You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

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You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Gwen & Kristen

34 episodes

2 weeks ago

Sometimes the best-laid plans… fall flat. And when you’re raising a neurodivergent young adult, those pivots can feel like earthquakes. In this episode, Gwen and Kristen get honest about something big: Rylan is back home from college and the beautiful, carefully supported experience that seemed guaranteed… wasn’t. This isn’t a story of failure. It’s a story of real parenting: the kind that requires grit, grief, and the courage to start again. If you’ve ever tasted disappointment after believi...

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Sometimes the best-laid plans… fall flat. And when you’re raising a neurodivergent young adult, those pivots can feel like earthquakes. In this episode, Gwen and Kristen get honest about something big: Rylan is back home from college and the beautiful, carefully supported experience that seemed guaranteed… wasn’t. This isn’t a story of failure. It’s a story of real parenting: the kind that requires grit, grief, and the courage to start again. If you’ve ever tasted disappointment after believi...

Show more...

Health & Fitness,

Episodes (20/34)

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

030: Here We Go Again…

Sometimes the best-laid plans… fall flat. And when you’re raising a neurodivergent young adult, those pivots can feel like earthquakes. In this episode, Gwen and Kristen get honest about something big: Rylan is back home from college and the beautiful, carefully supported experience that seemed guaranteed… wasn’t. This isn’t a story of failure. It’s a story of real parenting: the kind that requires grit, grief, and the courage to start again. If you’ve ever tasted disappointment after believi...

2 weeks ago

35 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Best of: Suicide Prevention for the Neurodiverse Population with Anne Moss Rogers

TW: This episode discusses suicide. Please listen with care. It's suicide prevention month and we know that our population of neurodiverse youth and adults are impacted greatly by suicide, by suicidal ideation, and mental health issues because of bullying and other social challenges. It’s a vital topic, and one that’s hard to discuss, but we really have to do it because it’s so important. In today’s episode, we have our very first guest. We’re so excited to talk to Anne Moss Rogers, a suicide...

2 months ago

1 hour 7 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 29: Adoption, Firefighting, and off to College. Breaking down our 7 month hiatus

We didn’t mean to disappear for seven months… okay, maybe we did. But we’re back! Turns out, living through existential dread and trying to raise neurodivergent kids is a full-time gig (with no PTO). But we’ve surfaced—with stories, updates, and an entire dragon-themed Zoom backdrop Gwen can’t figure out how to remove. In this catch-up episode, Gwen and Kristen are dishing out all the highs, lows, awkward award nights, top hat choices, and job transitions their neurodivergent kids have been n...

5 months ago

32 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 28: Adulting on the Spectrum: What the Transition from School to Adulthood Looks Like for Our Neurodivergent Kids

Helping your child transition to adulthood isn’t for the faint of heart for any parent… but when you're helping a neurodivergent child navigate the process, it’s even harder. Sure, there’s help– if you know where to ask for it. And your locality probably has a system or service that can offer support– but it has a different title in every state. And don’t forget that the type of diploma or certificate your child receives from high school can affect the type of support they can qualify for. Fe...

1 year ago

49 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 27: We’re Back! (Sorry We Forgot To Tell You We Left!)

We’re back! As you may have noticed, we took the summer off of podcasting as our families navigated some big changes and milestones this summer. We didn’t mean to disappear, but we *may* have forgotten to tell you that we were taking a break. Sorry about that. So today, we’re catching you up on all the changes in our lives during the last few months. Gwen is giving updates on all three of her kids –yes, you read that right: three. She’s covering Rylan’s adventures, Reagan adjusting to a new s...

1 year ago

45 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 26: Rewiring a Dysregulated Brain Using the Science of Neuroplasticity with Carol Garner-Houston of Brain Harmony

When it comes to the brains of our neurodivergent kids and friends… There can be a lot going on. Constant input that they struggle to filter, regular therapy that they may not be able to implement yet, and expectations from a society that’s not built for them: it can be so overwhelming and dysregulating. And while manual therapy interventions can result in slow, steady progress, using the principles of neuroplasticity can help accelerate and regulate the brains of our kids much faster. And th...

1 year ago

51 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 25: Sound That’s Just for You: How Technological Breakthroughs in Audio Engineering Are Making the World More Accessible with Jen VanSkiver and James Bobel

Imagine with us for a moment: What would it feel like to be in a concert hall… but having a personalized audio experience created for your own individual needs? And not only that, but someone ten feet away from you could have their own audio experience tailored to their preferences that is incredibly different from your own. Sound fictional? Well, not anymore, and it could be a major game-changer for our neurodivergent loved ones. In today’s episode, Gwen and Kristen are joined by two guests,...

1 year ago

51 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 24: It’s Our Birthaversary: A Look Back and the Future of the Podcast

One year!! Can you believe we made it this far, friends? Because we sure can’t. You Don’t Want a Hug has officially been published for a year, and it has been a wild ride. In today’s episode, we’re sharing joy, frustration, hope, and gratitude as we look back on this last year of podcasting. We’ll be discussing the many lessons we’ve learned, reading notes sent to us by you lovely listeners, offering advice here and there, and we’re going to be pretty raw and honest about the future of the p...

1 year ago

30 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 23: Puberty & Autism Don’t Mix: Navigating Puberty with Our Neurodivergent Kids

And we’re not going to sugar coat it friends: navigating puberty with neurodivergent kids is rough. And it’s not just because we have to explain to our kids the importance of showering and explaining the function of certain parts of their anatomy in great and uncomfortable detail. Puberty also brings with it some intense emotional and personality changes. The little kids that we knew so well are maturing into adults that we often don’t understand quite as well anymore, and that transition can...

1 year ago

44 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 22: Flipping the Lens: the Autistic Experience with Becca Lory Hector

Burnout. It’s a word that comes up often in society and is often synonymous with being tired and needing a vacation. But when it comes to neurodivergent folks, autistic burnout can look radically different and have long-lasting effects. In today’s episode, Becca Lory Hector shares her experience of being diagnosed with autism as an adult after an extensive bout of autistic burnout. She explains why her burnout occurred, what support she wished she had received, and what might have kept her fr...

1 year ago

1 hour 11 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Neurodiverse Families and the Many Faces of Isolation [Replay]

Isolation and loneliness are realities for parenting raising humans with neurodiversity. We’ve experienced both and know how difficult it can be through the many ages and stages of our kids’ lives. In today’s episode, we talk all about isolation and loneliness and their impact on neurodiverse families. We go into the data behind it, share stories related to feelings of isolation in many different areas of our lives, and offer strategies for how we’ve coped over the years. In this episode, you...

1 year ago

45 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 21: The Purgatory of the Therapy Waiting Room

Therapy plays an important role in our neurodiverse children’s lives… But let’s be real: the act of constantly driving all over to drag our kids into dingy, uncomfortable waiting rooms multiple times a week is not fun. In this episode, Gwen and Kristen dive into this phenomenon: why parents of neurodiverse kids end up in this situation, how to make the process and experience a little more tolerable, and when it might be time to pull the plug on certain therapies (and escape the excrucia...

1 year ago

34 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 20: Inclusion over Ego: How the Special Olympics Organization Embraced Universal Design with Jen VanSkiver

Sports can be critically important to a child’s development and even their family’s place in the community. That’s why our kids, regardless of ability, deserve more than a church basement to hone those social connections and their skills as athletes! In today’s episode, we’re interviewing Jen VanSkiver, Chief Officer of Strategic Growth for Special Olympics of Michigan and her daughter’s biggest advocate. You’ll learn how Jen has helped to facilitate the creation of a first-of-its-kind Unifie...

1 year ago

47 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 19: Universal Design for Classroom Spaces with Virginia Tech

The classroom is the essential component across every school from K-12 to higher education. So why is it that physical space is often overlooked as being a central player in the learning experience? If you’re a parent to a child with a disability, then you know that their environment can make all the difference! In today’s episode, we’re interviewing Dr. Elif Tural and Dr. David Kniola, experts in the field of universal design and its various applications in educational settings and beyond. T...

1 year ago

45 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 18: Autism, Unconscious Bias, and the Intersection of Race and Disability With Jackie Bess

Being a parent of neurodivergent children is challenging enough for most of us. But what does that look like when you introduce racial bias into the mix? How does that affect the way parents and children with disabilities are perceived by their schools and their providers? In today’s episode, we’re interviewing Jackie Bess, a wife and mom of three boys with autism whose story is an excellent demonstration of the intersection of race and disability. Jackie describes many of the struggles she f...

1 year ago

54 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 17: Neurodivergence and Paving the Way for a More Equitable Healthcare System With Robin Ennis

Few things are more important to us as humans, especially to neurodivergent children, than access to quality healthcare. But did you know that Black and Hispanic children are less likely to be identified with autism than white children? This simple fact invites a closer look into the social currency that many of us take for granted and why the healthcare system looks vastly different to those of marginalized populations. In today’s episode, we’re interviewing Robin Ennis, a social worker and ...

1 year ago

45 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 16: Legos, Alone Time, and Adjusted Expectations: How to Survive the Holidays with Neurodiverse Kids

As parents of neurodiverse kids, navigating the holidays can be…. a lot. Trying to get our kids to tolerate all the events, all the activities, and all the routine changes on top of everything else is exhausting, frustrating, and quite frankly, maybe not worth it for us and our kids. And who says we actually have to do all of this stuff anyway? In today’s episode, we’re sharing our best holiday tips for surviving the holiday season, including managing schedules, adjusting the gift-giving proc...

1 year ago

40 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 15: The Obvious, the Quirky, Even the Implausible: Here Are the Things We’re Grateful For from Our Neurodiverse Parenting Journey

We have so much to be grateful for, and what better time to acknowledge that than with Thanksgiving just on the horizon? Since expressing gratitude is essential to our health and happiness, especially as parents of neurodiverse children, we’re on a mission to be more intentional with how we recognize all the things we have to be thankful for each and every day — whether they’re obvious, a little quirky, or even a bit of a stretch! In today’s episode, we’re covering everything from letting go ...

2 years ago

43 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 14: It’s Spooky Season: Our Top Tips on Tackling Halloween with Neurodiverse Kids

Halloween can sometimes be a struggle for neurodiverse children. There’s costumes and candy and strangers to consider. Halloween can be adapted to fit the needs of your family. Don’t feel like it has to be the same, traditional Halloween you see in the movies. That’s not always real life, friends. And if your kid tries to poop in someone else’s house, it’s okay. We’ve been there. In today’s episode, we’ve got a short and sweet conversation to share our pro tips for how to tackle Halloween lik...

2 years ago

39 minutes

You Don’t Want a Hug, Right? The Hilarity and the Hard of Raising Humans with Neurodiversity

Ep 13: IEP Strategies to Set You and Your Neurodiverse Child Up for Success

Standardized testing and educational plans are a reality of life for us as parents of neurodiverse students. But it can be a bit daunting to think about, especially if you’re new to the process. There are forms and meetings and legalities that can overwhelm you if you’re not prepared. And honestly, it’s hard to be prepared for something you don’t know much about. That’s why we’re here to help you. In today’s episode, we’re sharing how we’ve navigated the individualized education program...

2 years ago

58 minutes