ANOMALOUS with Em Rusciano

This is Anomalous -  a love letter to the neurodivergent community and a roadmap for neurotypical people.

In 2022, Em Rusciano presented a National Press Club Address opening up about her ADHD diagnosis she received during the peak of COVID lockdowns. In our first episode of Anomalous, Em begins her quest exploring why so many women and AFAB people are being overlooked when it comes to receiving an ADHD or autism diagnosis, we speak with Em's husband Scott and daughter Odette, and meet two experts leading the neurodiversity movement: Clinical psychologist Dr Joey Lawrence and fierce advocate Sonny Jane Wise Find out more about Dr Joey & Neudle Psychology Find out more about Sonny Jane Wise Get Sonny’s book “We Are All Neurodiverse”  Join the community on Instagram Anomalous was created in collaboration with MIK Made & Down the Hill Studios.

In the last episode, Em unpacked her ADHD diagnosis & coming out as a neurodivergent person in a National Press Club address. But that was only the beginning of her quest.  Thinking her ADHD diagnosis was the final piece of the puzzle, it turns out Em’s diagnosis only unlocked another cipher as she realised she had more in common with her son Elio than she previously thought. In this episode of Anomalous, we deep dive into the neurodiversity movement, what’s involved with an autism diagnosis, explain what masking is and how to reconnect with your unmasked self. Find out more about Dr Joey & Neudle Psychology Find out more about Sonny Jane Wise Get Sonny’s book “We Are All Neurodiverse”  Join the Anomalous community. Anomalous was created in collaboration by MIK Made & Down the Hill Studios.

In the last episode, Em unpacked her ADHD diagnosis & coming out as a neurodivergent person in a National Press Club address. But that was only the beginning of her quest.  Thinking her ADHD diagnosis was the final piece of the puzzle, it turns out Em’s diagnosis only unlocked another cipher as she realised she had more in common with her son Elio than she previously thought. In this episode of Anomalous, we deep dive into the neurodiversity movement, what’s involved with an autism diagnosis, explain what masking is and how to reconnect with your unmasked self. Find out more about Dr Joey & Neudle Psychology Find out more about Sonny Jane Wise Get Sonny’s book “We Are All Neurodiverse”  Join the Anomalous community. Anomalous was created in collaboration by MIK Made & Down the Hill Studios.

In this episode of Anomalous, we’ll be looking at what happens when work & neurodivergence collide.  We learn about autistic burnout and attention variability with Dr Joey, speak with Chris Varney, the CEO of I-CAN Network, Australia's largest provider of Autistic-led group mentoring programs, plus Em reflects on her own experience working over 7 years in commercial radio. Find out more about I - CAN Network. Find out more about Dr Joey & Neudle Psychology Find out more about Sonny Jane Wise Get Sonny’s book “We Are All Neurodiverse”  Join the Anomalous community. Anomalous was created in collaboration by MIK Made & Down the Hill Studios.

In this episode of Anomalous, we’ll be talking about all things relating to parenting through the lens of neurodivergence.  We explore what to do if you suspect your child might be neurodivergent, explain what the various support levels are, we visit a sensory store and speak with Katie Koullas, founder of Yellow Ladybugs, a national charity based in Australia that empowers autistic girls and gender diverse individuals. Find out more about Yellow Ladybugs Find out more about William Ready (Sensory Store) Find out more about Dr Joey & Neudle Psychology Find out more about Sonny Jane Wise Get Sonny’s book “We Are All Neurodiverse”  Join the Anomalous community.

In the final episode of Anomalous we’ll be looking at all of the practical things you need to know when it comes to being diagnosed.  We explore what to expect when you go to the doctors office, how much it will cost, how much time it’ll take and how you can talk to your family and friends about being neurodivergent.  We’ll also be discussing “the overdiagnosis epidemic”. Are ADHD and autism really being overdiagnosed? Or does this increase in diagnosis speak to a broader and more important societal trend in how we view mental health? Plus, we talk to Senator Jordon Steele-John from The Greens around policy surrounding the ADHD Senate Inquiry and also speak to writer Matilda Bosely about her own experience getting diagnosed. Find out more about Senator Jordon Steele-John Find out more about Matilda Boseley Join the Anomalous community.