You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA)

Episode 70: Let's Catch Up

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 06:28:56 -0500

Episode 69: A Conversation with Shandel - An Autistic Woman's Perspective

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 14:46:08 -0400

Episode 68: The Autistic Struggle To Live In The Moment

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 03 Apr 2023 20:23:37 -0400

Episode 67: Autism and Imposter Syndrome

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 19 Mar 2023 12:29:21 -0400

Episode 66: Approval Seeking Behavior and Emotional Bankruptcy

Blake and Rachelle — Thu, 16 Mar 2023 18:18:01 -0400

Episode 65: In Defense of Your Personal Space

Blake and Rachelle — Thu, 23 Feb 2023 19:08:23 -0500

Episode 64: Emotional Currency and Self-Awareness

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 29 Jan 2023 12:18:54 -0500

Episode 63: The 'Everything at Once' Loop

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 08 Jan 2023 11:36:23 -0500

Episode 62: The Autistic Perspective of Career Transitions

Blake and Rachelle — Fri, 06 Jan 2023 08:00:00 -0500

Episode 61: Self Advocacy When Changing Careers

Blake and Rachelle — Wed, 07 Dec 2022 15:31:46 -0500

Episode 60: The Compare and Despair Trap for Teens and Adults

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 27 Nov 2022 15:35:00 -0500

Episode 59: Managing Autistic Relationships at Home

Blake and Rachelle — Fri, 25 Nov 2022 11:36:55 -0500

Episode 58: How to Manage Meltdowns

Blake and Rachelle — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 08:00:00 -0400

Episode 57: To Mask or Un-Mask on Halloween

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 17:48:41 -0400

Episode 56: How to Say "I'm Not Okay"

Blake and Rachelle — Wed, 12 Oct 2022 08:00:00 -0400

Episode 55: ADHD, Autism, and Addiction

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Episode 54: Overcoming Cultural Masking to Find Your Autistic Self

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Episode 53: ADHD and Autism - Forgetfulness and Working Memory

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0400

Episode 52: Differential Diagnosis and Medical Gaslighting

Blake and Rachelle — Wed, 07 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0400

Episode 51: Am I Missing Something? - Conversing As An Autistic Adult

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 04 Sep 2022 10:00:00 -0400

Episode 50: Where Did My Personality Go?

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 20:53:27 -0400

Episode 49: Autism and the Art of Communication

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 15 Aug 2022 09:00:00 -0400

Communication is already a complex personal and interpersonal skill to master but even more so for the neurodivergent. How does ADHD and Autism impact the art of communication? In more ways than one, and some of those ways are significantly less obvious than others. Can something as routine as "physical self-care" have a big impact on communication skills? You might be surprised. And speaking of surprises, communicating, self-advocating and emotional processing during unexpected transitions might be the secret sauce to master the art of communication. Check out the show notes at https://youdontsoundautistic.com/autism-and-communication/

Episode 48: The Hidden Fees of ADHD and Autism

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 09 Aug 2022 14:44:26 -0400

If you thought the hidden fees phase of life was the "not knowing why I'm suffering" phase, be prepared. One of the bigger obstacles to overcome is the continual discovery of new hidden financial, physical, mental, emotional and vocational expenses of being an adult with ADHD and/or Autism. The only thing more costly than the coping mechanisms and compensatory self-soothing is the painful awareness of the numerous parts of daily life that require extra effort to maintain.

Episode 47: Do You Experience Joy or Hopelessness?

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 08 Aug 2022 14:57:52 -0400

In this episode we explore the various ways we can experience the range of emotions that define depression; from joy to the absence of joy. Value-based systems that only reward productivity give a false sense of joy which can also lead to depression when being productive or successful in work, relationships, goals and every day life can feel fleeting or underwhelming.

Read the Episode Companion Post at https://youdontsoundautistic.com/how-do-you-experience-joy/

Episode 46: Autism, Anxiety, and Medication

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 19:12:26 -0400

For adults with Autism, anxiety and medication are managed differently which also applies to co-occurring diagnosis like ADHD, depression, and mood disorders (irritability, aggression and meltdowns). Equally important is the Food is Medicine Movement bolstered by Nutritional Psychiatry. Let’s dive into the various ways we can manage how we feel.

Read the Episode Companion Post at https://youdontsoundautistic.com/autism-anxiety-medication/

Episode 45: Connecting to Childhood Emotional Neglect

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 18 Jul 2022 00:02:40 -0400

Growing numbers of adults lived decades before their Neurodivergent struggles were adequately observed, evaluated and treated. Understanding the impact of generations of childhood emotional neglect illuminates the devastating parenting trends that have resulted in rising numbers of mid-late life diagnoses. Which is a nice way of saying, maybe it’s not all their fault. Let’s explore together.

Read the Episode Companion Post at https://youdontsoundautistic.com/childhood-emotional-neglect/

Episode 44: My Manageable Life

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 17:34:39 -0400

Decode manageable life skills. To-Do lists can be difficult for Autistic/ADHD adults and require organization, flexibility and prioritization skills.

Read the Episode Companion Post at https://youdontsoundautistic.com/my-manageable-life/

Episode 43: Do I need an Autism Diagnosis?

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 18:57:23 -0400

Whether you’re at the beginning of your self-discovery journey, or are just learning terms, patterns and definitions, one question you may be asking is… Do I need an Autism diagnosis if I suspect I’m autistic? It’s a great question with multiple answers depending on your unique medical history.* Another big factor to consider is ADHD. While it’s common to have both, knowing you have both is most important because typical ADHD medications may not work, or be too strong if you also have Autism.

Read the Episode Companion Post at https://youdontsoundautistic.com/43-do-i-need-an-autism-diagnosis/

Episode 42: Gratitude is the Attitude of Healing

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 19 Jun 2022 20:50:28 -0400

Combating the chaos sensitivity of everyday life can feel hectic and exhausting especially for your brain. Using the power of neuroscience, did you know implementing an intentional Gratitude Practice for just 5 minutes a day can help flip your brain chemistry out of fight or flight sympathetic nervous system (SANS) and into the regenerating state of rest or digest parasympathetic (PANS)?

Read the Episode Companion Post at https://youdontsoundautistic.com/gratitude-is-the-attitude-of-healing/

Episode 41: The Art of Self-Reflection

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 12 Jun 2022 15:14:32 -0400

Episode 40: Sensory Issues, Stimming and Self Advocacy

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 17:37:44 -0400

Episode 39: #actuallyautistic - Now What?

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 31 May 2022 09:53:01 -0400

In this episode Blake and Rachelle discuss what it means to discover you're actually autistic and what to do with that information. We also cover an article on Depression and how best to manage your depression whether you're a man or woman.

Episode 38: The Autism Dilemma - Hiding in Plain Sight (PART 2)

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 16 May 2022 10:55:41 -0400

Episode 37: The Autism Dilemma - Hiding in Plain Sight (PART 1)

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 16 May 2022 10:53:08 -0400

Episode 36: What Exactly is RSD? (Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria)

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 10 May 2022 17:47:24 -0400

Episode 35: Vocational Rehab & Transitions (First Steps)

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 17 Apr 2022 18:56:16 -0400

Episode 34: Depression vs Autistic Burnout

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 10 Apr 2022 18:42:02 -0400

Episode 33: Dating On The Spectrum

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 03 Apr 2022 16:40:02 -0400

Episode 32: How Often Do We Suffer In Silence?

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 27 Mar 2022 19:33:55 -0400

Episode 31: Just Say Yes To Saying No

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 16:10:07 -0400

Episode 30: Energy, Motivation, and Focus

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 06 Mar 2022 18:43:37 -0500

Episode 29: Taking Smaller Bites of Big Goals

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 27 Feb 2022 19:03:08 -0500

Episode 28: Fire, Ready, Aim... ADHD in Women

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 20 Feb 2022 18:13:10 -0500

Multitasking should be called multi-firing especially when describing the neurological crossfires women find themselves dealing with every day. Still boxed in by gender roles, childbearing, child rearing and household management on top of working to afford today's climbing costs of living, women with ADHD are repeatedly missed and misdiagnosed due to improper evaluation of women's cycles, hormones and scripted coping mechanisms. Women with ADHD and Autism, as Blake describes from his own experience, is like walking with one short leg and one long leg and always feeling off balance and caught between two often opposite socio-emotional responses.

Episode 27: High Anxiety and High Functioning Autism

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 13 Feb 2022 17:15:02 -0500

Anxiety is a familiar feeling. How is anxiety different when you're on the spectrum struggle a bit extra with social interactions, attending entertainment or sporting events (even if it's something you want to do). That's the thing about nervous energy. It's in the nerves and the nerves pick up on EVERYTHING. Then you add in sensory sensitives to lights, sounds, crowds, smells and chaos... even a trip to the grocery store on a crowded afternoon can take a Neurodiverse family down a quiet isle to regroup. It always seems like the most difficult task during those moments is communicating with people in your group, but the silent shot in the dark is when your brain is ramping up into high alert mode and your creative thoughts lose all their energy and focus. Trying to come up with a gameday food plan, for example, becomes an usually daunting task. These are just a few of the things others can take for granted. Not us. These are decisions we had to agree to before we left the house.

As we prepare for the NFL Superbowl later this afternoon, we talk about Anxiety impacts us and even more so for Blake. Learning how to talk yourself through your anxiety is a learned skill but it can be learned.

Episode 26: Getting Stuck in Big Feelings

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 06 Feb 2022 16:46:02 -0500

Big feelings need a safe place to be expressed and supported by people who understand our unique life. After Rachelle joined a few "Mom's Autism" support groups on Facebook, we realized the importance of providing a safe place for Dad's too. The world we live in as parents is unique and often misunderstood. Dad jokes welcome at ADHD and Autism Dad's Group. Then we review Blake's first week on his 6 month journey to lose 85 lbs and all the ups, downs and obstacles that come with starting a physically intense routine and how to take the process step by step while managing the "instant gratification monkey of ADHD" and the daily reality of depression that Blake faces consistently.

Distinguishing "food allergies" from "food sensitivities" and how both impact digestion and brain function in terms of inflammation, nutrient absorption and physical energy specific to gluten, dairy and sugar. Since Blake is working on losing weight, we also review the impact of sugar and insulin resistance due to high cortisol (high stress hormones) especially for women, and how our body converts unprocessed sugar into fat. Yuck. Summing up why nutritionally savvy doctors insist on low/no sugar-dairy-gluten diet for Neurodiverse individuals, maximizing your body's natural ability to operate at a higher physical level can be positively influenced by what we do and what we eat. Yeah but...Ugh!

Reward/Consequence vs. Urgent/Important/Interesting decision-making self-motivation neurological models. The "carrot and the stick" idea.

How do you dig yourself out of a depression to do something big like start working out. We turned to the research to review the impact exercise has on the brain in terms of improving learning, alertness, attention and motivation... which are all aspects that help create a new healthy routine like working out and losing weight.

Working out the big emotions of depression that get stuck, build up and feel more and more overwhelming by the day. We talk about a key part of processing emotions as it relates to making a decision about any given emotion, event or evaluation of how we felt in the moment that we don't feel good about. And even then, working through them and knowing who to call is very challenging. Emotions can have roots deep into childhood back when phone books were printed.

Build Your Muscles, Build Your Brain

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 25: Goal Setting with ADHD and Autism

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 30 Jan 2022 17:06:29 -0500

Making small daily decisions while navigating ADHD and Autism are difficult enough without adding the need to make a pivotal life change too! Just the thought of that is overwhelming. Blake found himself in this exact position this week and facing the same fork in his mental/emotional road that either goes left towards another round of procrastination... or right, towards the choice he's been masterfully avoiding. How do you motivate a neurodivergent mind whose brain is fueled by urgent, important or interesting? New routines are not easy. We walk through the process of how he approached this moment in time. We also spend a few minutes talking about how mental health is being approached by a few ladies dating Clayton on The Bachelor and make our predictions for how this is going to play out. Or maybe we got distracted and forgot to say our predictions out loud. Tune in to find out. We also started a new Facebook Group to support Dad's/Men with ADHD and Autism because we believe men who want access to more help should have more options. Mom's have a few amazing tribes already and lean on each well. We want the same safe space for the Dad's/Men who show up everyday too. Rachelle is helping out with the group. Don't make it weird. Dad jokes are welcomed and encouraged. 😀

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 24: Is There A Cure For Autism?

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 23 Jan 2022 18:23:18 -0500

It's a question we're seeing a lot in various groups lately and feelings are mixed about the concept. Life on the spectrum is still largely misunderstood and conditionally judged. Many aspects of daily life, parenting, and thriving come with a very different owner's manual and one that's still be written for all age groups. Blake discusses his feelings as someone with ASD and we look for potential core reasons prompting discussions about a "cure". We also discuss our experience with autism genetic research and second the notion that above all, we need more research, more compassion, more social acceptance and more understanding for Autistic individuals of all ages.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 23: Has Anyone Told You..."You're Autistic?"

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 16 Jan 2022 21:11:57 -0500

What was your light bulb moment when you realized you might be Autistic? Did you stumble across the connections or did someone help illuminate the idea? We high-level review our understanding and awarenesses of autism spectrum disorder over time and discuss the perspective changes and research advancements that continue to help adults find their own missing life puzzle piece. Adults receiving a diagnosis as an adult face challenges that often receive little to no support and remain largely unrecognized even today. Statistically adults with autism report feeling traumatized before and during the process of discovering their diagnosis. We're raising awareness for the hidden influences of low self-esteem resulting from not having these life answers sooner. With greater awareness comes more evolved and heartfelt solutions. Join us.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 22: How to Stay Afloat

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 09 Jan 2022 18:00:08 -0500

Daily life is full of unexpected twists and turns which often clash with our expectations and expectations of routines. Staying afloat and learning to stay out of a place of feeling anger and rigidity takes practice and a dedication to find the laughter and the joy of the moment.

Moving our physical bodies is also a key component of managing emotions, physical and mental energy, sensory sensitivities, sensory integration, promoting healthy sleep and keeping our brains firing and wiring towards a mental/emotional momentum that can keep us feeling good AND help protect us from getting caught in negative thought/feeling loops. These "feel good" loops or "feeling insecure" loops can make all the difference in boosting our sensory feedback loops to help us build self esteem or keep us feeling stuck and avoidant of other people. It's not a cureall strategy... but it does help. We'll take you through this perspective for both adults and children as we discuss our recent adaptations to our son's schedule to help keep him on track too.

Trust us, in 2022... this is a skill you'll be glad you learned with us.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 21: The Evolution of ADHD and Autism

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 02 Jan 2022 18:30:58 -0500

Welcome 2022! ADHD and Autism didn't just appear on the planet overnight. The Night Watchman Theory offers an interesting perspective that many agree with that align the unique traits of ADHD to the same traits that our earlier social structures valued to keep us safe at night. Rachelle believes Autism may have evolved from generations of depression or freeze-centered responses to stress.

Today, we live in a world that has evolved poorly from a socio-emotional standpoint creating traumatic exclusion our fellow Neurodivergent souls. Trauma that we will heal from over time. As we round year 3 of the pandemic, we notice our values have changed. It's time for our outer world to change to reflect our new values. Instead of thinking "It'll never change" or "I'll never be accepted for who I am" what if we had the bravery to imagine a world that was more socio-emotionally inclusive?

Like many outdated structures that unfairly divide us that can no longer persist, what if we created a neuro-integrated world? Can you suspend imagination and allow yourself to wonder "What would I want the world to feel like where I felt accepted for being myself?"

Resources:
https://www.additudemag.com/watchman-theory-adhd/

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 20: The Holiday Battle of Needs

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 26 Dec 2021 16:54:27 -0500

How do you successfully reconcile and find the middle between family members with sensory, dietary, emotional profiles on opposite sides of the fight/flight vs freeze Neuro-biodiversity scale?? We've spent 10 years researching this very topic and finally this year managed to pull all the pieces together to create a Happy Holiday experience for everyone.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 19: The Reality of Life

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 17:13:26 -0500

Has anyone told you "You're too tangential for me"?? For individuals with ADHD/ADD (with or without Autism, Anxiety and Depression) the reality of life is a tangential stream of consciousness. Listen in to discover if you, or someone you love, can relate to Blake while he transparently describes the brilliance and chaos of his mental health routines. Join the Group. Join the Conversation. ADHD and Autism Dad's Group (Private) You Don't Sound Autistic (YDSA) Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

Episode 18: Do You Have a Selective Learning Disorder?

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 05 Dec 2021 18:02:27 -0500

Intuitively, we know when we're struggling with mental, physical or emotional aspects of life and when we don't have the words (or diagnosis) to explain the details to friends and family. Sometimes, we invent terms like Blake did when he said he had a Selective Learning Disorder as a kid as an attempt to explain his teacher's scoldings over his behavior, attention span and chattiness to his mother. We also explore Rachelle's curiosity in the same realm after discovering many of her habits might fit with focus and sensory issues. Blake and Rachelle take an online ADHD screening test and compare results to Blake's diagnosis of ADHD.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 17: Women Living with Neurodiversity

Blake and Rachelle — Sat, 04 Dec 2021 22:38:33 -0500

Not only do women live in a highly interuptable environment when raising kids but today, there are still millions of women living with undiagnosed, unrecognized and unsupported neurodiversity. We dig deeper into the complex social and emotional ways that mirroring and masking can unintentionally keep women from discovering their true mental health owners manual for life.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 16: Transitions and Transformations

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 28 Nov 2021 17:24:49 -0500

We're back from a two-week marathon of transitions, transitions and more transitions that led to some exciting breakthrough's and transformations. During this week we also journey back to the start of our relationship 10 years ago, before we had any idea Autism, ADHD, Anxiety, Depression or Hyper Empathy were part of our relationship dynamics and we examine the transitions, strategies, obstacles and friendship that led to where we are today.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 15: We All Melt Down

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 16:39:52 -0500

This week we adventure out to a family breakfast and get served with a double platter of public meltdowns. Reflecting on our experiences prior to Blake's ASD diagnosis, we breakdown the similarities and differences in meltdowns for Dad and Son and provide multi-generational strategies for Neurodivergent families.

Follow Blake's journey on TikTok at @blakefertig

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Episode 14: Wings Beneath My Wind

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 31 Oct 2021 16:33:00 -0400

This week we review the process and results of our son's evaluation and eligibility process for creating a preschool IEP (Individual Education Plan). Taking a step farther, we answer critical questions to distinguish medical and educational evaluations that every parent or caregiver of a child with ASD or Neurodiversity needs to know.

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Episode 13: Technical Difficulties

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 17 Oct 2021 08:21:19 -0400

A MUST-LISTEN EPISODE for EVERYONE, Neurodivergent or Neurotypical. Emotional Regulation is not an easy task for neurodivergent individuals. Blake opens up about a recent conversation with friend and shares the deeply crushing impact of her ignorance when she brushed off and flat out denied belief that Blake has ASD. Listen in and make sure you don't cause the same emotional harm to another person.

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Episode 12: Decoding Mimicking vs. Mirroring

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 10 Oct 2021 17:06:52 -0400

Today we venture out to the Georgia Aquarium putting our sensory parenting to the test to maximize enjoyment and mitigate sensory overload, meltdown and shutdown potential for autistic Dad and Son. Together we learn about mammalian "mimicking" from the dolphin show and compare that neuro-biodiverse "mirroring" social go-to's. Finally, inspired by a visit to the ENT to retest hearing and smelling sensory nerve function post-COVID for the little one, we explore olfactory nerve support like Lavender and discuss it's potentially helpful role in downregulating autistic and neuro-biodiverse individuals. Tune in as we find the humor and realities of life on the neuro-biodiversity scale.

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Episode 11: Eat Your Colors

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 03 Oct 2021 16:56:49 -0400

Ooh! That sounds fun! Let's try something new with our autistic son and adventure out into a crowded area with loud kids and no real plan for the day. Can we pull this off without us all falling into a meltdown? We quickly learned the concept and value of a "Frame of Reference" when we didn't have one in place for picking apples. After spending the day in the apple orchard, we delve into colors and foods, sensory experiences and the challenges of managing colors, colorful foods and colors that trigger sensory overstimulation. We put the color red to the test because red is usually our arch nemeses and a guaranteed meltdown. We discovered that red didn't hurt us too much when experienced outside in nature and outside of the confines of a structured compliant day of school. Eating a variety of foods and managing an influx of sensory input are both real struggles in Neurodiverse households and we explore the landscape of both.

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Watch the day unfold as we adventure out to pick apples for the first time!
You Don't Sound Autistic - A Day at the Orchard

Episode 10: Massage My Amygdala

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 19 Sep 2021 17:30:47 -0400

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Episode 9: Who was Elijah McClain?

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 05 Sep 2021 17:36:20 -0400

This is an emotional look back at multiple events in recent years including the loss of our dear sweet Elijah McClain, the night Blake nearly lost his life in the same city of Aurora, Colorado and a sincere reflection how we as a society can do better as a whole. We miss you Elijah and dedicate this episode to your sweet soul.

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Episode 8: All of the a Sudden

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 29 Aug 2021 18:18:36 -0400

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Episode 7: The MTHFR Gene

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 22 Aug 2021 18:27:01 -0400

COVID-19 is an adventure and one that we've now completed twice. Join us as we explore the unique challenges of recovering from COVID-19 with specific Neuro-Biodiverse considerations that are unique to families likes ours.

We took a week off as part of our COVID-19 mandated quarantine and recovery 10 day period and now we're back in heart, soul and most of our mental capacity to discuss the raw truths we've learned about being a Neuro-Biodiverse family experiencing Delta COVID.

This week's topics include:

Recognizing COVID-19 from typical chronic allergy and respiratory colds that we frequently get
Acknowledging the unique vulnerabilities NBD families have in bringing home COVID-19
Loss of taste and smell
Sensory perception and processing issues related to eating
Dr. Temple Grandin - Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships with Sean Barron
Autism Training | Autism Conference | Dr. Temple Grandin + Other International Speakers | Cork (autismcork.ie)
Auditory sensory perception and processing issues
B-Vitamins and the Brain
5-MTFHR Folate / Folic acid
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772032/
www.rachellechandler.com/neuro-biodiversity

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Episode 6: Are Women Autistic?

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 08 Aug 2021 17:12:38 -0400

In this episode, we explore the differences in how autism is expressed between men and women. Until recently, Autism was largely considered a disorder for men. Finally, the medical/mental health community is understanding how autism presents in women, why it's so easily missed and/or under diagnosed and what you can do as a female (or if you identify as a female) if you suspect you may be on the spectrum.

We start this episode by acknowledging why we missed last week. Blake was not feeling well due to a new digestive system diagnosis on top of being in between ADHD prescription refills. In our community, self-love and appropriate self-care is more important to self-forced production. If you're not feeling well, we encourage you to take care of yourself first and connect back in with us and the world when you're feeling more abundant in your energy and focus. We support you.

By special request from a podcast listener, we explore how Autism can be identified in women versus men.

We review an article published on www.psychologytoday.com as the outline for the episode and discuss the 10 Primary Signs of Autism in Women, as suggested by this article's author, Claire Jack Ph.D.

1. Social Difficulties
2. Sensory Sensitivities
3. Executive Function
4. Obsessive Interests
5. Camouflaging
6. Sleep Issues
7. Difficulties with eye contact
8. Emotional regulation issues and meltdowns
9. Stimming
10. Anxiety and Depression

To review Rachelle's Neuro-Biodiversity Scale, visit https://rachellechandler.com/neuro-biodiversity/.

Rachelle's unique perspective has identified a biological link connecting neurodiversity and a parasympathetic dominant system (meaning, living in chronic fight/flight/flee/freeze/fib) and how this applies to the spectrum of Neurodiverse conditions. In future episodes, we'll explore how to support a ND body from the inside out. Stay tuned or check RachelleChandler.com as more updates are released.

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Episode 5: Is This Hyperfixation?

Blake and Rachelle — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 22:38:00 -0400

This Week Blake and Rachelle Discuss Hyperfixation vs Hyperfocus, Short-term Memory, and Emotional Regulation among other things.

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Episode 4: Wear Your Socks Inside Out

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 18 Jul 2021 21:15:30 -0400

In this episode of You Don't Sound Autistic Blake and Rachelle take an Autism Test and Discuss their answers.

The first step in Neurodiverse Curiosity is to take an online screening test. There are multiple versions out there but in this episode we illuminate the test provided by www.aspietests.org / The Ritvo Autism Aspergers Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R).

We explore each question with 360 degree perspectives of Blake with multiple neurodiverse diagnosis (ASD, ADHD, Anxiety and Depression) and Rachelle who is considered neurotypical and typically sleep deprived. With a transparent look at each question through these opposite lens, we will illuminate neurodiversity by comparison and create an easy way to evaluate who you identify with more.

Neurodiversity is still a growing field of study and lacks a consistent roadmap for most individuals and families. Join us each week as we share our journey through this process as we navigate the discovery of neurodiversity in our family in multiple generations at once, and start to rebuild the owner's manuals our family utilizes to bring out the best in each of us. If this feels familiar to you, you're not alone. Tune in weekly!

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Episode 3: Was Spock Autistic?

Blake and Rachelle — Sun, 11 Jul 2021 23:19:42 -0400

In this week's episode, we talk about our Son's Autism Evaluation and whether or Not Spock was Autistic, among other things.

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Episode 2: Are you Sensory Seeking or Avoidant?

Blake and Rachelle — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 19:57:40 -0400

Why do Dad's always get less press, less recognition and less support while often dealing with just as many if not more sensory and emotional dysregulating stresses. For a long time now, Autism has been diagnosed 4:1 in men over women and yet there still aren't enough supports for men (recognizing women are highly likely to be under recognized... so not taking anything away from women). One of our pre-family safe celebration locations is Medieval Times and we're headed back for round 2 after a not-so successful round 1 during our Mother's Day celebration. We explore sensory seeking versus sensory avoidant signs and key indicators and Blake is sensory avoidant and our son in sensory seeking. Makes for a challenging combination that we know many families are silently struggling with also. You're not alone. We're here to illuminate the journey and add value by increasing awareness and compassion for the little moments that we don't take for granted anymore.

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Episode 1: Jumping Right In

Blake and Rachelle — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 20:28:15 -0400

Welcome to the pilot episode where we're jumping right into to catch you up on the past 8 years before the diagnosis, the process of receiving a neuropsychiatric evaluation and finally learning the truth, and the most recent 12 months after the diagnosis. We touch on what life is like today living in a neuro-integrated family. We're not alone. Many families are experiencing the same things we are and we can help you normalize and even optimize life without the stigmas and judgement. We'll outline a healthy way to approach mental health for everyone in the family. Tune in as we tell all.

Join us as we explore life before, during and after an adult diagnosis of Neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, Anxiety and Depression). We've been to hell and back during this process without any idea what was happening, or why. Looking at family history, the only repeating pattern was alcoholism and divorce. We'll talk candidly about the breakdowns we are confronting in every day life, our marriage, individuality, social expansion, career pursuits, goal setting/seeking, and the honest truth about what happens to most of us when we start a family while living with undiagnosed mental health. We felt alone. But you're not. Tune in as we dive deep into and illuminate the world of adult and family neurodiversity.

It's okay to ask for help. Schedule a meaningful support session at Rachellechandler.com and get step-by-step help using the same processes that allows us to live, thrive and bring you our podcast.

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