As a parent of a child with special needs, milestones and achievements are much more meaningful.  Whether it's the first day of kindergarten, or making that first friend, we cherish every moment.  One of the harder milestones is when your teenager starts dating, or expresses an interest in dating.  Would you let them get into a car with a new driver?  If they ask you for advice on conversation topics, what advice would you give them?  What if they date someone who is neurotypical (and not neurodivergent)?  We'll explore this, and more, in this episode!

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While college may not be for everyone, your child can certainly thrive in college while being neurodivergent.  The key is knowing the right questions to ask to ensure that it’s the right environment for your child.  NOTE: Throughout the podcast, I mistakenly refer to the department as the ‘Office Of Diversity.’  What I meant to say was ‘Office of Disability.’  (Too many hours at work made me think of Office of Diversity!)

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Many teens get summer jobs, including those that are not neurotypical.  While some teens can get jobs anywhere, those who are neurodiverse need to find an environment that will help them thrive and gain valuable skills that will take them into a career later in life.   What jobs are good for teens, and what careers lend themselves well to neurodiverse individuals?  Listen to our podcast, and hear what Anna and Travis have to say about this important milestone for teens.

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Many parents complain about how their kids turn into teenagers and stop talking to them. Most neurotypical teens start pulling away from their parents as they learn to to assert their independence.  Having a healthy, trusting, parent-child relationship during the teen years is crucial to healthy development, regardless of whether or not your child is neurotypical.  One way to build that relationship is to have open, honest, candid, and FUN conversations with your teen.  In this podcast, we explore some serious, and yet entertaining questions, that will keep your kids engaged and help them get to know what a wonderful parent you are! 

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Happy New Year, everyone!  We're excited to FINALLY publish this podcast where we interviewed Brandon Lawrence and Foster Deck from Asheville, NC.  We spoke with Ashley Deck, owner of Madam Clutterbuckets Neurodiverse Universe back in November, about her store that employs differently-abled employees.  Today we had the pleasure of speaking with two of those employees about their work experiences.  If you're the parent of a teen or young adult with special needs who might be seeking their first job, listen to this podcast!  Brandon and Foster share their experiences and provide you with some advice on how to be successful in the workplace.  

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Communicating with teens - any teen - can be difficult, painful, and a hair-pulling process.  Despite this, there are times when you have deep conversations with your kids, where you get to know each other better, that make it all worth it!  We had searched for some questions that your teens could ask you (or you could just share your answers), to help them get to know you better.  Join us to hear how we'd answer these questions if our kids asked them of us.  Listener beware - at times, it can be very funny and NSFW!  

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Travis and Anna had the pleasure of speaking with Ashley Deck, owner of the gift shop 'Madam Clutterbuckets Neurodiverse Universe' in  Asheville, Va.  The store is filled with the most eclectic, fun, odd items you could ever hope to find, including an extensive selection of disability advocacy stickers, designed by her team.  Just one of the many great parts of this store are its employees, which includes adults that are differently abled and neurodiverse.   Grab a coffee or tea, give this podcast a listen, and put it on repeat.  Ashley is heartwarming, relatable, confident, and someone you immediately want to be your best friend.  Even better would be for you to visit her store on Battery Park Drive in Asheville and say hello to Foster, Brandon, Sophie, and the rest of the team.  

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We are by no means experts or doctors or psychiatrists but we are parents raising teenagers (where is our scout badge??)!  From our experience, we will share our top 5 skills that we feel your teen should know as they enter adulthood.  They are practical skills that don't require much more than your time and support.  For more information and additional resources, visit our Instagram page (@tandapodcast) .

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