Explore every episode of the podcast (Neuro)Diverse Dialogues

A tidy desk isn’t the story. Rosie, a third-year biochemistry student, opens up about the reality of OCD: intrusive thoughts that hit like alarms, compulsions that promise relief and steal time, and the slow, deliberate work of exposure therapy that teaches the brain to stop demanding rituals. We pull apart the myths and look at what day-to-day life actually feels like when your mind whispers “what if” at the worst possible times.<br><br>You’ll hear how driving became a minefield of doubt, how health anxiety fed a late-night Google loop, and why reassurance—whether from friends, managers, or search results—can quietly make OCD stronger. Rosie shares practical tools from therapy: naming the intrusive voice to reduce its authority, exposure and response prevention for contamination fears, and the discipline of not checking even when anxiety peaks. We also dig into system barriers that delay formal diagnosis, the cost of being misunderstood at work or uni, and the importance of language-why “I have OCD” matters, and why “I’m so OCD” jokes lands so badly.  There’s no sugar-coating, and there’s no hopelessness either. Instead, we talk strategy: how to manage flare-ups, design a career that respects mental health limits, and reclaim study hours from rumination. If you care about mental health, neurodiversity, or supporting someone who lives with OCD, this conversation offers clear takeaways, humane insight, and resources like OCD Action to keep learning. If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with one thing you learned—your notes help others find these stories.

Hello, welcome to my podcast (fireside chats), this is a introduction rather than a trailer, a little bit about me but mostly about why I'm doing what I'm doing. I hope you enjoy what you hear. I hope you learn from what you hear, please get in touch if you have any questions or would like to take part in the podcast going forward, or please let other people know who you think might value being a part of this process.

neurodiversedialogues@gmail.com

I had the amazing opportunity to talk to Dr Tom Nicholson on the podcast #NeurodiverseDialogues. On this we hear a story in mark contrast to when I spoke to Sally Ingram MBE regarding the impact that having support or not has on young people (and then through life).

Sally talked of a teacher who came alongside her and supported her and endeavoured to understand. Tom had the opposite brutal experience, but he battled his way through and now uses this experience to talk nationally and beyond, and to encourage and support others who are neurodivergent and those who aren't but seek to support those who are.  I strongly urge you to engage with his work, and heady combination of evidence and experience based work.

Between the two this is a real insight into the difference that we can make in our students, our colleagues, our friends, our families and neighbours lives. 

I strongly recommend you listen to both and find your own messages, and hacks and advice within, he can be found via his website:

 https://www.drtomnicholson.com/

Over all these 2 are stories of how people have taken their real life experiences, good and hard, and turning them into opportunities to support and encourage others.

Apologies but I set the wrong release date so this came out a week early!

In this episode we had to start and stop as Misha had to change locations (which has a certain symmetry as they talk about their experience in moving countries too!).  In the name of autheticity we carried on and as alweays I leave it unedited for you

Ever felt like you’re gliding on the surface while paddling like mad underneath? Christina shares what a late ADHD diagnosis revealed about masking, invisible effort, and why looking calm on the surface often means below the waterline.

Tired of the “neurodiversity as superpower” cliché? We dig into real role models, disclosure, and accommodations that work in education and beyond, not just on paper.

From gothic literature to lab life, Christina unpacks how early “quirky” interests, pattern-seeking, and hyperfocus later aligned with a research career built on variety, problem-solving, and intellectual intensity. We talk about food routines, late diagnosis, and the quiet cost of fitting in. Hear an honest account of neurodiversity at work.

What if the label you avoided for years became the key to designing a life that finally fits? That’s the pivot Christina shares as we trace her path from literary goth kid to scientist, from a winter move to Norway to a late ADHD diagnosis that reframed effort, energy, and why trying harder did not always fix the problem. It’s not a story about becoming someone new. It’s a story about getting the language and leverage to ask for what works.

We talk about the hidden cost of masking and why appearing calm and competent often conceals heavy, invisible cognitive labour. Christina opens up about food and consistency: forgetting to eat during the day, relying on predictable textures just to get calories in, and how that pulled her toward ultra-processed snacks. She shares how she rebuilt routines using low-decision, higher-nutrition swaps that supported focus without turning every choice into a willpower test. We unpack the link between physical health and attention, and how small guardrails around sleep, movement, and structured meals can stabilise the mind.

We also talk about the “D-word”, disclosure, a loaded word that can be the bridge to reasonable adjustments. Seeing a colleague speak openly about neurodivergence gave Christina permission to do the same, and we explore how that honesty challenges networking culture, performative professionalism, and the pressure to conform. We push past the “neurodiversity as superpower” cliché to reflect on the importance of authentic role models who talk honestly about both strengths and friction.

In education, we discuss neurodivergent students and staff as “the canary in the coal mine”. If instructions are unambiguous, deadlines consistent, expectations explicit, and novelty designed in rather than accidental, everyone benefits. We share practical ways to reduce cognitive load, make feedback more actionable, and engineer learning environments where attention is supported rather than assumed.

If you’re navigating a late ADHD diagnosis, supporting a neurodivergent colleague or student, or quietly rethinking your own routines, this conversation offers candid insights and small, workable changes you can test this week.

Warning:  On this episode Kat and I are joined but a Jack Russell contributing vocally at time (not for long).  This Causes a little disruption but in maintaining Kats stoic resiliance I have not edited.  Thanks Kat!

People love tidy labels for autism and ADHD, but real neurodiversity refuses to stay in a single box. We sit down with Kat, a newly qualified dietitian who has a dual diagnosis of autism and ADHD, and we follow her path through higher education, diagnosis, and into clinical practice. Along the way she shares what it feels like when your traits do not match the stereotypes, and why that mismatch can leave you doubting yourself even when you are clearly capable.

Kat talks candidly about her diagnosis journey, including an earlier OCD label that, in hindsight, may have been a misread of autistic traits. She explains the relief of finally having a framework that makes childhood memories, social misunderstandings, and sensory overload add up. We dig into the details people often miss: being highly sensitive rather than emotionally detached, taking language literally, and the exhausting work of dealing with “hidden meanings” in everyday conversations.

We also get practical about neurodiversity at work. Kat describes how openness can unlock reasonable adjustments, reduce burnout, and help you perform better as a clinician. She highlights strengths her team values, like attention to detail and clinical curiosity, plus the courage to question processes that do not make sense. We talk hyperfixations, comfort foods, safe clothing, and the less-discussed impact of moral justice sensitivity when something feels unfair and you cannot let it go.

If you have ever been told you are “not really” autistic or ADHD because you do not fit someone else’s template, this conversation will land. Subscribe for more honest stories, share the episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.

A fast mind can be a beautiful place—until the world demands it walk in a straight line. We sit down with Rebecca Jackson, a higher education administrator who found clarity at 32 with an ADHD diagnosis after years of masking, burnout, and misreads of mood. Her story is honest and practical, weaving personal turning points with the small, repeatable tactics that make daily life calmer and work more sustainable.

Rebecca opens up about the years when anxiety felt random and school life taught her to hide. That history shifts once ADHD becomes the lens: the nonlinear thinking, the memory drop-outs right after unlocking the phone, and the heavy cost of performing “office normal” in an open plan. She walks us through the hard start and real benefits of lisdexamfetamine—initial side effects, dose titration, and what improved when the morning fog finally lifted. We get into workplace adjustments that actually help: noise-cancelling headphones, a quieter desk, flexible hours, and the underrated power of a short dance break when working from home.

Beyond personal care, Rebecca is pushing for culture change. As a staff disability network co-chair, she champions training, community, and a more thoughtful approach to disclosure. She dismantles the “it’s a trend” trope with lived reality, and calls out hiring practices that privilege performance over proof. Her case for portfolios and practical assessments is compelling—hire the work, not the nerves. Along the way, we examine alcohol as a trigger, the sensory math of crowded family gatherings, and the comfort of familiar TV as a nervous system reset. The takeaway is both simple and strong: clear language, humane systems, and everyday boundaries can turn survival into growth.

If this conversation helps you feel seen, pass it on. Subscribe for more candid stories, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help others find the show. What hiring change would make the biggest difference for neurodivergent candidates? Tell us.

Ever looked at someone’s glittering CV and wondered what’s buried underneath? We sit down with Jordan, a PhD researcher and student union staffer with dyspraxia, to map the real academic journey—the wins above the waterline and the quiet stack of rejections below. Jordan’s take is refreshingly frank: persistence matters, but reflection matters more, and the path that looks straight in hindsight is usually anything but.

We dig into what dyspraxia is—differences in coordination, balance and fine motor skills—and how those challenges ripple into school feedback, confidence and communication. A diagnosis gave Jordan language and leverage, not a shortcut: tools like a laptop and alternative presentation formats didn’t lower the bar, they let his ideas show. He shares how he built an “organised chaos” workflow that fits his mind, using compartmentalised projects, strong memory and strategic workarounds to keep momentum without burning out.

From the classroom, Jordan offers tight, practical strategies that keep rigour while changing the frame. Instead of watering tasks down, he reframes group work for students who need structure: defined roles, clear written updates, predictable loops. The goal is autonomy—teachers as facilitators, not gatekeepers—so power shifts from us to the learner over time. We also challenge a stubborn myth: there isn’t a SEND problem caused by “too many diagnoses.” There’s an inclusion problem caused by systems that still expect neat, linear performance. Naming strengths matters, but training them matters more than calling them superpowers.

If you’ve ever felt out of place in education or research, this conversation makes space for your route. Find your niche, bring your whole way of thinking, and let the work reflect the person—not the template. Listen, share it with someone who needs the nudge, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review so more people can find these stories.

Curiosity can carry you across disciplines—and back to yourself. We sit down with a researcher who began in biomedical sciences and pivoted into psychology and colour philosophy, guided by a mind that fixates deeply, senses keenly, and asks relentless questions about how we see the world. What starts as a story about colour perception becomes a study in boundaries, mentorship, and the quiet ergonomics of a neurodivergent life.

You’ll hear how sensory overload makes conferences feel like battlefields, why email-first networking can be a lifeline, and how routines—down to the comfort of the same pasta or a newfound love of Jazz apples—create space for real thinking. We talk masking and unmasking, the mentor who helped swap performance for presence, and the practical calculus behind diagnosis: when labels clarify patterns, and when supportive environments make them optional.