivergent loved one’s black-and-white thinking or their refusal to reconsider a decision, you’re not alone. In this episode of Autism & Neurodiversity, we explore the common pattern of what Jason calls "rigid decisiveness."

We unpack how this behavior—often misunderstood as stubbornness or immaturity—is rooted in lower brain functions like the need to avoid pain and conserve energy.

We share some real-life examples of this pattern and explain how understanding it through a developmental lens can make all the difference.

Whether you’re a parent, professional, or someone navigating your own neurodivergence, this episode offers practical tools and a fresh perspective on how to approach rigid decisiveness with patience and support.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why rigid decisiveness is common in neurodivergent individuals

• How black-and-white thinking ties to lower brain, survival functions

• The pitfalls of labeling this behavior as “stubbornness” or “immaturity”

• Developmental strategies to better support and connect

📩 Want more insights and practical tools? Be sure to join our email list for inspiration and updates.

👉 For deeper support, join our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals navigating the complexities of parenting neurodivergent young people.

Ever feel like your child’s emotions are a tornado, and you’re just trying to hold on? It’s exhausting, isn’t it?

But here’s the truth: the key to helping your neurodivergent child, teen, or young adult regulate their emotions starts with your calm. In this episode of Autism & Neurodiversity with Jason & Debbie, I’m sharing why emotional regulation begins with us as parents and how your calm presence can create a ripple effect in your home.

If you’ve ever wondered why your best strategies don’t seem to work in the heat of the moment, this episode will give you fresh insight, practical tools, and hope for real change.

What You’ll Learn

• The science behind co-regulation and why your calm matters more than you think.
• How to spot your own emotional triggers before they escalate.
• Simple strategies to stay grounded during your teen or young adult’s emotional storms.
• Why emotional regulation isn’t about “fixing” them—it’s about modeling what’s possible.
• How to build a foundation of trust and connection through your steady presence.

👉 If this episode resonated with you, we’d love for you to leave a quick review sharing your favorite takeaway. It helps us create more meaningful content for parents like you.

📩 Want more insights and practical tools? Be sure to join our email list for inspiration and updates.

🔵 For deeper support, join our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals navigating the complexities of parenting neurodivergent young people.

🌟Don't miss our upcoming workshop, Helping Neurodivergent Children, Teens, and YA's Access Calm: Tools for Emotional Regulation. Learn practical strategies to support your young person's ability to find calm and build emotional regulation skills—while strengthening your relationship.

RSVP now for just $27 or join our community to access this and more workshops at NDM.Circle.so. Let's work together to bring more calm and connection into your family.

Let’s keep building calm, connection, and confidence together.

Does it feel like no matter how hard you try, you’re not seeing the progress you hoped for with your neurodivergent child, teen, or young adult? It’s easy to get caught up in the results we want, but sometimes, that focus can leave us feeling frustrated and disconnected.

In this episode, we’ll dive into a fresh perspective that can help you feel more at ease and create real, lasting progress in your parenting journey.

You'll Learn:

• Why focusing on results can unintentionally stall your child’s growth.
• How a simple mindset shift can unlock more connection and resilience.
• Practical ways to celebrate effort and progress that truly matter.

👉 Ready to support your child in developing healthy habits while building strong relationships? Join our Developing Healthy Habits Workshop to kick off 2025 with tools that work for you and your family. Join our email list for more info.

🔵 Visit jasondebbie.com/ndmcircle/ to learn more.

The holiday season can be a time of joy and connection, but it can also bring a lot of stress—especially when your neurodivergent child, teen, or young adult struggles to navigate the busyness and expectations. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure how to balance it all, this episode is for you.

Join me as we explore how to find meaningful moments of connection in the chaos, give yourself and your child grace, and focus on what truly matters during this special time of year.

You'll Learn:

• Why the holidays can feel extra challenging for neurodivergent families.
• How to shift from overwhelm to connection, even during busy moments.
• Practical ways to give yourself and your child grace this season.
• The power of letting go of perfection and focusing on what truly matters.

👉 Looking for ongoing support? Join our NDM Circle community for parent coaching, live events, and tools to better mentor your child, teen, or young adult.

🔵 Visit jasondebbie.com/ndmcircle/ to learn more.

Does your neurodivergent child, teen, or young adult seem to get stuck when facing challenges? Do they shut down or withdraw easily? If you're looking for ways to help them build resilience and navigate life's ups and downs with more confidence, this episode is for you. Join us as I share seven powerful beliefs that can transform your approach and help you and your loved one to thrive.

You'll Learn:

• Why neurodivergents often have low resilience.
• What three things lower the development of resilience.
• The connection between a stressed nervous system and low resilience.
• 7 beliefs if practiced that will boost resilience
• How to use these beliefs.

👉 Looking for more support? Catch the replay of my workshop: Cultivating Resilience in our NDM Circle.

🔵NDM Circle: Our app provides parent coaching, educational resources, live events, and a great community based on Neuro-Developmental Mentoring (NDM) so you can better mentor your child, teen, or young adult’s development and well-being.

Visit https://jasondebbie.com/ndmcircle/ to learn more.

Ever feel like you’re stuck in a waiting game, hoping your child, teen, or young adult will finally find the motivation to move forward? It’s a common struggle, especially when you’re parenting an autistic and/or neurodivergent, but here’s the hard truth: waiting for motivation is a losing strategy.

In this episode of the Autism and Neurodiversity podcast, I’m diving into why waiting for them to get motivated will only make things harder and what they need from you as their parent that is actually helpful.

👉 Looking for more support? Join our upcoming workshop:

🌟Workshop with Debbie: Cultivating Resilience Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, 5:00-6:00 PM MDT or catch the replay in our NDM Circle.

🔵NDM Circle: Our app provides parent coaching, educational resources, live events, and a great community based on Neuro-Developmental Mentoring (NDM) so you can better mentor your child, teen, or young adult’s development and well-being.

Visit https://jasondebbie.com/ndmcircle/ to learn more.

Does your brilliant child, teen, or young adult struggle with everyday tasks? It can be incredibly frustrating when they aren’t living up to their IQ potential. 

Society often equates intelligence with success, but the reality is more complex. Research also shows that those with high IQs have brains that may actually be getting in the way of their success. 

Tune in as I discuss some of the challenges high IQ neurodivergent young people face and important ways we can better support their development.

👉 Looking for more support? Join our upcoming workshop:

🌟Workshop with Debbie: Cultivating Resilience Wednesday, November 6th, 2024, 5:00-6:00 PM MDT or catch the replay in our NDM Circle.

🔵NDM Circle: Our app provides parent coaching, educational resources, live events, and a great community based on Neuro-Developmental Mentoring (NDM) so you can better mentor your child, teen, or young adult’s development and well-being.

Visit https://jasondebbie.com/ndmcircle/ to learn more.

Join us for this chat with Josh Doyle, an Educational Consultant, with over 25 years of experience focused on helping children, adolescents, and young adults with challenges in learning, attention, social, emotional or behavioral issues. He also helps young adults who are struggling to find the traction necessary to move forward into independence. 

We discuss:

• Why some traditional therapeutic approaches for OCD especially with for neurodivergents not only fail but can even exacerbate issues. 
• What is proven to be effective. 
• The critical thing parents need to stop doing.
• Practical ways parents can be more supportive.

To find Josh Doyle visit: https://www.joshdoyleconsulting.com/

👉 If this episode resonated with you, we’d love for you to leave a quick 5 star review sharing your favorite takeaway. It helps us create more meaningful content for listeners like you.

📩 Want more insights and practical tools? Be sure to join our email list for inspiration and updates.

🔵 For deeper support, consider joining our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals navigating the complexities of parenting neurodivergent young people.

What if the key to helping neurodivergent young people thrive isn't about intensive therapies, but something far more fundamental: human connection?

Join hosts Jason and Debbie Grygla as they chat with Cam Sherman, the new executive director of the new NeuroDev Raleigh campus (formerly known as TechieForLife), about the transformative power of connection.

Discover how building strong, supportive relationships can be the catalyst for personal growth and well-being in neurodivergent individuals.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why connection is crucial: Explore the concept of "Belonging to Become" and how a sense of belonging fuels personal development.
• The surprising role of mentors: Understand how mentors can guide neurodivergent individuals toward their ideal selves, fostering a trusting mindset that empowers growth.
• What the difference is between a training mindset and a trusting mindset: Learn why it matters.
• Practical strategies for building connections: Gain insights into fostering mutual understanding, navigating challenges, and creating an environment where neurodivergent young adults can flourish.

You can reach out to Cam Sherman by email: [email protected]

👉 If this episode resonated with you, we’d love for you to leave a quick 5 star review sharing your favorite takeaway. It helps us create more meaningful content for listeners like you.

📩 Want more insights and practical tools? Be sure to join our email list for inspiration and updates.

🔵 For deeper support, consider joining our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals navigating the complexities of parenting neurodivergent young people.

Feeling frustrated and discouraged when your efforts to motivate your neurodivergent child, teen, or young adult fall flat?

We all want to support our young people in being motivated to do the things that will help them be more successful and happy.

But often our efforts to help just lead to frustration, disconnect, and negative spirals.

In this episode, I share the most important thing to start with when nothing you've tried is working. And the best part is it helps you build your relationship in the process.

👉 If this episode resonated with you, we’d love for you to leave a quick 5 star review sharing your favorite takeaway. It helps us create more meaningful content for listeners like you.

📩 Want more insights and practical tools? Be sure to join our email list for inspiration and updates.

🔵 For deeper support, consider joining our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals navigating the complexities of parenting neurodivergent young people.