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.

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