In this episode of the Wonderfully Wired Podcast, host Eloise Leher is joined by author, speaker, and autism dad Will Acuff for a deeply reflective conversation about parenting neurodivergent children.

Will shares how his natural instinct to "fix problems" collided with the reality of parenting his son — and why shifting from fixing to knowing became transformational. Together, they explore what happens when parents take responsibility for their own responses, nervous systems, and expectations, rather than trying to change their child.

This episode will resonate with parents of autistic and neurodivergent children, educators, and professionals interested in executive functioning, emotional regulation, and hope-based parenting approaches.

Will is a a Christian author but his wisdom extends beyond a narrow faith specific audience

Welcome to Part 2 of our deep dive into Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) with Occupational Therapist Liesel Smal. This vital conversation addresses the challenging question: "What now?" Liesel details the process of adopting Low Demand Parenting (LDP), emphasizing that these accommodating acts (like handing over the remote or helping with hygiene) are life-saving caregiving. However, she explains that LDP as a mere strategy will fail, leading parents to the crucial work of radically accepting the reality of their lives, which often involves significant grief and rage. Liesel shares personal insights on how her child became a "canary in the coal mine" for her own nervous system, forcing her to embrace agency and tend to her inner wounds. The episode stresses that true regulation means flexibility, not constant calm, and highlights the importance of repair in building a deeper, messy, fully human connection.

Dive into the critical world of Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) in Part 1 of this essential two-part series with Liesel Smal, an Occupational Therapist (OT) and mom of a PDA child Liesel introduces PDA as a specific neurotype that requires "good accommodation" due to the serious "gravity" of the diagnosis. Learn why avoidance is rooted in an inability ("I can't"), not a choice, often manifesting as an "inner straitjacket" or a "contraction" in the nervous system.

This episode exposes the confusing reality of masking; children often appear "compliant and good" or "high achieving" at school, only to experience severe "Coke bottle" meltdowns at home. Liesel offers a compassionate nervous system lens, validating parents who feel blamed or gaslighted. This discussion highlights how PDA is tied to a pervasive drive for autonomy and how understanding this difference is crucial for supporting these "uniquely brilliant" and autodidactic children.

#PDA #PathologicalDemandAvoidance #AutismSpectrum #Neurodiversity #NervousSystem #SomaticExperiencing #LowDemandParenting #DemandAvoidance #Masking #WonderfullyWired

Welcome to Season 5 of the Wonderfully Wired podcast! In this insightful episode, host Eloise welcomes Corneil Claassen, an educational psychologist and co-lead at the Neurodiversity Center (NDC) in South Africa. Corneil shares her powerful mission: to create a world where every wonderfully wired mind – be it facing autism, ADHD, anxiety, or learning differences – is seen, supported, and celebrated.

Discover NDC's origin, a multidisciplinary organization supporting over 6,000 families, dedicated to affirming neurodivergent individuals who are "brilliantly uniquely wired". Corneil emphasizes shifting from 'fixing problems' to understanding, empowering, and celebrating differences. She discusses their holistic, evidence-based approach, including the Essence perspective, focusing on co-occurring neurodevelopmental profiles. Learn about their global reach and upcoming "NeuroHood" initiative, democratizing safe, accessible neurodiversity knowledge worldwide. This episode offers hope and clarity for families and professionals navigating neurodiversity.

This special bonus episode of the "Wonderfully Wired" podcast features live studio guests Juju and Sophia, both young women who have served on the Wonderfully Wired team and are "wonderfully wired" themselves.

Juju, who has ADHD, describes her brain as a city constantly under construction, with changing alleys, roads, and houses. Sophia, who is gifted and intense, explains her experience as feeling emotions and sensory input "10 times more intensely" than others.

The conversation delves into the challenges, joys, and humours of living wonderfully wired. Both Juju and Sophia discuss the profound exhaustion that comes from existing and navigating a world not always suited to their brains, noting how they can thrive under pressure but struggle with mundane tasks. They highlight the difficulties of masking their neurodiversity to fit in and the hurtful impact of labels like "drama queen" or "too much". They emphasize the importance of grace for themselves and from others, particularly parents and teachers. The episode celebrates the unique talents and perspectives that come with being neurodivergent, concluding that they would not wish away their wiring, as it is an integral part of who they are.

Meet our tech-savvy friend Joan Green! Joan's been working with assistive technology since the 80s—and she's got the tools and stories to prove it. From calendar tricks and color-coded Google Drives to goblin tools and immersive readers, this episode is jam-packed with tips that make learning easier for our wonderfully wired kids (and adults too!).

• Easy wins with everyday tech
• Tools that organize your digital chaos
• Confidence for parents & empowerment for students

Joan reminds us: tech doesn't need to be overwhelming. With a little guidance, it becomes a powerful ally. "I just want to help people be the best they can be—and not be sidelined by their challenges."

This episode, the second of two in a series with Dr. Arno Louw from the University of Johannesburg, focuses on how AI can be a student's best friend and assistant, particularly for wonderfully wired learners. The key takeaway is to use AI to help with the work that is difficult for you, not to do the work for you. This involves prompt engineering, asking the AI better questions by giving it background about yourself, like your age, preferences, and learning style. AI can guide you in writing, explain complex topics simply (like explaining to a 10-year-old), and act as a practice ground for self-advocacy. For learners facing challenges like dyslexia, AI can help overcome bottlenecks and allow great ideas to be expressed. The episode discusses practical uses such as turning spoken ideas into written essays, creating visual aids like mind maps or comic strips, or even building games to understand concepts. It's vital to remain the creative force and the human in charge, using AI as a tool to do better work, and to disclose when you've used AI. Using AI effectively is a conversational process that requires checking, reviewing, and even arguing with the AI's recommendations, which helps improve both the output and the student's learning. AI is presented as a non-judgmental, tireless assistant that adapts to you, helping you understand content and yourself better. It's not a quick fix but a process that requires persistence and integrity. The conversation suggests AI could even revolutionize assessment by providing instant, personalized feedback.

What if AI could help tailor education for every learner? In this Part a of the Wonderfully Wired & UJ partnership episode, Dr. Arno Louw a senior specialist in instructional and e-learning and manager of the CAT lab at UJ, with his incredible knowledge, fun, and enthusiasm inspires us to see AI as a tool to support difference and neurodivergence.

We discuss how AI can be your brilliant teachers assistant that never gets tired, helping you earn extra hours and get administrative tasks done faster. Don't miss this insightful discussion on how to navigate AI anxiety and use this tool to support the wonderfully wired in your classes. Dr. Louw hints at the future, discussing how analyzing students' AI prompts could reveal their learning style and pattern. This understanding could then inform personalized learning experiences, potentially creating branching scenarios or even custom GPTs tailored to individual students!

Also catch Part 2 if you are a student that's wonderfully wired!

I loved my conversation with Casey Anley talking about burnout in the Wonderfully Wired. What does it look like to acknowledge each person's unique energy and work with the available energy instead overrding each body's need for rest.

What should you look out for in yourself and in your child?

Casey Anley is an educational psychologist. She wears many hats - neurodiversity advocate, executive function coach trainer and supervisor. She's built a career in helping neurodivergent minds untangle the chaos, build systems that actually work, and, most importantly, stop beating themselves up in the process. Casey has trained, mentored, and supervised executive function coaches worldwide.

From students drowning in deadlines to professionals juggling a million tabs (in their browsers and their brains), Casey is all about practical, real-life strategies that make life easier. With experience as a teacher, learning support coordinator, therapist, lecturer, coach and her current focus as coach supervisor - not to mention her own journey with neurodiversity - she gets it.