The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

What a Late ADHD Diagnosis Can Change About Identity, Belonging, and Self-Forgiveness
What happens when you spend decades feeling different, and then finally get the words for why? In this conversation, I sit down with Mark Steiner to talk about what shifted for him after receiving an ADHD diagnosis later in life.

We talk about the quiet friction so many people carry for years, especially when they’ve learned to cope, create, lead, and keep moving without fully understanding their own minds. Mark shares how that late diagnosis brought relief, but also opened the door to deeper questions about self-worth, past pain, and the stories we tell ourselves.
You’ll hear us explore identity, masking, creativity, emotional intensity, and why being different, not less matters so much in neurodiversity conversations. Mark also shares how ADHD shaped his work as a founder and leader, and why self-acceptance changed the way he sees both his success and his past.
If you’ve ever wondered whether there’s a reason life has felt harder than it looked from the outside, this episode may leave you with a few important questions of your own.

About the Guest
Mark Steiner is the founder and CEO of GigSalad, a platform that has helped thousands of artists and entertainers connect with opportunities. He’s also a creative, speaker, and late-diagnosed ADHD adult who now speaks openly about identity, belonging, and self-understanding. Find him at thinkupon.com.

Timestamps
0:53 - I welcome Mark Steiner and ask what life felt like before ADHD had a name

6:21 - Mark shares where ADHD helped him thrive and where it made life harder

12:20 - We talk about being different, not less

16:15 - How Mark’s creative mind shaped his work with artists and entrepreneurs

22:15 - The moment of diagnosis and the relief that followed

26:25 - How his past began to look different through a new lens

28:29 - What changed in the way he saw himself as a leader and creator

33:59 - How adoption and neurodivergence intersected in his sense of belonging

37:37 - What helps different kinds of minds thrive

42:48 - What Mark wants listeners to hear if they’re still searching for answers

If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who may need it too. Stay curious, stay fearless, and remember: you’re never alone. #ADHD #Neurodiversity #LateDiagnosis #MentalHealth #TheNeurodivergentConnection

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 Changes When I Stop Asking “What’s Wrong With Me?”
If you’ve ever felt too much, too different, or deeply misunderstood, this conversation will stay with you.
In this episode, I sit down with Patricia Stellamares to talk about masking, survival, late-diagnosed AuDHD, and what happens when we stop trying to be easier for other people to understand. We explore the quiet cost of living in self-protection for too long, and the relief that can come when your neurodivergence finally has a name.
Patricia shares how childhood shame, trauma, and being told she was “wrong” shaped the way she moved through the world. Then, we get into the shift from surviving to actually living, what being truly seen can do to the nervous system, and why healing often has less to do with “fixing” yourself and more to do with letting go of harmful stories.
If you’ve been carrying questions about belonging, self-trust, or what healing can look like after years of exhaustion, I think this episode will give you a lot to sit with.

About the Guest
Patricia Stellamares is the founder of Invocation Healing Arts. She creates retreats, coaching experiences, and healing spaces that support neurodivergent people, couples, and anyone working through trauma, self-doubt, and identity.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Patricia Stellamares to the show

2:49 - When feeling “different” started to feel like being “wrong”

5:05 - How long that story followed her

8:48 - The first time she felt truly seen and believed

16:08 - The moment survival and living stopped feeling like the same thing

21:14 - What she wishes people understood about neurodivergent lives

22:33 - What autism and AuDHD gave her that she didn’t have before

26:59 - Healing from being told you’re wrong

29:54 - What she hopes people discover in her retreat work

35:43 - How being truly seen changes us

40:12 - Her message for anyone who feels alone

If this episode speaks to you, listen through to the end and share it with someone who needs a little more understanding today. You can also find Patricia at invocationhealingarts.com.
#Neurodivergent #AuDHD #AutismAwareness #HealingTrauma #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.

When Co-Parenting Keeps You on Edge: Finding Peace After Divorce with Sol
I sat down with Sal for a deeply honest conversation about divorce, co-parenting, healing, and what it takes to stop living in constant reaction mode.
In this episode, I explore what life can feel like after a relationship ends, especially when you still have to stay connected as parents. Sal shares how overwhelm, conflict, and self-doubt shaped his early days after divorce, and how he slowly began to rebuild trust in himself. Along the way, we talk about boundaries, isolation, emotional triggers, and the quiet inner work that can change how you show up for your kids and for yourself.

What struck me most is how Sal turned a painful personal experience into something practical for other co-parents. I’m sharing how that idea took shape, why emotional distance can matter so much in high-conflict communication, and what many people miss about the real weight of co-parenting.
If you’re parenting through separation, supporting someone who is, or trying to understand how healing and neurodivergent traits can intersect with stress, this conversation will give you a lot to think about.

About the Guest
Sol is a creative entrepreneur and co-parent who built Best Interest, an app designed to help reduce conflict in co-parent communication using AI-supported message review.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Sol and we begin before the divorce

2:38 - Sol reflects on having a brain that resists neat labels

4:19 - The moment he knew he couldn’t keep living this way

8:01 - Parenting young kids through divorce and COVID

10:01 - How creativity helped protect both him and his children

14:21 - What people don’t understand about co-parenting

15:46 - The isolation of high-conflict co-parenting

22:12 - The grounding practice that changed his healing

27:58 - How lived experience became the Best Interest app

36:19 - What feels most different about who he is now

41:46 - What Sol hopes others take from his story

If this episode speaks to you, listen through to the end and share it with someone who needs a little more support around divorce, co-parenting, healing, or neurodivergence.
#CoParenting #DivorceHealing #NeurodivergentSupport #ParentingAfterDivorce #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 Helps Neurodivergent Kids Thrive When School Doesn’t Fit?
What happens when a child isn’t failing because they can’t learn, but because the system isn’t built for how they learn? In this conversation, I sit down with Dr. Jeremy Tiegerman to talk about what truly helps neurodivergent students grow.

We get into the teachers who change everything, why confidence can matter just as much as accommodations, and what families need to hear when they feel worn down. I also share parts of my own school story, because this topic isn’t abstract for me, it’s personal.
You’ll hear why self-advocacy can’t wait until college, what schools still miss about autistic and learning disabled students, and why labels only tell part of the story. Dr. Tiegerman also explains the bigger mission behind his family’s work and the belief that no child should be counted out.
If you’re a parent, educator, caregiver, or someone finding your way after a diagnosis, I think this episode will leave you with hope, and maybe a few hard questions worth sitting with.

About the Guest
Dr. Jeremy Tiegerman is a psychologist and Chief Operating Officer of Tiegerman, an organization that supports children and adults with learning, language, and developmental needs. His work spans assessment, education, advocacy, and family support.

Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Dr. Jeremy Tiegerman and we start with the human side of his story

5:49 - How his family history shaped his work in special education

12:38 - Why strengths matter just as much as struggles

22:48 - What parents need to know about advocacy and support

27:17 - Why self-advocacy becomes critical in college

31:35 - When traditional education falls short for neurodivergent students

42:16 - What schools still misunderstand about autistic students

46:42 - What parents taught him that textbooks never could

55:31 - What gives him hope, and what still needs to change

63:07 - His message for exhausted parents who are scared about the future

Dr. Tiegermen's Resources:
Tiegerman website - www.tiegerman.org. Dr. Tegerman shared this as the main place to learn more about the organization and its programs.

Tiegerman main phone number - 516-609-2000, extension 100 for the receptionist. He said this is a starting point for being directed to the right person or service.

If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs the reminder that they’re not alone.
#NeurodivergentConnection #AutismSupport #ADHDAwareness #SpecialEducation #ParentAdvocacy

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 You’ve Always Felt Different: Marie on Being Seen Beyond Labels
If you’ve ever felt too sensitive, too different, or too hard to explain, this conversation will likely stay with you.
In this episode, I sit down with Marie to talk about what it’s like to move through life without neat labels, while still knowing you don’t fit the mold. We talk about feeling “other” from a young age, the deep relief that comes from being truly seen, and why so many people spend years thinking something is wrong with them when that may not be the full story.
Marie shares how she makes sense of the space between psychology, education, spirituality, and lived experience. We also get into what happens when schools and mental health systems don’t know how to support people who think, feel, or process the world differently. Along the way, I explore why validation matters so much, and what it can change when someone finally feels understood.
If you’re neurodivergent, newly questioning your experience, or supporting someone who feels outside the usual boxes, you’ll hear ideas here that may raise new questions in the best way.

About the Guest
Marie has a PhD in health psychology and a long background in education, healing work, and guiding people who feel unseen by traditional systems. Her work blends practical insight with a grounded approach to unusual human experiences.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Marie and we begin with her story

1:30 - What feeling different looked like before there were words for it

6:23 - How activism, mysticism, and experience shaped her path

15:45 - Where psychology helps, and where it falls short

21:47 - Living between systems that don’t fully fit

27:00 - What people are really searching for when they come to her

34:07 - What she listens for beyond someone’s words

42:01 - Why education and mental health systems often miss the people who need them most

51:20 - What Marie wants you to remember if you’ve never fit the boxes

If this episode speaks to you, listen through to the end and share it with someone who needs the reminder that they’re not broken—they may just need to be seen differently.
#Neurodiversity #AutismAwareness #ADHDSupport #MentalHealth #Podcast

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.