Overachieving in School, Underachieving in Life: Raising Neurodivergent Kids Toward Independence

On Left Unattended, host Ron Sosa speaks with Dr. Norrine Russell—founder of Russell Coaching for Students, and author of ‘Asking the Right Questions about ADHD’—about what happens when bright, capable neurodivergent students are so supported that they perform well but don’t build independence. They discuss how parents and schools often overtake kids’ executive functioning through constant oversight and accommodations, how fear and risk-avoidance can grow internally, and how to distinguish “laziness” from age-appropriate timing or true executive-function challenges based on outcomes and consequences. Russell links “failure to launch” to broader cultural and economic realities and to over-scaffolding that reduces problem-solving and self-esteem, and she emphasizes balancing high expectations with the right support at home, school, and work while teaching explicit life and workplace skills without promoting unhealthy masking.

Many people carry invisible load at work: masking, shame, fear of being misunderstood, pressure to prove competence, and the exhaustion of trying to seem acceptable. Kristin’s story asks what becomes possible when we stop defining people only by their hardest chapters and start asking where their brain, skill, and lived experience still belong.

On this episode Left Unattended, Ron Sosa hosts James Lang, a med tech COO turned AI growth architect and managing partner of Overlang Venture Partners, about normalizing neurodivergence in the workplace. James shares his unconventional path from college dropout and freelance writer to helping scale a med tech company past $20M in revenue with a global team of 60+, and how being diagnosed with ADHD and autism in his 30s reframed his “brain OS,” masking, and leadership. They discuss coping strategies like offloading thoughts onto paper, why remote work reduced social strain, and how James’ “camp counselor” approach helped him read team dynamics. James also reflects on physical health limitations, palliative counseling, legacy, chosen family, building teams around limitations, and how resilience and empathy can shift under pressure, before inviting listeners to connect via LinkedIn and learn.overlaying.com.

Traci Austin on ADHD, the And/Both Method, and Designing Teams Around Strengths

Host Ron Sosa welcomes Traci Austin, founder of Elevated Talent Consulting and creator of the And Both Method, to discuss normalizing neurodivergent experiences at work and focusing on how people operate rather than diagnoses. Traci shares how being held back in kindergarten and later placed in gifted programs drove her to collect credentials to prove she belonged, and how an ADHD diagnosis helped her understand her focus patterns, deadlines, and the differences between laziness, procrastination, and executive dysfunction without letting a label define her identity. They explore curiosity as a tool for collaboration, building teams around complementary strengths, creating environments that support focus, and shifting workplace conversations from blame and shame to clarity, accountability, and outcomes. Tracy describes tools like Predictive Index, challenges around culture fit, and “left unattended” as the need for structures to manage thoughts and reduce rumination.

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

00:56 Credentials and Identity

01:36 Kindergarten Story

03:30 ADHD Insight Not Identity

05:46 Curiosity and And Both

07:29 Hyperfocus and Team Design

09:24 Environment and Asking Needs

12:53 Labels and Self Discovery

15:32 Better Workplace Questions

18:05 Capacity Burnout and Careers

24:21 Culture Fit Reframed

29:23 Left Unattended Meaning

31:46 Wrap Up and Where to Find

32:14 Final Takeaways and Outro

In this episode of Left Unattended, host Ron Sosa talks with Diana Feinstein, founder of Max Packed Health, about normalizing neurodivergence at work and what changes when high achievers stop treating capacity as an afterthought. Diana shares how her son’s neurodivergence evaluation helped her recognize her own patterns, and they explore nonlinear thinking, being mislabeled as underperforming, and the burnout that comes from masking and over-functioning. They discuss behavior change through prompts and positive reinforcement, “clean vs. dirty energy,” and how perimenopause can collapse previously reliable scaffolding, highlighting broader costs of inadequate menopause care. Diana explains “vibe coding,” using emotionally resonant experiences to support healthier habits, and demonstrates a brief breathing exercise as an example of productive rest. She also shares resources, including Max Packed Health’s 12-minute Capacity Audit.

https://www.maxpacthealth.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/diana-feinstein-76a36b8/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553425215670

https://www.instagram.com/maxpacthealth/

Have you ever felt like you were just born as the problem? In this powerful episode of Left Unattended, host Ron Sosa sits down with Gazit Khaya Nikosi (also known as Z) to discuss the journey of unlearning the message that being neurodivergent means being too much. Together, they explore how to move away from a life of masking and burnout toward a future built on self-compassion and radical accommodation. 🌈 Z shares their personal history with fundamentalist religious trauma and the pressure to appear as one of the shiny happy people while struggling with intense sensory sensitivities. From the physical pain of sock seams to being put on professional probation for crying in the workplace, this conversation highlights the real-world costs of living in a society not built for neurodivergent nervous systems. 🧠 You will also learn about practical tools for sensory regulation, including the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) and specialized prism glasses. Z explains how transitioning to self-employment allowed them to build a work structure that honors their needs, proving that when we stop apologizing for our requirements, our true brilliance can finally emerge. ✨ Chapters 0:00 Intro and meeting Z 3:15 Realizing you were never the problem 6:45 Religious trauma and the pressure to be shiny 10:30 Childhood sensory struggles and the sock story 14:15 Justice sensitivity and emotional intensity 18:00 Being penalized for crying in the workplace 22:30 Hyper-empathy as a neurodivergent strength 26:15 Reclaiming your life after late diagnosis 30:00 Prism glasses and neurological vision therapy 34:30 Creating a sensory-friendly environment 38:15 Transitioning to self-employment and the SSP 42:00 Closing thoughts and resources If this conversation helped you realize you are carrying an invisible load, we invite you to take the next step toward support. Subscribe to the podcast for more stories that normalize neurodivergence and leave a review to help others find us. You can find more resources and coaching opportunities at the links mentioned in the episode. 🔗 #adhd #autism #neurodiversity #sensoryprocessing #mentalhealth Website: https://www.syn-apt.me https://therootedcoop.com/

Host Ron Sosa welcomes Jay Setchell, founder of Never Quit Trying, to discuss resilience, learning, and adaptation shaped by Jay’s lived experience with traumatic brain injury, PTSD, ADHD, paralysis, repeated surgeries, and near-death events including COVID. Jay explains “Never Quit Trying” as a lifelong mindset rooted in farm life and reinforced by a high school algebra teacher who valued effort over grades after Jay was the only student to retake a failed final. They explore Jay’s fast-moving, always-problem-solving mind, how “stubbornness” fuels achievement and survival, and why time and life feel increasingly precious. Jay emphasizes communication as core to leadership—reading the room, adapting, and understanding others’ processes—and defines “left unattended” as being overlooked and unsupported. He shares his book, "The Strength Within You: It’s Always Too Soon to Quit," and its impact on readers.

Episode Description: This podcast exists to normalize the real stories of neurodivergence at work — not just the highlight reel, and not just the struggle, but the full human reality in between. In this episode, Ron Sosa is joined by Dr. Amanda Wilson, an orthodontist, consultant, educator, and founder of Straight Smile Solutions, who shares what it looked like to be exceptional with people… and still get completely depleted by the constant interaction of high-volume clinical work. Amanda talks about burning out after years of seeing 80–100 patients a day, getting diagnosed as neurodivergent only recently, and realizing how much masking, overproducing, and “pushing through” was costing her at home. Together they explore boundaries, recovery time, perimenopause and executive function changes, being mislabeled as “difficult,” and the power of reframing your past not as brokenness — but as unsupported brilliance. 

What We Cover: Why high-volume, high-interaction work can drain you even when you’re good at it How masking can make you look “fine” while you’re falling apart privately What changed when Amanda finally pursued assessment and got answers Why executive function can shift in midlife and what that can reveal How building boundaries around social intensity protects your capacity What it looks like to be labeled “difficult” when you’re actually pattern-spotting and improving systems Why bottom-up thinking can push you out of traditional career paths and into entrepreneurship 

Key Takeaway: Getting the diagnosis didn’t change Amanda’s intelligence, skill, or work ethic — it changed the story she was carrying. When you understand how your brain works, you can stop treating your limits like a character flaw and start building a career that fits. The Shift in Practice If you know your “gas tank” runs out — build around it instead of arguing with it: Notice what actually drains you — often it’s the conversations, not the task Plan recovery like it’s part of the work — one big social day can require multiple quiet days Create a boundary script — “I’m having a neurodivergent day, I’m skipping the dinner” Use supports without apology — noise-canceling, AirPods, hearing aids, or stepping away Advocate with data — you don’t need to prove you’re struggling, just that you function better with structure Design your work model to match your brain — fewer in-person demands, more autonomy, clearer pacing 

Who This Episode Is For: This one is for you if you’re high-performing but exhausted, if you’re great with people until you suddenly aren’t, if you’ve been called “too much” or “difficult” for pointing out flaws, or if you’re late-diagnosed and reprocessing your entire career through a new lens. 

Connect: If this episode resonated and you want to explore what this pattern looks like for you specifically, https://www.syn-apt.me/coaching-schedule to start a conversation.

In this episode of Left Unattended, Ron Sosa’s with Dr. Amber Parks! A veterinarian and stress, burnout, and clinical support coach, about how neurodivergent traits can drive excellence while also fueling exhaustion in workplaces not designed for those brains. Dr. Parks shares her 25+ years in veterinary medicine, her repeated burnout in private practice and relief work, and how therapy helped her identify burnout. She describes being late-diagnosed AuDHD at 42 after perimenopause-related brain fog and memory issues, and reflects on masking, hypervigilance, sensory overload (fluorescent lighting, noise, interruptions), task switching, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and identity loss. They discuss self-compassion, practical neuroinclusion changes, and coaching that helps clients move from self-blame to self-understanding.

https://www.thestressandburnoutcoach.com/

https://www.instagram.com/dr.amberparks/

https://www.facebook.com/amber.parks.7731/

https://www.tiktok.com/@thestressandburnoutcoach

Dr. Amber Parks is a Diplomate of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (DABVP) in Canine & Feline Practice and a stress, burnout, and clinical support coach for veterinary professionals. With 25+ years in veterinary medicine, including 17 years as a veterinarian, she understands firsthand the challenges of burnout, overwhelm, and neurodivergence in vet med. After being late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD and experiencing burnout herself, she became passionate about helping others navigate perfectionism, people-pleasing, and imposter syndrome. Through speaking, coaching, and her podcast, Stop the Burnout, she helps veterinary professionals rediscover fulfillment in the profession they love.

Season 1, Episode 13

You know exactly what to do. There's no confusion, no lack of skill. And yet…you're not starting.

Instead, there's a voice. Subtle at first. "Just do it right." "Don't mess this up." "You should be further along by now."

And now you're not just doing the task anymore, you're managing that voice.

In this episode, we break down what the inner critic actually is, why it developed, and why every strategy you've tried to push past it hasn't stuck. Most importantly, we talk about the shift that actually changes the pattern and not by silencing the voice, but by changing your relationship to it.

The inner critic isn't your personality. It's a learned protective response — one that developed because, at some point, getting things wrong had a cost. Understanding what it's trying to prevent is what gives you the ability to move anyway.

When you feel the hesitation show up:

The voice can still be there. You're just not handing it the controls.

This one is for you if you've ever felt like you know exactly what to do — but can't seem to access it consistently. If you start strong and then fall off. If your work takes more out of you than it should. If you've tried every system and they work until they don't.

If this episode resonated and you want to explore what this pattern looks like for you specifically, https://www.syn-apt.me/coaching-schedule to start a conversation.