We're Not Your Typical Podcast

“I was broken. I felt so heartbroken.” 💔

What happens when you receive a diagnosis you never expected, while already navigating the challenges of raising a child with profound autism?

In this powerful and emotional episode of We’re Not Your Typical, Jenni opens up about the reality of raising seven children, including her son Bertie, who has Down syndrome, and Ronnie, who is profoundly autistic and non-verbal.

Jenni shares the shock of discovering Bertie’s Down syndrome diagnosis after birth, the eight-day wait for answers, and the fear, grief and uncertainty that followed. She also speaks honestly about the reality of being a special needs parent, from ADHD burnout and mental health struggles to the relentless anxiety, exhaustion and isolation that can come with caring for children with additional needs.

In this episode, we discuss:

- Receiving a Down syndrome diagnosis after birth

- Raising a child with Down syndrome alongside a profoundly autistic, non-verbal child

- The reality of special needs parenting that social media doesn’t show

- ADHD burnout, anxiety and parental mental health

- The impact of additional needs on siblings and family relationships

- The challenges of respite care, sleep deprivation and constant hypervigilance

- Navigating mainstream education and specialist schools

- Learning to advocate for your children and trust your instincts

- Finding acceptance, strength and gratitude in the unknown

This is an honest conversation about the realities of raising children with additional needs: the heartbreak, the exhaustion, the love and the moments that change your entire perspective.

If you’re a parent navigating autism, Down syndrome, SEND or neurodivergence, we hope this episode helps you feel seen, understood and a little less alone.

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What happens when you leave an abusive relationship with two young children and have to rebuild your entire life from scratch?

In this powerful episode of We're Not Your Typical, we sit down with Evie, better known online as Council House Mama, to hear her story of escaping domestic violence, becoming a single mum, navigating temporary accommodation and raising a neurodivergent child.

Evie opens up about the reality of leaving an abusive relationship, the importance of telling someone you trust, and how her best friend helped her take the first steps towards safety. She shares what happened when she left with her two children, the challenges of accessing temporary accommodation, and what it was like to start again in a council property.

We also talk about Evie's own autism diagnosis and her son's autism and ADHD, including the signs that were initially mistaken for the effects of trauma. Evie explains her son's masking, struggles with transitions, communication differences, sensory needs and emotional regulation, as well as the support he receives at school.

From navigating an autism diagnosis and paying privately for an assessment to finding practical strategies that work at home, Evie shares the realities of parenting a neurodivergent child while managing her own autism.

Evie also talks about her journey as a content creator, how sharing her life online grew from a difficult period into a career, and why she chooses to openly discuss council housing, SEND parenting, autism, ADHD and life after domestic abuse.

Most importantly, this episode is about finding hope after trauma, building a new life and understanding that starting again is possible.

🎙️ In this episode:

• Evie's experience of domestic violence

• Leaving an abusive relationship with two children

• How to tell someone you trust when you're struggling

• Escaping domestic abuse and finding support

• Temporary accommodation and homelessness

• The reality of starting again as a single mum

• Council housing and rebuilding a home

• Evie's autism diagnosis

• Her son's autism and ADHD diagnosis

• Recognising autism beyond trauma

• Masking in autistic children

• Autism, ADHD and transitions

• Communication differences and understanding language

• Sensory needs and emotional regulation

• Supporting autistic children at school

• One-to-one support in mainstream education

• Paying privately for an autism assessment

• Parenting a neurodivergent child

• Life after domestic violence

• Council House Mama and social media

• Rebuilding your life after trauma

• Finding hope after difficult experiences

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#Autism #ADHD #DomesticViolence #SENDParenting #CouncilHousing #SingleMum #NeurodivergentFamily #AutismParenting #DomesticAbuseSurvivor #CouncilHouseMama #AutismAwareness #SpecialNeedsParenting Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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What happens when children with ADHD and other neurodivergent needs are expected to fit into an education system that doesn't fully understand how their brains work?

In this episode of We're Not Your Typical, we sit down with Jamie Gilbert, a former assistant head teacher who spent 18 years working with children with social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs, around 95% of whom were neurodivergent.

Jamie shares his experience working with children with ADHD, autism and other additional needs, and explains why he believes emotional regulation needs to come before academic achievement.

We discuss the challenges children can face in mainstream and specialist education, the impact of masking, why children may release their emotions at home after holding everything together at school, and how working memory and executive function can affect everyday life.

Jamie also opens up about his own experience growing up with undiagnosed ADHD, including the importance of understanding yourself, building confidence and finding the right tools to regulate your emotions.

He explains how movement, sport, positive relationships and dynamic learning can help children engage, and why he believes ADHD should be understood as more than either a "superpower" or a deficit.

We also talk about ADHD medication, diagnosis, rejection sensitivity, hyperfocus, working memory, parenting ADHD children, and how parents can adapt communication to better support their children.

Jamie also shares more about ADHD School, his virtual educational programme designed to help children understand their ADHD brain, develop executive functioning skills and build their own ADHD toolkit.

🎙️ In this episode:

• Understanding ADHD and the ADHD brain

• ADHD and emotional regulation

• ADHD, autism and neurodivergence in education

• Social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs

• Why emotional regulation can affect learning

• Understanding masking in children

• Why children may release emotions at home

• ADHD and executive functioning

• Working memory and communication

• Supporting children with ADHD at home

• Movement breaks and ADHD regulation

• Hyperfocus and the strengths of ADHD

• ADHD diagnosis and understanding the diagnosis

• ADHD medication and individual choices

• Avoiding the "ADHD superpower" narrative

• Helping children understand themselves

• Jamie's experience of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD

• ADHD School and supporting neurodivergent children

📚 Find out more about Jamie's ADHD School:

https://adhdschool.com/

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Finding the right childcare for an autistic or neurodivergent child can feel incredibly difficult especially when trust, safety and understanding are so important.

In this episode, we sit down with Josh, also known as Jossy.cares, an experienced childcare professional who has spent 18 years working with children and families, including children with autism, ADHD and other neurodivergent needs.

Josh shares what it is really like to care for neurodivergent children, from supporting non-verbal children and understanding different forms of communication to creating a safe environment where children can be themselves.

We also discuss why male carers and male nannies are still relatively uncommon, how parents can build trust with a new carer, the importance of introducing carers gradually, and the challenges parents face when leaving their children in someone else’s care.

Josh also opens up about supporting neurodivergent adults at inclusive events and why he believes care should never be seen as a gender-based role.

🎙️ In this episode:

• Finding trusted childcare for autistic and neurodivergent children

• Caring for non-verbal children

• Autism, ADHD and additional needs

• How carers can support overwhelmed parents

• Building trust between parents, children and carers

• Why male childcare workers are important

• Supporting neurodivergent adults in social spaces

• Creating more inclusive environments

• Understanding children through their behaviour and communication

📍 Follow Josh / Jossy Cares on social media to find out more about his childcare services.

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What is it really like raising a child with complex autism and high support needs?

In this episode of We’re Not Your Typical, we sit down with Lucy, mum to 16-year-old Jacob, to hear her honest story of raising a child with autism, ADHD, developmental delay and significant care needs.

Lucy shares the realities of parenting Jacob from his early diagnosis through to his teenage years, including non-verbal autism, sensory challenges, self-injurious behaviour, toileting, sleep, medication, education and accessing support.

She also opens up about the challenges of being a full-time carer, the importance of respite care, supporting siblings and the difficult questions that come with thinking about an autistic child's future and adulthood.

This is an honest and emotional conversation about autism parenting, complex autism, high support needs, disability support, respite care and life beyond childhood.

If you're a parent of an autistic child, caring for someone with additional needs, or simply want to better understand the realities many families face, this episode is for you.

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When Eri's son Rio was born, she immediately knew something wasn't right. Having seen her brother live with Craniosynostosis, she recognised the signs that others missed. What followed was a journey of multiple brain surgeries, months of uncertainty, and learning to trust her instincts when medical professionals weren't convinced.

In this emotional episode of We're Not Your Typical, Eri shares Rio's story, from his diagnosis at birth to undergoing life-changing surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital, and why parents should never ignore their gut feeling.

In this episode:

🧠 What Craniosynostosis is and how it affects brain development

🏥 Rio's first surgery at just four months old

⚠️ How routine eye tests revealed dangerous pressure on his brain

💙 The emotional reality of watching your child undergo brain surgery twice

👶 The signs every parent should know to look out for

🙏 Why trusting your instincts can save your child's life

✨ Life after surgery and Rio's recovery journey

If you're a parent worried about your child's development, head shape, or you've experienced a rare diagnosis, this episode is filled with hope, awareness, and practical advice.

💬 Have you experienced something similar? Share your story in the comments to help raise awareness for other families.

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What happens when your child's autism and ADHD diagnosis changes your entire life? In this episode of We're Not Your Typical, Ben shares his family's powerful journey through school refusal, late autism and ADHD diagnoses, parenting challenges, and how those experiences inspired him to build an AI-powered app designed specifically for neurodivergent families.

Ben opens up about navigating mainstream education, masking, therapy, marriage, late diagnosis as an adult, ADHD medication, and the realities of raising neurodivergent children. He also explains how his app, SYLVA, aims to support families with personalised parenting advice, emotional support, and practical tools for everyday life.

In this episode we discuss:

- Autism and ADHD diagnosis in children and adults

- School refusal and masking

- Parenting neurodivergent children

- Marriage and relationships under pressure

- Late autism and ADHD diagnosis

- ADHD medication myths and realities

- AI support for neurodivergent families

- DLA forms, NHS waiting lists and family support

- Emotional wellbeing for parents

- Building technology to help SEND families

Whether you're parenting an autistic child, navigating ADHD, waiting for a diagnosis, or simply looking for support, this conversation offers practical advice, reassurance, and hope.

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What happens when your sister-in-law becomes your biggest source of support through one of the hardest journeys of your life?

In this emotional episode, Sophie is joined by her sister-in-law, Talia, to share the story of how they went from strangers to best friends, bonded by motherhood and later united through raising neurodivergent children.

Together, they open up about the early signs of autism, navigating developmental delays, the emotional impact of receiving a diagnosis, sleep struggles, family dynamics, sibling relationships, and how autism has shaped their lives.

This honest conversation offers reassurance, understanding, and hope for parents, carers, and families navigating autism and neurodiversity.

In this episode we discuss:

- The early signs of autism they first noticed

- Why sleep difficulties can be an early indicator

- The emotional reality of receiving an autism diagnosis

- Supporting autistic children through family life

- Helping cousins understand autism

- Raising neurodivergent children together

- The importance of early intervention

- How family support makes all the difference

- Motherhood, friendship and becoming sisters

Whether you're parenting an autistic child, supporting a neurodivergent family member, or simply want to understand autism better, this episode is full of honest conversations and lived experience.

💜 If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to Like, Subscribe, and leave a comment sharing your own experiences.

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Ryan opens up about his daughter Monroe's autism journey from early developmental signs his wife spotted before anyone else believed her, to self-harming behaviours at nursery, a brutal fight to get Monroe into a SEND school, and the moment they realised mainstream schooling wasn't right for her anymore.

This conversation covers the messy, unfiltered reality of parenting a child with complex needs: sleepless nights, sensory overwhelm, the guilt of feeling "useless" as a dad, and the system that often leaves families to fight alone.

🧩 In this episode:

📝 The early signs everyone dismissed until they couldn't be ignored

😢 Four months of "hell" getting Monroe settled into her SEND school

🚫 Why they made the hard call to pull her out of school entirely

🏡 Their experience with Elective Home Education (EHE) for a child with complex needs

💛 How Monroe is thriving now happier, eating, sleeping, more regulated

👰 Planning a wedding around an autistic child's sensory needs

🗣️ A dad's honest take on grief, guilt, and finally feeling like "the whole world isn't ending"

If you're a parent navigating a similar diagnosis, an EHCP battle, or wondering whether school is really the right environment for your child this one's for you.

💬 Got a similar story? Drop it in the comments this community is built on not feeling alone in this.

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This episode we're tackling YOUR autism & PDA parenting dilemmas the ones that don't have easy answers. From masking at school to grandparents who "just don't get it," we're answering the questions flooding our inbox with total honesty (no sugar-coating, promise).

🎧 In this episode:

👧 Birthday party dilemmas do you risk the overwhelm or skip the social opportunity?

👴 The grandparent problem handling family members who dismiss sensory meltdowns

💔 Sibling jealousy & the "Glass Child" experience

🐔 The supermarket battle when your child will only eat ONE specific food

😴 Sleep struggles & why bedtime routines look different for autistic kids

🏫 Masking why "well-behaved at school" often means "meltdown at home"

✈️ The holiday dilemma staying home vs. risking a stressful trip abroad

🗣️ PDA mornings when even things your child WANTS to do feel like demands

This is the deep, raw, unfiltered conversation we wish someone had with us. If you're raising a neurodivergent child, you are not alone in any of this.

💬 Got a dilemma of your own? Drop it in the comments or send it to us we read every single one.

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👍 If this helped, please like, subscribe, and share with a parent who needs to hear it.

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