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The Akashic Musings PodcastAuthor: Emerge Healing & Wellness, Laura Mazzotta Language: en Genres: Alternative Health, Health & Fitness, Religion & Spirituality, Spirituality Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Neurodivergent Not Broken: Autism, ADHD & Reclaiming Simplicity (with Sam)
Wednesday, 14 January, 2026
Many of us grow up believing something is wrong with us—especially when our nervous systems don’t fit the pace, noise, or expectations of the world around us. In this episode, Sam and I talk about neurodivergence as lived experience: late diagnosis, autistic burnout, masking, parenting, and the relief that comes when you stop forcing connection and start allowing it. This is a conversation about presence without pressure, advocating for yourself, and remembering that needing less stimulation doesn’t mean you want less intimacy. Sam is the host of Neurodivergent Not Broken, where she continues to normalize, educate, and soften the conversation around neurodivergent lived experience. 🎙 Listen to Sam’s podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3JOHDOiOVYaiA7bKWJibLy?si=e9707af6bc3640ff 📲 Connect with Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neurodivergentnotbroken Or her website: https://www.neurodivergentnotbroken.com/ More information on this episode: A diagnosis of neurodivergence, whether ADHD or autism, can be incredibly validating and eye-opening. Sam shares her experience of receiving an ADHD diagnosis at 33, followed by her husband Scott’s autism diagnosis, and then their two children. She speaks candidly about how challenging it can be to access adult autism assessments, and how finding the right support changed everything. As Sam explored resources around neurodivergence, she recognized a gap in education—especially around how difficult it can be to live in a highly overstimulating world while also honoring the growth, lessons, and expansion that neurodivergence can bring. In this conversation, we explore: * Common internal and interpersonal symptoms of autism and ADHD * Autistic burnout and the exhaustion that comes from masking * Creating accommodations at home and within daily life * Advocacy for yourself and within the school system * Parenting while recognizing your own overstimulation * Why neurodivergence isn’t disconnection—but a pathway to deeper intimacy We also question the need for labels altogether. This world is loud, fast, and overwhelming. Many of us, especially sensitive and neurodivergent beings, know what it feels like to constantly shake off surrounding energy. What if we’re meant to return to simplicity? Less distraction. Less shiny shit. More presence. More natural connection, without pressure or performance. Autism isn’t about not wanting connection; it’s about needing connection without pressure, performance, or overstimulation. When you release gripping or demanding energy, the other person has room to show up in their own way. Allow and trust their space. Give them room to cultivate their natural perspective. For parents, this episode offers grounded reminders: notice when you are overstimulated, don’t place it on your child, and either take space to reset or choose something you can genuinely enjoy together. Advocacy begins with you. This episode is for anyone navigating neurodivergence, late diagnosis, parenting, relationships, or simply longing to feel less wrong and more at home in themselves.
