In Episode 33 of The NeuroDADverse, Ben and Dan reflect on a week that felt unfamiliar in the best possible way, with no major crises, fewer challenges, and small signs of optimism beginning to return.

This episode explores what it’s like when neurodivergent family life settles temporarily and how hard it can be to trust calm when you’ve spent years braced for the next difficulty.

In this episode, we talk about:

•What it means when challenges don’t dominate the week

•Continued school absence — handled with kindness and patience

•Processing time, delayed progress, and realistic expectations

•Seeing optimism re-emerge after long periods of low self-esteem

•Hearing your child say “I’m good at this” — and why that matters

•Table dinners, shared conversations, and emotional safety

•Respectful disagreement and confidence at home

•When optimism returns quietly, not dramatically

•Parenting without forcing positivity

•Why progress often shows up as calm, not celebration

•Reflecting on how far your child has come — without tempting fate

•Adult neurodivergence, diagnosis curiosity, and workplace adjustments

•The emotional weight of exploring your own neurodivergence as a parent

🎙️ NeuroDADverse Podcast

Real conversations about raising neurodivergent children in a neurotypical world.

Hosted by two UK dads, NeuroDADverse explores autism, ADHD, SEND parenting, mental load, masking, school systems, identity, and the everyday wins and struggles of neurodivergent family life.

If you’re a parent of an autistic child, an ADHD dad, part of a SEND family, or simply looking for honest, relatable parenting conversations, you’re not alone here.

🔔 New episodes weekly

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Chapter Breakdown (≈53 minutes)

00:00 – Intro & Welcome to Episode 33

00:43 – Birthday Energy & Setting the Tone

02:20 – What This Podcast Is (and Why Calm Weeks Matter)

03:55 – Deciding Whether There Even Is a Challenge This Week

04:32 – Three Words of the Week: Happy, Joyful, Calm

06:13 – Continued School Absence & Kind Communication

07:49 – When “Nothing Going Wrong” Feels Unfamiliar

08:49 – Finding a Win in the Absence of Crisis

09:44 – Optimism Returning After Low Self-Esteem

10:42 – Hearing “I’m Good at This” From Your Child

11:32 – Why That Moment Hits So Hard

12:48 – Table Dinners & Safe Family Conversations

13:31 – Respectful Disagreement as a Confidence Marker

14:47 – Reflecting Without Over-Analysing

15:46 – Small Wins That Signal Big Emotional Shifts

17:09 – Literacy, Subtitles & Motivation to Read

18:52 – Letting Curiosity Lead Learning

20:13 – Birthday Surprise & Lightness in the Pod

22:32 – Looking Ahead to the Week

24:06 – Medication Check-Ins & Ongoing Adjustments

26:22 – Youth Clubs, Identity & Social Safety

29:18 – When Leaving the House Takes Emotional Maths

31:08 – Gratitude for Things Feeling Lighter

32:43 – Chronicling Progress Over Time

33:56 – Bath-Time Scores & Regulation Wins

35:22 – Progress Isn’t Linear (Jellyfish Parenting Analogy)

37:21 – Incoming Assessments & Mixed Feelings

39:19 – Adult Neurodivergence & Emotional Readiness

42:34 – Diagnosis, Identity & Reframing the Past

45:05 – Neurodiversity in the Workplace

48:04 – Reasonable Adjustments Without Labels

50:41 – Society, Systems & Where We Still Need Change

52:06 – Final Reflections & Sign-Off

52:48 – You’re Doing Great. You Are Enough.

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