Divergent Conversations

If you're parenting a neurodivergent child or young adult, you understand that traditional approaches don't always fit. Balancing the unique needs with the world's expectations can feel isolating and overwhelming.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, speak with Lisa Dube, a licensed clinical social worker, a specialist in gender identities and neurodivergence, and the founder of Merrimack River Wellness. They dive into the nuances of parenting, supporting, and understanding neurodivergent children, particularly those exploring their gender identity.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of how to recognize and support the fight, flight, freeze, and fawn responses in neurodivergent children, helping you to interpret their behaviors through a more informed and empathetic lens.
2. Learn from Lisa Dube's insights into the intersection of gender identity and neurodivergence, encouraging a curious and non-judgmental approach to parenting that embraces and respects your child's identity exploration.
3. Discover practical advice on avoiding the "failure to launch" stereotype and fostering an environment of interdependence through "scaffolding,” particularly useful for parents of neurodivergent young adults who do not fit traditional developmental trajectories.

As you tune into this vital conversation, reflect on how you can bring these strategies into your own family dynamics to support and strengthen the bond with your child. Consider how your parenting approach can evolve not just to cope with, but to actively enrich the journey of raising a neurodivergent child.

More about Lisa Dube, MSW, LICSW

Founder, Merrimack River Wellness

Lisa is neurodivergent and has been a licensed clinical social worker since 1995. Prior to opening her private practice, Lisa worked for the U.S. District Court for more than twenty years, as a treatment specialist. In 2018, she established a private practice focused on the needs of families and individuals navigating gender identity exploration and transition. Over the last few years, Lisa has become passionate about the intersectionality of gender and neurodivergence and has received extensive training in the neurodiversity-affirming paradigm. More recently, Lisa has completed Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1 & 2 training and has brought this non-pathologizing lens into her practice. She currently facilitates several groups for parents and for young adults, focused on the intersectionality of gender and neurodivergence. Lisa has a special interest in supporting parents in developing new narratives and ways of connecting with their young adult autistic children who may be challenged with the transition to adulthood. Lisa is licensed to provide clinical services in Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.

• Website: https://www.merrimackriverwellness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/merrimackriverwellness

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✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

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💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

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Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

Autism and eating disorders have a complex relationship that until more recent years has been overlooked often resulting in traumatic approaches to recovery and a misunderstanding of the experience and mindset of Autistic individuals struggling with disordered eating.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, talk with Livia Sara, a recognized autism advocate in the eating disorder recovery space, author, and podcast host, to dissect the intricate relationships between autism, eating disorders, and the neurodivergent experience. Together, they share personal experiences and professional insights, diving into a conversation that's both deeply personal and universally relevant.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Gain a deeper understanding of how eating disorders manifest differently in the neurodivergent community, including unique challenges and how Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) can be mistaken for eating disorders.
2. Explore the power of autonomy and control in the context of both fueling disordered eating and being the deciding factor in recovery, which offers a better understanding of eating disorders within the neurodivergent framework.
3. Hear personal firsthand accounts of both struggles with and recovery from eating disorders, addiction, and other unhealthy coping mechanisms in an effort to seek control of a body that feels foreign.

We hope this conversation will offer more depth and understanding of the neurodivergent experience and disordered eating in supporting healing and empowerment.

More about Livia Sara:

Livia is an autism advocate and eating disorder survivor who now helps others overcome their own mental barriers through her courses, coaching programs, and books. She is the creator behind the blog livlabelfree.com and the host of The Liv Label Free Podcast. Livia is a lifelong learner who loves listening to audiobooks, going on walks, and reading the latest science on all things neurodiversity and eating disorders!

• Website: livlabelfree.com
• Books Website: livlabelfreebooks.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/livlabelfree
• Podcast: livlabelfree.com/podcasts/liv-label-free-autism-and-eating-disorder-recovery

Article and infographic collaboration between Liv and Dr. Neff:

• Anorexia vs. ARFID Venn Diagram: neurodivergentinsights.com/misdiagnosis-monday/anorexia-and-arfid

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✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is an often misunderstood and misdiagnosed condition, and yet it has a profound impact on the lives of the women experiencing it.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, talk with Jes Hagen, a renowned nutritional therapist and NBC-HWC board-certified integrative menstrual health educator and coach, to explore the interconnectedness of hormonal imbalances, their profound impact on mental health, including conditions like ADHD and bipolar, and the empowering potential of integrative approaches to these issues.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Gain an in-depth understanding of the hormonal cycles and how fluctuations specifically affect conditions like PMDD and ADHD, which can drastically impact day-to-day living and mental health.
2. Learn about the challenges and limitations of traditional medical approaches to these hormonal and neurodevelopmental conditions and the potential for integrative medicine to offer more tailored and effective management strategies.
3. Discover practical insights and tools from Jes Hagen on how to manage these conditions through dietary choices, lifestyle changes, and symptom tracking, providing a roadmap to a more stable and healthier life.

As you reflect on the influence of hormones on your mental health and well-being, consider how a deeper awareness and proactive management of these natural processes might enhance your quality of life, and perhaps even begin your own journey towards hormonal and mental health empowerment.

More about Jess Hagen:

Meet Jes, a nutritional therapist and NBC-HWC board-certified integrative menstrual health educator, and coach, who is also the founder of Her Mood Mentor, a virtual premenstrual clinic. My own experience of PMDD which nearly cost me my life, has fueled my determination to guide thousands of students towards reduced symptom duration and severity.

• Free Symptom Mapping Kit: Experience mood swings, irritability, or depression premenstrually? These symptoms may be initiated by a hormonal imbalance/disorder, preexacerbation of another condition like ADHD. Your menstrual cycle and symptoms are an indicator of your overall health. Symptom mapping can help you assess your menstrual health, aid you in diagnosing hormone disorders/imbalances, & prepare you to better manage premenstrual symptoms.
• Free Symptom Mapping Kit: courses.hermoodmentor.com/symptommappingkit
• Website: hermoodmentor.com
• Instagram: @hermoodmentor
• Youtube: youtube.com/@hermoodmentor

Jes’s PDF Resources

• Symptom Mapper
• ADHD+PMDD Venn Diagram
• HMM Menstrual Phase Graphics

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✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

Navigating a world packed with all sorts of seemingly mismatched sensations, either overstimulating or understimulating, and having passionate interests that can appear as all-consuming to others, can be challenging and greatly impact the way we build relationships and even just get through the day.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, talk about the nuances and misconceptions surrounding special interests and sensory experiences for Autistic people.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Learn about the role of special interests in fostering connections for Autistic individuals, and how personal sensory nuances impact relationships with oneself and the world around them.
2. Gain insights into how to create more inclusive autism assessments that acknowledge the diverse experiences of Autistic individuals, including behaviors, sensory experiences, or interests that might be more stereotypically associated with allistic individuals.
3. Understand the different sensory systems and explore the broad spectrum of sensory experiences that influence everything from social interactions and relationships to meeting basic necessities of food, clothes, and shelter.

Think about how we all experience the world differently and why it's important to make space for those differences so that we can honor who we are and have more compassion for one another.

Resources:

For this conversation, we are using Is This Autism By Donna Hendreson, Sarah Wayland, and Jamell White. You can find it here. But wait...

• The publisher is giving our listeners a special coupon during this series! Use Code: NDI24 to get 30% off and free shipping Valid through 6-Jul 2024 (must purchase using this link)

Also, we’ll be reading this book together for our book club in June in the Neurodivergent Learning Nook. You can learn more about our community here.

DISCLAIMER: We're using the DSM-5 criteria as a framework for this conversation, and this is not our endorsement of the DSM. There have been a lot of very thoughtful critiques of the DSM in the last several years, and more specifically, how autism is presented in the DSM is very deficit-based. So, we are not in alignment with that view, but we did use that as a framework to walk through our experience of autism and to unpack the many ways that those criteria could show up in a person. The reason we chose to do this is that we believe in the power of transparency and demystifying the process of diagnosis, which has historically been very obscure and hard to understand. And so this is our effort for those who perhaps are interested in pursuing a diagnosis or who have gone through the process and want to understand it better. This is our attempt to help demystify that experience. It is not our endorsement of the DSM. Thank you for understanding that.

————————————————————————————————

🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast

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🎙️YouTube Music

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💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

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✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

For many Autistic individuals, the consistency of routines and rituals isn't just nice, it's a strategy to accommodate for the sensory needs of their systems. Routines are reflected both internally and externally, and the disruption of these routines can result in great distress.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, talk about the comfort and chaos of daily routines and rituals, shedding light on the importance and challenges of these patterns in the lives of Autistic individuals.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Gain insight into the world of all-or-nothing thinking, including its role in providing predictability and unforeseen comfort, as well as learn how this way of thinking influences our ideology, relationships, and advocacy efforts, and why it's crucial to strive for more nuance in conversations.
2. Hear about how the struggle with flexibility can manifest differently for adolescent girls and boys, making it difficult to identify autism, as well as leading to misunderstanding and overlooking what's really going on.
3. Explore personal stories from Patrick and Dr. Neff that illuminate the daily struggles of inflexibility and routine disruption, such as dealing with last-minute plan changes and the perplexing difficulty of seemingly simple tasks.

As you listen, consider your own routines: what keeps you grounded and how you manage when life throws a wrench into your plans. Understanding the role of routines in the lives of Autistic individuals can help us all create more compassion and patience for ourselves and the people around us when faced with the unexpected.

Resources:

For this conversation, we are using Is This Autism By Donna Hendreson, Sarah Wayland, and Jamell White. You can find it here. But wait...

• The publisher is giving our listeners a special coupon during this series! Use Code: NDI24 to get 30% off and free shipping Valid through 6-Jul 2024 (must purchase using this link)

Also, we’ll be reading this book together for our book club in June in the Neurodivergent Learning Nook. You can learn more about our community here.

DISCLAIMER: We're using the DSM-5 criteria as a framework for this conversation, and this is not our endorsement of the DSM. There have been a lot of very thoughtful critiques of the DSM in the last several years, and more specifically, how autism is presented in the DSM is very deficit-based. So, we are not in alignment with that view, but we did use that as a framework to walk through our experience of autism and to unpack the many ways that those criteria could show up in a person. The reason we chose to do this is that we believe in the power of transparency and demystifying the process of diagnosis, which has historically been very obscure and hard to understand. And so this is our effort for those who perhaps are interested in pursuing a diagnosis or who have gone through the process and want to understand it better. This is our attempt to help demystify that experience. It is not our endorsement of the DSM. Thank you for understanding that.

————————————————————————————————

🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast

🎙️Spotify

🎙️Apple

🎙️YouTube Music

▶️ YouTube

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

————————————————————————————————

✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

Navigating social relationships can be a complex, nuanced journey for Autistic people, and the way it presents in day-to-day interactions and situations is incredibly diverse.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, discuss the complexities of friendship management for Autistic individuals, as well as explore the connection between relationships and common Autistic traits such as repetitive behavior, difficulty with flexibility, special interests that are intense or atypical, and sensory differences.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Unpack the different ways in which autistic individuals experience and navigate social connections, finding out why that can differ so greatly from neurotypical expectations.
2. Explore the challenges and distinct profiles of autistic social interactions, diving into the importance of understanding the role of social motivation and casing light on the often invisible energy it requires to maintain connections.
3. Gain insight into the world of special interests and repetitive behaviors, showcased through the personal experiences of Patrick and Dr. Neff.

As you journey through the intricacies of Autistic social interactions, take a moment to reflect on the unique ways in which people communicate and connect, perhaps finding a new understanding of your own social narrative.

Resources:

For this conversation, we are using Is This Autism By Donna Hendreson, Sarah Wayland, and Jamell White. You can find it here. But wait...

• The publisher is giving our listeners a special coupon during this series! Use Code: NDI24 to get 30% off and free shipping Valid through 6-Jul 2024 (must purchase using this link)

Also, we’ll be reading this book together for our book club in June in the Neurodivergent Learning Nook. You can learn more about our community here.

DISCLAIMER: We're using the DSM-5 criteria as a framework for this conversation, and this is not our endorsement of the DSM. There have been a lot of very thoughtful critiques of the DSM in the last several years, and more specifically, how autism is presented in the DSM is very deficit-based. So, we are not in alignment with that view, but we did use that as a framework to walk through our experience of autism and to unpack the many ways that those criteria could show up in a person. The reason we chose to do this is that we believe in the power of transparency and demystifying the process of diagnosis, which has historically been very obscure and hard to understand. And so this is our effort for those who perhaps are interested in pursuing a diagnosis or who have gone through the process and want to understand it better. This is our attempt to help demystify that experience. It is not our endorsement of the DSM. Thank you for understanding that.

————————————————————————————————

🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast

🎙️Spotify

🎙️Apple

🎙️YouTube Music

▶️ YouTube

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

————————————————————————————————

✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

“What is autism?” This is a question that comes up a lot in more recent times, and the conversations around autism are extremely nuanced, making it hard to pinpoint one right way of looking at it, so let’s explore autism from what it means historically and clinically to how it represents an identity, and all the things in between.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, start the conversation around autism with an honest and insightful discussion about “what is autism” and the intricacies of social interactions as experienced by those on the spectrum.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Gain insights into the realities of social motivation and its challenges as our hosts reveal their personal struggles with engaging in conversations, especially when they're not “interesting” enough to fuel the interaction.
2. Understand the profound impact of autistic culture on communication forms, with Dr. Neff and Patrick Casale breaking down the DSM-5 criteria of reciprocity, and offering their own thoughts on the criteria including a counterview of how care can be expressed in unique, meaningful ways for Autistic people.
3. Delve into the transforming neurodiversity landscape and consider how our language choices and the metaphors we use to understand autism can influence identity and self-perception, potentially shifting away from deficit-focused narratives.

To start to answer a part of the question of “what is autism,” it’s important to consider the layers of effort and adaptation that accompany social encounters and reflect on your own communication style.

Resources:

For this conversation, we are using Is This Autism By Donna Hendreson, Sarah Wayland, and Jamell White. You can find it here. But wait...

• The publisher is giving our listeners a special coupon during this series! Use Code: NDI24 to get 30% off and free shipping Valid through 6-Jul 2024 (must purchase using this link)

Also, we’ll be reading this book together for our book club in June in the Neurodivergent Learning Nook. You can learn more about our community here.

DISCLAIMER: We're using the DSM-5 criteria as a framework for this conversation, and this is not our endorsement of the DSM. There have been a lot of very thoughtful critiques of the DSM in the last several years, and more specifically, how autism is presented in the DSM is very deficit-based. So, we are not in alignment with that view, but we did use that as a framework to walk through our experience of autism and to unpack the many ways that those criteria could show up in a person. We chose to do this because we believe in the power of transparency and demystifying the process of diagnosis, which has historically been very, obscure and hard to understand. And so this is our effort for those who perhaps are interested in pursuing a diagnosis or who have gone through the process and want to understand it better. This is our attempt to help demystify that experience. It is not our endorsement of the DSM. Thank you for understanding that.

————————————————————————————————

🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast

🎙️Spotify

🎙️Apple

🎙️YouTube Music

▶️ YouTube

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

————————————————————————————————

✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

Burnout can make even the simplest tasks feel insurmountable, as well as look and mean very different things when you approach it from the lens of neurodiversity, where the meanings, causes, and coping mechanisms become very nuanced.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Ann Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, explore the landscape of burnout, seasonal depression, and the importance of strategic withdrawal, offering solace and understanding to those who tread these difficult terrains.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Identify how what we call burnout might be related to co-occurring health conditions, such as alexithymia, chronic fatigue syndrome, seasonal depression, etc., and possibly require different approaches.
2. Shed light on internalized ableism and grief, and how recognizing and honoring your limitations can be both a struggle and a profound form of self-care.
3. Learn strategies for addressing burnout that are tailored to neurodivergent individuals, as well as how to communicate your needs to the people around you to protect your energy without causing worry.

Remember that acknowledging and respecting your brain's unique wiring isn't a sign of weakness — it's a brave act of self-compassion. Reflect on how you can implement these lessons into your life, honor your natural rhythms, and create your own Ulysses pacts with yourself and trusted people to safeguard your future self. Let's continue this conversation and support each other in our collective journeys towards mental harmony.

Resources:

• Check out the article “A conceptual model of risk and protective factors for autistic burnout” by Jane Mantzalas, Amanda Richdale, and Cheryl Dissanayake here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/359924348_A_conceptual_model_of_risk_and_protective_factors_for_autistic_burnout
• Citation: Mantzalas, J., Richdale, A. L., & Dissanayake, C. (2022). A conceptual model of risk and protective factors for autistic burnout. Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 15(6), 976–987. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2722 

————————————————————————————————

🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast

🎙️Spotify

🎙️Apple

🎙️YouTube Music

▶️ YouTube

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

————————————————————————————————

✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

A traditional workplace can be really challenging for neurodivergent individuals, and if a workplace culture is made to be one-size-fits-all, the chances are high that it won’t fit for many neurodivergent people.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, talk with Lyric Rivera, founder of NeuroDivergent Consulting, author, and later-in-life diagnosed AuDHD person, about how to create neurodivergent-affirming spaces, including in the workplace and in online communities.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Understand the essential need to reframe our workplace cultures to not just accommodate but truly embrace the strengths that neurodivergent individuals bring to the table.
2. Discover the nuanced challenges adults face with a later-in-life neurodivergent discovery, including unraveling the web of self-deprecating beliefs to shift to self-compassion and understanding.
3. Learn how to implement neurodivergent-friendly practices in the workplace and communities that will lead to more open communication, allow people to play to their strengths, and give individuals the resources and environment they need to show up as their best.

There is still a lot of work to be done to create workplaces and other spaces that truly embrace neurodiversity and accommodate for the uniqueness of each individual, but by implementing Lyric’s suggestions in this episode, we can start leaning into people’s strengths and allow for more growth, better solutions, and spaces that feel safe and welcoming. 

More about Lyric Rivera:

Lyric Rivera, founder of NeuroDivergent Consulting and author of the best-selling business ethics book Workplace Neurodiversity Rising, named “Trend for 2023” and praised in Forbes as “an excellent ‘how to manual’ based on lived Experience and professional competence.” 

Lyric also runs the blog NeuroDivergent Rebel and is known as the pioneer of the #AskingAutistics hashtag, where simple questions prompt open-ended responses that Autistic people can quickly chime in with and invites participants to engage each other in conversations related to the topic. This hashtag connects people who would not otherwise have a reason to engage with each other and fosters a collective understanding of the Autistic Experience.

• Buy Lyric’s Book: books2read.com/neurodiversity-rising
• Website: neurodivergentrebel.com
• Facebook: facebook.com/NeurodivergentRebel
• Substack: neurodivergentrebel.substack.com
• Threads: threads.net/@neurodivergentrebel
• YouTube: youtube.com/@NeurodivergentRebel
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@.neurodivergentrebel

Resources:

• Check out Dr. Neff’s new book, Self-Care for Autistic People, here to learn more about the book: neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care-for-autistic-people
• Join the Neurodivergent Insights newsletter to take advantage of the pre-order special: newsletter.neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care (Available throughout the month of March 2024)

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🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast

🎙️Spotify

🎙️Apple

🎙️YouTube Music

▶️ YouTube

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

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✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

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💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

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Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

Creativity is a medium of expression and connection that often works well for neurodivergent individuals.

In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, are joined by Bret Malley, filmmaker, professor, late-in-life diagnosed Autistic person, and father of an Autistic son, for an enriching conversation that explores the intersection of autism and creativity. 

Bret shares his journey of autism advocacy, inspired by the desire to support his son, using creative outlets, as well as shares his process and inspiration for creating a documentary that seeks to provide a more authentic understanding of autism, reflecting on the creative process and the balance of vulnerability and representation that comes with such a responsibility.

Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode:

1. Understand the importance of presence and how creative endeavors can help individuals, particularly those with autism and ADHD, to feel more connected and alive amidst the struggles of an overactive mind or an uncooperative body.
2. Learn about the role that environmental factors can play for Autistic individuals in the ability to concentrate and be present in work, as well as the benefits of creating a designated space and time to dedicate to entering a zone of hyperfocused creativity (or the “vortex” as described by Megan Anna).
3. Identify how from the devastation of the pandemic there was also a rise in virtual engagements that fostered unexpected creative synergies and closer relationships.

Creativity and art can be powerful means for autism advocacy and personal expression. We encourage you to think about the ways your creative expression can affect how you connect with the world around you, as well as lead to more compassion and understanding.

More about Bret Malley:

Bret Malley is an award-winning filmmaker as well as a full-time career and technical educator, professional photographer, and author of Adobe Master Class; Advanced Compositing in Adobe Photoshop CC. His visual work and articles have been featured internationally in magazines and publications such as Photoshop User, Advanced Photoshop magazine, Photoshop Creative magazine, and Photography is Art magazine among others. He is a full-time college professor in Visual Communications and Multimedia Arts at Chemeketa Community College and teaches a range of classes and topics including animation, motion graphics, filmmaking, photography, sound design, augmented and virtual reality, emerging media, and various creative software and tools.

With an MFA in Computer Art from Syracuse University, and a BA in Film and Digital Media from UC Santa Cruz, Bret has been a return guest on KelbyOne’s The Grid, is a regular expert on Photobacks TV (PixelU), and also speaks at national live events and teaches various online classes (through CreativeLive, KelbyOne, and Craftsy). Whenever he is not teaching, leading international photography tours (through Craftours), working on films, creating personal works, or out adventuring around Oregon with his wife, Erin, and son, Kellen, Bret is also squeezing in commercial work across the US.

In addition to immersing himself in the world of digital imagery, Bret Malley has won various accolades as a filmmaker, animator, composer, and documentarian—working in social justice themes of global and regional import. He is most known for his feature film Greenwashers (2011). See more of Bret’s work at www.BretMalley.com.

• Donate to the Film: thedivergentgift.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/thedivergentgift
• YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCGbSkKMy4Y5H-RNLD8KXZtQ
• Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089547930854 

Resources:

Check out Dr. Neff’s new book, Self-Care for Autistic People, here to learn more about the book: neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care-for-autistic-people

Join the Neurodivergent Insights newsletter to take advantage of the pre-order special: newsletter.neurodivergentinsights.com/self-care (Available throughout the month of March 2024)

• Use this coupon code to get a discount on Neurodivergent Insights Workbooks and contribute to the Divergent Gift documentary: Use coupon code: “DivergentGift” at Neurodivergent Insights to receive a 25% discount on your purchases. More importantly, using this code ensures that 20% of your purchase directly supports the film’s production.

————————————————————————————————

🎙️Listen to more episodes of the Divergent Conversations Podcast

🎙️Spotify

🎙️Apple

🎙️YouTube Music

▶️ YouTube

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

————————————————————————————————

✨ Neurodivergent Insights Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources

————————————————————————————————

💬 Join Divergent Conversations Underground

Divergent Conversations Underground is a space for messy conversations, real connection, and unfinished thoughts in a neurodivergent-affirming community. If you’d like to go deeper with us into more nuanced, searching conversations, join here: divergentconversations.substack.com

————————————————————————————————

Mentioned in this episode:

Neurodivergent Insights' Autistic Burnout Resources

If you’d like to supplement your learning on burnout, you can check out Neurodivergent Insights' resources on burnout. We have articles, an Autistic Burnout course, workbooks, and print books! Visit: https://neurodivergentinsights.com/burnout-resources