This episode reframes “two steps forward, one step back” as a natural and meaningful pattern of growth for neurodivergent people and those with invisible learning challenges. Jennifer explains why nonlinear progress happens—due to brain variability, environmental mismatches, and sensory or emotional fatigue—and why a “step back” is often a signal to rest, adjust, or recalibrate rather than a failure. Through reflection and practical strategies, listeners are reminded that progress isn’t erased by setbacks and forward movement still counts, even when the path isn’t linear.

https://linktr.ee/JenniferPTTS?utm_source=linktree_profile_share

References / Suggested reading

• Stark, P. (2022, June 5). The Personal Growth Two-Step. Psychology Today. (Psychology Today)
  
• Neurauter, J. (2017, March 7). Two Steps Forward, One Step Back – Our Heart of Courage. Harmonious Pathways. (Harmonious Pathways)
  

• “The Other Side of Autism” – keyassetskentucky.com: Progression and regression, then more progression and more regression. (Key Assets Kentucky)
  Scott-Moncrieff, L. (2014). Two Steps Forward, One Step Back: The Dynamics of Learning and Backsliding. (PDF) (ResearchGate)

Here the final part to interview with Christinia from last year. She is an attorney and advocate for military families navigating special education. With experience at UC Berkeley, Notre Dame Law School, and William & Mary, Christina shares how she supports Marines’ families, the challenges they face, and what she’s learned from helping children with diverse learning needs thrive.

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠http://livingwithmultilearningdifferences.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠

• • Patron link: ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/LivingWithAnInvisibleLearningChallenge⁠⁠⁠
  • Etsy shop:⁠⁠⁠ https://wovendifferently.etsy.com⁠⁠⁠
  • Facebook:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/livingwithnld?view_public_for=107332511122585#⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/livingwithmultilds/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#⁠⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOqAA0b3-C-qDkhKwCmaaZg⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Shero: Be Your Own Hero:⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Chats, Barks, & Growls: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Think Out: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Sleepy Butterfly: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e⁠⁠ / https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96

Here the second part to interview with Christinia from last year. She is an attorney and advocate for military families navigating special education. With experience at UC Berkeley, Notre Dame Law School, and William & Mary, Christina shares how she supports Marines’ families, the challenges they face, and what she’s learned from helping children with diverse learning needs thrive.

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠http://livingwithmultilearningdifferences.com/⁠⁠⁠

• • Patron link: ⁠⁠patreon.com/LivingWithAnInvisibleLearningChallenge⁠⁠
  • Etsy shop:⁠⁠ https://wovendifferently.etsy.com⁠⁠
  • Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/livingwithnld?view_public_for=107332511122585#⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/livingwithmultilds/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOqAA0b3-C-qDkhKwCmaaZg⁠⁠⁠

• Shero: Be Your Own Hero:⁠⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Chats, Barks, & Growls: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Think Out: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Sleepy Butterfly: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e⁠⁠ / https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96

This episode is about acknowledging the full scope of my invisible challenges and, in doing so, giving a voice to others who may be living with their own tangled knots. It's a reminder that everyone's journey is unique and that true strength lies in understanding and embracing who you are, invisible challenges and all.

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠http://livingwithmultilearningdifferences.com/⁠⁠⁠

• • Patron link: ⁠⁠patreon.com/LivingWithAnInvisibleLearningChallenge⁠⁠
  • Etsy shop:⁠⁠ https://wovendifferently.etsy.com⁠⁠
  • Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/livingwithnld?view_public_for=107332511122585#⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/livingwithmultilds/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOqAA0b3-C-qDkhKwCmaaZg⁠⁠⁠

• Shero: Be Your Own Hero:⁠⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Chats, Barks, & Growls: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Think Out: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Sleepy Butterfly: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e⁠⁠ / https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96

Welcome to "Living with Invisible Learning Challenges," the podcast where we explore the struggles, triumphs, and unique journeys of navigating life with learning differences. I’m your host, Jennifer Purcell.

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠http://livingwithmultilearningdifferences.com/⁠⁠⁠

• • Patron link: ⁠⁠patreon.com/LivingWithAnInvisibleLearningChallenge⁠⁠
  • Etsy shop:⁠⁠ https://wovendifferently.etsy.com⁠⁠
  • Facebook:⁠⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/livingwithnld?view_public_for=107332511122585#⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/livingwithmultilds/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#⁠⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOqAA0b3-C-qDkhKwCmaaZg⁠⁠⁠

• Shero: Be Your Own Hero:⁠⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Chats, Barks, & Growls: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Think Out: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Sleepy Butterfly: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e⁠⁠ / https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96

A personal story shared with respect for experiences different from my own. Today, I want to talk about something deeply personal and something that’s been on my mind for a while. It’s about relating to someone you admire, even if your lived experiences are profoundly different. And for me, that person is Michelle Obama. I've been reading her book, Becoming, and there's a part of it that hit me right in the gut. She talks about the feeling of asking herself, "Am I enough?" This resonated so strongly with me because I asked myself that very same question when I was applying to colleges.

• Website: ⁠⁠http://livingwithmultilearningdifferences.com/⁠⁠

• • Patron link: ⁠patreon.com/LivingWithAnInvisibleLearningChallenge⁠
  • Etsy shop:⁠ https://wovendifferently.etsy.com⁠
  • Facebook:⁠⁠ https://www.facebook.com/livingwithnld?view_public_for=107332511122585#⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/livingwithmultilds/?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr#⁠⁠

• YouTube: ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOqAA0b3-C-qDkhKwCmaaZg⁠⁠

• Shero: Be Your Own Hero:⁠⁠ https://open.spotify.com/show/1O7Mb26wUJIsGzZPHuFlhX?si=c3b2fabc1f334284⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Chats, Barks, & Growls: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/74BJO1eOWkpFGN5fT7qJHh?si=4440df59d52c4522⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Think Out: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/episode/71UWHOgbkYtNoHiUagruBj?si=3d96889cfd2f487b⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Sleepy Butterfly: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/5FNnA8XFCzRORCRaZXlHE9?si=a82d5133f7f6411e⁠⁠ / https://www.facebook.com/sleepybutterfly96