Featuring:

Jonathan Katz-Ouziel, autistic accessibility consultant and founder of Opossum House Accessibility

What happens when autism is diagnosed early, supported well, and allowed to stay joyful — and how OCD complicates (and sometimes sharpens) everything that comes after

In this episode, we explore:

• Early Diagnosis Moment: what it was like being diagnosed autistic at age three in the 1990s, and how access, parental belief, and early support shape sense of self

• The Identity Shift: From masking in a conformist school system to reclaiming autism as something fun, social, and deeply human — while naming the privilege baked into his journey

• Creating Workarounds & Framework: How OCD-driven rituals around time, sleep, and lists evolved into autistic-friendly executive function systems that actually support his work

• Calming Sensory Needs: Why unmet sensory needs can amplify OCD, how light and heat regulation matter, and what it means to design life around nervous system safety

• Random moments: Eggplants are botanically berries, opossums are the ultimate autistic mascot, and leaning into “cringe” is a survival strategy

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do autism and OCD interact — and when does one help or hinder the other?

2. What does accessibility actually look like beyond ramps and compliance checklists?

3. Is starting a business as a neurodivergent person empowering or a fast track to burnout?

Resources Mentioned:

Opossum House Accessibility (Jonathan’s consulting practice) >>>https://www.opossumhouseaccessibility.com/

Jonathan Katz-Ouziel on LinkedIn >>>https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-katz-ouziel-cpacc-6b098334/

Connect With Us

>>>⁠https://www.ndreportpod.com/

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Ft: Karen Kossow, disability advocate, neurodivergent parent, and co-founder of Faircare Idaho

What happens when parenting, disability, hormones, and burnout collide — and the systems meant to support you quietly disappear?

In this episode, we explore:

• Brain Fog + Burnout = Breaking Point

  Sarah gets vulnerable about worsening brain fog and fatigue, opening a larger conversation about perimenopause, disability, and survival under constant strain.

• Late Recognition & Reframing Expectations

  Karen talks parenting autistic kids, navigating Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and the loss of access of familiar coping mechanisms during perimenopause.

• The Reality of Caregiving Without Support:

  Why paid family caregiver programs matter, what happens when they’re cut, and how unpaid labor props up broken socioeconomic systems.

• Develop Self-Care Rituals:

  Learning to read non-verbal body signals, prioritize finite energy, and practice nervous system rest & regulation instead of pushing through.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do I know I’m doing too much?

2. Why are families expected to survive without real systemic support?

3. What practical nervous system grounding tools actually help when you’re already overwhelmed & over-scheduled?

Resources Mentioned:

Karen Kossow’s Substack — Self-Care Support Squad https://karenkossow.substack.com/

Faircare Idaho (family paid caregiving advocacy) https://faircareidaho.substack.com/

Connect With Us

⁠https://www.ndreportpod.com/

⁠Follow @ndreportpod on your social platform of choice

Featuring: Lucy — Art therapist based in Melbourne, Australia, working at the intersection of creativity, neurodivergence, sensory regulation, and relational healing.

People rarely heal by talking alone; this week, Lucy joins me to explain that slow and soft sensory practices can be the most powerful tools for nervous system repair, especially for neurodivergent people who’ve built up trauma just trying to survive without proper self-understanding.

Curious What’s Inside?

1. Crafting for Nervous System Repair: how slow, tactile art forms like embroidery can support regulation, agency, and self-worth when words and traditional therapy fall short.

2. Craft as stimming: How hand-crafting creates felt-safety through rhythm, repetition, and choice.

3. Animals & Co-Regulation: Exploring how animals can buff your restoration score

4. Sensory Awareness & Grounding: Low-demand grounding practices that don’t rely on breathwork or visualization techniques

Questions We Answer:

• Why do some people heal more through creating art than in talk therapy?

• How can craft support executive function and emotional regulation?

• What makes breathwork grounding inaccessible for many neurodivergent people?

• How do animals support co-regulation in therapy and daily life?

• What does low-demand grounding actually look like in practice?

Guest & Links

Lucy, Art Therapist

Instagram: @embrace.this.space

Website: https://embracethisspace.com.au

Pencil Dust — an animated podcast about art, neurodivergence, and late diagnosis @pencildustpod

Connect With Us

⁠https://www.ndreportpod.com/

⁠Follow @ndreportpod on your social platform of choice