The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

How Childhood Messages Quietly Shape Confidence in Neurodivergent Lives
What if the voice holding you back isn’t really yours? In this episode, I sit down with Cheryl Jones to talk about the beliefs we carry for years without even noticing.
We talk about dyslexia, masking, self-doubt, rejection, and the quiet ways neurodivergent people can start shrinking themselves to fit other people’s expectations. Along the way, I share parts of my own experience with memory, processing, and growing up misunderstood. Cheryl also opens up about the message a teacher gave her as a child that stayed with her far longer than it should have.
Together, we explore how to tell the difference between a real barrier and a belief that’s keeping you stuck, why “just think positive” often falls flat, and what it can look like to build confidence without becoming someone else. Cheryl also shares a few of the practices she uses to help people change old thought patterns and relate to themselves in a kinder, more honest way.
About the guest: Cheryl Jones is a speaker, author, and coach who helps people work through fear, self-doubt, and the inner stories that can keep them feeling small.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Cheryl Jones and we begin with her story

9:33 - The childhood message Cheryl had to question years later

14:48 - What an “invisible ceiling” looks like in real life

18:34 - How neurodivergent kids carry limiting messages into adulthood

21:28 - Real barriers vs. limiting beliefs

25:38 - Masking, confidence, and staying true to who you are

31:22 - Why comparing yourself to others can keep you stuck

34:15 - What emotional self-mastery actually means

44:51 - Bridging the gap between knowing and believing

54:05 - One small step to start changing your relationship with fear

Cheryl's Links:
Website: https://www.simplythebestresults.com

Instagram: Cheryl C Jones 1

YouTube: Cheryl C Jones

Affiliate: https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION

If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs the reminder that they’re not broken—they may just need a different way forward. #Neurodivergent #ADHD #AutismAwareness #MentalHealth #SelfConfidence

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.

Why So Many Adults with ADHD Look Fine on the Outside but Feel Exhausted Inside
What happens when someone seems successful at work, yet feels like they’re barely holding life together behind closed doors?
In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jenni Byrne to talk about the hidden side of ADHD in adults, especially in professionals who’ve learned how to cope, mask, and push through for years. We get into why so many people are missed, why late diagnosis can bring both relief and grief, and why the phrase “if only” carries so much pain.
I’m also sharing a conversation that will feel deeply familiar to many parents, caregivers, educators, and neurodivergent adults: the moment when things finally start to make sense. You’ll hear why success can hide suffering, how workplaces still get ADHD wrong, and what it can look like when someone stops blaming themselves and starts understanding their brain.

About the Guest
Dr. Jenni Byrne is a psychiatrist, author, and ADHD specialist who works with adults, including high-achieving professionals. She brings both clinical experience and personal insight as a parent of a neurodivergent child.

Key Timestamps
0:22 - How Dr. Jenni Byrne began working with adults with ADHD
5:16 - What hidden struggle looks like for professionals
9:07 - Signs people may notice in themselves
12:52 - A real example of outward success and private chaos
21:46 - What HR teams need to understand about neurodiversity
25:38 - The meaning behind a lifetime of “if onlys”
38:01 - The grief that can come with a late diagnosis
42:27 - Why “too high functioning” is so harmful
52:55 - Why so many women are diagnosed later in life
66:11 - What to do if this conversation sounds like you

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Website:constellationpllc.com
YouTube:Dr. Jenni Byrne
LinkedIn:Dr. Jenni Byrne
Resource guide: Free ADHD resources available on Dr. Jenni Byrne’s website

Affiliate: https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION

If this episode speaks to you, listen through and share it with someone who needs language for what they’ve been carrying.
#ADHDInAdults #NeurodivergentConnection #LateDiagnosis #Neurodiversity #ADHDAwareness

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 Divorce Isn’t the Worst Thing for a Child?
When I sat down with Kim Korven, we got into a question that stops a lot of people cold: what if it’s not divorce that hurts children most, but the conflict they live inside?
In this conversation, I explore Kim’s personal story of marriage, separation, parenting, and what changed when the tension at home finally eased. We talk about the signs her son was carrying more than adults realized, why some behaviors were misunderstood, and how one hard choice opened the door to a more peaceful future.
Then the conversation takes an unexpected turn. Kim shares years of research into the lives of women in her family line whose stories were shaped by survival, silence, motherhood, and the law. Their records leave behind just enough to raise bigger questions about marriage, mental health, family systems, and what children carry across generations.

About The Guest
Kim Korven is a divorce coach, former lawyer, and speaker who helps parents keep children at the center of separation decisions. Her work focuses on reducing conflict and creating healthier family transitions.

If you’ve ever wondered what kids really need during separation, or how family patterns keep echoing long after the facts are gone, this episode will give you a lot to think about.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Kim Korven and ask about the moment she knew divorce might create a better life
7:34 - We talk about the early signs her son was struggling
12:44 - Kim shares how sensory processing shaped parenting and school choices
17:50 - What changed for her son after the separation
22:28 - We unpack what people often get wrong about children and divorce
26:00 - Kim introduces the family history that changed how she sees marriage and survival
37:00 - Allison’s story raises questions about law, poverty, and choice
43:38 - Catherine’s story reveals how a woman could disappear inside her own family
51:27 - Margaret’s story shows both courage and heartbreak
57:09 - What these stories ask us to reconsider about motherhood and family
59:18 - Where to find Kim online

Kim's Links:
Website: kimkoven.com
LinkedIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-korven/

Affiliate: https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION

Listen in, and if this conversation speaks to you, share it with someone who needs a more compassionate way to think about divorce, neurodivergent children, family conflict, and healing.
#DivorceAndChildren #FamilyConflict #ParentingSupport #MentalHealthAwareness #GenerationalTrauma

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 I Wish More Parents Knew After an Autism Diagnosis
When a child is diagnosed autistic, a lot can hit at once: fear, guilt, grief, confusion, and a hundred questions about what comes next. In this conversation, I sit down with Kristina and Herb Everett to talk about those first hard moments and what they learned raising their son through them.
We talk about the emotional weight many parents carry in silence, why behavior is often communication, and how easy it is for schools, systems, and even loving adults to miss what a child is really trying to say. I also get into the gap between meaning well and actually helping in ways a child can feel.
What stayed with me most is this: support doesn’t start with having all the answers. It starts with listening, noticing, and giving both your child and yourself more grace than you think you need.
If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re helping, pushing too hard, or missing something important, this episode will give you a lot to think about. And there’s one part near the end about acceptance that I think many families need to hear.

About the Guests
Kristina and Herb heagh Avritt are the couple behind Vibrant Family Education. Kristina spent 27 years in the classroom, and together they now help families think differently about education, support, and connection for children with unique learning and communication needs.

Key Timestamps
0:17 - Kristina shares her first feelings after her son’s autism diagnosis
4:58 - The moment autism changed how they understood their son
8:02 - What they would tell parents in those early, overwhelming days
10:01 - What raising an autistic child taught beyond any classroom
15:47 - Burnout, overstimulation, and what many kids carry home from school
22:10 - The pressure families put on kids and the cost of getting it wrong
34:47 - Early school challenges, IEP struggles, and missed support
44:12 - The hard balance between protection and independence
56:30 - How parents can support without asking a child to be someone else
59:34 - What real acceptance looks like in everyday life
78:09 - What they want every newly diagnosed family to hear

Their Links: Vibrant Family Education:https://vibrantfamilyeducation.com
You can find them all over the socials under their name.

Show Affiliate: https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION

If this episode speaks to you, listen through and share it with a parent, educator, or caregiver who needs the reminder that they’re not alone.
#AutismSupport #NeurodivergentFamilies #ParentingAutism #SpecialEducation #Neurodiversity

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.

Finding Belonging, ADHD, and the Search for Family with Gemma Reid
What if the answers you’ve been looking for weren’t lost at all—just waiting for the right moment to find you?
In this episode, I sit down with Gemma Reid for a deeply personal conversation about late-diagnosed ADHD, adoption, identity, and the quiet pull toward belonging. We talk about what it’s like to grow up feeling different, how that can shape the way you see yourself, and why finding the right language for your experience can change everything.
Gemma also shares how her search for her biological family led to surprising discoveries, emotional healing, and questions that go far beyond DNA. Along the way, we explore the link between neurodivergence, sensitivity, intuition, and what it means to trust yourself when the world has spent years telling you not to.

About the Guest
Gemma Reid is a therapist, medium, and advocate who speaks openly about ADHD, adoption, healing, and identity. Her work brings together mental health, grief support, and intuitive practice.
If you’ve ever felt out of place, underestimated, or unsure where you belong, this conversation will stay with you.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Gemma and ask about life before diagnosis and before finding her biological family

4:52 - The early signs of ADHD and what was misunderstood about her

9:39 - Adoption, identity, and the lasting need to belong

14:19 - How her work as a therapist and medium began

23:59 - Neurodivergence, intuition, and sensitivity

35:14 - The question that reopened her search for her father

44:15 - Waiting for DNA results and what happened next

50:20 - What it felt like to find family and connection

71:05 - Was this really about finding her father, or finding herself?

75:14 - Where to connect with Gemma online

Gemma's Links
www.themediumtherapist.ca

TikTok:@TheMediumTherapist

Show Affiliate: https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION

If this episode speaks to you, listen through to the end and share it with someone navigating ADHD, adoption, or identity questions. #Neurodivergent #ADHD #AdoptionStory #Belonging #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.