AuDHD for grownups: honest, funny, neurodivergent conversations about work, relationships, sensory overload, identity, and the stuff nobody explains after diagnosis.
This podcast was created on the lands of the Ngunnawal, Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung Peoples.
Hello, hello, and welcome to F Them Fish: AuDHD for Grownups with your neurodivergent besties, Callie Elward-Barrett and Jayne Gurton. This is the podcast where we talk about neurodivergence in real adult life: work, relationships, burnout, overwhelm, identity, and all the weird little things that make you think, ‘surely it’s not just me.’ We’re honest, occasionally sweary, and very much not interested in pretending to be polished.
Grab a beverage, or body double some life admin with us in your ears and let’s get started!
Are you a neurodivergent parent? Or do you parent neurodivergent kids? The this episode might just be for you. We talk with Patricia Falcetta OAM about her WILD award, the work she has been doing in the neurodiversity space with families and workplaces, and what drove her to do this work...several years before most people were doing it. She even received an Order of Australia Medal for it!
You can find Patricia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patricia.falcetta/?hl=en or LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patriciafalcetta/ Her website is https://sociallivingsolutions.com.au
Timestamps
00:43 — Welcome to WILD Voices
01:53 — Patricia’s WILD Award and Autism Awareness Month
03:27 — Patricia’s OAM and her family’s diagnosis journey
07:16 — Outdated labels, Asperger’s and PDD-NOS
08:20 — “Too empathetic to be autistic”
10:05 — Parent guilt, school systems and survival
12:00 — From parent advocacy to professional support
13:48 — Late diagnosis, ADHD and the female experience
16:16 — Advocacy, burnout and caring for yourself
18:59 — Why parents still feel isolated after diagnosis
20:55 — Strengths-based advice for parents
24:07 — Supporting exhausted neurodivergent parents
25:45 — Regulation strategies that actually work
28:19 — Fidgets, sensory tools and oral stims
31:18 — Tech, kids and nervous system overload
33:03 — Safety shows, spas and brain breaks
34:23 — Patricia’s impact in the neuroinclusion space
36:28 — Challenging the myth of low empathy
36:43 — Double empathy explained
40:52 — Jayne’s emotional realisation
42:46 — Neurodivergence, spirituality and sensitivity
43:56 — Patricia’s fun fact: dance classes
44:55 — Where to find Patricia
45:47 — WILD links and closing
Find us on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok at F Them Fish: AuDHD for Grownups
Send your stories and questions to FThemFish@gmail.com