This episode of Neuroshambles, will resonate will all parents of neurodivergent kids, as Mark discusses difficulties with transition with the wonderful autism advocate, Pete Wharmby. Together, they delve into the messy, stressful, and often misunderstood world of transitions – from seemingly small everyday routines to major life changes.

Whether it’s leaving the house, going into school, or prying them away from screen time, transitions can often be a sensory, emotional and logistical nightmare for parents of autistic, ADHD and PDA kids. But why exactly are they so hard – and what can we do to ease the load?

In part one if this two part special, they discuss the neurological and emotional roots of transition difficulties, and how demand avoidance, anxiety and executive dysfunction play a role.

This is an insightful, heartfelt, and cathartic episode full of insight, compassion and practical suggestions, as well as a much-needed sense of solidarity for anyone who’s ever dreaded their kids being invited to a birthday party.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 – Intro and why this is only part one

03:30 – Meet the guest: Pete Wharmby

12:00 – Transitions: What they are and why they’re so difficult

19:00 – Fear of the unknown

25:00 – Why birthday parties can be so anxiety-inducing

32:00 – Strategies for smoother transitions to the unknown

40:00 – School and powerlessness

48:00 – Holidays, Google Earth and visual planning

55:00 – Fear of the Known: Why school can feel like a punishment

1:03:00 – Processing struggles and instruction overload

1:13:00 – Fixable triggers and simple (free) accommodations

1:20:00 – The double-edged sword of hyperfocus

1:24:00 – Neurodiversity Champion: Fight For Ordinary

1:26:30 – Tiny Epic Wins

1:29:00 – What the Flip? Moments

1:33:00 – Wrap-up and tease for part 2

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION:

Pete Wharmby website - https://petewharmby.com/

Untypical by Pete Wharmby - https://amzn.eu/d/8gGK6v4

What I Want to Talk About, by Pete Wharmby - https://amzn.eu/d/6tY0kZQ

Fight for Ordinary - https://disabledchildrenspartnership.org.uk/fight-for-ordinary/

Google Maps Street View - https://www.google.com/streetview/

Google Earth - https://earth.google.com/web/

Ordnance Survey Maps - https://shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/

Albion In The Community - https://bhafcfoundation.org.uk/

Monotropism and Autism Theory - https://monotropism.org/

Interoception - https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/interoception-wellbeing

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CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

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CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com

How do you hold down a job when your home life is full-on chaos? Mark is joined by fellow dad Mark Holborow to take a refreshingly honest look at the difficulties of holding down a job, while raising neurodivergent kids and trying (often unsuccessfully) to keep those two worlds from colliding..

They explore the dubious benefits of working from home, burnout, discrimination, and what happens when employers don’t understand - or care - about your home life.

Mark Holborrow shares his career journey and how he’s built boundaries that actually work. Mark Allen opens up about the guilt of trying to “do it all”.

It’s a cathartic, relatable deep dive into the realities of navigating employment when your home life is anything but typical - with plenty of laughs, rants, and candid talk about autism, ADHD, PDA and neurodivergent parenting.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 – Intro & Listener Survey Feedback

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

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CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

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CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com

Why do so many neurodivergent kids swear - loudly, creatively and often at the worst possible moment? Heidi Mavir returns for a lively and cathartic deep dive into swearing.

From F-bombs on the trampoline to grandparent-safe alternatives, they explore how language, context, and neurodivergent wiring all shape how (and why) our kids swear.

They explore the relationship between swearing and regulation, impulse control, PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance), sensory overload, and social context. Heidi shares her take on separating language from intent, and Mark talks about learning when it's best to simply look the other way.

Whether you’re a proudly sweary household or struggling to police your neurodivergent child's potty-mouth moments, this insightful autism parenting podcast episode is packed with nuance, honesty, and a surprising amount of empathy - even for those who hate bad language.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 - Welcome Back & Meet the Guest: Heidi Mavir

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

Lindsay McGlone - https://www.instagram.com/rollinwithlindsay_/

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CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

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CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com

The Summer holidays. Six weeks of unstructured time. No routine. No school. Mark and Lisa Galley explore why the this can be such a challenging experience for parents of autistic, ADHD or PDA kids and why the concept of a “relaxing summer” is more often myth than reality.

Touching on the common parental feelings of boredom, guilt and the ever-present FOMO, this is a candid, humorous and insightful look at what parents experience over the summer when it seems like we're under house arrest with our neurodivergent kids.

Lisa shares strategies for low-demand structure and building in recovery time. Mark opens up about the fantasy of “the perfect summer” and how letting go of that can actually make things more enjoyable.

Essential listening for anyone trying to survive the school holidays and come out of it with their sanity (mostly) intact.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 - Intro & Meet the Guest: Lisa Galley

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

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CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com

For autistic children - or those with ADHD, PDA, and other forms of neurodivergency, swimming can be simultaneously a magical sensory experience and an absolute logistical nightmare. Hatty Ashdown joins Mark to dive into the deceptively simple but totally chaotic world of swimming.

From the infuriating act of trying to get them to swim in the first place, to negotiating the changing room routine, navigating the lockers and dealing with their antics in the pool, Mark and Hatty share candid and hilarious tales of what it’s like to take your neuro-exceptional brood swimming - and why we keep doing it, despite the enormous faff.

This is a funny, heartfelt and painfully relatable episode about parenting neurodivergent kids that is well worth a listen if you've ever had to try to retrieve your child from inside a locker.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 - Intro & Meet the Guest: Hatty Ashdown

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

• Hatty Ashdown’s Website – https://hattyashdown.com/

• Funny Mummies Podcast: Basics – https://pod.link/1451332466

• Funny Mummies Podcast: VIP (Patreon) – https://www.patreon.com/FunnyMummiesPodcast

• Bella Ramsey (Neurodiversity Champion) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Ramsey

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CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

Following on from part 1, fan favourite Jo Matthews joins Mark once more for another laughter-filled, cathartic rant through the most mind-bogglingly ill-informed things people have said about raising autistic, ADHD, PDA and otherwise neurodivergent kids.

In this episode, Mark and Jo go deeper into strategies for pushing back against ignorance without burning out.

Jo shares practical approaches for raising awareness in schools and extended families, and why some battles just aren’t worth fighting.

This one’s full of laughter, reassurance, solidarity and a few tactical comebacks for the next time someone says, “They seem fine to me.”

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 - Intro & Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews Returns

05:30 - "Have you tried a routine?"

10:30 - "Have you tried a parenting course?"

13:30 - “Have you tried changing their diet?”

17:00 - "Why don't you take their screens away?"

20:00 - "Does he have mild autism?"

25:30 - Good autism v bad autism

29:00 - “We’re all a bit autistic"

34:30 - "ADHD is just an excuse"

37:00 - “It doesn't define him”

41:00 - "There's nothing wrong with him"

43:00 - Medical v Social models of disability

47:30 - "My kid does that"

50:00 - “He'll eat when he's hungry"

52:30 - “He'll grow out of it"

54:30 - “He doesn't look autistic"

56:30 - “But, he can talk, so he can’t be autistic”

59:00 - “ADHD is just for boys”

1:01:30 - "What's wrong with him?"

1:02:30 - "I bet he's good at maths"

1:04:30 - "I don't know how you do it"

1:07:00 - Misguided empathy: "I know how you feel"

1:09:00 - "But I do that and I'm not autistic"

1:14:00 - The completely batshit mental comments

1:20:00 - Neurodiversity Champions

1:21:30 - Tiny Epic Wins

1:25:00 - "What the flip?" moments

1:27:30 - Wrap-up & contact info

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

The medical vs social models of disability: www.scope.org.uk/about-us/social-model-of-disability/

Autism assessments (AQ Test): www.embrace-autism.com/aq-10/#test

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CONTACT US

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

In this episode, Mark is joined once again by the brilliant Jo Matthews for a cathartic, hilarious, and occasionally sweary dive into the unfiltered reality of parenting autistic, ADHD and PDA kids.

From "It's just a label" and "He’s fine with me" to "You just need to push them out of their comfort zone", this is part one of a two-part special on the unsolicited commentary we all get, whether it’s from strangers, family members, or well-meaning-but-utterly-wrong professionals. The kind of comments that pretend to be supportive but are really just dismissive, ignorant, or unhelpfully optimistic.

Together, Mark and Jo share personal stories, listener submissions, and a few moments of pure rage-laughter, as they unpack why these statements cut so deep - and how to push back with humour, honesty, and the occasional incredulous raise of the eyebrow.

If you've ever encountered the ignorance of strangers and you're looking for a neurodivergent parenting podcast that makes you feel seen, this is the one for you.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

⸻

CONTACT US

📧 Email: [email protected]

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

In this episode, Nicole Bateman joins Mark to explore why neurodivergent kids often struggle to take up hobbies - those wholesome after-school activities that see neurotypical kids flourish… but which, for many parents of autistic, ADHD or PDA kids are either a logistical nightmare, a sensory minefield, or a fast track to public meltdown.

Together, they explore the myths, pressures and downright ridiculousness of what “having hobbies” means when you are parenting neurodivergent children.

Nicole shares how she’s reframed success and what helps her child engage without pressure. Mark opens up about the guilt, the frustration and the financial strain of trying to nurture interests that never seem to last past the first session.

They cover what actually works, what definitely doesn’t, and the benefits of learning to follow your neurodifferent child's lead, so you can meet them where they're at, rather than where you want them to be.

It’s an honest, often funny conversation about persistence, passion and letting go of neurotypical timelines.

00:00 – Intro & Meet the Guest: Nicole Bateman

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

Shopping - whether it’s for clothes, food or shoes - can be a sensory, emotional and logistical nightmare when you’re parenting autistic or ADHD children. Helen Stuart joins Mark to discuss why “just popping to the shops” is a long-held pipedream.

They share tales from the front line of their own shopping trip traumas, and discuss how sensory overload, PDA, and unpredictable environments make supermarkets and shopping centres feel like hostile territory.

Helen explains the practical steps her family takes to get through it - and when they just opt out entirely. Mark shares how even a trip to the corner shop has to be planned like a military operation, and how public perception adds a whole extra layer of pressure.

A funny, honest episode that every neurodivergent parenting family will relate to.

00:00 – Intro & Listener Feedback

PDA Society - Support and resources for families living with a PDA profile: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk

Supermarket Sweep - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarket_Sweep_(British_game_show)

Sunflower Lanyard Scheme - For invisible disabilities: https://hiddendisabilitiesstore.com

Waterstones Book Tokens - https://www.waterstones.com/help/gift-cards-and-vouchers/32

H&M - https://www2.hm.com/en_gb/kids.html

Skechers - https://www.skechers.co.uk/kids/

Lindsay's Swim School - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063580090089&sk=about

Nelson Street Church, Rochdale - https://www.nelsonstreetchurch.org/

Thrive Together Training website – https://thrivetogethertraining.co.uk

Thrive Together Training Facebook page – www.facebook.com/thrivetogethertraining

Thrive Together Training Instagram account – www.instagram.com/thrivetogethertraining

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🎧 Do you have a “What the flip?” moment or a tiny epic win to share?

⸻

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

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🎶 Theme tune by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

Starting school is a big deal for any child – but for neurodivergent children, it can be the beginning of a long and complicated relationship with the education system. Mark is joined by Helen Daniel to explore what happens when the school system isn’t built for your child.

They discuss transitions, sensory overload, academic gaslighting and the slow-burning isolation that builds in the school playground (for kids and parents alike), as they dissect the emotional rollercoaster of watching your child struggle in a system not built for them.

Together, they share tips for advocating for your child while staying sane – and what they wish they’d known from the beginning.

If you’re looking for an autism, ADHD or PDA parenting podcast episodes about starting school, this one is essential listening.

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STUFF WE COVER:

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

⸻

CONTACT US

🎧 Got a “What the flip?” moment or a tiny epic win to share?

⸻

FOLLOW US

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme tune by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com