Hot Topic: The Truth About “Overdiagnosis” — Debunking Reform UK’s Agenda on Neurodivergent Children
In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott respond to shocking recent comments from Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice — whose claims about “overdiagnosis,” ear defenders, and SEND support reveal just how dangerously out of touch his party is with neurodivergent realities. They break down Tice’s statements about “too many labels,” “overdiagnosed children,” and the idea that SEND support should be pushed back onto already-burnt-out schools. Jordan and Simon explore why this rhetoric isn’t just ignorant — it’s harmful, ableist, and deeply rooted in a political movement that treats disabled children as a financial burden rather than human beings.Across the episode, they dive into:Why claims of “overdiagnosis” are factually wrong — and why autism and ADHD remain massively underdiagnosedThe danger of framing neurodivergent support as “optional” or “too expensive”How right-wing parties in the UK and US mirror each other in attacking disabled communitiesWhy ear defenders, sensory tools, and accommodations matter — and what it means when politicians publicly mock themThe long history of autistic people driving innovation, science, technology, art, and cultureHow austerity politics weaponise public ignorance about neurodivergenceWhy dismissing assessments, EHCPs, and support plans harms every child, not just SEND studentsWhat happens when politicians shape policy around stigma instead of science and lived experienceThis is a fiery, unapologetic episode about the real political threat facing autistic and ADHD people — and why our community cannot stay silent when elected officials target disabled children to score votes.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Five Years After Lockdown: How It Changed Neurodivergent Lives
In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott look back at five years since the COVID-19 lockdown — and how that period reshaped society, mental health, and the lives of autistic and ADHD adults.With honesty, humour, and emotional depth, they revisit the fear, isolation, shifting rules and political failures of 2020, and how lockdown exposed their neurodivergence in unexpected ways. They share how regression, unmasking, burnout, identity loss and relationship strain collided with a world in crisis — and how many neurotypical people began showing traits often associated with autism and ADHD.They explore how lockdown changed behaviour, communication, social skills, empathy and online culture — and how those long-term effects are still shaping autistic and ADHD lives today.Together, Jordan and Simon discuss:How lockdown triggered autistic burnout, regression, and forced unmaskingWhy do so many neurotypical people develop “autistic-coded” traits during isolationThe collapse of social norms, empathy, boundaries, and patience post-lockdownThe rise of selfishness, social withdrawal, and digital dependencyThe emotional impact on teens of losing key developmental yearsHow family dynamics shifted for better and worseWhy remote work has transformed accessibility for neurodivergent peopleThis is a reflective, raw, and deeply human conversation about the way lockdown reshaped us — individually and collectively — and why neurodivergent people felt those shifts more intensely than anyone.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mindful Mondays With Ashley Bentley: Two Hemispheres, One Story | How Your Brain Writes Your State
Your brain is constantly switching between two modes of knowing: the left hemisphere’s precision and prediction, and the right hemisphere’s intuition and imagination. Between them lies the tender space where narrative forms — and where regulation becomes possible.In this episode, we explore how these two worlds create your ongoing “story of self,” and how that story becomes the map your nervous system uses to determine safety, danger, overwhelm, or possibility. You’ll discover why old narratives feel so sticky, why neurodivergent minds process story so intensely, and how awareness creates the tiny space where freedom begins.Through vivid metaphors, grounded neuroscience, and a powerful guided practice, you’ll learn to step into the witness — the part of you that can see the story without becoming it. And from that place, you can shift the state, shift the narrative, and shift your next move in the world.This is narrative neurobiology in action — and it changes everything.❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodesOur Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Hot Topic: How Autism Charities Misrepresent Autistic People — And Why It’s Harmful
In this Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott break down a new research article showing how major autism charities portray autistic people as helpless, burdensome, and in constant need of “saving.”Jordan and Simon explore why so many large charities rely on harmful tropes (puzzle pieces, sad children, deficit language) to generate donations, while autistic-led organisations struggle for support despite doing meaningful work. They discuss tokenism, the “non-disabled saviour” complex, and why proper representation — especially leadership by autistic people — is essential.Together, they discuss:How major charities use stigma and pity to raise moneyWhy are autistic people often shown as “helpless children” instead of adultsThe problem with puzzle pieces and deficit-based imageryTokenism and non-autistic leadership in autism organisationsHow charities profit from pity and maintain their monopolyWhy many autistic-led charities struggle — despite doing better workHow misrepresentation harms autistic adults seeking dignity and supportWhy nothing should be “about us without us”The article:https://theconversation.com/autism-charities-can-portray-autistic-people-as-helpless-and-a-burden-our-research-shows-why-it-matters-267385Jordan also shares stories about being approached by big charities, navigating the ethics of working with organisations, and how he nearly got pulled into a profit-driven model disguised as “non-profit.” They close by highlighting autistic-led charities worth supporting, including Autism Southeast, and why grassroots organisations are essential for real change.This episode is blunt, necessary, and gives a voice to autistic adults tired of being framed as problems to be fixed. If you’re frustrated with how autism is portrayed, this is one you won’t want to miss.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Childhood Autism Diagnosis: Would It Have Made Our Lives Any Different?
In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott dive into a huge question many late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD adults wrestle with: Would a childhood diagnosis have actually changed anything — or possibly made life harder?Jordan and Simon share personal stories of bullying, masking, meltdowns, stigma, and internalised ableism — and reflect on how childhood diagnosis might have affected their families, identities, independence, careers, and relationships. They also read listener responses on how late diagnosis shaped (or didn’t shape) their lives.Together, they explore:Why early diagnosis can bring validation, language, and supportHow lack of awareness in previous decades created stigma and misinformationWhether childhood diagnosis could have prevented trauma — or simply added a label for bulliesThe fear of being limited, infantilised, or underestimated as a neurodivergent childHow family understanding (or lack of it) shapes identity and self-esteemThe generational shift in autism knowledge — and why today’s kids have more toolsLate diagnosis as both a relief and a grieving processWhy the past can’t be changed — but the future absolutely canThis is an honest, nuanced conversation for anyone who has ever wondered how life might have looked if they’d been understood sooner. Whether you were diagnosed as a child, in your 30s, or at 60, this episode reminds you that your neurodivergent journey starts when you finally have the language for it — and it’s never too late to rewrite your story.Our Sponsors:🧠 RTN Diagnostics - Right to Choose – Autism & ADHD Assessments (UK)🧘♀️ Ashley Bentley – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience❤️ Support the ShowIf this episode resonated with you:✅ Follow or Subscribe to The Neurodivergent Experience⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Being Neurodivergent is often shrouded in misconceptions, stereotypes, and limited knowledge. While our experiences may overlap, no two stories are the same. Hosted by The Autistic Photographer, Jordan James, and Simon Scott - The Neurodivergent Experience is the weekly podcast dedicated to exploring the vast world of Autism, ADHD and more!Through this podcast, we aim to challenge those misconceptions and dive deep into the diverse experiences of those in the spectrum by sharing our personal stories, and exploring topics like early interventions, sensory processing, education, employment, and much more. Each episode will feature insightful conversations about living in the spectrum, with guest experts, advocates, and allies who are passionate about creating an inclusive and accepting world.Whether you're Neurodivergent yourself, a friend, a family member, or simply curious about this extraordinary way of experiencing the world, this podcast is your guide to unravelling The Neurodivergent Experience.Because Neurodivergent Voices Deserve to Be Heard—Support Us Today - https://theneurodivergentexperience.supercast.com/Socials:Instagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent ExperienceYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperience Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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