EPIC Families

Come join Elen and our amazing speakers at EPIC Families LIVE on August 16th: New Zealand’s biggest EVER event for Neurodiverse families! More details here.The Expert Who Untangles What Nobody Else Can.Every neurodiverse family reaches a point where they know something is wrong, they know they need help, and they have absolutely no idea where to start. Too much information. Too many waitlists. Too many professionals who don't quite get it. And not enough time, energy, or clarity to figure out the next step.Elen Nathan gets it. As an occupational therapist, sensory integration specialist, and founder of The Playful Place in Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, she has spent her career doing one thing above all else: untangling what nobody else can. In this episode, you'll hear:❤️‍🩹 Why Elen's premature son set her on the path to becoming one of New Zealand's leading voices in sensory integration🗺️ What "wayfinding" is…and why it might be the most important first step any family can take📱The concept of "infobesity”, and why all the information on your social media feed might actually be making things worse🏆 Why traditional strategies like sticker charts and reward systems simply don't work for neurodivergent children…and what does🚫 What to do when one parent isn't on board…and the powerful question she asks that changes everything🤞 Why hope can actually feel dangerous for families who have been let down too many times👀 Why compassion isn't enough…and what "empathy with action" really looks like🫶 The moment Elen realised her job isn't just to support the child or the parent…it's to support the relationship between themIf you have ever felt lost, overwhelmed, or like nobody really understands what your family is going through, this conversation is the hand on your shoulder you have been waiting for.Discover more about Elen and her work here: https://theplayfulplace.co.nz/>>>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

Come join us at EPIC Families LIVE on August 16th: New Zealand’s biggest EVER event for Neurodiverse families! More details here-----------------------She Fought Every System. And She Won.Some parents ask for help and get it. Anna Knight asked for help and was told: "nothing to see here". She was told to come back when her son was four. She was told her anxiety was the problem. She was told the behaviors were under control...while she was going home covered in bruises.She kept fighting anyway. And what she built on the other side of that fight will give every struggling parent real, tangible hope.In this episode, you'll hear:🚫 How a daycare manager's offhand observation set Anna on a years-long journey through a system that repeatedly let her family down🧠 Why her son's autism was missed again and again...and what finally got him diagnosed🗺️ Why the strategies on every parenting course she attended simply didn't work...and what actually did🎓 The two types of teachers: and why one of them can change everything for a neurodiverse child🧩 Why sensory needs are the missing piece that nobody talks about...and how understanding them transformed her son's life🎉 The mindset shift that changed everything: from fixing the child to changing the environment🚀 What it means to get yourself diagnosed to become a positive role model for your own childThis is one of the most honest, raw, and genuinely important conversations we have ever had on the EPIC Families Podcast. Anna says the quiet part out loud so that every parent who has ever felt alone in this fight knows the truth: they are not.>>>>>>>>>>>>Join Anna in our free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

🎉 Join us at EPIC Families LIVE on August 16th: New Zealand’s biggest EVER event for Neurodiverse families! More details here.🎉She Looked Around and Saw Nothing. So She Built Everything.Every neurodiverse family knows the feeling: The park visit that ends in meltdown. The soft play centre that leaves your child dysregulated for two days. The birthday party that looked fine to everyone else…and cost you 48 hours of chaos at home. The constant sense of being on guard, never quite able to breathe.Jorgia Curtis felt all of it. And then she decided to do something about it.In this episode, you'll hear:🧠 How Jorgia's son was diagnosed with Autism at just two years old, and why this inspired her to create something the entire Bay of Plenty was crying out for.❓Why getting a diagnosis can feel like the beginning of even more questions… and what families actually need on the other side of it💡The moment Jorgia visited a sensory play centre in Auckland and thought: "Why can't EVERY family have this?"🫣The reality of public play places for neurodiverse families… and why so many parents have simply stopped trying🎉What NeuroPlay Studios will actually look like: soft play, dark rooms, trampolines, music sessions, sensory equipment, and a community space where no one has to explain themselves❤️‍🩹 The powerful secret that reveals why parents need inclusive play spaces as much as their children do.🚀 What it actually takes to go from a crazy idea to a charity to a real physical space in eight monthsThis is a story about a mum who saw a gap, felt the fear, and jumped anyway. And in doing so, she is building something that will change the lives of thousands of families in New Zealand and beyond.You can connect with Jorgia by email (neuroplaystudiosnz@gmail.com), discover more about NeuroPlay Studios here and donate here.>>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

Your Child Isn't Lazy. The System Just Wasn't Built For Them.What happens when a 23-year-old who left school early, worked 13 jobs, and got labelled ‘lazy’ and ‘entitled’ decides to do something about it? She builds a business that fights for every young person the system wrote off.Nicole Hoeata is the CEO of Growth Hungry. She’s on a mission to bridge the biggest generational divide in workplace history, and make sure that neurodiverse, misunderstood, and square-peg young people finally find their place in the world.This is for every parent who has ever worried about their child's future. And for every young person who has ever been told they just need to fall in line.In this episode, you'll hear:🔎 Why Gen Z are not lazy or entitled…and what's really going on beneath the surface⁉️ The staggering stat that puts it all into perspective: the average young person today carries the same level of anxiety as a psychiatric patient in the 1970s🚫 Why 70 to 80% of companies hire people into the wrong role…and what that means for neurodiverse young people🏢 The generational divide playing out in workplaces right now…and why neither side is wrong🤒 Why workplaces need to stop worrying about employees faking sickness and start worrying about employees faking wellness❤️‍🩹 The one question Nicole asks after every experience — good or bad — that puts you back in control🔀 Why every rejection is just redirection — and why no experience is ever wasted📈 Should every neurodiverse young person just skip the job and start the business? Nicole gives her honest answerIf you have a young person in your life who is struggling to find their place — in school, in work, or in the world — this conversation will give you both hope and a roadmap.Discover more about Growth Hungry here and connect with Nicole here .>>>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

Giving tween queens the confidence to build a kingdom.For so many girls, the journey from childhood to teenage years doesn't feel like growing up. It feels like losing themselves. The body changes. The friendships get complicated. The social media comparisons start. And nobody — not school, not mum, not anyone — quite prepares them for what's really happening.Mariana Sala decided to change that.In this episode, you'll hear:🎂 What the "tween years" actually are…and why this window between ages 7 and 12 is one of the most critical and overlooked stages of a girl's development🪞Why body image issues are starting younger than ever, and what mums might be doing without realising that makes it worse❤️‍🩹 How neurodivergent girls experience this transition differently…and why masking, shame, and fitting in hit harder for them🌹The "Rose and Thorn" ritual that gets girls opening up about things they'd never say at home💥 Why mum and daughter conflict at this age isn't a crisis, it's biology🤫 The double transition nobody talks about: when a daughter hits puberty at the same time mum hits midlife🫶 What dads can actually do, and why father-daughter time matters more than most dads realise👑 Queen Language, the Glowing Bubble, and the Inner Compass: the tools Mariana gives girls to own their voice and protect their peaceIf you have a daughter, know a daughter, or were once a daughter who could have used someone in your corner during those uncertain in-between years, this conversation is for you.Discover more about Mariana and Tween To Teen Queen here and connect with Mariana directly on Instagram and LinkedIn----------------EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

Stop Talking. Start PlayingWhat if the most powerful thing you could do for your struggling child wasn't another appointment, another assessment, or another parenting book…but simply getting on the floor and playing with them?Melanie Gilbert-De Rios has spent 35 years working with children and families. She's a registered social worker, a child-centred play therapist, and a family therapist. Most importantly, she believes something that might just change the way you see your child forever: that play is not what children do instead of healing. Play IS how children heal.In this episode, you'll hear:🧸 What play therapy actually is…and why it's SO much more than toys in a room🚀 Why breakthroughs never happen in uncomfortable chairs in clinical rooms...and what to do instead🧠 The concept of Filial Family Therapy…and why psychologists once tried to ban it for being too powerful🪁 How 30 minutes of protected, intentional play time each week can transform your relationship with your child💥 Why the behaviour you're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg...and what's really going on underneath🫣 The one thing most parents do that quietly teaches their kids NOT to take responsibility (Freddie is guilty as charged…)❤️‍🩹 Why empathy isn't something you teach a child, it's something they catch from you🎁 The gift that matters more than Robux, more than screen time, and more than any toy in Mel's incredible playroomIf you've ever wondered whether your child is OK, whether you are OK, or whether things are ever going to feel less chaotic, this is a conversation you need to hear.Discover more about Mel and Play Therapy Tauranga here: https://www.playtherapytauranga.co.nz/>>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

Is the Internet Stealing Your Child's Brain? | Rory Birkbeck, SafeSurferWhat happens when a tech entrepreneur realises the very industry he works in is disproportionately harming neurodivergent kids like his own son?Rory Birkbeck, co-founder and CEO of SafeSurfer, is one of New Zealand's leading voices on online safety. He's also a dad navigating life with an ADHD child. In this raw, honest, and eye-opening conversation, Rory joins Freddie to talk about what it's really like raising a child whose brain runs like a Ferrari with BMX bike brakes... and why the internet was built for exactly the wrong kind of kid.In this episode, you'll hear:🎁 The moment Rory realised his son's ADHD wasn't a problem to fix...it was a gift to understand🧠 Why ADHD kids are disproportionately affected by online harm (and what's really going on behind the screen)🚫 The stat that stopped Rory in his tracks: by age 10, ADHD children may have heard 10,000 more corrective statements than their neurotypical peers📣The creator vs. consumer distinction that every parent needs to hear❤️‍🩹 Why "it's not that we don't trust our kids...it's that we don't trust the internet" might be the most important reframe of 2026⚒️ Practical, real-world tips you can use tonight to create healthier tech boundaries at home🏄‍♂️ What SafeSurfer's Kid-Safe Smartphone actually does...and why Rory built it🛟 Where online safety is heading, and what parents need to know about AI, legislation, and the fight for our children's attentionIf you've ever wrestled with your child's iPad, worried about what they're watching, or wondered whether you're winning or losing the battle for their attention, this episode is for you. You can discover more about Safe Surfer here and connect with Rory here >>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook 

When you’re a parent of a neurodivergent child, there are times when life can feel impossible. But our truly EPIC guest, Mary-Jane du Toit, is living proof that NOTHING is impossible.Mary-Jane is a mum of a neurodiverse family and founder of Spectrum Connections - a charitable trust that provides peer support for families who have a child or teen that has Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, ADD or any other form of neurodiversity.In this open, honest and truly inspirational podcast which is jam-packed with insights and wisdom, Mary-Jane reveals:🧭 What it feels like to be in it for ‘the long haul’ and how the neurodiversity diagnosis of her sons became a ‘gateway’ to her mission of helping the world become a better place for neurodiverse families.🎓 How her son’s behaviours at school and kindergarten started to lay a trail of clues that something was different about his development, which led to an autism diagnosis.😥 Nothing will ever be ‘normal’ again - The pain that parents can go through when their child receives a neurodiversity diagnosis.🗺️ How ‘the neurodiversity journey’ doesn’t end with a diagnosis…in fact, it’s only the beginning. However, it also gives parents the opportunity to embrace their child’s uniqueness.🔄 The cycle of family change and how it can help parents deal with anger, frustration, overwhelm and the other emotions that arise when parenting a neurodiverse child.🆘 When you're on the parenting journey, how to know when to ‘push through’...and when to ask for help.Plus, you’ll discover MJ’s secret…💡When it feels like the world is against you, how to remember, “this is a bad moment, not a bad life”>>>>> EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, one of New Zealand’s leading child neurodiversity clinics. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Get your hands on our free resources and guides to give your family the tools to thrive here