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This is an emotional look back at multiple events in recent years including the loss of our dear sweet Elijah McClain, the night Blake nearly lost his life in the same city of Aurora, Colorado and a sincere reflection how we as a society can do better as a whole. We miss you Elijah and dedicate this episode to your sweet soul. 

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ADHD and Autism Dad's Group (Private)
You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA)

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ADHD and Autism Dad's Group (Private)
You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA)

COVID-19 is an adventure and one that we've now completed twice. Join us as we explore the unique challenges of recovering from COVID-19 with specific Neuro-Biodiverse considerations that are unique to families likes ours. 

We took a week off as part of our COVID-19 mandated quarantine and recovery 10 day period and now we're back in heart, soul and most of our mental capacity to discuss the raw truths we've learned about being a Neuro-Biodiverse family experiencing Delta COVID. 

This week's topics include:

• Recognizing COVID-19 from typical chronic allergy and respiratory colds that we frequently get
• Acknowledging the unique vulnerabilities NBD families have in bringing home COVID-19
• Loss of taste and smell
• Sensory perception and processing issues related to eating
• Dr. Temple Grandin - Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships with Sean Barron
• Autism Training | Autism Conference | Dr. Temple Grandin + Other International Speakers | Cork (autismcork.ie)
• Auditory sensory perception and processing issues
• B-Vitamins and the Brain
• 5-MTFHR Folate / Folic acid
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772032/
• www.rachellechandler.com/neuro-biodiversity

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In this episode, we explore the differences in how autism is expressed between men and women. Until recently, Autism was largely considered a disorder for men. Finally, the medical/mental health community is understanding how autism presents in women, why it's so easily missed and/or under diagnosed and what you can do as a female (or if you identify as a female) if you suspect you may be on the spectrum.

We start this episode by acknowledging why we missed last week. Blake was not feeling well due to a new digestive system diagnosis on top of being in between ADHD prescription refills. In our community, self-love and appropriate self-care is more important to self-forced production. If you're not feeling well, we encourage you to take care of yourself first and connect back in with us and the world when you're feeling more abundant in your energy and focus. We support you.

By special request from a podcast listener, we explore how Autism can be identified in women versus men.

We review an article published on www.psychologytoday.com as the outline for the episode and discuss the 10 Primary Signs of Autism in Women, as suggested by this article's author, Claire Jack Ph.D.

1. Social Difficulties
2. Sensory Sensitivities
3. Executive Function
4. Obsessive Interests
5. Camouflaging
6. Sleep Issues
7. Difficulties with eye contact
8. Emotional regulation issues and meltdowns
9. Stimming
10. Anxiety and Depression

To review Rachelle's Neuro-Biodiversity Scale, visit https://rachellechandler.com/neuro-biodiversity/.

Rachelle's unique perspective has identified a biological link connecting neurodiversity and a parasympathetic dominant system (meaning, living in chronic fight/flight/flee/freeze/fib) and how this applies to the spectrum of Neurodiverse conditions. In future episodes, we'll explore how to support a ND body from the inside out. Stay tuned or check RachelleChandler.com as more updates are released.

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This Week Blake and Rachelle Discuss Hyperfixation vs Hyperfocus, Short-term Memory, and Emotional Regulation among other things.

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You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA)

In this episode of You Don't Sound Autistic Blake and Rachelle take an Autism Test and Discuss their answers.

The first step in Neurodiverse Curiosity is to take an online screening test. There are multiple versions out there but in this episode we illuminate the test provided by www.aspietests.org /  The Ritvo Autism Aspergers Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R).

We explore each question with 360 degree perspectives of Blake with multiple neurodiverse diagnosis (ASD, ADHD, Anxiety and Depression) and Rachelle who is considered neurotypical and typically sleep deprived. With a transparent look at each question through these opposite lens, we will illuminate neurodiversity by comparison and create an easy way to evaluate who you identify with more.

Neurodiversity is still a growing field of study and lacks a consistent roadmap for most individuals and families. Join us each week as we share our journey through this process as we navigate the discovery of neurodiversity in our family in multiple generations at once, and start to rebuild the owner's manuals our family utilizes to bring out the best in each of us. If this feels familiar to you, you're not alone. Tune in weekly!

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You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA)

In this week's episode, we talk about our Son's Autism Evaluation and whether or Not Spock was Autistic, among other things.

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You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA)

Why do Dad's always get less press, less recognition and less support while often dealing with just as many if not more sensory and emotional dysregulating stresses. For a long time now, Autism has been diagnosed 4:1 in men over women and yet there still aren't enough supports for men (recognizing women are highly likely to be under recognized... so not taking anything away from women). One of our pre-family safe celebration locations is Medieval Times and we're headed back for round 2 after a not-so successful round 1 during our Mother's Day celebration. We explore sensory seeking versus sensory avoidant signs and key indicators and Blake is sensory avoidant and our son in sensory seeking. Makes for a challenging combination that we know many families are silently struggling with also. You're not alone. We're here to illuminate the journey and add value by increasing awareness and compassion for the little moments that we don't take for granted anymore. 

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Welcome to the pilot episode where we're jumping right into to catch you up on the past 8 years before the diagnosis, the process of receiving a neuropsychiatric evaluation and finally learning the truth, and the most recent 12 months after the diagnosis. We touch on what life is like today living in a neuro-integrated family. We're not alone. Many families are experiencing the same things we are and we can help you normalize and even optimize life without the stigmas and judgement. We'll outline a healthy way to approach mental health for everyone in the family. Tune in as we tell all.

Join us as we explore life before, during and after an adult diagnosis of Neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, Anxiety and Depression). We've been to hell and back during this process without any idea what was happening, or why. Looking at family history, the only repeating pattern was alcoholism and divorce. We'll talk candidly about the breakdowns we are confronting in every day life, our marriage, individuality, social expansion, career pursuits, goal setting/seeking, and the honest truth about what happens to most of us when we start a family while living with undiagnosed mental health. We felt alone. But you're not. Tune in as we dive deep into and illuminate the world of adult and family neurodiversity.

It's okay to ask for help. Schedule a meaningful support session at Rachellechandler.com and get step-by-step help using the same processes that allows us to live, thrive and bring you our podcast.

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ADHD and Autism Dad's Group (Private)
You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA)