The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

What Caregiving Really Looks Like When the System Falls Short
What happens when you’re raising two neurodivergent children and the help you need still doesn’t meet real life? In this episode, I sit down with Danielle for an honest conversation about Autism, ADHD, cerebral palsy, single parenthood, and the kind of caregiving most people never fully see.

I’m sharing a story that speaks to parents, caregivers, and anyone trying to support a family carrying more than most people realize. Danielle opens up about the daily pressure of meeting both of her children where they are, while also facing financial strain, burnout, and the quiet loneliness that can come with doing so much on your own.
At the same time, this conversation isn’t only about hardship. You’ll also hear about the small moments of joy, the hidden strengths people often miss in nonverbal children, and the kind of real support that actually makes a difference. If you’ve ever wondered what families like Danielle’s wish the world understood, this episode will stay with you.

About the Guest
Danielle is a single mother raising two children with special needs: her teenage son, Brian, who is autistic and has ADHD, and her daughter, Ava, who is autistic and has cerebral palsy. She shares her family’s day-to-day reality with honesty, heart, and hope.

Timestamps
0:03 - I introduce Danielle’s story and what this conversation explores
1:20 - Danielle shares her family’s background and her children’s diagnoses
10:53 - What an ordinary day of caregiving actually looks like
23:19 - What caregiving feels like from the inside
28:19 - Why even grocery shopping can become a major task
32:47 - How Ava experiences the world beyond spoken words
43:39 - Who Brian is beyond his Autism label
51:06 - What the support gap looks like in everyday life
69:07 - What real support truly looks like for a family like Danielle’s
74:15 - Danielle’s message for listeners who feel unseen or overwhelmed
https://shop.adhddd.com/NEURODIVERGENT_CONNECTION
If this episode speaks to you, listen all the way through, share it with someone who needs it, and keep being part of this neurodivergent community conversation.
#Neurodivergent #AutismAwareness #Caregiving #SpecialNeedsParenting #ADHD

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 Chronic Illness Changes Your Identity: My Conversation with Dr. Jeff Bone
What do you do when your body says something is wrong, but no one seems to hear you?

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jeff Bone to talk about the hidden weight of chronic illness, what it feels like to be misdiagnosed, and how life can change when your health no longer feels predictable. This conversation goes far beyond symptoms. We get into grief, loneliness, identity, and the quiet fear that comes with living in a body you can’t fully trust.
Dr. Bone is a psychologist, writer, and host of To the Bone: Conversations on Pain, Illness, and Meaning. After years of searching for answers, he was eventually diagnosed with an immune disorder linked to toxic mold exposure. What stayed with me most was how honestly he spoke about being dismissed, rebuilding meaning, and learning how to live with pain without turning against himself.
If you’ve ever felt unseen, overwhelmed, or unsure how to explain what you’re carrying, I think this episode will stay with you. I also share why curiosity, self-compassion, and being truly present can matter more than having all the answers.

Timestamps
0:02 - Why chronic illness can affect identity, relationships, and the future you pictured
1:15 - What life looked like before everything changed
6:43 - The pain of being misdiagnosed and not believed
8:21 - The first real clues behind his illness
12:25 - Realizing this wasn’t something that would simply pass
15:33 - The part of chronic illness most people don’t see
19:20 - How poetry became a way to cope and make sense of the chaos
25:37 - Grieving the life you thought you’d have
35:01 - A small practice that can help when everything feels too heavy
41:34 - Changing your relationship with pain
48:46 - What I hope people hear when they feel dismissed or alone

If this conversation speaks to you, listen to the full episode and share it with someone who needs to feel less alone.
#ChronicIllness #InvisibleIllness #NeurodivergentConnection #MentalHealth #DisabilitySupport

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 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.