illuminating Neurodivergence
WELCOME TO YDSA
Discovering you are, or might be, Neurodivergent after a lifetime of wondering why you don’t fit in anywhere, is a difficult and often isolating process. We are an Autistic & ADHD-led community. We’re here for you.
Life before now has been one big question mark, a few faithful masks and so many mirrors that you don’t even know yourself anymore. Maybe you never did. Finally, you know that your “Why Story” is that you’re Neurodivergent.
Embrace your self-discovery journey and learn the power of self-advocacy.
we’re an autistic & adhd led community
Welcome to our mental health awareness podcast and online community. If you’re one of the millions of teens, adults and (entire) families being diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD/ADD, Anxiety, Depression or other Neurodivergent conditions without a meaningful support group or a roadmap, jump right in with us. There is an entire process that no one prepares you for.
One year after receiving his neuropsychiatric evaluation and multi-diagnoses for our mid-life man, and just weeks before our son received his neurodivergent confirmation, we launched our podcast. While neither Dad nor son received a new “Life Owner’s Manual”, it was clear kids have more support than adults.
Even with active medical care, key elements of our complex family neurodivergence were missed. We lived in complete hell. Sound familiar? Then you’ve found the right place. No matter if you’re seeking an evaluation, have a diagnosis or just self-identifying, you’re welcome here.*
making progress
is the new perfection
instead of struggling to manage.
it's time to manage the struggle.
welcome back to another episode of you don't sound autistic...
49: Autism and Communication
Communication is already a complex personal and interpersonal skill to master but even more so for the neurodivergent. Autism and communication as well as ADHD
48: The Hidden Fees of ADHD and Autism
There are overlapping levels of hidden fees of ADHD and Autism for adults that largely remain unrecognized. If you thought most challenging phase of life
47: Do You Experience Joy or Hopelessness?
The range of emotions that define depression boil down to how you experience joy or don’t. Chasing joy through productivity-based values can trip depression and
ydsa motto:
I am my greatest advocate.
my voice is beautiful too.
To the adults all over the globe who are standing up and saying "I'm Done with the Not-Knowing Why" phase of life,
we hear you.
not just a poDcast
it's a mission
of neurodivergent
self-discovery
Our solid life foundation just kept crumbling. The more we built our family, the more the cracks began to show. Just before the cracks swallowed us whole, we discovered our hidden Generational Neurodiversity.
We were alone.
You don't have to be.
WHERE ARE YOU IN your neurodivergent self-discovery journey?
Self-inquiriy & coping
No matter your age today, you've spent most of your life trying to solve all the "Where do I belong" questions followed by the "Why do I struggle more than you", "Am I imagining things?" and "WHY IS SLEEP SO HARD ALL THE TIME?"
breakdown & regression
It's no longer called a mid-life crisis. It's called meltdowns, shutdowns and burnout. A life inside a mask, responsibilities growing, resources shrinking and no end in sight. A malnourished brain and heart can only take so much abuse by self and world.
evalutions & breakthrough: the big reveal
After months of evaluations, testing and waiting, the moment finally arrives when you learn you're Neurodiverse. OH, AND... you've been driving your life with the wrong's owner's manual this entire time. It's okay to feel angry... for a little while.
relief, grief & BURNOUT
True you have answers but then it hits you. The person you thought you were... is instantly gone. Now what? How do I process this? What does this mean for my daily life, my dreams, my sense of self? How do I reinvent me? I barely know me.
SELF-ADVOCACY & REINVENTION
Give yourself time to know who you are... to become all that already are.
For (possibly) the first time in your life, you're in control of how you feel. You DO have the right to opt in or out of relationships, careers, hobbies, housing or family dynamics that shame you for being you. Reinvention comes when you replace those dynamics with ones that support you for being you.
podcast quotables
Testimonials from the tribe
generation ydsa
Quit picking on perfection
my brain just needs a hug
Thanks to our collection of YDSA developed, tested and approved tools you'll have everything you need to be resourceful.
physical activation
mental calibration
emotional action
sensory regulation
