The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

How Catherine Hughes Turned a Family Crisis Into Advocacy, Belonging, and Hope
What happens when a parent asks for help and the system gets it painfully wrong? In this episode, I sit down with Catherine Hughes for a conversation that starts with heartbreak and grows into something every caregiver, educator, and neurodivergent person needs to hear.

Catherine shares the moment that changed her life as a young mother, and why that experience pushed her to speak up for families who feel blamed, dismissed, or left to figure it all out alone. Along the way, we talk about autism, advocacy, belonging, caregiver support, and the quiet power of being truly heard.
You’ll hear why “fitting in” isn’t the goal, what real belonging can look like at home, in schools, and in the community, and why stories often reach people in ways facts can’t. We also get into something many families carry in silence: the guilt of asking for help.

About the Guest
Catherine Hughes is an advocate, speaker, author, and leader in behavioral health. She supports caregivers and neurodivergent individuals through her work and through The Caffeinated Advocate, where she helps families find support, voice, and connection.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, unseen, or unsure where to turn next, I think this conversation will stay with you. Listen through to the end, because Catherine shares a simple question that can change how we support each other.

Key Timestamps
0:02 - I welcome Catherine Hughes and ask about the life that shaped her

0:26 - Catherine shares the early signs she noticed in her son and the dismissal she faced

6:05 - The arrest, foster care, and the moment everything changed

10:20 - How that crisis led Catherine into advocacy and family support

16:25 - Why labels should never decide what someone is capable of

23:26 - When Catherine’s personal pain became a clear mission

27:36 - Why compassion matters more than compliance in care

32:16 - What belonging really means beyond inclusion

39:38 - Why public speaking didn’t come naturally, and what changed

55:19 - What caregivers need to remember about caring for themselves

62:50 - What schools, workplaces, and communities still need to change

69:31 - The everyday moments that still give Catherine hope

Catherines Resources:
Website:thecaffeinatedadvocate.com
Email:chughes@thecaffeinatedadvocate.com

If this episode speaks to you, listen, share it with someone who needs it, and stay connected for more conversations on neurodiversity, autism, ADHD, caregiving, and belonging.
#Neurodiversity #AutismAwareness #CaregiverSupport #Belonging #Advocacy

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 Advocacy Starts at Home: What Beth Silver Taught Me About Support, Labels, and Being Brave
What happens when a parent stops waiting for answers and starts building a way forward for their child?
In this episode, I sit down with Beth Silver for a deeply honest conversation about raising neurodivergent children, facing fear in real time, and learning how to ask for help without shame. Beth shares how motherhood pushed her from marketing and PR into advocacy, and why some of the hardest lessons came from school meetings, therapy rooms, and moments when no clear answer was in sight.
We talk about the weight parents carry, why the right diagnosis can matter more than people want to admit, and how support can change everything when it finally feels real. Beth also opens up about boundaries, burnout, self-care, and the quiet strength it takes to keep showing up when you’re running on coffee and courage.
If you’re parenting a neurodivergent child, supporting one, or trying to understand your own experience, I think this conversation will stay with you. You’ll hear stories that may feel familiar—and a few truths that might shift how you see advocacy, communication, and what being brave really looks like.

About the Guest
Beth Silver is a marketing consultant, advocate, and trusted support for families raising neurodivergent children. Through her work and community connections, she helps parents find clarity, resources, and a plan when life feels overwhelming.

Timestamps
0:46 - I welcome Beth Silver and ask who she was before advocacy became part of her life

3:12 - The first signs her son was experiencing the world differently

6:50 - Fear, school struggles, and learning how to ask for help

9:00 - When the hardest part becomes the world’s response

13:38 - Why support systems and boundaries matter more than most parents realize

16:56 - What survival mode looked like day to day

25:16 - How helping other families became part of Beth’s purpose

41:12 - How parenting changed the way Beth thinks about communication

52:15 - What Beth wants overwhelmed parents to hear right now

57:35 - The legacy she hopes her children carry forward

Beth's Resourses:
Website: doubetllc.com
Instagram: @bethwouldknow

If this episode speaks to you, listen all the way through and share it with someone who needs to hear they’re not alone.
#NeurodivergentConnection #AutismSupport #ADHDSupport #ParentAdvocacy #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.

When Co-Parenting Keeps You on Edge: Finding Peace After Divorce with Sol
I sat down with Sol 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 Sol 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 Sal 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 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.