Welcome to Nurturing Neurodiversity for 2024! Sammy and Patricia are excited to continue this journey with you for our third year :) We begin with an exploration of Emotion Regulation, what it means, what we often are actually referring to when we use this term, and what theorists and research are telling us about it. Sammy and Patricia discuss our personal philosophies and what is exciting us about more recent psychological research. For more information on Glasser's Choice Theory...

We discover similarities and differences in experiences of neurodivergence across the world, through our conversations in this series. In this episode, we are joined by Haley Moss, a lawyer, neurodiversity expert, and the author of four books that guide neurodivergent individuals through professional and personal challenges. Haley shares her experiences growing up autistic in America, the changes in society's understanding across her lifetime, the balance needed between the medical and...

We discover similarities and differences in experiences of neurodivergence across the world, through our conversations in this series. In this episode, we are joined by Kate Moryoussef, a women's ADHD Lifestyle and Wellbeing Coach and EFT practitioner. Kate is also the creator and host of The ADHD Women's Wellbeing Podcast, which you can check out here. We explore Kate's journey to understanding ADHD, from her childhood when her brothers were diagnosed through to her experiences with her...

Through discussing culture, understandings, resources, assessment and therapy options; we discover similarities and differences in experiences of neurodivergence across the world. In this episode we are joined by Nahid Hassan, a entrepreneur in the telecom industry, who has used her experiences as a mother to a non speaking autistic son to branch out into creating a vocational training and employment centre in the UAE for people of determination in her community. We delve into Nahid's...

**Trigger warning** This episode discusses some traumatic events experienced by Shangwe's autistic son. Please listen with discretion and should you need support, please reach out - in Australia you can call Lifeline 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636. This series explores global experiences and perspectives on neurodivergence. Through discussing culture, understandings, resources, assessment and therapy options; we discover similarities and differences in experiences across the...

In this series we are exploring global experiences and perspectives on neurodivergence. Through discussing culture, understandings, resources, assessment and therapy options; we discover similarities and differences in experiences across the world. In this episode we are joined by Natalie Pelto, an expert in multiple nutrition certifications and lifestyle integration that specialises in treating children with Autism/ADHD and their families. Natalie describes her experience going through the...

In this series we are exploring global experiences and perspectives on neurodivergence. Through discussing culture, understandings, resources, assessment and therapy options; we discover similarities and differences in experiences across the world. In this episode we are joined by Raelene Sebastian, advocate, speaker and podcast host. Rae describes her experiences being diagnosed as an adult, what the process was like, the reactions from her family being an Australian-born Filipino woman,...

In this series we are exploring global experiences and perspectives on neurodivergence. Through discussing culture, understandings, resources, assessment and therapy options; we discover similarities and differences in experiences across the world. Patricia is joined by Karen Kehdy, health insurance expert turned neurodiversity advocate and writer, through her experience seeking a diagnosis for her daughter. Karen lives and works in Dubai in the UAE; and this conversation dives into what she...

Introducing our latest series, where we explore global experiences and perspectives on neurodivergence. Discussing culture, understanding, resources, assessment and therapy options, we explore the differences and similarities in experiences across the world. We begin this series with our very own Patricia Falcetta, talking us through her journey with her sons' diagnoses (which lead to her own) and the profound impact this has had, not only on her family's life, but her career direction also....

Whilst we focus a lot on play for our children, the focus often shifts as they grow into adolescents and then into adulthood. This episode dives into play and its importance all throughout our lives, what it might look like and how it differs between neurotypical and neurodiverse people, how we can support our adolescents and young adults in refocusing on play when our culture has such a strong focus on productivity instead, getting into our flow state and allowing creativity and how this...

Ange Anderson M.Ed opened and led an innovative specialist school in North Wales for 10 years, introducing over 25 different therapeutic and technological interventions to support pupils with learning differences. She has also authored and contributed to many books and articles across many topics in special education. Ange joins Sammy and Patricia for part 3 of our Play as a Human Right series, bringing all of her experience and wisdom in utilising play and various other therapeutic...

For our second episode in our Play as a Human Right series, we explore all the ways play serves as a catalyst for connection with our children. Sammy and Patricia go deep into co-regulation; what it is and why it's important. We give a brief overview of attachment play and how effective it can be in our homes. We round out the episode discussing the differences between neurodiverse and neurotypical play, meeting our children where they are at and how we can create more equity in social skill...

Welcome to 2023! Patricia and Sammy are so excited to kick things off with a series of episodes delving into Play as a Human Right, all the ways this intersects with neurodivergent rights and ways of being and how we can bring play into our every day practices. Part 1 is all about Play as Learning; where we discuss play as a child's way of learning about the world, as well as how they learn to play with others. Sammy gets detailed about our National Curriculum Frameworks, whilst Patricia...

Join Sammy and Patricia as they discuss some common co-occurring conditions that can come with neurodivergence, stressing that even after you receive a diagnosis of autism, ADHD or both, these labels may not be the only answers you'll need. We explore learning difficulties (dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia), mental health such as anxiety and depression, the varying types of ADHD, OCD, ODD, PDA and 2E (twice exceptional). We hope to highlight the intersectionality of different types of...

In this episode Patricia and Sammy share their thoughts, experiences and ideas around the most important job in the world - parenting! We discuss the transition from old paradigm to new, the importance of meeting our children where they're at, some key strategies we can implement into our daily lives to bring some certainty to uncertain times, and the importance of giving to ourselves as much as we give to our children. Please reach out to either of us if you'd like support to create and...

In our fourth installment of our education series we welcome Sam Pollock, Director and Inclusion Consultant for SP Specialist Inclusion Services. Sam supports children, families, teachers and schools in creating inclusive and supportive learning environments, through 1:1 work, group programs and professional development.  Sam shares her passionate, grounded and research-based perspectives on our education system; relationship building between teachers, children and families; working with...

In this episode we have a brilliant conversation with epic human Michelle Heriot - a dynamic and inspiring Thought Leader in the field of alternative and diverse education and wellbeing solutions for youth aged 6 to 18 years. We dive into Michelle's E-Gen movement; her experiences as a student and then advocating for her child as a student in the education system; the alternative options we all have but may not know much about; some starting steps and advice for those considering home...

Our second episode in our education series sees us welcome Jennifer Rickard, Executive Officer of APFACTS, which is the peak body of parents with children in non-government schools in the ACT, Australia. APFACTS contributes to shaping educational policy and practice, raising issues from parents' perspectives with stakeholders, political and government representatives, advocating for fairness and equity and improving educational opportunities for all children attending non-government...

Our next topic of focus is education; and we kick off this series with an incredible teacher, exceptional needs specialist, mental health and neurodiverse champion - Kristen Eccleston, The Neurodiverse Teacher. *CONTENT WARNING: Towards the end of this episode we discuss mental health impacts and this includes discussion around suicidal ideation and adult content being accessed by children online. Please go gently with yourself and if this is not something you can hear right now, know we...

We couldn't have an employment series without welcoming back Jonathan Laloz, founder and CEO of Self Plus Plus (see Episode 9 for our first chat)! With 22 years of experience in the small business, corporate and government sectors, Jonathan combines this with his understanding and lived experience of neurodiversity to support autistic people from teens to adults gain meaningful employment (or to create their own). In today's episode we discuss: some common obstacles that prevent...

In this episode Patricia welcomes David Smith, founder of Employ For Ability.  David is an Autism and Neurodiversity employment specialist and advocate. Since 2016, David has been focused on helping organisations become more inclusive by hiring Neurodiverse staff to gain competitive advantage. A leader in his field, he brings many years of experience, education and knowledge to our employment series! We dive into the following ideas: the value of following your purpose; the main barriers to...

Our second interview in our employment series sees us welcome Charuni Weerasooriya, founder of EDII (Engage, Design, Innovate, Improve). Charuni brings a wealth of experience and wisdom to her current work with our teens and young people, supporting them to develop skills and understanding that will set them up for a successful future. We were fortunate to tap into this wisdom throughout this episode! Some of the key concepts we explored were: design thinking and how it can reshape our...

Welcome to the first in our series of interviews focussing on employment. In this episode we chat to Jodie Stephenson from Kirribilli Partners - and we cover plenty of conceptual and practical ideas to create true inclusion within the workplace. Some key points we cover: starting with safety and respect; building relationships and balancing strengths within a team to bring out the best in people; bridging the communication gap between neurodivergent and neurotypical people; changing our...

This episode is taken from a series of Facebook Lives Sammy and Patricia presented in 2021. Although you may notice some of our language has changed, the strategies offered throughout this episode are still very relevant and helpful in 2022. From supporting our children through the use of visuals, routines and plans, to taking small moments throughout the day to check in with ourselves and provide for our own needs, you'll find plenty of tips to work through feelings of anxiety and...