In this episode of Neuroshambles, Mark is joined by returning guest Hatty Ashdown - not only a parent of a neurodivergent child, but also a brilliant comedian, writer and host of the Funny Mummies podcast. Together they dive into the deceptively simple but totally chaotic world of swimming.

For children with autism, ADHD, PDA, and other forms of neurodivergency, swimming can be simultaneously a magical sensory experience and an absolute logistical nightmare. From the infuriating act of trying to get them to swim in the first place, to negotiating the changing room routine, navigating the lockers and dealing with their antics in the pool, Mark and Hatty share candid and hilarious tales of what it’s like to take your neuro-exceptional brood swimming - and why we keep doing it, despite the enormous faff.

⸻

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 - Intro & Meet the Guest: Hatty Ashdown 06:00 - Topic of the Week: Swimming 09:00 - Why do neurodivergent kids love swimming? 15:00 - The challenge of teaching neurodivergent kids to swim 30:30 - The massive faff of a swimming trip: Hatty's routine 37:00 - The massive faff of a swimming trip: Mark's routine 42:00 - The chaos of changing rooms 46:30 - The stress of the lockers 53:00 - Shenanigans in the pool 59:30 - Losing their goggles 1:04:00 - The Positives: the joy of swimming 1:08:00 - Neurodiversity champions 1:12:00 - Tiny epic wins 1:15:00 - What the Flip? Moments 1:20:00 - Wrap-Up and Where to Find Hatty

⸻

LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

• Hatty Ashdown’s Website – https://hattyashdown.com/

• Funny Mummies Podcast: Basics – https://pod.link/1451332466

• Funny Mummies Podcast: VIP (Patreon) – https://www.patreon.com/FunnyMummiesPodcast

• Bella Ramsey (Neurodiversity Champion) – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Ramsey

⸻

CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

📧 Email: hello@neuroshambles.com

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

Following on from part 1, fan favourite Jo Matthews joins Mark once more for another laughter-filled, cathartic rant through the most mind-bogglingly ill-informed things people have said about raising autistic, ADHD, PDA and otherwise neurodivergent kids.

This one features a fresh batch of well-meaning nonsense, unsolicited advice, and flat-out offensive comments submitted by Neuroshambles listeners. It’s funny, familiar, and frighteningly relatable.

⸻

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):

00:00 - Intro & Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews Returns

05:30 - "Have you tried a routine?"

10:30 - "Have you tried a parenting course?"

13:30 - “Have you tried changing their diet?”

17:00 - "Why don't you take their screens away?"

20:00 - "Does he have mild autism?"

25:30 - Good autism v bad autism

29:00 - “We’re all a bit autistic"

34:30 - "ADHD is just an excuse"

37:00 - “It doesn't define him”

41:00 - "There's nothing wrong with him"

43:00 - Medical v Social models of disability

47:30 - "My kid does that"

50:00 - “He'll eat when he's hungry"

52:30 - “He'll grow out of it"

54:30 - “He doesn't look autistic"

56:30 - “But, he can talk, so he can’t be autistic”

59:00 - “ADHD is just for boys”

1:01:30 - "What's wrong with him?"

1:02:30 - "I bet he's good at maths"

1:04:30 - "I don't know how you do it"

1:07:00 - Misguided empathy: "I know how you feel"

1:09:00 - "But I do that and I'm not autistic"

1:14:00 - The completely batshit mental comments

1:20:00 - Neurodiversity Champions

1:21:30 - Tiny Epic Wins

1:25:00 - "What the flip?" moments

1:27:30 - Wrap-up & contact info

⸻

LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

• The medical vs social models of disability: www.scope.org.uk/about-us/social-model-of-disability/

• Autism assessments (AQ Test): www.embrace-autism.com/aq-10/#test

• Bowles Outdoor Centre - www.bowles.rocks

⸻

CONTACT US

📧 Email: hello@neuroshambles.com

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

In this episode, Mark is joined once again by the brilliant Jo Matthews for a cathartic, hilarious, and occasionally sweary dive into the unfiltered reality of parenting autistic, ADHD and PDA kids.

From "It's just a label" and "He’s fine with me" to "You just need to push them out of their comfort zone", this is part one of a two-part special on the unsolicited commentary we all get, whether it’s from strangers, family members, or well-meaning-but-utterly-wrong professionals. The kind of comments that pretend to be supportive but are really just dismissive, ignorant, or unhelpfully optimistic.

Together, Mark and Jo share personal stories, listener submissions, and a few moments of pure rage-laughter, as they unpack why these statements cut so deep – and how to push back with humour, honesty, and the occasional incredulous raise of the eyebrow.

⸻

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated): 00:00 – Intro & Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews 06:00 – “It's just a label” 08:00 - The story of Rube Waddell 16:00 - "Stop Mollycoddling your child" 21:00 - "You let them win too much" 22:30 - "Can't you just make them do it?" 26:00 - "You should make their home life more unpleasant" 28:00 - "Your parenting is wishy washy" 31:00 - "Children just need boundaries" 36:00 - "You need to push them out of their comfort zone" 43:00 - "Are you too afraid to say no?" 48:00 - "How will they manage in the real world?" 52:00 - "Sometimes, it's a choice" 54:00 - "They're just trying to get their own way" 01:02:00 - "They're fine when they're with me" 01:07:00 - The Positives 01:09:30 - Neurodiversity Champions 01:12:00 - Tiny Epic Wins 01:14:30 - What the Flip? 01:17:00 - Wrap-Up & What’s Coming in Part Two

⸻

LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

• Rube Waddell - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rube_Waddell
• "Am I raising an arsehole?" episode of Neuroshambles -https://pod.link/1710455546/episode/a313c1057becbcd2e24d64c5bf94820e
• "The Explosive Child" book - https://drrossgreene.com/the-explosive-child.htm

⸻

CONTACT US

📧 Email: hello@neuroshambles.com 📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles 🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod 📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles 🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles

⸻

CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com