The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

Why So Many Neurodivergent Kids Struggle in School — And What Needs to Change
If school feels more like a battle than a place to learn, this conversation will hit home.
In this episode, I sit down with Lisa Riegel to talk about why so many neurodivergent students are misunderstood in classrooms, IEP meetings, and behavior systems. We get into the gap between what schools measure, what they actually support, and why that mismatch can leave kids feeling like they’re the problem.
I’m sharing a conversation that goes beyond labels like ADHD and autism and gets to the heart of what many parents, educators, and caregivers see every day: bright kids struggling in systems that were never built with their brains in mind. You’ll hear why behavior is often misread, what schools miss about executive functioning, and how small shifts in the classroom can change far more than most people expect.

About the guest: Lisa Riegel is an educator, leadership expert, and author of NeuroWell. She works with schools and professionals to bring brain-based practices into real learning spaces, with a strong focus on helping students feel safe, seen, and supported.
If you’ve ever wondered why some kids keep falling through the cracks—or what it could look like if we actually got it right—this episode will give you a lot to think about.

Timestamps
0:03 - I welcome Lisa Riegel and set up the conversation
0:30 - What Lisa noticed early about students who didn’t fit the system
2:08 - Why IEP data and school supports often don’t match
4:37 - Why behavior plans can miss what autistic students really need
7:33 - The personal moment that changed Lisa’s work forever
12:09 - A simple classroom shift that helped students focus better
16:49 - Why teachers need a better understanding of how the brain works
23:22 - What Lisa wishes more people understood about ADHD and autism
31:52 - The biggest mistake schools make about behavior
33:31 - Small changes that created big results in real classrooms
38:29 - Where the education system breaks down most for neurodivergent people
47:36 - What helps neurodivergent minds thrive

Listen in, then share this with a parent, teacher, or caregiver who needs this conversation. #Neurodivergent #ADHD #AutismAwareness #InclusiveEducation #IEP

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What Happens When You Look Fine on the Outside but Feel Lost Inside?
In this episode, I sit down with Mike Dyson for an honest conversation about identity, discouragement, grief, and what it takes to keep going when life feels heavier than you can explain.
Mike shares parts of his story that many people hide: childhood rejection, the pressure to perform, silent insecurity, and the kind of pain that can sit behind a confident face. We also talk about the health crisis that shook his world and why that season forced him to face fear, loss, and purpose in a new way.

What stayed with me most is this: how do you tell the difference between healing and hiding? And what changes when you stop believing the worst things about yourself?

About the guest: Mike Dyson is the author of The Shadow. He writes and speaks about faith, identity, restoration, emotional pain, and hope for people who feel stuck in darkness.
If you’ve ever felt unseen, overwhelmed, or unsure how to move forward, I think this conversation will meet you where you are. Listen through to hear the questions that matter most.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Mike Dyson and begin with his story before the book

1:25 - Mike opens up about childhood rejection, fatherlessness, and insecurity

4:20 - We talk about distorted identity and the “shadows” that shape self-worth

7:33 - Mike shares what it’s like to look confident while struggling inside

13:14 - A major health scare, grief, and the emotional weight that followed

19:12 - How suffering changed Mike’s sense of purpose

32:23 - The meaning behind The Shadow and the difference between two kinds of shadows

35:18 - Why people confuse hiding with healing

41:57 - What happens when we believe darkness over truth

53:23 - How faith and suffering can exist at the same time

57:32 - What Mike hopes readers take from his book

61:13 - Where to find Mike and get the book

Get you copy of the Anti-Planner - https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION

If this episode speaks to you, listen to the full conversation and share it with someone who may need the reminder that they’re not alone.
#TheCuriousStoryteller #MikeDyson #TheShadow #MentalHealth #FaithAndHealing

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

When “This Wasn’t the Plan” Becomes Your Reality as a Parent
What happens when the life I imagined for my children suddenly changes—and I can’t fix it the way I thought I could?
In this episode, I sit down with Tabitha deGrave for an honest conversation about parenting through diagnosis, uncertainty, and the kind of strength people often praise but rarely understand. We talk about what it feels like to raise one child with autism and another with tuberous sclerosis complex, and how those two paths can reshape a mother’s identity in ways no one really prepares you for.
Tabitha shares the guilt, grief, and constant questions that can come after a diagnosis. At the same time, she also speaks to the patience, advocacy, and deep awareness that can grow in that hard space. We also get into why labels can matter, how support can change a child’s future, and what many families wish someone had told them much earlier.
If you’re a parent, caregiver, educator, or someone trying to support a neurodivergent child, I think this conversation will meet you where you are. And if you’ve ever wondered how to keep showing up when life looks nothing like you expected, there’s something here for you.

About the Guest: Tabitha deGrave is a mother, advocate, and author who shares her family’s experience to help other families feel less alone after a diagnosis. She speaks openly about caregiving, community, and the reality of raising children with different support needs.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Tabitha and ask who she was before diagnosis entered motherhood
2:46 - How her daughters’ autism and TSC diagnoses began to unfold
4:17 - The guilt that followed missing early autism signs
6:33 - What it felt like to hear a rare diagnosis for the first time
8:43 - What each child taught her about patience and the healthcare system
15:06 - The moment she realized this was more than “just a phase”
16:42 - Why she leaned into diagnosis instead of fearing the label
25:20 - The part of caregiving most people never see
27:04 - What strength really feels like on the inside
31:02 - Why she started sharing her story to help other families
36:27 - What she’d place in the hands of a mom in early uncertainty

Get you copy of the Anti-Planner - https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION
If this episode speaks to you, listen through to the end and share it with someone who needs that reminder: you’re not alone.
#AutismSupport #NeurodivergentConnection #ParentingSpecialNeeds #TSCawareness #CaregiverSupport

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

When ADHD, Trauma, and “Whispers” Start Making Sense
In this episode, I sit down with Annie talk about what it feels like when your brain, body, and past are all trying to get your attention at once.
We get into Annie’s path from military service to trauma research, and how an ADHD diagnosis helped her make sense of years of feeling out of step with the world around her. Along the way, we talk about the subtle ways trauma can hide in plain sight, why some neurodivergent people experience the world more intensely, and what those quiet “whispers” from the body might really be saying.
If you’ve ever thought, maybe I’m fine, but something still feels off, this conversation will give you a new lens to look through. I’m also sharing why trauma doesn’t always look dramatic, how it can show up as personality, stress, or disconnection, and why that matters for neurodivergent people in everyday life.

About the Guest
Annie is a military veteran, metaphysical trauma researcher, and author who studies how trauma, nervous system patterns, and neurodivergence show up in real life.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Annie and we begin with her military experience
2:33 - What an ADHD diagnosis changed when Annie looked back on her life
6:46 - Why some neurodivergent people process meditation and awareness differently
8:28 - The “cargo container” Annie carried without language for it
14:33 - Why people say they don’t have trauma, even when it shapes everything
17:40 - How trauma can show up in homes, habits, and relationships
24:19 - Using AI to better understand conflict, tone, and compassion
31:21 - Annie explains her “Black Room” method
33:08 - What “whispers” from the body can look like in daily life
36:32 - A real-life look at the 6 Layers of Belonging
Annies Website: https://oneemprima.com/
Pre-Order a copy of her book here: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/trauma-whispers-before-it-roars-annie-emprima/1150805354?ean=9798995925538

Get you copy of the Anti-Planner - https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION
If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs a better way to understand ADHD, trauma, and neurodivergence.
#ADHD #TraumaHealing #Neurodivergent #AutismAwareness #MentalHealth

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

What If the Life You’re Living Was Never Really Yours?
In this episode, I sit down with Shruti Trivedi to talk about purpose, grief, mental health, and the quiet pressure of living by someone else’s script.
We explore what happens when life forces you to stop, question everything, and ask, Whose life am I living? Shruti shares how moving from IT into coaching changed the way she sees success, self-care, and what it means to live with peace instead of just performance.
We also talk about pregnancy loss, why so many hard experiences stay unspoken, and how small shifts in language can change how we carry pain. Then we turn to something every parent, educator, and caregiver will care about: the life skills kids aren’t always taught, from listening to handling emotions and building real human connection.
And just when the conversation seems grounded in the present, we look ahead to AI, the future of work, and what we can’t afford to lose as technology keeps moving faster.
If you’ve ever felt stuck, disconnected, or unsure what really matters anymore, this conversation may leave you with a few big questions you didn’t know you needed to ask.

About the Guest
Shruti Trivedi is a former IT professional turned coach who helps people reconnect with purpose, process grief, and create space for more honest, meaningful lives. Her work is shaped by her personal experience with pregnancy loss, therapy, parenting, and mental health advocacy.

Timestamps
0:03 - I welcome Shruti and we begin with purpose, education, and where humanity may be headed
7:35 - Shruti shares the personal experiences that changed her path
11:11 - We talk about the “template of life” and what it means to question it
13:39 - What Shruti had to unlearn in parenting, work, and relationships
15:26 - How her definition of success changed over time
17:28 - The life skills schools often miss
19:28 - The one skill every child should leave school with
22:21 - Why we spend more time learning how to do than how to be
27:58 - What excites and worries us about AI and the future
35:25 - Shruti’s message for anyone feeling trapped by society’s script

Get you copy of the Anti-Planner - https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION
If this episode speaks to you, listen through to the end and share it with someone who may need it. Subscribe for more conversations on mental health, purpose, parenting, education, and human connection.

#MentalHealth #Purpose #Parenting #AIandHumanity #LifeSkills

Hosted by Reid Miles.
Conversations unfold naturally — no scripts, no rush.
🎧 Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts
🌐 More about the show and past episodes: https://podcast.ausha.co/neurodivergantconnection-thecuriousstroyteller
📩 Guest inquiries & media: Reid@AspergersStudio.com

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.