The Neurodivergent Experience

December has a way of pulling us back into old roles, familiar dynamics, and unspoken expectations - especially around family, work, and social obligations. For many neurodivergent people, this can quietly activate stress, self-doubt, and the urge to explain or perform.In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Ashley Bentley explores Radical Permission - the practice of doing December your way. We look at why certain relationships bypass logic and go straight to the body, how childhood conditioning and masking resurface during the holidays, and why releasing the need to justify yourself can be deeply regulating.This episode also gently touches on relational tension, emotional fatigue, and the cost of people-pleasing at this time of year, offering a compassionate reframe for staying true to yourself without abandoning connection.The episode closes with a deeply empowering guided meditation, blending poetry and presence, designed to help you inhabit your inner truth, reconnect with self-trust, and move through the season with greater ease and integrity.A grounding invitation to release expectations - and reclaim your peace.❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodesOur Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott explore why Autistic and ADHD people continue to face systemic discrimination when looking for work — even in industries that quietly depend on neurodivergent talent.Responding to recent reporting on neurodivergent employment discrimination, they share personal experiences of job interviews, disclosure, workplace bullying, infantilisation, and being punished for mistakes while their strengths are ignored. Jordan and Simon question whether disclosure is ever truly safe, and explain how fear, burnout, and past trauma — not lack of ability — keep capable people out of the workforce.They unpack the double bind many neurodivergent people face: judged for being unemployed, then discriminated against again when trying to work, and highlight the irony that creative, technical, and production industries are built on neurodivergent skills, while the people providing that labour remain undervalued and excluded.They discuss:Why do autistic and ADHD people struggle to get hired despite being capable?The risks and realities of disclosing neurodivergence at workInfantilisation, stigma, and being defined by mistakesWorkplace culture, office politics, and unspoken biasHow burnout and mistreatment create a genuine fear of employmentWhy neurodivergent-friendly workplaces should be the default“Nothing about us without us” in hiring, policy, and workplace designA raw, angry, and deeply validating conversation about work, worth, and why neurodivergent people aren’t locked out of employment because they can’t work — but because the system refuses to change.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott explore the powerful role animals play in neurodivergent lives — from emotional regulation and routine to responsibility and companionship. Sparked by Simon adopting a dog, the conversation moves through childhood memories of pets as lifelines, the unique bond many Autistic and ADHD people form with animals, and why pets often provide connection without judgment when people cannot. They also speak honestly about the realities: financial strain, PDA, sensory triggers, burnout, and the unavoidable heartbreak of loss. Rather than romanticising pet ownership, the episode balances warmth with realism — acknowledging both the regulation animals bring and the responsibility they demand.Together, they discuss:Why pets are so common in neurodivergent livesAnimals as emotional regulation, comfort, and routineBeing alone without being lonelyHow pets support motivation, structure, and daily functioningPDA, autonomy, and responsibility of pet ownershipGrief, anticipatory loss, and loving animals through ageingWhy understanding your own neurodivergence matters when choosing petsThis episode is a heartfelt, funny, and deeply human reflection on why animals mean so much to neurodivergent people — not as therapy tools, but as companions, family, and anchors in an overwhelming world.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

In this week’s Mindful Mondays, Ashley Bentley explores the Circle of Control - a simple yet deeply regulating framework that helps neurodivergent nervous systems find steadiness in moments of anger, overwhelm, and emotional overload.Building on themes from recent episodes on December fatigue and nervous system regulation, Ashley shares how learning to release what is outside our control can radically change how we experience stress, reactivity, and burnout. Drawing on a powerful conversation from Episode 75 of The Neurodivergent Experience Podcast, she reflects on how the Circle of Control became one of the most effective tools her co-host Jordan has ever used for regulating anger - especially in high-stress moments like driving.This episode gently unpacks the paradox of control: how gripping too tightly to ourselves can create anxiety, while letting go of what was never ours restores clarity, agency, and calm. Through story, metaphor, and nervous-system wisdom, listeners are invited to rethink control not as domination, but as a compassionate way of choosing where attention and energy truly belong.The episode closes with a soothing Yoga Nidra–inspired practice, guiding listeners into deep rest and embodied focus - a way of experiencing the Circle of Control not just as an idea, but as a felt sense of inner steadiness.A grounding companion for anyone feeling stretched thin, reactive, or overwhelmed - and a reminder that peace often begins by carrying less.❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodesOur Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott respond to an Independent article exploring whether undiagnosed ADHD increases the likelihood of young people going missing — and why headlines like this often oversimplify a much deeper issue. Jordan shares raw, personal stories of repeatedly running away as a child and how abuse, zero support, and misinterpretation shaped his behaviour — not ADHD itself. Simon unpacks why articles tend to blame neurodivergence rather than the environmental failures, lack of safeguarding, and lack of understanding that actually create crisis responses.Together, they discuss:Why “ADHD made me run away” is an oversimplificationHow unsupported neurodivergent kids end up in crisisSensationalist headlines vs. lived realityThe role of schools, police, and mental health servicesHow mislabelling kids as “naughty” shapes lifelong self-worthWhy early identification and whole-profile neurodivergent understanding mattersThe urgent need for empathy-driven support systemsThis is a validating and eye-opening conversation for anyone who grew up misunderstood — and for anyone working with vulnerable neurodivergent young people today.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

In this festive episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott are joined by hypnotherapist and breathwork practitioner Ashley Bentley for a warm, funny, and deeply relatable conversation about navigating Christmas as autistic and ADHD adults.From sensory overwhelm to social expectations, gift-giving anxiety to family dynamics, they explore why the holiday season can feel like both the best and worst time of year — and how reframing, self-compassion, and realistic expectations can make it easier to handle.Ashley shares practical tools for preventing burnout, managing sensory input, setting boundaries, saying no without guilt, and rediscovering small moments of joy.Whether you love Christmas, dread it, or experience both at once, this episode offers grounding guidance, humour, and permission to do the season your way.They discuss:Why Christmas triggers overwhelm, burnout, and emotional whiplashSensory overload in crowds, shops, lights, and noiseReframing expectations and rewriting old holiday storiesGift-giving anxiety and navigating social pressureBoundaries, saying no, and preserving your peaceFamily dynamics, old roles, and masking at gatheringsChildhood memories, lost traditions, and reclaiming joyApproaching the season with self-kindness and realistic goalsA validating, light-hearted, and insightful look at surviving — and maybe even enjoying — a very neurodivergent Christmas.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

In this week’s Mindful Mondays, Ashley Bentley explores the quiet emotional weight that December so often brings - especially for neurodivergent nervous systems. Through gentle storytelling, neuroscience, and ND-affirming insight, she unpacks why this season can feel overwhelming: the sensory demands, disrupted routines, family dynamics, social expectations, and the tender ache of loneliness that December can amplify.Ashley reframes exhaustion as the body’s boundary, loneliness as an emotional truth, and overwhelm as a physiological response rather than a personal failing. The episode includes a Bite-Sized Buddhism reflection on dukkha, a Microdosing Meaning moment for gentle re-framing, and a winter landscape meditation to help listeners find warmth, softness, and inner steadiness in a demanding season.A compassionate companion for anyone feeling stretched thin, out of sync, or quietly overwhelmed this December.❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodesOur Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience

In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott react to a recent article claiming dogs can be “autistic” — and unpack why this framing misunderstands both animals and neurodivergence. They discuss how natural behaviours in animals get mislabelled as “autistic traits,” why deficit-based language harms autistic people, and how ableist assumptions shape research across species.Together, they explore:How research bias leads to fear-based language like “risk” and “behavioural problems”Why neurodivergence is a natural evolutionary advantage, not a deficitThe danger of reinforcing stereotypes (e.g., “cats are autistic,” “hyper dogs are ADHD”)Why splitting neurodivergence into strict labels misses the bigger pictureHow science goes wrong when it assumes autism is a negative traitThe importance of autistic-led insight in neurodivergent researchThis is a funny, fiery, and thought-provoking take on what happens when good intentions collide with bad science — and why autistic voices must guide any conversation about neurodivergence, no matter the species.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott share a warm, funny, and deeply relatable account of their weekend in Liverpool — a true neurodivergent experience of travel, routine disruption, sensory differences, social energy, and feeling safe with the right people. From road-trip anxiety and hyperfocus preparation to navigating cities, accents, crowds, and new environments, they reflect on what makes travel hard for autistic and ADHD adults — and what makes it easier when you’re with someone who understands your needs without judgment.They explore how their friendship works so well: no masking, no pressure to perform, no expectations to “join in,” just mutual understanding, space to stim or decompress, and the comfort of being fully themselves in each other’s homes.Together, Jordan and Simon discuss:Travel anxiety, catastrophising, and the power of preparationHow hyperfocus can override fear and create excitementWhy immersive, paced environments feel more accessible for ND peopleEcholalia, accents, dialects and how ND communication shifts by environmentEating routines, interoception issues, and the pressure of being a “guest”Navigating other people’s homes and maintaining boundariesWhy ND people need autonomy, quiet time, and freedom to roamUnmasking safely and what it means to be welcomed “as you are”This lighthearted, genuine episode captures the everyday realities of neurodivergent living — the joy, the challenges, the humour, and the deep relief of finding people who get you. A comforting, relatable listen for anyone seeking ND community.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘‍♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes