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Say yes to slower. That simple pivot—away from pressure and toward real choice—turned a chaotic season into a week with fewer meltdowns, easier car rides, and a hydrotherapy session full of laughter. We open up about parenting a PDA child with low demand strategies, how we detach from outcomes, and why autonomy is not a luxury but a lifeline for regulation.

We dive into the recovery–stability–expansion arc and why families often rush past the stability phase. Fresh from the Perth PDA conference, we share takeaways from psychiatrists and lived-experience voices: meltdowns are involuntary, medication is a careful balancing act, and environments that honour autonomy are central to nervous system safety. The science lands in everyday moments—like offering a late yes or no to hydro, letting go of non-essential demands, and checking our own triggers when a child refuses shoes.

Low Demand Parenting by Amanda Diekman

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What happens when you remove the biggest triggers from a child’s day and the seizures stop? We sit down with Paige Carter to unpack a remarkable shift since Oakland left school, the role stress and heat play in absence and atonic seizures, and why the family is cautiously considering CBD oil after exhausting conventional options. From risperidone’s early wins and later costs, to stimulants that sparked agitation, to a thick, red seizure medicine that collided with PDA-driven demand avoidance, this is a grounded look at tailoring care to a child’s nervous system.

We get practical about legal access, quality control, and avoiding THC in paediatric use, and talk through gentle dosing tactics that respect autonomy—tiny drops on bread, full transparency, and slow titration under specialist oversight. Paige shares why a psychiatrist may join the team alongside neurology and paediatrics, and how cause–effect thinking helps Oakland link heat, stress, and seizure risk to asking for support when he needs it. With summer on the way and a year on the road ahead, the family is planning for flexible care while keeping anxiety low and trust high.

inclusiveoak.com.au

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Change doesn’t wait for the perfect schedule, and neither do big feelings. We sit down after a long day to unpack a week where a 30-minute hydrotherapy session brought relief, the weather kept us indoors, and Oakland leaned hard into the comfort of screens and familiar routines. Rather than fight it, we explore why control, predictability, and co-regulation can be smart strategies when a child’s world is filled with packed boxes and looming travel plans.

We get personal about the daily school run for Lacey and the meltdowns that come with transitions: the countdowns that sometimes help, the moments that don’t, and the practical safety steps that keep everyone secure. Paige breaks down why static visuals and tabletop tasks trigger Oakland, offering a different lens for therapists and educators—lighten language, reduce direct demands, and protect autonomy wherever you can. We also talk about weekends, nature, and why water usually eases his nervous system, while staying honest about the days it doesn’t.

Amid family recalibration, Paige reveals The Inclusion Collective—an accessible, privately funded membership for carers seeking practical training and genuine connection. Expect live group education on NDIS reviews and school systems, clarity connection calls for questions and body doubling, masterclasses from diverse voices, and an active chat that doesn’t expect perfection. It’s built to meet real carers where they are and make support feel possible.

https://inclusiveoak.com.au/

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Ever watched a child light up at the zoo, then shut down at the hospital and wondered how to bridge those worlds with care, dignity, and actual access? We dive into a week that held both: a quiet bus at Monarto where curiosity bloomed, and a clinical setting where pushing past tolerance backfired. Along the way, we unpack the practical tools that make community life possible for neurodivergent kids, from hydrotherapy wins to the much-debated disability stroller that functions as a lifeline.

We share how unschooling shows up in real time: learning differences between apes and monkeys on the move, noticing the iPad as a regulator rather than a villain, and prepping for transitions when the water slides are closed but the pool is still calling. At home, we’re packing up to rent the house and planning a lap around Australia: tag-teaming weekends, leveraging ADHD hyperfocus, and keeping eyes on a future with more freedom and family time. Our daughter’s school fatigue gets a humane reset with later starts, backed by a supportive teacher and simple, clear communication.

The heart of the conversation is nervous system literacy. One parent often becomes the safe base, the other the action signal. Naming these roles reduces blame and power struggles, and it guides who should lead what-especially during transitions. We also pull back the curtain on NDIS knockbacks that label strollers as “restrictive practice,” how we used a Variety grant to fund a purpose-built disability stroller, and what to do when the first device can’t withstand meltdowns or strength. Think durable gear, sensory shielding, and realistic logistics that keep outings possible.

Medical trauma needs careful handling. We share scripts that protect capacity- sending videos ahead, setting no-engagement boundaries, and calling time when a clinician pushes a child past their limit. The result isn’t perfect compliance; it’s sustainable care and trust for the next visit. If you’re navigating similar terrain-unschooling, access, advocacy, and family alignment-you’ll find strategies you can use today. If the conversation resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs the validation, and leave a review so more families can find these tools.

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The rainbow stretches across the sky – vibrant, diverse, and complete only because each colour exists. This powerful metaphor frames our season finale on neurodiversity, reminding us that human brains, like rainbows, aren't meant to be identical. Each carries unique colours, patterns, and brilliance that contribute to the whole.

Throughout this season, we've explored what truly neuroaffirming spaces look like – environments that don't merely tolerate neurological differences but actively celebrate them. These spaces recognize that every form of sensory communication and emotional expression is valid, meeting needs with respect rather than correction. Most importantly, they create that irreplaceable feeling of belonging – being valued, trusted, and celebrated exactly as you are.

Parents, here's something especially for you: your brain belongs in the rainbow too. When you recognize and honor your own neurological wiring, you connect with yourself more deeply and model self-acceptance for your children. This understanding becomes the bridge to authentic relationships. What colors make up your brain? What lights you up? What overwhelms you? What strengths have carried you through? This season has shown us that supporting neurodivergent children isn't about fixing perceived deficits but recognizing the brilliance already present and creating environments where that brilliance can flourish.

As you move forward, remember that creating neuroaffirming spaces happens through simple daily choices – a parent pausing before speaking, a therapist following a child's lead, a teacher adjusting the environment. Every time you choose acceptance and celebration over correction, you reshape the world around you. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Your participation in these conversations transforms understanding into real change. Please subscribe, share with others who might benefit, and visit mytherapyhouse.com.au or danabaltutis.com for additional resources.

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What if a camera could say what your voice can’t? We sit down with Bianca, a neurodivergent artist and mother living with bipolar II, ADHD, and autistic traits, to explore how art, therapy, and the right clinical support helped her turn pain into purpose. From a turbulent childhood in post-communist Romania to a leap-of-faith move to Adelaide during the pandemic, her story threads vulnerability with resolve, and invites us to rethink what recovery and advocacy can look like.

We trace her late diagnosis journey—sparked by her child’s assessment—and the mix of shock and relief that followed a bipolar II diagnosis. Bianca breaks down the real work of finding effective medication, why a psychiatrist’s expertise matters for complex mood disorders, and how weekly therapy functions like emotional hygiene. She shares the gritty middle: when ADHD meds tangle with mood stability, when the wrong clinician sets progress back, and how to keep going until you’re truly seen.

Parenting deepened everything. Bianca talks candidly about postpartum depression, the fear of passing on trauma, and the craft of repair—slowing down, choosing different words, making room for both joy and overwhelm. Her photography practice became a lifeline: mindful “find red” walks to regulate attention, self-portraits on the days words failed, and exhibitions that turned private suffering into communal understanding. Her widely shared projects—on postpartum mental health and Hear Me Say This—use portraits and lived testimony to dismantle stigma around bipolar, autism, ADHD, and disability.

If you care about mental health, neurodiversity, creative practice, or simply want a grounded conversation about how people actually heal, this one’s for you. Subscribe to catch more stories that blend evidence, empathy, and art—and share this episode with someone who needs to feel seen today.

https://www.biancajoannaphotography.com.au/home

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A five-minute visit can hold a whole season of hope. I sat down with Paige Carter of Inclusive Oak to trace the delicate return of motivation after school burnout, and name a stage many families live inside: curiosity without capacity. Oakland asked to see his friends, stepped into the classroom, then stepped back out, overwhelmed but determined enough to hug classmates in the hallway. We call that progress, and we talk about how changing our expectations changes a child’s nervous system.

We also untangle language that matters in practice. De-schooling is the rest-and-repair bridge between school and any home education model; unschooling is the child-led learning that may follow. Paige shares how releasing academic demands helped her son regulate, then rediscover interest through technology. From iPad downtime to active PlayStation sessions and YouTube walk-throughs, we explore how authentic learning shows up when a child truly cares about the goal: decoding letters to search, transferring steps into gameplay, and building confidence one solved problem at a time.

Parallel to this home shift runs a major advocacy effort. Paige takes us inside her months-long push to address the “grey area” in education, children who don’t qualify for special education but can’t access mainstream classrooms safely or consistently. After building a campaign, gathering expert input, and meeting the Premier, she shares the emotional toll and why deep rest afterward wasn’t indulgence but maintenance. Looking ahead, the family is packing up their home to travel Australia for a year. The kids get choice over what to keep and how to set up their bunks, and a purpose-built stroller remains a crucial support for safety and regulation in public spaces.

If this story resonates, whether you’re navigating de-schooling, advocating for grey-area learners, or rethinking what “success” looks like - come along. Listen, share with someone who needs a gentler lens, and leave a review to help more families find this conversation.

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What happens when a clinical psychologist with ADHD parents two neurodivergent children? A uniquely insightful perspective on navigating family life with different brains. Dr. Claire Milligan opens up about her journey from struggling parent to practice director of Maple Leaf Psychology and Allied Health, sharing the moment when everything changed - when her pediatrician asked, "Which one of you has ADHD?"

That question sparked what Claire calls her "kaleidoscope moment" - suddenly her entire life made sense through an ADHD lens. With refreshing honesty, Claire shares both professional wisdom and personal struggles, including a meltdown that happened just hours before our conversation. Her vulnerability reinforces what many parents need to hear: perfection isn't possible, but repair always is.

Claire explains the crucial differences between tantrums and meltdowns, offering practical strategies for each. She introduces Internal Family Systems therapy, which views our personalities as different "parts" working together like a symphony when well-coordinated. This approach helps parents develop compassion for themselves, especially after difficult moments.

For daily life management, Claire recommends specific tools like Family Wall app for shared calendars and AnyList app for grocery shopping. Her family motto - "If it's not in Family Wall, it isn't happening" - reduces the cognitive load for ADHD brains. She emphasizes the importance of working with your brain's needs rather than against them, whether that means wearing earplugs during sensory overwhelm or giving extra warnings about schedule changes.

The greatest hope for neurodivergent families? Seeing children develop self-awareness about their needs, like when Claire's son recently said, "I need more warning." By embracing our unique brain wiring and teaching our children to do the same, we create families where differences aren't just accommodated - they're celebrated. Ready to transform your understanding of neurodivergent parenting? Listen now and discover how knowing your brain can change everything.

https://mapleleafpsychology.com.au/

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What if the bravest thing you could do for your child’s education was to stop pushing and start listening to their nervous system? That’s the pivot Paige Carter makes as she chooses unschooling to help her autistic son, Oaklan, recover from severe burnout - replacing schedules and demands with safety, curiosity, and radical patience.

We dig into what autistic burnout really looks like at home: fragile tolerance, lost interests, and a body that reads every expectation as a threat. Paige traces the turning point from a small, supportive classroom to a mid-year intake that tipped the balance - more peers, more noise, more unpredictability - and why a quieter, specialist-informed environment makes all the difference. Along the way, “screen time” gets reframed as a lifeline. Minecraft, Star Wars, and deep-dives into animal facts become low-demand gateways to confidence, language, problem-solving, and calm. The difference between homeschooling and unschooling comes into focus too: one submits a curriculum; the other follows the child’s capacity, catching learning in the cracks of real life.

Paige also opens up about medication: risperidone’s early wins, hard side effects, and the search for alternatives amid epilepsy management, MRI results, and halted assessments. Through it all, her daily non-negotiables- five pages of reading, ten minutes of journaling, mantras, a healthy lunch, and brief breathwork or a walk- model how carers stay grounded when days swing from peaceful to stormy in minutes. And there’s advocacy in motion: a meeting with South Australia’s Premier to press for small classes, trained staff, stable cohorts and policies that recognise autistic burnout as a genuine health event, not a behaviour problem.

If you’ve ever wondered whether healing can come before homework - and still lead to real learning - this story offers a map and a measure of hope. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs this perspective, and leave a review to help more families find the support they deserve.

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What happens when we reframe neurodivergence not as a deficit, but as a natural variation in brain architecture? Sarah Eagle, founder of Joy Diving Australia and late-diagnosed autistic woman with ADHD, offers a refreshing perspective that celebrates brain differences rather than pathologizing them.

After losing her brother Ben during a psychotic episode in 2001, Sarah channelled her grief into walking 600 kilometres along Western Australia's Bibbulum Track to raise awareness for mental health. Years later, following her own neurodivergent diagnosis, she created Joy Diving Australia—a name inspired by both her love of scuba diving and her mission to help others discover what brings their unique brains joy.

Sarah speaks candidly about the shame many late-diagnosed adults carry after years of being told they need to be "normal." Through her work, she helps clients develop what she calls "sensory lifestyle medicine"—practical adjustments to their environment that support nervous system regulation. For families, she introduces polyvagal theory as a framework to understand behaviours as communications of the nervous system, fostering non-blaming language around regulation and dysregulation.

The conversation explores how workplaces can better accommodate neurodivergent employees, with Sarah highlighting the importance of environmental adjustments and the new psychosocial legislation that can support these changes. She's developing resources to help neurodivergent individuals navigate workplace accommodations and financial challenges, recognising that many late-diagnosed people face significant economic disadvantages.

Perhaps most touching is Sarah's ability to approach her own neurodivergent experiences with curiosity and compassion rather than shame. She shares a story about mistaking an optical illusion for a glass door—a perceptual "glitch" that she views not as a deficit but as a fascinating insight into how her brain works.

Listen to discover how understanding and embracing your unique brain type can transform your experience of life, reduce shame, and open doorways to joy you never thought possible. How might your life change if you approached your own brain differences with curiosity instead of judgment?

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