Compassionate guidance for parents of neurodivergent children and teens navigating autistic burnout
Strategies For Protecting Your Autistic Child from Burnout. As a parent of an Autistic child or teen, understanding the unique ways their brain processes information can be incredibly helpful in giving them the support they need and protecting them from Autistic Burnout. One such concept is Monotropism—a term that refers to a person’s ability to […] Read more…
Aleesha White, founder of Moody, shares her journey of supporting neurodivergent individuals and their families. She discusses the challenges she faced as a high school student with seizures and her subsequent passion for helping neurodivergent people. Aleesha emphasizes the importance of creating inclusive opportunities and supporting neurodivergent individuals outside of the traditional classroom environment. She […] Read more…
For many parents of neurodivergent children, bedtime is one of the hardest and most stressful times of the day. If this is true for you and your family, you’re not alone, as many neurodivergent individuals find sleep challenging. In this episode, I chat with Laura Hellfeld, neurodivergent nurse and sleep consultant. Here are some of […] Read more…
Today, I am joined by Elen Nathan from The Playful Place to give us insight into ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder). Here is what we chatted about: What is ARFID? What causes ARFID and how can we know if our child (or we) are affected by ARFID? What can we do as parents to […] Read more…
In this solo episode, I talk about a topic that is often shut down in parenting communities. The topic of experiencing grief for various aspects of our parenting journey. In our Instagram society, where we just see the highlights, the happy moments the joyful moments of parenting we can feel ‘wrong’, ‘broken’ and isolated because […] Read more…
Today on the show I chat with Kate Kleinau, who you may know from her Facebook and Instagram accounts as Raising PDA Kids. In this episode, Kate and I chat about: How her son’s autistic burnout in his early childhood years led her to discover that he was PDA. The things she and her husband […] Read more…
Today on the show we chat with Pip Brun, a neurodivergent human, a mum of 6 and a passionate advocate for the rights of disabled people. Pip is a passionate member of the Enabling Good Lives mid-central leadership group in New Zealand. In this episode, we chat about: Additional information and resources for the Enabling […] Read more…
A funny thing happened when I sat down with Elen Nathan from the Playful Place for our first chat on the sensory systems. We just clicked and geeked out about the sensory systems and our neatly planned agenda for the episode went out of the window. After recording part one we immediately knew that we […] Read more…
Today I am joined by occupational therapist and sensory integration practitioner, Elen Nathan. In this episode: To get your free sensory system screening tools: https://sensationalbrain.com/free-resources You can connect with Elen Nathan here: Website: https://theplayfulplace.co.nz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePlayfulPlace Click here to find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox If you would like to join the conversation […] Read more…
You are waiting in your car for your child at the end of the school day. You see them coming down the pathway towards the school gate. Your child is chatting with a friend, and everything seems fine. As they approach the car, you can see their body language and facial expression shift. They open […] Read more…
Today on the podcast I sit down with three-time bestselling author, activist and mum of two disabled tamariki, Emily Writes to talk about the recent changes to the Whaikaha (The Ministry for Disabled People) purchasing guidelines. Some of the topics highlighted on the show: Further resources and links: https://awhi.substack.com/p/the-real-impact-of-funding-changes https://emilywrites.substack.com/p/pedicures-and-massages Awhi Ngā Mātua (awhingamatua.org.nz) Connect […] Read more…
On today’s episode, we chat with Claire Fisher. Claire shares with us her journey after being diagnosed in her forties with ADHD and Autism. Here are some of what we chat about in this episode: It was an absolute pleasure to speak with Claire and we can all learn so much from her lived experience. […] Read more…
Today on the show we sit down with Rebecca Rae-Hodgson who you might know as The Chronically Resilient OT. In this episode, we chat about: Here are ways to work with Rebecca or access her blogs and resources: Click here to find out more about the Neurodivergent Family Toolbox If you would like to join […] Read more…
In this episode, Tanya Valentin shares her journey as a neurodivergent human raising other neurodivergent humans. Tanya shares why the inspiration behind creating the Parenting Neurodivergent Kids Together Podcast and what it is about. If you would like to join the conversation contact Tanya via email at tanya@tanyavalentin.com. You can find out more about The […] Read more…
Cultivating Self-Compassion for Parents in the Face of Challenges Let’s face it, parenting is hard for all parents. For many of us, family is one of our most high-held values. We all want to do well for our children and it is important to us (to varying degrees depending on the person) that others see […] Read more…
My Honest Account Of Supporting My Autistic Teen Into Young Adulthood A mum in my newsletter community recently reached out to me for advice with parenting her neurodivergent teen soon-to-be young adult. She shared that her autistic daughter was in her last year of high school and was contemplating going to university next year (college […] Read more…
Many parents whom I work with struggle with getting on the same page with and nurturing their relationship with their partner while co-parenting their neurodivergent children, especially when they or their children are in burnout. Parenting is one of the hardest and most complex jobs we will ever do as a person. We are literally […] Read more…
How To Protect Your Child’s Emotional And Mental Well-being Trigger warning – this blog contains mention of self-harm and suicidal ideation; reader discretion is advised. My children’s teenage years were not easy (for them and for me). I have a fairly good memory of what it was like to be a teen, and I knew […] Read more…
Learn How Understanding RSD (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria) Can Help You To Support Your Child (And Yourself) The emotional experience that served as an undercurrent of my childhood was hypervigilance. I can recall constantly scanning the people around me for signs of disapproval. Checking in with my mother hundreds of times a day to see if […] Read more…
How Understanding Autistic Meltdowns and Shutdowns Can Help You To Support Your Child (And Yourself) Autistic meltdowns and shutdowns are an unavoidable part of the autistic experience. They are an autistic person’s body’s way of supporting them when their nervous system is overwhelmed. Meltdowns and shutdowns are a necessary release to help the autistic person’s […] Read more…
Parenting a neurodivergent child can be hard on so many fronts, however as a mum, even though there are challenging moments, in most cases, it is not my children I find hard. Most of the challenges that I face as a neurodivergent parent of neurodivergent children are systemic. You see, the world, the medical system, […] Read more…
Neuro-Affirming Strategies for Parents of Neurodivergent Teens When bringing together and considering the perspectives and needs of everyone in our neurodivergent families there are bound to be conflicts. It is inevitable. Let’s face it, conflict is part of life especially when we are parenting teens and parenting neurodivergent teenagers can add complexity to this. It […] Read more…
What are Autism and ADHD and Do They Affect Boys and Girls Differently? Autism and ADHD affect both boys and girls at roughly the same rate. However, boys are 4 times more likely to be identified as being Autistic or as having ADHD in early childhood compared to girls. Autism and ADHD are a form […] Read more…
Find Out Why So Many Autistics, ADHDers and AuDHDers Are Only Identified Later In Life. Did you know that if you are the parent or grandparent of a child who is Autistic or has ADHD, there is a high possibility that you could be Autistic or Have ADHD too? Much of what we currently know […] Read more…
Why It Is Important To Understand Your Teen’s Point of View Do you struggle with how to understand your teen or to see things from their point of view? If you do, you are not alone, this is something that many parents find challenging. We will not always see things through our children’s eyes or […] Read more…
Connection Capital Imagine that your relationship with your teen was like a bank account. Every time you do something they enjoy or communicate to them that you care for and understand them you put funds into the ‘connection bank’. Conversely when you ask them to do something (like chores or cleaning their room) or they […] Read more…
As an AuDHD person and the mother of neurodivergent teens, who are also part of the LGBTQ+ community I often sense that the perception of us is that we are somehow ‘broken’ or ‘defective’. A common sentiment I receive is sympathy or even pity for my ‘hard life’. Common things I hear from others when […] Read more…
Connection-Focused Parenting is a parenting style that focuses on establishing a mutually trusting, respectful and reciprocal relationship with your child. The upside of this approach is that your child is more likely to let down their guard around you and see you as an ally. This is important for all child-parent relationships. However, even more so […] Read more…
I am a parent of three neurodivergent teenagers and so I know that parenting teens can be tough. For many parents, the turbulent uncharted territory of the teenage years can feel like a minefield. Your amiable, loving kid who just yesterday, couldn’t bear to be apart from you pulls away from you and starts locking […] Read more…
Autism and ADHD are something that affects approximately 15-20% of the population. The increased diagnosis of Autism and ADHD in teens and adults highlights the need for there to be more conversations that facilitate the shifting of the paradigm on how we speak about, perceive and include neurodiversity. Meet The Valentins Our family is a […] Read more…
All parents experience parental grief as part of their parenting journey. There are two types of parental grief. There is the irreconcilable grief that comes from the death of a child that no parent ever truly recovers from. (If this is you I hold nothing but love and respect in my heart for your loss). […] Read more…
Why Mothers Feel Exhausted (and What Can Help) I was in my bedroom getting ready for a family day out. In the next room, my husband and son were in the middle of a conversation that soon escalated and became heated. It came to a head when I heard my son stomp down the hall […] Read more…
A gentle, practical mini-course for parents of neurodivergent kids navigating burnout and screen use You’re not imagining it… Screens feel complicated right now. On one hand, they might be the only thing your child can manage.A place where they feel calm, in control, connected… or simply okay. On the other hand, the guilt is loud. […] Read more…
Clarity and confidence for parents navigating school after burnout You’re being asked questions you don’t have answers to yet. “When are they going back?”“What if they fall behind?” And underneath it all, you’re wondering: 👉 Is my child actually ready… or am I feeling pressure? If this feels familiar… What most advice gets wrong Burnout […] Read more…
Why lowering demands feels so hard—and how to make it actually work Most parenting advice gets this wrong… When a child is in burnout, the answer isn’t more structure, more consequences, or trying harder. It’s less pressure. More safety. But when you try to lower demands… You might notice: This is where most parents get […] Read more…
Support your child’s self-worth without shame, pressure, or disconnection “Are you mad at me?” “Nobody likes me.” “I ruin everything.” If these words are familiar in your home, you’re not alone. Many neurodivergent children experience Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria (RSD)—where even small moments of perceived rejection feel overwhelming, painful, and deeply personal. And when we don’t […] Read more…
A Parent’s Reflection When I was a young child in Sunday school, I remember being in a lesson where the teacher read this passage to us: “God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and he became a living soul.” I’m not sure if you […] Read more…
Beyond Authoritative Parenting: A More Human Way to Raise Neurodivergent Children Rehumanising Parenting is a response to a culture that has slowly reduced parenting to technique, compliance, and optimisation. It is a return to relationship, nervous system awareness, and shared humanity. To understand why this matters, we need to look at the models many of […] Read more…
What Non-Conforming Expression has Taught Me about Neurodivergent Identity My autistic teenage daughter emerged from their room, bright blue hair tied into two pigtails, their face dotted with vividly coloured rainbow freckles. I felt my body brace before my mind could catch up, the familiar urge rising to say something like, “You’re not going out […] Read more…
Rewriting the Rules When Your Neurodivergent Child is Struggling When my children were little, I saw a Facebook meme that nearly broke me. It said: On the surface, it felt so positive. So aspirational.And to a mother who had already done significant healing from her own childhood, it felt like a dream come true. Without […] Read more…
Why Friendships Unravel When Your Neurodivergent Child is in Burnout I was recently reading a Substack post by The Autism Doctor about how many women are not diagnosed as autistic simply because they“have friends.” In the post, she explains that the outward presence of friendships does not necessarily mean those relationships foster genuine connection or […] Read more…