Featuring:

Peter Shankman, entrepreneur, founder of Source of Sources, and early architect of the AOL newsroom

Before the internet became corporate and slow, it was chaos... and a lot of it was built by neurodivergent brains moving fast and breaking things.

Peter Shankman joins Sarah to talk about helping build the AOL newsroom, quitting the corporate meeting machine, and accidentally creating one of the most powerful media networking tools on the internet.

In this episode, we explore:

The First Real Job:

Peter lands at America Online in the 90s (back when AOL was the internet) and helps create the AOL Newsroom by experimenting & moving fast.

The Identity Shift:

Next, Peter tries a traditional media job and immediately hits a wall: endless meetings, zero momentum, and a structure that was never gonna work for him.

Protecting Your Peace:

Find the workaround for you: if the system isn’t working, try something new.

Unexpected Details:

Peter grew up in NYC, went to a performing arts high school, and sang for decades?!

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why do so many ADHD people end up building companies or working in startups?

2. What was it actually like inside AOL when the internet was first exploding?

3. How can creators, podcasters, and entrepreneurs get press and media attention without hiring a PR firm?

Resources Mentioned:

Source of Sources (SOS) – connect journalists and experts

https://sourceofsources.com

Peter's Website https://www.shankman.com

Follow Peter on social (@petershankman)

Featuring: Cate Osborn & Eric Gude, authors of The ADHD Field Guide for Adults

What happens when you finally get the thing you’ve worked toward for years before you suddenly realize you can’t sustain it?

This conversation explores the grief, identity shifts, and radical self-honesty at the heart of the ADHD experience.

In this episode, we explore:

The Tower Moment: Cate’s 2018 medical crisis and late ADHD diagnosis reframed her entire life, while Eric’s teenage realization that effort alone couldn’t override his brain shattered his “mind over matter” narrative.

The Identity Grief Spiral: From Shakespeare professor dreams to professional sourdough baker pivots, we unpack the heartbreak of loving something deeply — and still having to let it go.

The Field Guide Framework: Their book is designed as a non-linear, shame-free resource that teaches readers how to name their wants, needs, strengths, and limits instead of prescribing one-size-fits-all solutions.

Protecting Your Peace: We talk about radical patience — with yourself, with neurotypicals, and with the parts of you that are still learning — plus the power of asking directly for what you want without apology.

The Very Human Stuff: Wednesday Addams airport pickups, Renaissance festivals, ungraded papers from 10 years ago, sourdough at 3am, touching grass and trees to regulate, and the fear of liking something too much.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why does life with ADHD feel like an ongoing cycle of grief and reinvention?
2. How do you tell the difference between “this is hard” and “this isn’t for me”?
3. What does it actually mean to be a fearless student of your own brain?

Resources Mentioned:

The ADHD Field Guide for Adults by Cate Osborn & Eric Gude

Website: Catieosaurus.com + national tour info

@Catieosaurus & @HeyGude (Erik) on TikTok/IG

Cate and Eric’s Infinite Quest (podcast): https://infinitequestpodcast.com/

Sorry, I Missed This (podcast): https://www.understood.org/en/podcasts/sorry-i-missed-this

Featuring: Dr. Melisa Moore, licensed psychologist & board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist

If you’ve ever whispered “why can’t I get my kid to sleep?” at 10:47 p.m., this episode dismantles the guilt and replaces it with biology, nuance, and real-life flexibility.

In this episode, we explore:

You’re Not a Bad Parent: Is there a rational reason why I struggle with sleep routines as a parent?

“Adolescent Circadian Shift”: What do child development studies tell us about early morning wake-ups for adolescents?

The Five S’s to Sleep Routines: What does it actually take to build a nighttime routine for neurodivergent kids?

Protecting Your Peace: How to make sure we don’t sacrifice connection for perfection at bedtime?

Unexpected Human Detail: This sleep specialist tells the story of supporting her AuDHD son & his late-night snacking habit... sometimes its ok to leave your kids lemon Oreos on the nightstand .

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why does traditional sleep hygiene advice often fail neurodivergent families?
2. Is screen time always the villain at bedtime or does distraction sometimes help a busy brain fall asleep?
3. How do sleep associations (like co-sleeping or listening to videos) affect middle-of-the-night wakeups?

Resources Mentioned:

The Good Sleep Guide for Neurodivergent Kids by Dr. Melisa Moore [https://newworldlibrary.com/product/the-good-sleep-guide-for-neurodivergent-kids]

drmelissamoore.com

​ ⁨@drmelisamoore⁩

​ ⁨@NewWorldLibrary⁩

Connect With Us!

ndreportpod.com

Follow @NDreportpod on all the socials!

Diagnosed at four. Told what she “wouldn’t” do.

Now she’s training for triathlons while juggling college, sensory needs, and full-time endurance sport.

In this episode, we explore:

Importance of Parental Support: Doctors predicted limits. Her parents built a support network instead.

Running Changed My Life: Medication made her feel flat and lethargic. Running regulated her nervous system & finally changed everything.

Color-Coded Chaos: Google Calendar. Daily check-ins. Flexible rescheduling.

Protecting Your Peace: tips for managing sensory overwhelm

Plastic Feet Totem: cute story about how movement + tangible goals = motivation.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do you train for Ironman without burning out?

2. What does early autism support actually look like?

3. How do you juggle school, sport, and sensory regulation without melting down?

Resources Mentioned:

TriGirlAdrienne.com

IG: trigirl_16

Connect with us!

NDReportPod.com

Featuring: Struan Mackenzie, former UK civil servant & creator of the YouTube channel Am I Neurodivergent?

This is a conversation about burnout, identity collapse, and rebuilding from the inside out.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Late Diagnosis: From stress breakdown to rabbit-hole of autism research... suddenly realized his entire life made sense.
• The Identity Reformation: Another non-linear story of diagnosis. From ASD, to combined-type ADHD, to discovering AuDHD; Struan shares how each diagnosis both clarified and destabilized his sense of self... including deconstructing internalized ableism.
• Protecting Your Peace: From scripting work meetings for hours during COVID to redefining his relationship with alcohol and social energy, Struan shares how he’s learning to honor his nervous system instead of pushing through it.
• The Unexpected Human Detail: Childhood quirks (i.e. lining up toy cars in perfect order, or hiding inside a bookcase) behavior no one recognized at the time, but now reads like a neon sign for autism.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. Why were so many high-achieving neurodivergent adults missed in childhood, especially in the 70s, 80s, and 90s?

2. What does cyclical burnout actually look like & where does it come from?

3. How does alcohol uniquely affect autistic and ADHD nervous systems & why does the crash hit so hard?

Looking for Struan?

youtube.com/@amineurodivergent

Connect With Us:

ndreportpod.com

@NDreportpod on all the socials!

Featuring:

Jonathan Katz-Ouziel, autistic accessibility consultant and founder of Opossum House Accessibility

What happens when autism is diagnosed early, supported well, and allowed to stay joyful — and how OCD complicates (and sometimes sharpens) everything that comes after

In this episode, we explore:

• Early Diagnosis Moment: what it was like being diagnosed autistic at age three in the 1990s, and how access, parental belief, and early support shape sense of self

• The Identity Shift: From masking in a conformist school system to reclaiming autism as something fun, social, and deeply human — while naming the privilege baked into his journey

• Creating Workarounds & Framework: How OCD-driven rituals around time, sleep, and lists evolved into autistic-friendly executive function systems that actually support his work

• Calming Sensory Needs: Why unmet sensory needs can amplify OCD, how light and heat regulation matter, and what it means to design life around nervous system safety

• Random moments: Eggplants are botanically berries, opossums are the ultimate autistic mascot, and leaning into “cringe” is a survival strategy

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do autism and OCD interact — and when does one help or hinder the other?

2. What does accessibility actually look like beyond ramps and compliance checklists?

3. Is starting a business as a neurodivergent person empowering or a fast track to burnout?

Resources Mentioned:

Opossum House Accessibility (Jonathan’s consulting practice) >>>https://www.opossumhouseaccessibility.com/

Jonathan Katz-Ouziel on LinkedIn >>>https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-katz-ouziel-cpacc-6b098334/

Connect With Us

>>>⁠https://www.ndreportpod.com/

⁠Follow @ndreportpod on your social platform of choice

Ft: Karen Kossow, disability advocate, neurodivergent parent, and co-founder of Faircare Idaho

What happens when parenting, disability, hormones, and burnout collide — and the systems meant to support you quietly disappear?

In this episode, we explore:

• Brain Fog + Burnout = Breaking Point

  Sarah gets vulnerable about worsening brain fog and fatigue, opening a larger conversation about perimenopause, disability, and survival under constant strain.

• Late Recognition & Reframing Expectations

  Karen talks parenting autistic kids, navigating Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and the loss of access of familiar coping mechanisms during perimenopause.

• The Reality of Caregiving Without Support:

  Why paid family caregiver programs matter, what happens when they’re cut, and how unpaid labor props up broken socioeconomic systems.

• Develop Self-Care Rituals:

  Learning to read non-verbal body signals, prioritize finite energy, and practice nervous system rest & regulation instead of pushing through.

Key Questions Answered in the Audio:

1. How do I know I’m doing too much?

2. Why are families expected to survive without real systemic support?

3. What practical nervous system grounding tools actually help when you’re already overwhelmed & over-scheduled?

Resources Mentioned:

Karen Kossow’s Substack — Self-Care Support Squad https://karenkossow.substack.com/

Faircare Idaho (family paid caregiving advocacy) https://faircareidaho.substack.com/

Connect With Us

⁠https://www.ndreportpod.com/

⁠Follow @ndreportpod on your social platform of choice

Featuring: Lucy — Art therapist based in Melbourne, Australia, working at the intersection of creativity, neurodivergence, sensory regulation, and relational healing.

People rarely heal by talking alone; this week, Lucy joins me to explain that slow and soft sensory practices can be the most powerful tools for nervous system repair, especially for neurodivergent people who’ve built up trauma just trying to survive without proper self-understanding.

Curious What’s Inside?

1. Crafting for Nervous System Repair: how slow, tactile art forms like embroidery can support regulation, agency, and self-worth when words and traditional therapy fall short.

2. Craft as stimming: How hand-crafting creates felt-safety through rhythm, repetition, and choice.

3. Animals & Co-Regulation: Exploring how animals can buff your restoration score

4. Sensory Awareness & Grounding: Low-demand grounding practices that don’t rely on breathwork or visualization techniques

Questions We Answer:

• Why do some people heal more through creating art than in talk therapy?

• How can craft support executive function and emotional regulation?

• What makes breathwork grounding inaccessible for many neurodivergent people?

• How do animals support co-regulation in therapy and daily life?

• What does low-demand grounding actually look like in practice?

Guest & Links

Lucy, Art Therapist

Instagram: @embrace.this.space

Website: https://embracethisspace.com.au

Pencil Dust — an animated podcast about art, neurodivergence, and late diagnosis @pencildustpod

Connect With Us

⁠https://www.ndreportpod.com/

⁠Follow @ndreportpod on your social platform of choice