The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast

This episode is being released on September 9, International FASD Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, improving understanding, and supporting prevention, diagnosis, and meaningful support for individuals and families affected by FASD.In this episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, released on September 9 in recognition of International FASD Day, Paul speaks with Kathy Unsworth, Executive Director of the Canada FASD Research Network, also known as CanFASD.Kathy explains Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, or FASD, as a lifelong, brain-based neurodevelopmental disability that can affect learning, memory, attention, emotional regulation, communication, sensory processing, executive functioning, and daily living. She discusses why FASD is often misunderstood as a behavioural issue rather than a disability, and why diagnosis can be difficult, expensive, time-consuming, and unevenly available across Canada.This conversation explores the importance of including FASD in the broader neurodiversity and disability conversation. Kathy shares how stigma surrounding prenatal alcohol exposure often shifts attention away from the person living with the disability, making it harder for individuals and families to seek diagnosis, services, and support.Paul and Kathy also discuss CanFASD’s role as Canada’s only national organization focused on FASD research, knowledge translation, workforce development, training, policy support, and community education. Kathy highlights the importance of centering the voices of people with living experience, including caregivers, families, service providers, clinicians, and adults with FASD.The episode also covers diagnosis gaps, misdiagnosis, early intervention, school and workplace supports, justice and child welfare systems, trauma-informed approaches, and the importance of the National FASD Framework and Senate Bill S-234.Throughout the conversation, Kathy emphasizes that FASD does not define a person. People with FASD have strengths, talents, creativity, resilience, determination, and unique ways of thinking. With the right supports, stable relationships, respectful language, and informed communities, individuals with FASD can lead meaningful and fulfilling lives.CANFASD Website: https://canfasd.caFASD, International FASD Day, FASD Awareness Day, September 9, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, CanFASD, Kathy Unsworth, neurodiversity, neurodevelopmental disability, brain-based disability, disability rights, FASD awareness, FASD diagnosis, FASD support, FASD Canada, National FASD Framework, Senate Bill S-234, prenatal alcohol exposure, FASD stigma, trauma-informed care, executive functioning, emotional regulation, sensory processing, child welfare, justice system, special education, disability inclusion, caregivers, lived experience, living experience, FASD-informed practice, public health, neurodivergent, neurodivergenceAbout The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastWe are now available to watch on Apple Podcasts. Watch now! Join us!The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast amplifies real voices, real stories, and real impact through conversations about autism, ADHD, neurodiversity, accessibility, inclusion, advocacy, education, employment, and lived experience.Hosted by Paul Cruz.Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.comInstagram • LinkedIn • YouTube:@neurodiversityvoicespodcastDisclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are now on our second season.In this episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, Paul speaks with Grace Lee, a mother and advocate whose family’s experience with ADHD, special education, and school discipline revealed serious gaps in how schools understand neurodivergent children.Grace shares how her son’s ADHD, emotional dysregulation, and need for behavioral support were misunderstood as defiance, eventually leading to a school disciplinary incident involving law enforcement and the juvenile justice system. She discusses IEPs, Behavior Intervention Plans, Manifestation Determination Reviews, documentation, advocacy burnout, and the importance of connection over punishment.This conversation is a powerful look at what happens when systems fail to recognize neurodivergent children’s needs — and what parents, educators, administrators, and policymakers can do differently.ADHD, neurodiversity, neurodivergent children, emotional dysregulation, school discipline, special education, IEP, Behavior Intervention Plan, BIP, Functional Behavior Assessment, FBA, Manifestation Determination Review, MDR, disability rights, parent advocacy, school-to-prison pipeline, juvenile justice, educational reform, de-escalation, trauma-informed education, ADHD parenting, neurodivergent students, educational advocacyAbout The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastWe are now available to watch on Apple Podcasts. Watch now! Join us!The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast amplifies real voices, real stories, and real impact through conversations about autism, ADHD, neurodiversity, accessibility, inclusion, advocacy, education, employment, and lived experience.Hosted by Paul Cruz.Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.comInstagram • LinkedIn • YouTube:@neurodiversityvoicespodcastDisclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it feel like to grow up knowing you're different but not understanding why?This interview was recorded in audio format only, as preferred by our guest.In this heartfelt episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, host Paul Cruz sits down with Robert "Bob" Schmus, a licensed clinical social worker, autism advocate, public speaker, writer, and creator of Bob's Neuro Tidbits.Bob shares his deeply personal journey from feeling isolated as a child to receiving an autism diagnosis at age 15 during one of the darkest periods of his life. That diagnosis didn't define him—it helped him finally understand himself.Together, Paul and Bob explore the importance of self-acceptance, why masking can be emotionally exhausting, how stimming supports emotional regulation, and why autistic people deserve understanding rather than attempts to "fix" them.As both an autistic adult and a therapist, Bob offers a unique perspective on neurodiversity-affirming care, explaining how lived experience allows him to meet clients with empathy, compassion, and authenticity. He also shares the powerful story of overcoming low expectations after being told that living independently and attending college wasn't realistic—going on to earn both his bachelor's and master's degrees while building a meaningful career helping others.Throughout the conversation, Bob reminds us that every autistic person has their own journey, their own strengths, and their own voice. His message is simple but profound: listen first, seek understanding, and never underestimate what someone can achieve.Whether you're autistic, neurodivergent, a parent, educator, therapist, healthcare professional, or someone wanting to better understand autism, this episode offers encouragement, insight, and hope.In this episode, we discuss:Receiving an autism diagnosis and finding self-understandingGrowing up feeling different before having the language to explain itThe emotional toll of masking and autistic burnoutWhy stimming is a healthy form of self-regulationSelf-acceptance and embracing authenticityNeurodiversity-affirming therapyMental health challenges affecting autistic adultsAnxiety, depression, trauma, and emotional regulationDefying low expectations and building an independent lifeWhy listening is one of the greatest forms of supportConnect with Robert "Bob" Schmus• LinkedIn: Robert Schmus, MSW, LCSW• Instagram: @vintage_bob_1989• Bob's Neuro Tidbits• SpeakerHub• The MightyIf you enjoyed this episode, please follow, rate, and share The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast. Every conversation helps create a more understanding, compassionate, and inclusive world.Choose nuance. Choose understanding. And keep the conversation going.autism, autistic adults, autism diagnosis, late autism diagnosis, masking autism, autistic masking, neurodiversity, neurodiversity affirming therapy, autism, advocate, autistic therapist, autism and mental health, anxiety and autism, depression and autism, autistic burnout, autistic self-acceptance, stimming, emotional regulation, autism awareness, neurodivergent, Robert Bob Schmus, The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastAbout The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastWe are now available to watch on Apple Podcasts. Watch now! Join us!The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast amplifies real voices, real stories, and real impact through conversations about autism, ADHD, neurodiversity, accessibility, inclusion, advocacy, education, employment, and lived experience.Hosted by Paul Cruz.Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.comInstagram • LinkedIn • YouTube:@neurodiversityvoicespodcastDisclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What if disability isn't found within a person—but in the barriers society creates?In this powerful episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, host Paul Cruz sits down with Carmen G. Farrell—writer, former school district administrator, disability advocate, and mother of a young adult with FOXG1 syndrome—to explore how our understanding of disability, inclusion, and belonging can fundamentally change lives.Carmen shares her deeply personal journey from navigating years of medical appointments and uncertainty to discovering a new way of thinking about disability through the social model of disability and the transformative concept of mattering. She challenges the idea that neurodivergent and disabled individuals need to be "fixed". Instead, she invites us to consider how our schools, workplaces, and communities can become places where everyone feels seen, valued, and included.One of the highlights of this conversation is the inspiring story of Club G, an award-winning, student-led initiative that transformed playground inclusion into a movement of kindness and belonging. Rather than focusing on one child, Club G empowered an entire school community to rethink what inclusion truly means.Whether you're a parent, educator, disability advocate, employer, or someone passionate about creating more inclusive communities, this episode offers practical insights, heartfelt stories, and a fresh perspective on what it means to belong truly.About Our GuestCarmen G. Farrell is a writer, disability advocate, former school district administrator, and the mother of a young adult with FOXG1 syndrome. She is the co-creator of the award-winning Club G, a student-led inclusion initiative that has inspired schools and communities across Canada. Through her writing and advocacy, Carmen explores disability, belonging, social justice, and the transformative power of "mattering."Learn more:Website: https://carmengfarrell.comExclusive Gift for Our ListenersAs a special thank-you to listeners of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, Carmen Farrell is offering an exclusive preview of the first chapter of her forthcoming memoir.In this deeply personal memoir, Carmen chronicles her journey from believing that her son's impairments were deficits that needed to be fixed to understanding that disability is often created when impairments encounter exclusionary systems, environments, and attitudes.Through the challenges of raising her son, Jess, Carmen discovered that it was this very friction—navigating a world not designed for him—that revealed extraordinary strengths, transformed the people and systems around them, and awakened her own calling as an inclusion ally.The opening chapter takes readers back to the moment she first realized that her "perfect" child wasn't "perfect" according to society's expectations—a realization that became the beginning of a profound journey of advocacy, belonging, and hope.Download the first chapter for free here:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BHGQEOuaP0NRf6oXllbjFAV8Rdp5J0UJtlKTSV8SWz4/edit?pli=1We hope you'll enjoy this exclusive preview and follow Carmen's journey as her memoir finds its publishing home.Connect with The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastIf this episode inspired you, please:Follow the podcast on Apple Podcasts and SpotifyLeave a review to help others discover these important conversationsShare this episode with a parent, educator, colleague, or friendEvery conversation helps create a world where neurodivergent people are understood, valued, and empowered.Neurodiversity, Disability Inclusion, Belonging, Mattering, Carmen Farrell, FOXG1 Syndrome, Social Model of Disability, Inclusive Education, Disability Advocacy, Parent Advocacy, Neurodivergent Parenting, School Inclusion, Inclusive Schools, Neurodivergent Adults, Special Education, Accessibility, Human Connection, Community Inclusion, Emotional Wellbeing, The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastAbout The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastWe are now available to watch on Apple Podcasts. Watch now! Join us!The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast amplifies real voices, real stories, and real impact through conversations about autism, ADHD, neurodiversity, accessibility, inclusion, advocacy, education, employment, and lived experience.Hosted by Paul Cruz.Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.comInstagram • LinkedIn • YouTube:@neurodiversityvoicespodcastDisclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been taught there's a "right" way to think, communicate, and behave. But what if that's the problem?In this episode of The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast, host Paul Cruz sits down with Justine Jecker to explore how neurodiversity is reshaping our understanding of communication, systems, accessibility, and human difference.This conversation goes beyond awareness. It challenges how workplaces operate, how healthcare communicates, and how society defines "normal."Together, Paul and Justine examine what happens when we move away from trying to fix individuals and instead focus on redesigning the systems around them. They discuss communication differences, accessibility, workplace inclusion, healthcare experiences, and why embracing neurodiversity benefits everyone—not just neurodivergent people.In this episode, you'll hear about:• Rethinking traditional assumptions about communication and behaviour• Neurodiversity in healthcare and workplace systems• Autism and ADHD communication differences• Accessibility as a systems issue rather than an individual issue• Creating environments that support diverse ways of thinking• Challenging definitions of "normal."• Inclusive design and systems change• Building communities and organizations where everyone can thriveKey TakeawayIf there's one idea to carry forward from this episode, it's this:"When we stop trying to fix people, we start building systems that actually work for everyone."Connect with Justine JeckerConnect with Justine on LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/justine-v-jeckerLearn more about neurodiversity in healthcare, workplace inclusion, and systems-based approaches to accessibility.Subscribe & SupportIf this conversation resonated with you, follow The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast for more conversations about neurodiversity, accessibility, systems change, inclusion, and lived experience.Your support helps amplify neurodivergent voices and create meaningful conversations that foster understanding, belonging, and positive change.Neurodiversity, Autism, ADHD, Accessibility, Inclusion, Workplace Inclusion, Healthcare Accessibility, Systems Change, Neurodivergent, Advocacy, NeurodiversityVoices, PodcastAbout The Neurodiversity Voices PodcastWe are now available to watch on Apple Podcasts. Watch now! Join us!The Neurodiversity Voices Podcast amplifies real voices, real stories, and real impact through conversations about autism, ADHD, neurodiversity, accessibility, inclusion, advocacy, education, employment, and lived experience.Hosted by Paul Cruz.Website: www.neurodiversityvoices.comInstagram • LinkedIn • YouTube:@neurodiversityvoicespodcastDisclaimer: This podcast shares educational content and personal perspectives and is not a substitute for professional medical, psychological, legal, or other advice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.