The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

What Changes When a Whole Family Finally Has the Words for Autism and ADHD?
What happens when years of chaos, guilt, and confusion finally start to make sense?
In this episode, I sit down with Walter and Stephanie Parker for an honest conversation about raising three neurodivergent daughters while also making sense of their own diagnoses. We talk about what life looked like before they had language for autism, ADHD, alexithymia, and rejection sensitivity, and why getting answers changed the way they saw their marriage, parenting, and even themselves.
What stayed with me most is how much this episode speaks to families who know something feels different but can’t quite explain it yet. We get into the grief, the relief, the missed signs, and the small shifts that can change everything at home. We also talk about stigma, burnout, masking, and why the right support can mean the difference between surviving and actually feeling understood.
Walter and Stephanie are the founders of Divergent by Design, a growing online community focused on neurodivergent support, education, and coaching. Together, they’re helping families feel less alone and more seen.
If you’ve ever wondered, Is this what’s been going on in my home all along? this is an episode you’ll want to hear all the way through.

Key Timestamps
0:26 - What family life looked like before anyone had a diagnosis

2:58 - The moment autism started making sense

6:00 - How diagnosis changed their marriage and parenting

13:31 - Living with alexithymia in a neurodiverse home

16:44 - What a typical day looks like with three neurodivergent daughters

22:44 - The real impact of stigma at work and in public life

28:50 - Why building community is harder than it sounds

41:00 - How their family shaped Divergent by Design and Full Spectrum Lender

49:07 - The honest conversations people still avoid about autism and ADHD

64:10 - What they hope their daughters carry into the world

Walter & Stephanie's Resources:
Website:divergentbydesignllc.com — Stephanie’s life coaching and neurodivergence support site

Facebook Group: Divergent by Design — community space for connection, education, and support

Facebook Page: Divergent by Design LLC — updates, content, and resources

TikTok: Divergent by Design LLC — short-form educational content

Instagram: Divergent by Design LLC — visuals, tips, and community content

Brand Mentioned: Full Spectrum Lender — Walter’s mortgage and real estate lending brand

If this conversation resonates with you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs clearer language, more support, or simply the reminder that they’re not alone.
#AutismAwareness #ADHDSupport #NeurodivergentFamilies #Neurodiversity #ParentingSupport
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: [email protected]

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

What If Your Gut, Brain, and Nervous System Have Been Talking All Along?
What if the symptoms you’ve been trying to “fix” are actually messages worth hearing?
In this episode, I sit down with Heather Van Tassel to talk about the gut-brain connection, meditation, concussion recovery, and what it means to understand yourself when your mind and body don’t fit neat boxes. We get into the space between science and lived experience, and why that space matters more than most people realize.

You’ll hear how Heather’s background in biochemistry, neuroscience, and nutrition shaped the way she thinks about chronic gut issues, nervous system stress, and mental health. We also talk about self-recognition, ADHD traits without a formal diagnosis, and why support doesn’t always start with a label.
If you’ve ever felt dismissed, confused by mixed health advice, or unsure where to begin, this conversation will give you a new way to think about healing, regulation, and personalized care. And yes, we talk about one small daily habit that may be quietly making things worse.

About the Guest
Heather Van Tassel is a gut health coach and nutritionist with a background in biochemistry, neuroscience, and data science. Her work focuses on the connection between the gut, brain, and nervous system, with an emphasis on education and practical support.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Heather and we begin with her early curiosity about the brain and body

3:00 - How a concussion changed her identity and deepened her connection to meditation

9:41 - The moment she began seeing how much the microbiome shapes health

14:14 - How she approaches chronic bloating, IBS, food sensitivities, and root-cause questions

19:31 - When science, nutrition, and lived experience stopped feeling separate

31:30 - What to remember if you feel stuck between Western care and other approaches

43:08 - Why symptoms may be signals to listen to, not just problems to silence

49:22 - Heather opens up about ADHD traits, self-awareness, and living without a formal diagnosis

58:02 - What most people misunderstand about the gut-brain connection

64:29 - A gentle place to begin if all the health advice feels like too much

65:50 - How we make meditation feel more accessible for neurodivergent minds

82:18 - What a world built with neurodivergent people in mind could look like

Heather's resources:
https://datadrivennutritionist.com/

If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs a gentler way into understanding mind-body health.
#GutBrainConnection #NeurodivergentConnection #MentalHealthAwareness #ADHDSupport #NervousSystemHealth

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: [email protected]

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

Why a Real-Time Train Board Feels So Calming to Watch
What starts as a story about a train board turns into something much bigger: pattern, comfort, design, and the quiet pull of watching a system move in real time.

In this episode, I sit down with Griffin Van Horn, creator of Traintrakr.io, to talk about how a late-night makerspace idea became a product people connect with in ways no one fully expected. We get into the moment the project stopped feeling like an experiment, why simple design can say more than a screen full of data, and what happened when customers began sharing deeply personal reasons they loved it.
I also explore something that really stayed with me: why movement, rhythm, and visible patterns can feel so grounding. If you’ve ever wondered why certain objects bring comfort, focus, or connection, this conversation will give you a lot to think about.

About my guest: Griffin Van Horn is the creator of Train Tracker, a real-time transit display that turns live train data into a clean, visual experience. His work brings together engineering, design, and a strong respect for community-built ideas.
You’ll hear how Train Tracker grew from a handmade prototype into something people use for far more than commute info—and why that matters.

Key Timestamps
0:03 - I welcome Griffin Van Horn and introduce Train Tracker

0:21 - How the idea began in the Cambridge Hackspace

9:01 - The surprise behind what they were really building

17:57 - The moment the project started feeling real

20:36 - What the first version looked like behind the scenes

26:02 - What early users taught them about simplicity

32:21 - Why people connect with the feeling, not just the data

40:12 - The unexpected stories that made the work feel bigger

44:11 - Why trains and patterns can feel oddly calming

55:05 - Where to learn more about Traintrakr

You can find out more at: Traintrackr.io

If this episode speaks to you, listen to the full conversation and share it with someone who loves design, transit, or the comfort of patterns in motion.
#TrainTrackr #DesignStory #TransitDesign #Makerspace #CuriousStoryteller

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: [email protected]

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

What a Late ADHD Diagnosis Can Explain, and What It Can Change
If you’ve ever thought, “Why does my brain work like this?” this conversation will likely hit close to home.
In this episode, I sit down with Jax Crider to talk about what it’s like to live for years without the language for ADHD, and what can happen when that missing piece finally clicks into place. We get into the quiet guilt that can build before diagnosis, the relief that can follow, and why so many adults, especially women, are only now starting to connect the dots.

Jax shares honest stories about being “too much,” forgetting everyday tasks, and dealing with the mental snowball that can turn one small moment into a flood of self-doubt. We also talk about something I think more people need to hear: ADHD isn’t only about struggle. There can be real strengths here too, if you know what to look for.

About the Guest
Jax Crider is an entrepreneur, mortgage professional, financial educator, and host of Financial Mastery Simplified. She speaks openly about late-diagnosed ADHD, business, money, and building a life that fits how your brain actually works.
If you’re questioning your own ADHD, supporting someone who is, or trying to make sense of a late diagnosis, I think this episode will leave you feeling more seen.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Jax and we start with life before diagnosis

4:39 - Jax explains the “snowball” of ADHD, anxiety, and depression

9:56 - A personal story about success, failure, and black-and-white thinking

25:30 - What Jax felt when she finally got her ADHD diagnosis

33:41 - What ADHD as a “superpower” looks like in real life

38:03 - Why AI can be useful for neurodivergent people

44:58 - Late diagnosis, guilt, and the question of what might have been

57:10 - What still isn’t being said enough about ADHD in adults

81:15 - What Jax wants listeners to hear if they’re just starting to figure this out

Jax's Resources:
jaxcridder.com

Financial Mastery Simplified by Jax Rider - Podcast

Listen in, and if this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who needs that reminder: you’re not broken, and you’re not alone.
#ADHD #LateDiagnosis #Neurodivergent #MentalHealth #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: [email protected]

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

What Happens When Neurodivergence, Fatherhood, and Advocacy Collide
What does it cost to stop masking—and what can happen when you finally let people see the real you?
In this episode, I sit down with Dan Roth for an honest conversation about neurodivergence, rejection, work, parenting, and the quiet weight so many of us carry. We talk about what the pandemic changed, why that inner voice can be so hard to settle, and how being openly ADHD shaped the way Dan
rebuilt his life when everything felt uncertain.

What stayed with me most is how this conversation moves beyond careers. We get into the tension around disclosure, workplace bias, and accommodations, but we also go deeper into what it means to raise autistic children in systems that still miss the mark. Dan shares what shifted for him as a father, advocate, and community builder—and why some of his biggest work started with one simple act of care.

If you're neurodivergent, parenting a neurodivergent child, or trying to build a more inclusive school or workplace, this one will likely hit close to home. I think you'll walk away feeling seen, and you may also start asking different questions about what support should really look like.

About the Guest
Dan Roth is a neurodivergent speaker, advocate, and community leader known for his work in hiring, inclusion, and special education support. He’s also a father of autistic daughters and a strong voice for more inclusive schools, workplaces, and communities.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Dan Roth and we set the stage for a deeply personal conversation

0:17 - What the pandemic felt like for neurodivergent people

2:42 - Why rejection can feel so personal

5:02 - Dan opens up about self-doubt and the nonstop inner voice

9:26 - The moment social media became a turning point

13:49 - What it felt like to share his first public post

15:20 - Neurodivergence, job applications, and workplace accommodations

21:16 - When advocacy became bigger than employment

27:02 - The story behind an inclusive school project that still gives me chills

31:02 - How parenting autistic daughters made the mission personal

36:00 - What feels broken in hiring systems

44:38 - Dan’s message for parents wondering if they’re enough

Dans Resources:
Dan Roth
Email: [email protected]

Book:Breaking the Silence: Voices of Survivors on Amazon

If this episode speaks to you, listen through to the end and share it with someone who needs this reminder: you’re not alone.
#Neurodivergent #Autism #ADHD #ParentingSupport #WorkplaceInclusion

Dans

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: [email protected]

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