In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott unpack sensationalist headlines, genetic blame narratives, and the ongoing misinformation war around autism.

From genetic blame and parental guilt to Trump’s Tylenol claims and Facebook “science,” they expose how bad headlines spread faster than real research — and why this matters for autistic people and their families.

Jordan and Simon also explore:

• Why autism isn’t a disease with a “cause,” but a form of neurodivergence shaped by synaptic development
• The harm caused by framing autism through deficit-based narratives and severity labels
• How pseudo-scientific headlines fuel ableism and self-blame in parents
• The difference between genuine research, sensationalist headlines, and clickbait “Facebook science”
• The need to shift funding from “preventing autism” to supporting autistic people who already exist
• Why blanket statements about autism erase the vast diversity of lived experiences

This is a fiery, passionate conversation that blends science, personal experience, and sharp critique of ableist rhetoric.

Our Sponsors:

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🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

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In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan, Simon, and Ashley explore the powerful relationship between nature, neurodivergence, chronic pain, and seasonal change. Recorded after a neurodivergent getaway in the Lake District, the trio reflect on the healing power of natural environments, the sensory overwhelm of urban life, and how embracing seasonal rhythms can support mental health and regulation for autistic and ADHD adults.

Through candid storytelling and humour, they unpack the challenges of pain management, executive dysfunction, and winter transition, and share personal rituals, mindset shifts, and unexpected joys found in the natural world.

Together, they explore:

• How nature acts as a powerful regulatory tool for neurodivergent brains
• Why modern urban environments can overwhelm autistic and ADHD sensory systems
• The role of barefoot grounding, light exposure, and circadian rhythms in daily wellbeing
• Practical strategies for navigating winter transitions, layering, and seasonal overwhelm
• Pain, fatigue, and adapting outdoor experiences to fit different physical needs
• Using photography, VR, and creative rituals to stay connected to nature indoors
• Embracing cosiness, Christmas lights, and simple joys during the winter months

Whether you find winter draining, chronic pain exhausting, or city life overstimulating, this episode offers practical strategies and heartfelt conversation to remind you that neurodivergent people aren’t broken—the environments we live in often are.

Our Sponsors:

🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
• Facebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook page
• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience
• TikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

❤️ Support the Show

If this episode resonated with you:

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⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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Routines can be a lifeline for neurodivergent brains — creating safety, reducing decision fatigue, and bringing balance to daily life. But when structure becomes too rigid, it can tip into pressure and burnout. In this episode of Mindful Mondays with Ashley Bentley, we explore how to build supportive routines that steady you without imprisoning you, weaving in rhythm and play so life feels both grounded and alive. You’ll also be guided through a soothing meditation that helps you reimagine your routines as flexible, life-giving scaffolding — steady enough to hold you, soft enough to bend.

✨ Connect with Ashley:

🔗 Website: www.integrativeiom.co.uk

🔗 Facebook: Integrative IOM

🔗 Insight Timer: Ashley Bentley

❤️ Support the Show

If this episode resonated with you:

✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience

⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

Our Sponsors:

🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
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• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience
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In this week’s Hot Topic of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott tackle the shocking claim made by Donald Trump linking paracetamol (Tylenol) to autism.

With humour, rage, and razor-sharp critique, they dismantle the dangerous rhetoric, exposing how misinformation from political leaders fuels stigma, fear, and ableism against autistic and ADHD communities. From debunking pseudoscience to unpacking why terms like “suffering from autism” dehumanise neurodivergent people, this is one of the most important conversations the show has ever hosted.

Together, Jordan and Simon discuss:

• Why Trump’s Tylenol-autism claim is scientifically baseless and politically motivated
• The harm of framing autism as an “epidemic” or “disease”
• How myths about the Amish and Cubans not being autistic are rooted in underreporting, not reality
• Why dangerous rhetoric reduces autistic lives to something “worse than death”
• The role of correlation vs. causation in autism research and why facts matter
• How conspiracy-style politics distract from real issues like healthcare, disability rights, and education

Whether you’re autistic, ADHD, neurodivergent, or care about truth in public discourse, this fiery episode blends sharp advocacy, science, and satire to call out misinformation at the highest levels of power.

Our Sponsors:

🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
• Facebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook page
• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience
• TikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

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This week’s episode is a re-run — but one that feels more relevant than ever. Recent comments from Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have falsely suggested a link between paracetamol and autism, adding to the long history of misinformation that fuels stigma and fear.

To push back against these harmful narratives, we're revisiting this conversation with Dr. Luke Beardon, Senior Lecturer in Autism at Sheffield Hallam University and author of multiple influential works on autism.

In this episode, we explore:

• Why language matters when talking about autism
• The dangers of misinformation — even from professionals
• How “us vs them” thinking harms autistic people
• The identity challenges faced by those diagnosed later in life
• Why autistic voices must be central in shaping the narrative

This is a powerful reminder that autism is not something to be blamed on medicines, parenting, or fearmongering politics — it’s a natural and valuable part of human diversity.

Our Sponsors:

🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
• Facebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook page
• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience
• TikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

❤️ Support the Show

If this episode resonated with you:

✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience

⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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

How often do you catch yourself thinking I should… or I have to…? In this episode of Mindful Mondays with Ashley Bentley, we explore how the language of pressure and judgment fuels shame, burnout, and disconnection — especially for neurodivergent minds. Ashley shares powerful reframes to shift should into could and have to into get to, restoring choice, gratitude, and presence. You’ll also be guided through a calming yoga nidra-inspired meditation to release expectations and reconnect with freedom and agency.

✨ Connect with Ashley:

🔗 Website: www.integrativeiom.co.uk

🔗 Facebook: Integrative IOM

🔗 Insight Timer: Ashley Bentley

❤️ Support the Show

If this episode resonated with you:

✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience

⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

Our Sponsors:

🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
• Facebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook page
• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience
• TikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

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

In this week’s Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott unpack a powerful story about a photography exhibition in South Wales titled “But You Don’t Look Autistic.”

The exhibition, featuring portraits of autistic children and adults, challenges stereotypes about what autism “should” look like and celebrates unapologetic neurodivergent pride. From purple beards and rubber ducks to teenage voices demanding respect, the project pushes back against patronising attitudes and harmful misconceptions.

Jordan and Simon bring their lived experiences into the conversation, reflecting on:

• Why the phrase “you don’t look autistic” is so damaging (even when meant kindly)
• The role of art, photography, and visibility in changing perceptions
• Everyday examples of condescension and infantilization faced by autistic adults
• The need for neurodivergent pride and representation over awareness campaigns
• Stories of ableism—from airports to festivals—that highlight how disability is still misunderstood
• Why invisible disabilities matter, and how assumptions harm neurodivergent people

Read the article here.

This episode blends humour, frustration, and hope—spotlighting the importance of representation and the freedom to be unapologetically neurodivergent.

Our Sponsors:

🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
• Facebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook page
• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience
• TikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

❤️ Support the Show

If this episode resonated with you:

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⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

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In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott dive deep into the often-overlooked concept of object permanence and how it shapes the everyday lives of autistic and ADHD adults.

From misplaced wallets to forgotten birthdays, Jordan and Simon unpack the challenges of “out of sight, out of mind” thinking, and how it impacts relationships, routines, and self-esteem. With humor and honesty, they share personal stories—from paramedic rescues and lost headphones to missed social events—that highlight both the struggles and resilience of neurodivergent living.

Together, they explore:

• What object permanence really means and how it links to autism, ADHD, and executive dysfunction
• Why neurodivergent people often forget tasks, dates, or even loved ones when they’re out of view
• How these challenges can damage friendships, work, and self-confidence—and why it’s not laziness
• Practical tools that help: reminders, shared calendars, “don’t put it down, put it back” hacks, and supportive partners
• Why patience, self-advocacy, and understanding from others make all the difference

Whether you constantly lose your keys, forget social plans, or feel guilty about being “that friend who never shows up,” this episode offers relatable stories, validation, and strategies to help you feel less alone.

❤️ Support the Show

If this episode resonated with you:

✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience

⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

Our Sponsors:

🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

• → https://bit.ly/ashleynde

🔗 Stay Connected

• Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepod
• Facebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook page
• YouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience
• TikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

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