Padraig Danaher is a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist and Psychological Coach with over 15 years of experience supporting teenagers and adults through complex adversity and psychological challenges. Since 2011, Padraig has specialised in trauma, a strengths-based approach and attachment, guiding clients to reclaim meaning and purpose in their lives. Handle: @the_ot_coach

Through evidence-based therapeutic strategies, Padraig facilitates adaptive occupational engagement, helping individuals navigate adverse experiences, restore their sense of self, and reconnect with their community. His goal is to foster resilience and hope, and to inspire clients to live authentically and meaningfully.

Guest

• Padraig Danaher — Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist and Psychological Coach; founder of The OT Coach; specialist in trauma, attachment, strengths-based practice, and occupational engagement for teenagers and adults.

• Host: Michele Van Valey

What we cover

• What occupational therapy actually is: OT as a profession focused on function, daily life, and helping people do what matters to them.

• From social care to OT: How Padraig's early work and his nephew's dyspraxia shaped his move into occupational therapy.

• Mental health OT: Why his practice focuses on teenagers and adults experiencing anxiety, school distress, self-harm, eating disorders, loneliness, and overwhelm.

• Body before behavior: Why he starts with the nervous system, sensory experience, sleep, food, movement, and regulation before trying to "fix" school attendance or productivity.

• School distress and emotional-based school avoidance: Why many young people do want to go to school but feel physically unable to cross the threshold.

• Sensory overwhelm in real environments: How light, noise, clothing, demands, and social pressure can push a nervous system into shutdown.

• Diagnosis and self-understanding: Why naming dyslexia, ADHD, dyspraxia, or other neurodivergent profiles can reduce shame and increase self-compassion.

• Parents and pressure: The hidden grief, fear, and exhaustion families carry when a child cannot meet expected milestones.

• What helps most: Rest, adaptation, connection, meaningful activity, and adults who genuinely see the young person in front of them.

Practical takeaways

• Start with the body: Ask what the nervous system is doing before assuming defiance, laziness, or lack of motivation.

• Check the foundations: Sleep, food, movement, connection, joy, and regulation matter before any school plan can work.

• Don't rush recovery: Sometimes the next right step is a full pause from school conversations, not more pressure.

• Adapt the environment: Headphones, movement, sensory supports, altered demands, and reduced overwhelm can change everything.

• Diagnosis can help: A label should not limit a young person; it can offer language, self-understanding, and relief.

• Success is broader than attendance: A young person eating with family, meeting friends, leaving the house, or reconnecting with play can be major progress.

• Mini moments matter: One sentence of authentic recognition from an adult can change a child's trajectory.

• Treat the individual, not the category: Two people with the same diagnosis may need completely different paths.

Suggested chapters

• 00:00 Intro and Padraig's path from social care to occupational therapy

• 01:13 What an OT is and what occupational therapy actually does

• 04:23 Dyspraxia, function, and the role of assessment

• 11:05 Mental health OT: anxiety, school distress, self-harm, eating disorders, loneliness

• 15:54 School avoidance, nervous system overwhelm, and sensory safety

• 20:49 Why children do not all need the same thing in the same way at the same time

• 25:54 Diagnosis, shame, and self-understanding

• 31:18 How Padraig approaches recovery and meaningful occupation

• 36:22 Challenges in practice and the rise in distress among young people

• 39:01 What success really looks like in therapy

• 42:03 One thing adults can do right now to help a young person feel seen

Key ideas from the episode

• Occupational therapy is about function, not just employment or equipment.

• Padraig's work centers the question: what is stopping this person from living the life they want to live?

• Many school-avoidant young people say: "I want to go, but I can't."

• School refusal is often a body-based threat response, not unwillingness.

• Sensory overload can feel like having sandpaper on your body, torches in your eyes, and alarms in your ears all day.

• Rest is often underrated in recovery; some young people need a real pause before progress is possible.

• The goal is not perfect compliance. The goal is safety, connection, autonomy, and meaning.

• A diagnosis can create relief by replacing "What's wrong with me?" with "Now I understand why."

Memorable lines / pull quotes

• "We are therapists of function."

• "I'm really curious about what the young person needs and wants."

• "Life is school attendance is not the marker of success."

• "We have to prioritise rest."

• "Magic happens in mini moments with a young person."

• "They're shaping their identity by getting that feedback from us."

• "You have worked yourself out of a job."

About the guest

Padraig Danaher is a Clinical Specialist Occupational Therapist and Psychological Coach with over 15 years of experience supporting teenagers and adults through complex adversity and psychological challenges. Since 2011, he has specialised in trauma, attachment, and strengths-based practice, helping clients reclaim meaning, improve function, and reconnect with their lives and communities.

Resources / links

• Padraig Danaher / The OT Coach — Instagram: @the_ot_coach

Credits

Host: Michele Van Valey Guest: Padraig Danaher Podcast Producer: Ian Lawton

Content notes

Discussion of anxiety, self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, school distress, trauma, and emotional overwhelm.

Guest: Chloe Victory — Trans autistic writer, filmmaker, performer, and black belt martial artist (Silat). Director of the documentary A Far Green Country, creator of the solo show Elementaller, and advocate for accessible martial arts and creative expression.

Host: Al Bellamy Producer: Ian Lawton

Episode summary

Chloe Victory joins Al Bellamy for a vibrant conversation about martial arts, filmmaking, hypermobility, intrusive thoughts, and creative survival. Chloe shares her journey from black belt to feature filmmaker, reflecting on how Silat helped regulate her nervous system, sharpen spatial awareness, and offer a language for navigating overwhelming mental health moments. From meditating on Narnia battlefields to dreaming up a telepathic autistic film script, Chloe charts a bold, body-led path toward sensory agency, queer joy, and cinematic empathy.

Key takeaways

• Silat, a fast, fluid martial art from Southeast Asia, can be especially beneficial for neurodivergent and hypermobile bodies.

• Martial arts can improve motor coordination, sensory regulation, and executive function, as shown in recent autism studies.

• Training solo during lockdown gave Chloe the space to unmask and deepen her learning—highlighting the importance of sensory-friendly alternatives.

• Chloe's black belt journey included trauma, creativity, and intrusive thoughts; her show Elementaller channeled these themes through art.

• Martial arts teaches restraint, not aggression—and supports self-trust for navigating the world, especially as a trans woman.

• A Far Green Country, her feature doc, uses travel to explore autistic experience without reductionism—offering immersion instead of explanation.

• Autistic and trans representation in film needs to expand—not just youth stories, but nuanced, adult narratives across genres.

• Chloe advocates for sensory-safe, inclusive martial arts classes and hopes to collaborate on academic research into Silat and neurodivergence.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–04:32 — Martial arts journey; Silat vs. Taekwondo; origins, style, and becoming a guru

• 04:32–09:48 — Nine years of training; unlearning rigidity; autistic access barriers and lockdown breakthroughs

• 09:48–13:30 — Sensory regulation, inclusive clubs, and the power of solo study

• 13:30–19:37 — Mental health impact; intrusive thoughts; Elementaller and creative processing

• 19:37–23:32 — Studies on martial arts & autism; executive function, sensory tolerance, spatial awareness

• 23:32–28:30 — Falling safely; hypermobility; martial arts as a tool of confidence and restraint

• 28:30–30:03 — Vision for inclusive, mixed-pace classes; call for academic collaborators

• 30:03–37:27 — Why Chloe makes films; A Far Green Country as lived documentary; empathy through cinema

• 37:27–43:45 — Representation beyond diagnosis; trans visibility in film; ambitions for future features

• 43:45–46:00 — Next projects (hinted); industry learning from Screen Ireland; long road ahead

• 46:00–47:50 — Where to follow Chloe's work; outro and gratitude

Resources mentioned

• 🎥 A Far Green Country – Watch in Ireland (IFI Home) – Watch Internationally (IFI International)

• 🧠 Healthy Gamer Foundation – Meditation resources – Meditation guide

• 🥋 Silat classes in Dublin – Guruliam.com

• 📚 Martial arts & autism research: – 2025 study (Frontiers Psychology) – 2025 meta-analysis (Frontiers Pediatrics) – 2024 meta-analysis (IJSHS) – 2021 study (Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders) – 2019 study (Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders)

Pull quotes

• "A black belt is just the start—you've only scratched the surface."

• "Silat helped me understand how my body moves in space—for the first time."

• "If you know how to fall, you know how to recover."

• "I wanted to show autistic life in motion, not in diagnosis."

• "Every bad film has a good film trying to get out."

• "Martial arts gave me strength without aggression—power with purpose."

• "I don't just want to make films about being autistic or trans—I want to make good films."

Contact Chloe Victory

• Instagram: @thechloevictory

• Martial Arts Email: [email protected]

• Film Projects Email: [email protected]

Episode: Reading Between the Lines: Dyslexia, Education, and Real Systemic Change Guest: Rosie Bissett — CEO of Dyslexia Ireland, national advocate for literacy, access, and equity in education. With decades of leadership, Rosie brings systemic insight, lived empathy, and policy-level experience into the conversation around dyslexia, co-occurring conditions, and structural change.

Host: Peter O'Brien Producer: Ian Lawton

Episode summary

In this honest, wide-ranging conversation, Rosie Bissett breaks down the complex realities of dyslexia in Ireland today—from assessment bottlenecks to shame around reading, and from leaving cert reform to AI's limits in education. Rosie reflects on personal sensory challenges, the roots of her advocacy, and the importance of seeing people beyond diagnostic labels. This episode is rich in lived experience, strategic insight, and grounded hope for long-term change in education, health, and access systems.

Key takeaways

• Dyslexia is widespread but often unsupported—at least 10% of the population, with many undiagnosed adults.

• There's no public route for adult dyslexia assessment in Ireland, creating inequality and vulnerability.

• AI tools can support logistics (like Zoom assessments) but cannot replace clinical expertise or lived conversation.

• Adults often develop compensatory strategies that mask difficulties; testing must account for this.

• Reading challenges may not be inability—but effort fatigue, attention interplay, or environment issues.

• Co-occurrence of ADHD and dyslexia is common; diagnosis should consider overlaps, not siloed categories.

• Shame around reading persists into adulthood; alternative literacy (audiobooks, podcasts, live performance) should be equally valued.

• The State Exams Commission's accommodations (e.g. 10 extra minutes) are wholly inadequate compared to international standards.

• Exam structures need overhaul: shorter papers, fewer subjects, realistic workloads, and holistic timing.

• Representation and inclusion must include all neurodivergent profiles—not just autism.

• Self-identification is valid—formal assessment isn't always necessary to understand and support yourself.

• We must reject toxic positivity and the pressure to be "exceptional" to be accepted.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–02:21 — Opening; climate extremes; introducing Rosie Bissett and dyslexia prevalence in Ireland.

• 02:21–04:57 — Rosie's path into dyslexia advocacy; early organisational resistance to the word itself.

• 04:57–07:15 — Personal sensory sensitivities; exploring her own neurodivergence.

• 07:15–11:03 — Assessment bottlenecks; lack of trained professionals; decades-long gap to fix.

• 11:03–12:57 — Online assessments and limits of AI in diagnosis.

• 12:57–16:45 — Adult dyslexia: reading fatigue, not inability; shame, masking, and co-occurrence with ADHD.

• 16:45–20:04 — School structures: classrooms, forest school, and the need for movement and flexibility.

• 20:04–23:40 — The structural inertia in education; behemoth systems resistant to change.

• 23:40–26:54 — Leinster House lobbying; current campaigns for exam accommodations.

• 26:54–31:12 — Leaving Cert reform: shorter exams, more individualised extra time, reduced burnout.

• 31:12–33:27 — Fear of "unfair advantage" reveals lack of understanding of real disadvantage.

• 33:27–38:38 — The Education Convention; risk of exclusion for less-visible neurodivergences.

• 38:38–41:46 — Vulnerability in private assessment space; regulation and trust are key.

• 41:46–47:26 — Self-identification vs. formal diagnosis; connect with others; see beyond the label.

• 47:26–49:33 — Beware the pressure to be the "super" neurodivergent person; be human, not heroic.

• 49:33–50:28 — Closing thoughts: be kind, be real, advocate for change.

Resources mentioned

• Dyslexia Ireland – Resources, support, and assessments

• State Exams Commission – Reasonable Accommodations

• Forest School Ireland – Outdoor learning model

• Neurodivergent Ireland – Cross-profile advocacy

• Neuroconvergence.ie – Inclusive events and conversations

Pull quotes

• "Reading isn't the problem—it's the effort required that wears people down."

• "AI can't hear your life story or read your exhaustion."

• "You don't have to be the 'best' ADHD or dyslexic person. You just have to be you."

• "Being kind to yourself isn't weakness—it's survival."

• "Systems love regularity, but people aren't regular."

Credits

Host: Peter O'Brien Guest: Rosie Bissett Producer: Ian Lawton Recorded for the Neuroconvergence Podcast

Episode: Sharks, Scripts & Showing Up Neurodivergent Guest: Tierra Porter — Actor, musician, writer, and neurodivergent artist of Indigenous American, African, and Puerto Rican descent. Tierra has toured internationally with Missoula Children's Theatre, graduated with First Class Honours from The Lir Academy, and recently performed at the Gate, Abbey, and Dublin Theatre Festival stages.

Host: Al Bellamy Producer: Ian Lawton

Episode summary

This joyful and energising conversation with Tierra Porter moves from ocean documentaries to Shakespeare, from overstimulation to art as survival. Tierra shares her journey of discovering she's neurodivergent, emigrating from Georgia to Ireland to pursue acting, and building a thriving career across stage and screen. The episode explores arts access, creative self-expression, identity, community, friendship, and Tierra's work-in-progress solo piece on being Two-Spirit and neurodivergent.

Key takeaways

• Discovering you're neurodivergent gives you the language to accommodate yourself, instead of thinking you're broken.

• Neurodivergent people often adapt and survive in education by masking — later realising what they've internalised only in adulthood.

• Ireland's arts scene, while small, provides exceptional opportunity and access, especially compared to the U.S.

• There's power in creating your own work, especially as a multiply marginalised artist — and in building circular mentorship models.

• Friendship for neurodivergent people can mean deep connection, low demand, and showing up when it matters.

• Not adhering to social hierarchies in arts spaces can be a radical, grounding act — "we're in the same room, we're equals."

• Authentic inclusion must move beyond casting to centre stories created by neurodivergent artists, not just about them.

• Creating art from intersectional identity — Black, Indigenous, Two-Spirit, neurodivergent — is both healing and political.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–02:49 — Introductions; when Tierra first discovered she was neurodivergent.

• 02:49–04:56 — Gospel roots, theatre training, magnet schools and early performance life.

• 04:56–06:37 — Surviving school while neurodivergent; lack of supports and constant performance.

• 06:37–09:35 — Moving to Ireland; fourth-choice surprise; finding community through questions.

• 09:35–13:29 — Navigating emigration as a neurodivergent student; planning, mentorship, building connections.

• 13:29–17:01 — Ireland vs. U.S. arts systems: funding, access, and opportunity.

• 17:01–20:58 — Giving back through spreadsheets and mentorship; community care as cultural norm.

• 20:58–23:49 — Writing her solo piece: Afro Latin Dierican; ukulele, audience play, DJing, and Two-Spirit joy.

• 23:49–25:50 — Two-Spirit identity, cultural meaning, and self-expression.

• 25:50–30:06 — Friendship as a neurodivergent artist; low-demand closeness; birds of a feather.

• 30:06–34:02 — Not adhering to social hierarchies: rehearsal room stories, treating everyone the same.

• 34:02–36:45 — Celebrity encounters, Irish humility, and "notions" culture.

• 36:45–39:16 — Future hopes: stories by neurodivergent people, not just about us.

• 39:16–42:33 — Current project: The Crucible at the Gaiety; history, roles, performance dates.

• 42:33–44:25 — No dream role—only a dream life; living as an employed American artist in Europe.

• 44:25–45:35 — Shark documentaries, the ampullae of Lorenzini, and fun neuro facts to close.

Resources mentioned

• The Gaiety Theatre — The Crucible Tickets

• Access Baliman Programme (contextual mention)

• Rachel Baptiste Programme

• Ampullae of Lorenzini — Electroreception in sharks

• Magical Negro trope — Cultural critique reference

• Missoula Children's Theatre — U.S. touring company

• The Lir Academy — Trinity College Dublin's drama school

• Smock Alley Theatre — Dublin arts venue, supports new writing

• Two-Spirit identity (Native American context) — Cultural explanation

Pull quotes

• "Ireland was my fourth choice. Now I don't want to leave."

• "I've started a Google Sheet on immigration and I send it to everyone."

• "Community is everything. Inconvenience is the cost of belonging."

• "We're in the same room—we're equals. Why should I humble myself to you?"

• "I want neurodivergent stories told by us, not about us."

• "Sharks have evolved to sense electromagnetic waves. I think that's neat."

Credits

Host: Al Bellamy Guest: Tierra Porter Producer: Ian Lawton Recorded for the Neuroconvergence Podcast

Episode: ADHD, Comedy & Coaching: Building a Life That Works for Your Brain Guest: Elle Felicity — Writer, performer, and ADHD coach; founder of Chaotic Good Coaching; creator of Close All Tabs (Smock Alley, 2024); advocate for lived-experience-led support and sustainable neurodivergent life design.

Host: Al Bellamy Producer: Ian Lawton

Episode summary

Writer, performer, and ADHD coach Elle Felicity joins Al Bellamy for a deeply candid, often funny, and emotionally resonant conversation about late diagnosis, reframing your identity, and working with your brain rather than against it. Elle shares her journey from years of shame and self-help rabbit holes to creating a one-woman show about her internet search history—and becoming an ADHD coach. The episode explores creativity, chronic illness, cultural communication clashes, game theory, masking, reframing, and how coaching can help build a personal user manual for your brain.

Key takeaways

• Late diagnosis reframes the past: it doesn't change who you are, but changes the context of your life.

• Misunderstanding is a core trauma for many neurodivergent people—coaching and creative work can rebuild self-trust.

• ADHD is not a character flaw; it's a different cognitive operating system that often masks as laziness, inconsistency, or contradiction.

• The myth of consistency doesn't serve everyone—nonlinear thinkers need nonlinear processes.

• Coaching is distinct from therapy: it's future-focused, collaborative, and supports the client to build meaningful, values-driven strategies.

• Lived experience is essential: the best ADHD coaches often come from within the community.

• Concepts like masking, PDA, and spiky profiles are still evolving—clearer definitions are needed to prevent drift or overgeneralization.

• Creativity for neurodivergent people is often tied to bottom-up processing—building meaning from details, not starting with the big picture.

• Game mechanics (e.g. RPG stats, skill buffs) can be powerful metaphors for understanding strengths and needs.

• Coaching can help clients identify "+2 to focus" environments and tools—building a user manual for your own brain.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–03:58 — Introductions; Elle's late diagnosis; years of misdiagnosis and shame.

• 03:58–06:43 — Reframing the past through a neurodivergent lens; identity, memory, and misunderstanding.

• 06:43–09:44 — Special interest in psychology; empathy, trauma, and the mismanaged search for answers.

• 09:44–13:53 — If society could change one thing about ND understanding: mutual accommodation, not one-way adaptation.

• 13:53–17:47 — Cultural norms, autistic communication, and narrative dissonance in film/TV.

• 17:47–20:50 — Writing Close All Tabs: comedy, self-help, and a spreadsheet of 1,869 browser tabs.

• 20:50–27:43 — Webbed thinking, bottom-up processing, perfectionism, nonlinear creativity.

• 27:43–31:10 — The myth of consistency; working in bursts; validating irregular creative patterns.

• 31:10–34:19 — "Where are the walls?": boundaries, spaghetti-at-wall processes, and thinking within containment.

• 34:19–38:38 — What is ADHD coaching? Differences from therapy; future focus; self-directed goals; red flags.

• 38:38–41:13 — Elle's training path, lived experience, and why this career finally fits.

• 41:13–43:24 — Epiphanies, video games, skill trees, and min-maxing: Fallout 4 as a neurodivergent coaching metaphor.

• 43:24–50:28 — Buff items in real life; "plus two to focus" chairs; activation, novelty, and dopamine.

• 50:28–53:10 — Coaching as building your own user manual; the power of client-led strategy.

• 53:10–54:08 — "One boring thing about yourself"; sharks, cats, and fear of the question.

Resources mentioned

• Close All Tabs – Theatre show written and performed by Elle Felicity (Smock Alley, Scene + Heard 2024)

• Chaotic Good Coaching – Elle's coaching practice

• GoldMind Coaching – UK-based neurodivergent-led coach training academy

• divergentnexus.ie – Independent ADHD coaching credential and ethics resource

• Terms discussed: Spiky Profiles, Min-Maxing, Bottom-Up Processing, Double Empathy Problem

  Resources mentioned

  • Close All Tabs – Theatre show written and performed by Elle Felicity (Smock Alley, Scene + Heard 2024)

  • Chaotic Good Coaching – Elle's coaching practice

  • GoldMind Academy – ADHD coach training

  • Divergent Nexus – Ireland-based neurodivergent-led coaching resource

  • Pete Wharmby on Autistic Communication – YouTube talk (starts at 5:25)

  • Monotropism –

    • monotropism.org

    • National Autistic Society explanation

  • Double Empathy Problem –

    • Summary for non-academics (Reframing Autism)

    • Original paper by Damian Milton (2012)

  • Spiky Profiles – Overview from ADHD Working UK

  • Situational Variability – ADDCA blog on managing variability

  • Interest-Based Nervous System – Explanation from Neurodivergent Insights

  • The Brown Model of Executive Functioning – Brown ADHD Clinic overview

Pull quotes

• "Diagnosis didn't change me—it changed the context of my life."

• "I spent years thinking I was lazy and broken. Now I know I'm ambitious, but nonlinear."

• "Coaching helps you build a user manual for your own brain."

• "Sometimes your headphones are your +2 to focus."

• "The myth of consistency does not serve a spiky profile."

• "I make spaghetti-for-wall art—but I need to know where the walls are."

Credits

Host: Al Bellamy Guest: Elle Felicity Producer: Ian Lawton Recorded for the Neuroconvergence Podcast

Episode: Research, Lived Experience & the Future of Neurodiversity Practice Guest: Dr. Blánaid Gavin — Consultant Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist; subspecialist in ADHD; Chair of UCD's Neurodiversity Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Working Group; Co-lead of Making UCD a Neurodiversity-Friendly Campus; researcher, lecturer, and clinical practitioner.

Host: Michele Van Valey Producer: Ian Lawton

Episode summary

Dr. Blánaid Gavin joins Michele for a deep discussion on the tension—and necessary collaboration—between medical frameworks, academic research, and lived experience within the neurodiversity movement. The conversation moves through the challenges of accessing assessments, the limits of current systems, the shifting understanding of concepts like PDA, masking, and ABA, and the difficulty of keeping research aligned with rapidly evolving social narratives. Blánaid also describes UCD's large-scale neurodiversity initiative, the development of new interdisciplinary book series, and the need for rigorous, inclusive research methods grounded in first principles.

Key takeaways

• The tension between clinical, educational, and lived experience perspectives is real but necessary—and can drive meaningful progress.

• Modern research funding now requires co-production: "nothing about us without us" is built into proposal structures.

• Systems risk tokenism unless there are mechanisms for meaningful lived-experience participation.

• Research struggles to keep pace with social media-driven cultural change, especially around terms like PDA and masking.

• Masking needs clear definitions, not blanket good/bad labels—its meaning varies with context and intention.

• CAMHS and related supports remain chronically under-resourced, reducing capacity for holistic, multi-disciplinary assessment.

• ABA's journey—from constitutional "right" to widely critiqued practice—illustrates how social constructs shift rapidly.

• First-principles thinking helps when formal diagnostic language is unclear: start with the child, the parent, the present difficulty, and the desired outcome.

• Co-occurrence (autism, ADHD, anxiety, PDA profiles, intellectual disability, etc.) demands integrated approaches rather than fragmented assessments.

• UCD is building a comprehensive neurodiversity strategy, including environmental audits, qualitative research, staff/student surveys, and action-based policy change.

• A major new interdisciplinary book series (mental health, higher education, criminal justice) aims to bring academic and lived-experience voices together.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–01:47 — Introductions; defining the tension between medical and lived-experience perspectives.

• 01:47–04:30 — Co-production in research; avoiding tokenism; embedding lived experience in funding structures.

• 04:30–08:06 — The research ecosystem: inequities in mental health funding; burnout; staying current with evolving evidence.

• 08:06–10:48 — AI, social media, and the speed of cultural change; challenges in generating timely research.

• 10:48–12:53 — PDA debates; diverse presentations; unmet needs in assessment frameworks.

• 12:53–14:33 — The case for multidisciplinary, integrated assessment models; the risk of over-subspecialisation.

• 14:33–17:00 — Systemic underfunding of CAMHS; firefighting in an overwhelmed service.

• 17:00–20:46 — The ABA pendulum: from constitutional right to human-rights concern; holding the centre.

• 20:46–22:31 — Listening to lived experience without losing nuance; avoiding extremes.

• 22:31–25:41 — Masking: definitional drift, social media lingo, and scientific clarity.

• 25:41–27:03 — Language shifting faster than research; diluted concepts (trauma, masking, PDA).

• 27:03–31:26 — Making UCD a neurodiversity-friendly campus: research stages, audits, surveys, action plans.

• 31:26–33:48 — "Everybody" inclusion vs. individual needs; special classes vs. mainstream.

• 33:48–36:32 — Future direction: interdisciplinarity, international collaboration, building a central hub for neurodiversity research.

• 36:32–41:37 — New book series with Routledge; emerging topics (mental health, higher education, criminal justice, gender, later life).

• 41:37–42:37 — The Neurodiversity journal; creating space for unheard voices; closing thoughts.

Resources mentioned

• UCD Neurodiversity Working Group

• Stanford Neurodiversity Project

• Rutledge (Routledge) Neurodiversity Book Series (new releases on mental health, higher education, criminal justice)

• Neurodiversity (journal, Sage)

• Baroness Cass Review (UK, gender and clinical care)

Pull quotes

• "Tension is inevitable—but it can be productive."

• "Co-production must be real, not performative."

• "If language shifts without clear definition, research can't keep up."

• "Systems under pressure can only firefight; they cannot innovate."

• "Everyone's needs are different, even when the labels look the same."

Credits

Host: Michele Van Valey Guest: Dr. Blánaid Gavin Producer: Ian Lawton Recorded for the Neuroconvergence Podcast.

Episode: Relaxed Performance, Representation & Disabled Lives in the Arts Guest: Eleanor Walsh — Autistic actor, writer, disability advocate; performer in Chronically Hopeful, Grace, Yellow, Daughter of God, and What I Don't Know About Autism at the Abbey Theatre; Youth Ambassador with AsIAm; featured in Be Inspired: Young Irish People Changing the World by Sarah Webb.

Host: Al Bellamy Producer: Ian Lawton

Episode summary

Eleanor Walsh joins Al Bellamy for a deep exploration of relaxed performance, autistic representation, and what it means to build a sustainable career in the Irish arts sector as a disabled professional. She shares her early discovery of relaxed performance, the influence of online autistic communities during the 2010s, and the realities of balancing masking, energy limits, and workplace culture in theatre. The conversation moves between personal history, sector-wide critique, and hopeful visions for genuine inclusion.

Key takeaways

• Relaxed performance removes rigid theatre conventions and centres human needs: movement, stimming, leaving/re-entering, adjusted lights and sound.

• Relaxed spaces support performers as much as audiences—visibility, unpredictability, and new forms of liveness.

• The arts sector often embraces neurodivergence rhetorically, but follow-through on accommodations is inconsistent.

• Disabled artists face extra hidden labour: deciding when to disclose, when to mask, and when to request support.

• Mainstream and accessible theatre remain separated worlds, a sign of incomplete inclusion.

• Online autistic communities (Tumblr, early blogs) offered representation and survival knowledge before social media mainstreaming.

• Intergenerational autistic visibility—kids seeing autistic adults thriving—remains transformative.

• Community requires actions, not just language; inclusion must extend beyond the stage to social spaces, networking, and rehearsal culture.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–02:25 — Introductions; friendship context; what relaxed performance is.

• 02:25–04:50 — Relaxed performance explained: conventions loosened; sensory and access adjustments.

• 04:50–09:00 — Early Irish context; learning from UK disability arts; relaxed performance as artistic form.

• 09:00–15:35 — What it feels like to perform relaxed: visibility, unpredictability, audience responses, cue work.

• 15:35–17:40 — Managing energy, physical limits, and the myth of "the show must go on."

• 17:40–20:20 — Social spaces (canteens, pubs) as hidden access barriers.

• 20:20–23:10 — Acceptance vs. tokenistic inclusion; being valued until one is "too autistic."

• 23:10–26:00 — Masking, disclosure, and adjusting accommodation requests with career progression.

• 26:00–29:20 — Working across mainstream and accessible sectors; navigating mismatched expectations.

• 29:20–32:45 — Childhood, diagnosis, Kilkenny's arts culture, and entering theatre.

• 32:45–38:25 — Pre-social-media autistic community: Tumblr, Geocities archives, foundational texts.

• 38:25–43:20 — Intergenerational autistic visibility; community survival; need for continuity.

• 43:20–46:30 — Shifts in language, identity-first terminology, and evolving disability culture.

• 46:30–48:15 — Closing; "one boring thing" prompt; food shopping confession.

Resources mentioned

• What I Don't Know About Autism by Jodie O'Neill

• Be Inspired: Young Irish People Changing the World — Sarah Webb

• John Elder Robison's writing ("Help, I Seem to Be Getting More Autistic")

• NeuroTribes — Steve Silberman

• Yellow — Bounce Disability Arts Festival

Pull quotes

• "Relaxed performance acknowledges that we're all human beings with human needs."

• "You can be autistic for people until you are autistic for people."

• "The fact that we have to talk about mainstream theatre and accessible theatre is pretty shocking."

• "Autistic kids seeing autistic adults — that's survival."

Credits

Host: Al Bellamy Guest: Eleanor Walsh Producer: Ian Lawton Recorded for the Neuroconvergence Podcast.

Episode: Understanding ADHD Across the Lifespan: Lived Experience, Leadership & Looking Ahead

Guest: Ken Kilbride — CEO of ADHD Ireland; advocate for national ADHD supports; parent of a multiply-neurodivergent adult; long-time collaborator with national organisations. Episode summary

Peter O'Brien speaks with Ken Kilbride about ADHD Ireland's mission, the realities of ADHD across the lifespan, medication and self-regulation, comorbidity, workplace culture, and the deeper human rights implications of ignoring adult ADHD. Ken shares personal motivations, organisational strategy, and why ADHD awareness must evolve into acceptance in schools, workplaces, and wider society.

Key takeaways

• ADHD is lifelong, not a childhood condition that disappears at 18.

• Public perception still frames ADHD as "naughty children" and poor discipline, which obscures the real challenges: executive functioning, emotional regulation, impulsivity, and chronic stress.

• Medication helps around 80% of people but requires careful titration with a clinician.

• ADHD rarely travels alone: 70–80% have at least one co-occurring condition; 30–35% have two; 10–15% have three.

• Emotional dysregulation and rejection sensitivity can be the hardest part for many adults.

• Stigma prevents disclosure in workplaces; cultural change is essential for inclusion.

• ADHD Ireland plans to expand national advocacy, representation, and public education over the next strategic cycle (2026–2029).

• ADHD is best understood as a different operating system, not a deficit or disorder.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–02:00 — Introductions; long-standing collaboration; ADHD diagnosis through Cloud Clinic.

• 02:00–05:10 — "Do you have ADHD?"; operating systems, Ferrari brains, and traits vs. disorder.

• 05:10–07:30 — Public misconceptions: discipline myths, "naughty kids," and stigma.

• 07:30–10:20 — Medication talk: stimulants, titration, timing, and lived experience of use.

• 10:20–15:00 — Combining lifestyle regulation with medication: cold-water swimming, yoga, dopamine balance.

• 15:00–17:30 — ADHD strengths: hyperfocus, innovation, reinvention, game-changing ability.

• 17:30–20:10 — Work life: unemployability, needing love for the work, being your own boss.

• 20:10–22:50 — Disclosure fears in workplaces; culture change; why acceptance matters.

• 22:50–25:00 — Emotional regulation and RSD; small criticisms becoming big storms.

• 25:00–27:50 — Invisible disability; why colleagues struggle to understand accommodations.

• 27:50–30:20 — ADHD in prisons, substance use, and the unknowns needing research.

• 30:20–33:40 — Human rights framing: suicide risk, self-harm statistics, and lack of services for adults.

• 33:40–36:10 — Personal story: raising a multiply-neurodivergent son; motivation for advocacy.

• 36:10–38:45 — ADHD Ireland's future strategy: national representation, social change, broader advocacy.

• 38:45–42:00 — Building partnerships across the neurodivergent sector; overlapping conditions.

• 42:00–46:20 — Schools: acceptance vs. awareness; teachers needing practical skills; parents being told to "fight."

• 46:20–47:45 — The power of understanding and belonging; closing thoughts.

Resources mentioned

• ADHD Ireland — national supports, advocacy, information, training.

• NICE Guidelines for ADHD — clinical recommendations for diagnosis and treatment.

• Cloud Clinic — assessment services referenced in conversation.

• Recent CSO Data — 2% self-reported ADHD diagnosis; 9% suspect they may have ADHD.

Pull quotes

• "ADHD isn't mild. It doesn't vanish on your 18th birthday."

• "It's not better, it's not worse—it's a different operating system."

• "Emotional dysregulation is the hardest part for a third of adults."

• "People with ADHD reinvent the world as they go."

• "We need acceptance, not just awareness."

Credits

Host: Peter O'Brien Guest: Ken Kilbride Producer: Ian Lawton Recorded remotely.

Tags

ADHD Ireland, adult ADHD, neurodivergence, workplace inclusion, emotional regulation, medication, stigma, human rights, Neuroconvergence

Episode: Autism, Advocacy & the Changing Landscape of Ireland Guest: Adam Harris — Founder & CEO of AsIAm; leading national advocate for autistic rights; writer, speaker, and policy influencer.

Episode summary

Adam Harris traces his journey from early childhood in Ireland—when autism was barely understood—to founding AsIAm, now the country's national autism organisation. He speaks openly about early school experiences, stigma, sensory and executive-function challenges, and autistic burnout. Adam and Peter explore the growing self-advocacy movement, the post-COVID cultural shift, structural barriers that persist, and why societal attitudes lag behind public awareness. The conversation moves into education, universal design, community life, and Adam's reflections on Neuroconvergence as a shared, cross-neurotype movement.

Key takeaways

• Ireland moved from little awareness to growing advocacy, but systemic change still lags behind.

• Adam's early life reflects societal attitudes of the 1990s: limited support, stigma, and confusion about autism.

• Inclusion is more than "a place"—it requires culture, quality, and understanding.

• Autistic teenagers often reject their identity due to stigma, assumptions, and disempowering attitudes.

• The autistic self-advocacy wave is the biggest driver of change—not institutions.

• COVID exposed societal fragility and highlighted long-standing autistic realities: isolation, unemployment, and overwhelm.

• Universal design benefits everyone and depends as much on attitudes as on architecture.

• Neuroconvergence offers a space for collective advocacy, cross-learning, and community connection.

Topics & timestamps

• 00:00–04:15 — Intro; Peter's gratitude; the origins of AsIAm's remit.

• 04:15–07:30 — Adam's early childhood: difference recognised, lack of understanding, early intervention in the late '90s.

• 07:30–09:30 — First autism class in Dublin; barriers to local schooling; special school years.

• 09:30–12:50 — Transition to mainstream; buddy systems; early inclusion efforts; culture vs. place.

• 12:50–16:10 — Teen years: stigma, identity, wanting to "blend in," anxiety, organisation challenges.

• 16:10–17:50 — Transition year as a turning point; understanding societal barriers.

• 17:50–19:10 — Family advocacy; Simon Harris's early political involvement rooted in autism access issues.

• 19:10–23:40 — When public awareness began shifting; comparing to other equality movements; self-advocacy timelines.

• 23:40–28:30 — COVID as a turning point: fragility, misinformation, and regression in some policy areas.

• 28:30–34:00 — Built environments, sensory design, and Magda Mustafa's ASPECTSS framework; universal design for campuses.

• 34:00–38:40 — Real-world inclusion: cinema, public reactions, visible stimming, invisible needs.

• 38:40–41:50 — Autistic burnout; stimming as regulation; needing solitude; adult life management.

• 41:50–46:20 — Personal story vs. structural change in advocacy; diversity of autistic experiences.

• 46:20–48:20 — Neuroconvergence as shared space: collaboration, misinformation defence, community offerings.

• 48:20–50:00 — Closing; March date update; gratitude; future plans.

Resources mentioned

• AsIAm — National Autism Charity of Ireland; resources, training, advocacy.

• ASPECTSS / Dr. Magda Mustafa — sensory-informed architectural framework.

• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — environmental and attitudinal barriers.

• Neuroconvergence Events — Richmond Barracks, UCD; collaborative movement building.

Pull quotes

• "Accessibility requires change by others—not just awareness."

• "Being autistic isn't the barrier. The barrier is that most people aren't and don't understand."

• "The diagnosis movement is new; the self-advocacy movement is even newer."

• "We celebrate inclusion days, but how do we behave in the cinema when someone is distressed?"

• "Universal design isn't just architecture—it's attitude."

Credits

Host: Peter O'Brien Guest: Adam Harris Production: Ian Lawton Recorded remotely.

Tags

Autism advocacy, AsIAm, Irish autism movement, neurodivergence, inclusion, universal design, autistic adulthood, Neuroconvergence.

A clear, lived-experience guide to the Autistic SPACE framework—how sensory needs, predictability, acceptance, communication, and empathy transform care in clinics, hospitals, and classrooms.

Guests

• Dr. Mary Doherty — Autistic physician and researcher; lead author of the Autistic SPACE framework for healthcare.

• Elaine McGoldrick — Autistic educator and former special-education teacher; co-author on applying SPACE in schools.

• Host: Michele Van Valey • Producer: Ian Lawton

What we cover

• What "SPACE" means: Sensory needs • Predictability • Acceptance • Communication • Empathy Plus three supports: Physical space, Processing time, Emotional space.

• Healthcare realities: Barriers to access, why overhead lights, crowded bays, and unexpected touch derail care; simple fixes that work; adaptations for anaesthesia and other specialties.

• School realities: Masking, "fine at school, collapse at home," uniform policies as sensory traps; plan B/C for timetable changes; autonomy over compliance.

• Double empathy: Meeting in the middle by adjusting practitioner/teacher behavior rather than forcing autistic people to mask.

• Mental health and safeguarding: How normalization pressures damage self-concept and increase risk; why teaching autonomy matters.

• Implementation tactics: Small pilots, one issue at a time, consistent staff cues, pausing instead of filling silence, validating first.

Practical takeaways

• Flip first response: Lead with "You must have a good reason—tell me," then pause.

• Turn down the environment: Single rooms or curtained bays, lights off, quiet corners.

• Build predictability: Visual previews, clear next steps, agreed alternatives when plans change.

• Protect processing time: Ask once; wait; don't rephrase unless needed.

• Autonomy over coercion: Choices (red/blue shoes; partial attendance; blended learning).

• Whole-school/whole-team consistency: Shared one-page SPACE plan that any staff member can follow.

Suggested chapters

• 00:00 Intro & definitions

• 05:40 Sensory needs and environmental tweaks

• 07:30 Physical, processing, and emotional space

• 12:40 Pausing, silence, and communication differences

• 17:20 School refusal vs. system fit; reducing coercion

• 23:30 Practical school accommodations and plan B/C

• 27:20 Acceptance, identity, and mental health outcomes

• 39:00 Double empathy in action

• 44:40 Adoption paths: clinics, training, staff culture

• 49:20 Closing notes and where SPACE is spreading

Resources mentioned (for show page)

• Autistic SPACE framework paper (clinical settings)

• Adaptations for anaesthesia; social care; snow sports

• Lancet essay by Dr. Doherty on sensory overload and meltdown

Credits

Recording: Neuroconvergence Podcast Guests: Dr. Mary Doherty, Elaine McGoldrick • Host: Michele Van Valey • Production: Ian Lawton

Content warnings

Brief references to coercion in schools, ABA, and abuse risk.