🎧 Episode 6 – Routines: Who Are They Really For?

This week on The NeuroDadverse, Ben and Dan reflect on the bittersweet emotional load of end-of-term life — school reports, transitional stress, and the tension between creating magical memories and just surviving the week.

They unpack the wins (a 9.5 bath score! an actual family dinner with no meltdowns!) and the challenges (burnout, shifting routines, and navigating neurodivergent logic when school says “just play board games today”). There’s a beautiful reflection on self-advocacy, family pride, and learning to let go of perfectionism in summer planning.

If you’ve ever balanced emotional regulation, dinner-time negotiations, and a desperate need to just shut the door and breathe — you’ll feel this one.

💬 Topics this episode:

• End-of-year school reports and ND academic expectations

• Emotional burnout and the hidden toll of transitions

• Shared meals, connection rituals, and social eating challenges

• Bath time scores and sensory strategies that actually work

• Attending Pride events as a family — and what they mean

• Learning to plan summer loosely (and forgiving yourself for the rest)

• Family traditions, online friendships & self-advocacy wins

👇 CHAPTERS BELOW for easy navigation.

00:00 – Welcome back to The NeuroDadverse

01:00 – Three-word check-in: nostalgia, triumph, passage

02:00 – Wins of the week: school reports, family dinner, football with Mabel

04:00 – Frankie’s trampoline moment & social connection

06:00 – Oscar’s school report: normal, boring, brilliant

09:00 – Identity, dysregulation & recognising hidden effort

11:00 – Sharing progress (or not) with your ND child

12:30 – Reflecting on what “normal” wins actually mean

14:00 – Solo parenting and the dinner/movie experiment

17:00 – Table routines, phone pots & sibling dynamics

19:00 – Watching the game with Mabel (and not sleeping after)

21:00 – Emotional exhaustion & ND parenting adrenaline

22:00 – Sports day check-in: not a win, not a challenge – just fine!

24:00 – Oscar’s social butterfly moment at the SEND sports stall

26:00 – ND school settings & celebrating low-demand flexibility

28:00 – “If you’ve had fun, you’ve won” – or have you?

30:00 – Summer planning, loose frameworks & sibling scheduling

33:00 – Pride planning & self-advocacy through Learning for Life

35:00 – Oscar’s excitement (and sensory reality) around Pride

38:00 – Real talk: when summer plans fall apart

40:00 – Self-advocacy through boundaries & quiet time

42:00 – Dinner talk: letting go of the ideal summer

44:00 – “Separate rooms, separate screens, still okay”

46:00 – Bath scores, sensory wins & Laura’s unexpected success

48:00 – Building independence & co-parenting bath routines

50:00 – The return of the Sunday Bath Plan

51:00 – Creating consistency without school as anchor

52:00 – Last thoughts: ND parenting, recharging, and rest

💡 If this hit home:

🔔 Subscribe for weekly honesty and humour

👍 Like & share — it helps others find the show

📬 Email us: [email protected]

📲 TikTok/Instagram: @NeuroDadversePodcast

🔗 #NeurodiverseParenting #SENDLife #EndOfTermFeels #PrideParenting #BathTimeWin #AutismAcceptance #FamilyRoutines #SchoolTransitions #NDAdvocacy #NeuroDadverse

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Welcome to the very first episode of The NeuroDadverse!

In this heartfelt launch episode, Ben and Dan dive into the real highs and lows of parenting children with ASD and ADHD — and navigating their own possible diagnoses too.

🍼 It’s Father’s Day, there’s a surprise dental meltdown, a sensory overload birthday, and a gig that ends with an unexpected emotional breakthrough in the car. This is the unfiltered, unpolished reality of raising neurodiverse kids — from bath time battles to breakthrough moments with first words.

👨‍👧‍👦 Whether you’re a SEND parent, an educator, or neurodivergent yourself, you’ll relate to the big feelings, small wins, and daily chaos we all face.

💬 Topics this episode:

• Father’s Day and birthday clashes
• SEND meltdowns and transitions
• Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)
• Communication challenges and first words
• Parenting with possible undiagnosed ADHD
• Bath time and sensory regulation
• When/Then rules for neurodivergent routines

👇 CHAPTERS BELOW for easy navigation.

00:00 – Welcome to The NeuroDadverse

00:45 – Father’s Day Feels & Double Celebrations

02:10 – This Week in Three Words (and more)

03:30 – Parenting Wins or Challenges First?

04:50 – The Birthday Transition Struggles

08:00 – Oscar’s Surprise Dental Drama

11:00 – When Pain and Meltdowns Collide

14:50 – Sensory Struggles and Strawberry Toothpaste

15:30 – Gig Night and Unexpected Wins

17:10 – Insecurity, Car Talks, and Connection

21:30 – First Words and Cookie Celebrations

24:00 – Looking Ahead: Busy Week Incoming

26:30 – School Milestones and HD360 Assessment News

28:00 – Reflections on Adult Neurodivergence

33:00 – Rejection Sensitivity and Self-Awareness

36:00 – Ear Defenders, Language, and Growth

37:30 – Bath Time Ratings and Hair Wash Woes

43:00 – Trust, Transitions, and Long Hair Challenges

46:30 – Masking, Diagnosis, and Parenting Realities

48:00 – The Power of the When/Then Rule

49:30 – Falling Asleep in the Bath (and other truths)

50:10 – Final Reflections and Goodbye

💡 If you enjoyed this episode:

🔔 Subscribe for weekly real talk on neurodiverse parenting

👍 Like the episode to help others find us

📝 Comment with your own parenting wins or meltdowns — we’d love to hear them!

📲 Follow us on Instagram & TikTok:

@NeuroDadversePodcast

📧 Contact: [email protected]

🔗 #NeurodiverseParenting #SENDLife #ASDParenting #NeurodivergentDad #ParentingPodcast #FatherhoodUnfiltered #RejectionSensitivity #ADHDDads #NeuroDadverse #SpecialNeedsParenting

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode 2 – Heat, Hydration & Holding It Together

In this episode of The NeuroDADverse, Ben and Dan battle through a blistering heatwave with their neurodivergent kids — and all the chaos that comes with it. From sensory meltdowns and nighttime wake-ups to battles over fans, windows, and hydration, the struggle is real.

But it’s not all stress. There are big parenting wins too — like watching a daughter play (and win!) a cup final under pressure, or cracking the code on bath time routines that finally work.

☀️ If you’ve ever tried to parent through a heatwave, support emotional regulation, or just make it to bedtime without a breakdown (yours or theirs), this one’s for you.

💬 Topics this episode:

• Heatwaves and sensory overload in neurodiverse children
• Nighttime struggles, overstimulation, and emotional dysregulation
• Supporting teens to self-regulate (even when they don’t want help)
• The joy (and stress) of football tournaments
• How to prep neurodivergent kids for change
• Progress in bath time routines and when/then strategies
• Reflections on adult ADHD assessments and parenting as a neurodivergent adult
• Performing arts, anxiety, and finding community through school events

👇 CHAPTERS BELOW for easy navigation.

00:00 – Welcome back to The NeuroDadverse

01:00 – New energy vs. commitment energy

02:00 – Weekly check-in: Three-word summary

03:30 – Heat, sleep, and overstimulation challenges

05:30 – Frankie and sensory overload in the sun

08:00 – When play helps regulate big emotions

10:00 – Heatwave + neurodiversity = Perfect storm

12:00 – Hydration, closed windows, and parental frustration

14:30 – Self-regulation battles and negotiation with teens

16:30 – Learning from past meltdowns (without "I told you so")

18:00 – Win of the week: Adapting routines that actually work

20:00 – Football, focus, and emotional processing on the pitch

22:30 – Watching your ND child succeed in a pressured environment

25:00 – Victory parade: Confidence, self-awareness, and cup celebrations

27:00 – Reflecting on neurodivergent strengths in adversity

28:00 – Pantomimes, performing arts, and community connection

30:00 – The power of shared ND parenting experiences

31:30 – Looking ahead: Routine changes and summer transitions

34:00 – School ceremonies and surprise wins

36:00 – End-of-term unpredictability and planning stress

38:30 – Emotional resilience and parent preparation

39:30 – ADHD self-assessment check-in (and procrastination)

40:30 – Update on Laura and Mabel’s HD360 assessment journey

42:00 – Bath Time Scores: From meltdown to a 9/10!

44:00 – Temperature, taps, and sensory workarounds

46:00 – The bath time binary choice trick (soap or gel?)

48:00 – Auditory issues and unexpected triggers

51:00 – Final reflections and laughs (and hosepipe parenting)

52:00 – Wrapping up and previewing next week’s challenges

💡 If this episode helped or moved you:

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes

👍 Like & share to help others find us

📲 Comment with your own summer struggles or parenting wins

📧 Got a question or a story to share?

Email us at: [email protected]

Follow us on TikTok/Instagram: @NeuroDadversePodcast

🔗 #NeurodiverseParenting #SENDParenting #HeatwaveMeltdown #ADHDParenting #SensoryProcessing #NeurodivergentKids #FootballWin #BathTimeStruggles #NeuroDadverse #AutismAwareness

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode 3 – Prevent Training, Parenting Pressure & Permission to Feel

Dan and Ben reflect on how institutional systems like Prevent training can unintentionally stigmatise neurodivergent traits. It sparks an emotional, wide-ranging chat about justice, advocacy, and the subtle harm of misrepresentation.

But this episode isn’t just about systems. It’s also about the stuff at home: giving your kid Calpol without a meltdown, seeing your teenager self-regulate in a crowd, and how a trip to Tesco can undo you when you’re running on empty.

This is one of our rawest episodes yet — where we unpack shame, supermarket stress, emotional resilience, and the lifelong balancing act of being neurodivergent parents to neurodivergent kids.

💬 Topics this episode:

• The Prevent training controversy and autism misrepresentation
• Feelings of injustice, rage, and the power of feedback
• Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria in everyday life
• Parenting while masking (and noticing you’re masking)
• Boundary setting with teens and respecting their independence
• Toilet wins, texture issues, and the sensory minefield of Calpol
• Bath time negotiations and scoring system updates
• Solo parenting, emotional labour, and being “on” all the time

👇 CHAPTERS BELOW for easy navigation.

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

01:00 – Weather chat and podcast energy shift

01:30 – Prevent Training: What triggered us this week

04:00 – Autism, radicalisation, and narrative bias in education

06:30 – When training videos get it wrong

09:00 – Narrow portrayals of neurodivergence

12:00 – From Prevent to parenting emotions: three-word check-in

13:30 – Joy, despair, and hydration failure

15:00 – Wins vs. Challenges (and the expansion of the format)

18:00 – Dan’s raw week: rejection, solo parenting, and emotional walls

22:30 – Behaviour is communication — and what that really means

24:00 – The Calpol-on-the-ceiling story

26:00 – Sensory food issues and being a super sleuth

29:00 – Toilet wins and emotional highs in the middle of chaos

30:30 – Teen boundaries and the “shepherd, not engineer” mindset

32:00 – Mutual respect, negotiation, and raising safe, self-aware teens

34:00 – Ben’s challenge: supermarket shame spiral and emotional overload

39:30 – The invisible weight of "tutting" and social feedback

44:00 – Hair dye, sensory processing, and when you’re not welcome in the room

46:00 – Shoes-on productivity hack (does it work?)

48:00 – Rejection Sensitivity in everyday moments

51:00 – Community, compassion, and navigating difficult comparisons

54:00 – Services are stretched: exclusions, SEND support and local politics

58:00 – Why “comparison is the thief of joy” (except when it isn’t)

01:01:00 – Neurodivergent parenting and sharing the emotional load

01:03:00 – Diagnosis check-in: where things stand

01:05:00 – Looking ahead: solo parenting, the flower show, and the Euros

01:08:00 – Garden bath hacks and muddy memories

01:10:00 – Bath score of the week: a solid 8 (with shared duties!)

01:11:30 – Outro: You're doing great. You're not alone.

💡 If this episode moved you:

🔔 Subscribe for weekly episodes

👍 Like the episode — it helps more families find us

💬 Share your story in the comments or DM us on Instagram

📧 Contact: [email protected]

📲 Follow us on TikTok & Instagram: @NeuroDadversePodcast

🔗 #NeurodiverseParenting #SENDLife #ADHDAwareness #AutismAdvocacy y #ParentingPodcast #EmotionalRegulation #NeurodivergentDad #PreventTraining #NDLife #NeuroDadverse

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to NeuroDADverse — the podcast for parents who sometimes feel like they’re parenting on hard mode.

We’re Ben and Dan, two dads raising neurodiverse kids and figuring it out as we go.

If you’ve ever felt isolated at the school gate, overwhelmed at another meltdown, or just unsure if you’re “doing it right,” this is your space.

Each week, we share the real stuff. The wins, the wobbles, and all the spicy-sparkly moments in between.

This isn’t expert advice. It’s lived experience. It’s the therapy we didn’t know we needed, and maybe you do too.

💬 New episodes every week

📱 Follow for clips on TikTok and Instagram.

You’re not alone. You’re doing great. You are enough and we’re glad you’re here.

Subscribe and join us in the NeuroDADverse.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.