In Episode 26 🎧 of The NeuroDADverse, Dan takes the mic solo for a shorter update because we know how ND life can be, work life, and Christmas life all collided at once. In this 17-minute snapshot, he shares a surprisingly joyful Santa visit, a medical challenge that’s emerging for Frankie, some sleep regression, and a week full of giggles, growth, and unexpected calm.

This episode covers:

• Breakfast with Santa in an ND-friendly, quiet, and genuinely magical

• Exploring how refurbishment changes affect ND children

• Capturing the annual Eycott's Christmas photo 📸

• Frankie’s growing confidence, interaction, and joyful giggles

• Medical concerns: scalp soreness, hair loss, medicated shampoo

• How to manage treatments during bath time with sensory sensitivities

• Sleep disruption and what ND parents instinctively fear next

• Leaning on grandparent support during a heavy work schedule

• How small developments (like instant responses to cues) show big progress

• Bath-time score of the week: a solid 8/10

• Looking ahead to school trips, Christmas prep, work do’s, and family balancing

It’s a warm, honest, bite-size check-in that's perfect for parents who know how quickly ND weeks can shift from joy to challenge and back again.

Thank you for listening. Remember:

You’re doing great.

You are enough.

And you’re definitely not alone.

YouTube Chapter Breakdown

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

00:43 – Why This Is a Solo Episode

01:04 – Six Months of The NeuroDADverse

01:39 – Three Words of the Week: Santa, Doctors, Giggles

02:08 – WIN: Breakfast With Santa & ND-Friendly Environment

02:46 – Navigating the Pub Refurbishment (and Why It Mattered)

03:40 – Table Changes, Layout Changes & Frankie’s Reaction

04:04 – Quiet Sessions, Low Demand, Perfect Setup

04:56 – The Santa Visit & Annual Christmas Photo Mission

05:41 – Interacting With Santa & Familiar Faces

06:19 – Post-Santa Mood & Regulation Wins

06:38 – CHALLENGE: Frankie’s Scalp Irritation & Hair Loss

07:09 – Doctor Visit & Treatment Plan (5-Day Shampoo)

07:51 – Sensory Barriers to Medical Assessments

08:11 – Bath-Time Adjustments for Treatment

08:30 – CHALLENGE: Sleep Regression Begins

08:55 – Why Sleep Loss Worries ND Parents

09:22 – Outro & Contact Info

09:34 – Looking Ahead: School Trips & Christmas Card Post Run

09:57 – Busy Work Week & Grandparent Support

10:20 – Longer Days & Missing School Runs

10:50 – Christmas Socials & Work Do’s

11:15 – Why “Giggles” Was a Word of the Week

11:54 – Frankie Showing More Joy & Instant Responses

12:40 – Watching Molecule & Shared Humour Moments

13:07 – Joy as Development: Why Giggles Matter

13:28 – Bath-Time Score: Solid 8/10 Despite Treatment

14:17 – Managing 3–5 Minute Shampoo Time (ND Perspective)

15:10 – Wrapping Up & Missing Ben

15:34 – Six Months In: Reflecting on Growth

16:07 – Please Like, Subscribe & Reach Out

16:16 – Final Message: You’re Doing Great

16:23 – Outro

🎙️ Two dads. One mission. Raising ND kids in a very NT world.

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