Episode 27 🎧 This week in our NeuroDADverse, Dan and Ben return together to unpack a week shaped by school anxiety, big educational transitions, and the invisible pressure that builds at Christmas for neurodivergent children and their families.

As routines shift and environments change, they reflect on what happens when school suddenly feels “too much,” how parents spot the early warning signs, and why this time of year can quietly amplify stress for ND kids.

In this episode, we talk about:

•When children begin to say “I’ve done enough school”

•School refusal vs emotional burnout

•Navigating a new school setting with cautious optimism

•Why parents downplay big wins to protect emotional safety

•The anxiety of wondering: “Is this the start of something harder?”

•Christmas decorations, sensory overload, and disrupted safe spaces

•The importance of predictability and quiet spaces

•Multi-generational family Christmases and ND dynamics

•Tradition, memory-making, and the joy of familiar rituals

•Why small successes matter more than perfect weeks

•Bath-time scores, regulation wins, and calmer evenings

This is an honest, reflective episode about change management in neurodivergent family life, sitting with uncertainty, celebrating progress carefully, and holding space for both joy and worry at the same time.

Chapter Breakdown

00:00 – Welcome & What This Episode Is About

01:10 – Wins, Challenges & Why This Format Matters

02:08 – Three Words of the Week: “Christmas, Changes & Coincidence”

03:27 – Family Events, Big Days & Emotional Load

04:12 – CHALLENGE: When School Suddenly Feels Too Much

05:14 – Drawing, Social Pressure & Year 9 Transitions

06:11 – Push Factors vs Pull Factors in School Refusal

06:32 – A New School Setting & A Cautious Fresh Start

07:24 – Why We Say “It’s Just Tuesday”

08:30 – Managing Expectations Without Killing Hope

09:30 – Change Fatigue & Emotional Bandwidth

10:17 – Kids Stepping Up & Independent Bedtimes

11:20 – Noticing Behaviour Shifts Before They Escalate

13:00 – Parental Anxiety: “Is This the Start of a Thing?”

15:40 – Christmas at School & Sensory Disruption

17:02 – The Power of Unchanged, Quiet Spaces

18:48 – Sitting in the Joy Without Over-Analysing It

19:22 – WIN: Unexpected ND Parenting Connections

20:18 – Big Family Christmases & Shared ND Space

21:13 – Traditions, Handmade Memories & Emotional Safety

22:24 – Chaos, Cousins & Collective Regulation

23:27 – Why Familiar People Matter More Than Perfect Settings

24:44 – Break & Reset

24:58 – WIN: Small Moments That Meant a Lot

27:23 – Christmas Deliveries, Surprise & ND Joy

29:42 – Looking Ahead to the Week Ahead

31:02 – Reflecting on the First Episodes & How Far You’ve Come

33:17 – Early Wins, First Words & Big Milestones Remembered

35:17 – Communication Growth & Emotional Safety

37:20 – Avoiding Future Fear Spirals

38:50 – Final Week of School & Mixed Emotions

41:27 – Dentist Visits, Christmas Lights & Flexibility

43:37 – Low-Pressure Festive Outings

46:14 – End-of-Term Traditions & Letting Kids Choose

49:15 – The “Franken-Tree” & Honouring ND Childhood

51:03 – Bath-Time Scores & Regulation Wins

54:09 – Talking, Trust & Growing Independence

55:15 – Closing Reflections: You’re Doing Great

🎙️ Two dads. One mission. Raising ND kids in a very NT world.

💡 If this episode resonates, whether you’re a zebra, a stripy horse, or still figuring it all out. There’s space for you in the NeuroDADverse.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly real-talk on neurodivergent parenting

📢 Like, share, or leave a comment to help more families find us

📧 Get in touch: neurodadverse@gmail.com

🌐 Find us in all the usual places:

linktr.ee/NeuroDADverse

🔗 Hashtags:

#NeurodiverseParenting #SENDLife #AutismAdvocacy #ParentingPodcast

#NeuroDadverse #DifferentNotLess #ADHDDads #AutismFamily #EmotionalRegulation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 26 🎧 of The NeuroDADverse, Dan takes the mic solo for a shorter update because we know how ND life can be, work life, and Christmas life all collided at once. In this 17-minute snapshot, he shares a surprisingly joyful Santa visit, a medical challenge that’s emerging for Frankie, some sleep regression, and a week full of giggles, growth, and unexpected calm.

This episode covers:

• Breakfast with Santa in an ND-friendly, quiet, and genuinely magical

• Exploring how refurbishment changes affect ND children

• Capturing the annual Eycott's Christmas photo 📸

• Frankie’s growing confidence, interaction, and joyful giggles

• Medical concerns: scalp soreness, hair loss, medicated shampoo

• How to manage treatments during bath time with sensory sensitivities

• Sleep disruption and what ND parents instinctively fear next

• Leaning on grandparent support during a heavy work schedule

• How small developments (like instant responses to cues) show big progress

• Bath-time score of the week: a solid 8/10

• Looking ahead to school trips, Christmas prep, work do’s, and family balancing

It’s a warm, honest, bite-size check-in that's perfect for parents who know how quickly ND weeks can shift from joy to challenge and back again.

Thank you for listening. Remember:

You’re doing great.

You are enough.

And you’re definitely not alone.

YouTube Chapter Breakdown

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

00:43 – Why This Is a Solo Episode

01:04 – Six Months of The NeuroDADverse

01:39 – Three Words of the Week: Santa, Doctors, Giggles

02:08 – WIN: Breakfast With Santa & ND-Friendly Environment

02:46 – Navigating the Pub Refurbishment (and Why It Mattered)

03:40 – Table Changes, Layout Changes & Frankie’s Reaction

04:04 – Quiet Sessions, Low Demand, Perfect Setup

04:56 – The Santa Visit & Annual Christmas Photo Mission

05:41 – Interacting With Santa & Familiar Faces

06:19 – Post-Santa Mood & Regulation Wins

06:38 – CHALLENGE: Frankie’s Scalp Irritation & Hair Loss

07:09 – Doctor Visit & Treatment Plan (5-Day Shampoo)

07:51 – Sensory Barriers to Medical Assessments

08:11 – Bath-Time Adjustments for Treatment

08:30 – CHALLENGE: Sleep Regression Begins

08:55 – Why Sleep Loss Worries ND Parents

09:22 – Outro & Contact Info

09:34 – Looking Ahead: School Trips & Christmas Card Post Run

09:57 – Busy Work Week & Grandparent Support

10:20 – Longer Days & Missing School Runs

10:50 – Christmas Socials & Work Do’s

11:15 – Why “Giggles” Was a Word of the Week

11:54 – Frankie Showing More Joy & Instant Responses

12:40 – Watching Molecule & Shared Humour Moments

13:07 – Joy as Development: Why Giggles Matter

13:28 – Bath-Time Score: Solid 8/10 Despite Treatment

14:17 – Managing 3–5 Minute Shampoo Time (ND Perspective)

15:10 – Wrapping Up & Missing Ben

15:34 – Six Months In: Reflecting on Growth

16:07 – Please Like, Subscribe & Reach Out

16:16 – Final Message: You’re Doing Great

16:23 – Outro

🎙️ Two dads. One mission. Raising ND kids in a very NT world.

💡 If this episode resonates, whether you’re a zebra, a stripy horse, or still figuring it all out. There’s space for you in the NeuroDADverse.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly real-talk on neurodivergent parenting

📢 Like, share, or leave a comment to help more families find us

📧 Get in touch: neurodadverse@gmail.com

🌐 Find us in all the usual places:

linktr.ee/NeuroDADverse

🎧 Listen on:

• Apple Podcasts: bit.ly/NeuroDADverseApple

• Spotify: bit.ly/NeuroDADverseSpotify

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📺 Watch full episodes + clips:

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YouTube: youtube.com/@NeuroDADversePodcast

🔗 Hashtags:

#NeurodiverseParenting #SENDLife #AutismAdvocacy #ParentingPodcast

#NeuroDadverse #DifferentNotLess #ADHDDads #AutismFamily #EmotionalRegulation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎧 Episode 26 of The NeuroDADverse, Ben and Dan open up about a week full of twists, school decisions, sickness bugs, sensory waves, and the unpredictable rhythms of raising neurodivergent children.

From navigating college open days to managing school refusal, advocating for reasonable adjustments, supporting anxious teens, and finding small yet meaningful wins, this episode is a grounded, honest chronicle of ND family life.

We talk about:

• Why sudden staff changes in services can feel devastating

• How ND kids often self-advocate before we realise

• School refusal vs genuine burnout

• Supporting siblings in different emotional places

• How anticipation & predictability reduce dysregulation

• Sensory needs, stimming tools, and grounding aids

• Bath-time scores (including a LIVE result!

• Celebrating the small wins that don’t look like wins to anyone else

00:00 – Intro

01:08 – Weekly Check-In & Three Words

02:30 – Sickness, Fatigue & Emotional Load of the Week

03:20 – College Open Days & Supporting Teen Decision-Making

05:17 – Staff Changes, Transitions & The Anxiety They Create

06:43 – Reasonable Adjustments & Preparing for Change

09:22 – Managing Change & Behaviour Around New Staff

10:30 – Sleep, Proximity & Emotional Co-Regulation

12:29 – Teens, Nurture & Independence Cues

15:17 – Encouraging Independence vs Overguiding

17:03 – School Refusal: Early Signs & Emotional Fatigue

19:21 – Sibling Experiences: Oscar’s School Choices

20:28 – Reasonable Advocacy vs Avoidance: Finding the Balance

22:27 – Behaviour at the End of Term: Why Everything Unravels

23:24 – Wins of the Week

24:30 – Anticipation, Stability & Building Predictability

26:14 – Reducing Dysregulation Through Planning

27:43 – The Power of Being Calm as a Parent

28:48 – Reflecting on Early Years

30:10 – Teens, Conversation & Collaborative Reasoning

31:04 – Frankie Joins the Podcast (Guest Appearance!)

33:13 – Stimming Tools, Pain Stims & Grounding Aids

38:01 – Navigating Social Expectations Around Extended Family

41:26 – Curiosity vs Judgement in ND Interactions

45:53 – Wins, Food, Appetite & Unexpected Joys

46:53 – Looking Ahead to the Week Ahead

48:30 – Family Christmas Meals & Managing Overwhelm

49:53 – Football, Community & Shared Experiences

50:45 – Inclusive Christmas Spaces & Future Ideas

51:41 – Bath-Time Scores

55:07 – Hair Dryers, Sensory Needs & Hot/Cold Overwhelm

57:47 – A Big Score and Big Smiles

58:47 – Auto-Zoom Madness & End-of-Episode Laughter

59:59 – Wrap-Up

💡 If this episode resonates, whether you’re a zebra, a stripy horse, or still figuring it all out. There’s space for you in the NeuroDADverse.

🔔 Subscribe for weekly real-talk on neurodivergent parenting

📢 Like, share, or leave a comment to help more families find us

📧 Get in touch: neurodadverse@gmail.com

🌐 Find us in all the usual places:

linktr.ee/NeuroDADverse

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.