Following on from part 1, fan favourite Jo Matthews joins Mark once more for another laughter-filled, cathartic rant through the most mind-bogglingly ill-informed things people have said about raising autistic, ADHD, PDA and otherwise neurodivergent kids.
In this episode, Mark and Jo go deeper into strategies for pushing back against ignorance without burning out.
They discuss when to educate, when to ignore, and how to protect your peace when it feels like the world has no idea what you’re going through.
Jo shares practical approaches for raising awareness in schools and extended families, and why some battles just aren’t worth fighting.
This one’s full of laughter, reassurance, solidarity and a few tactical comebacks for the next time someone says, “They seem fine to me.”
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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):
00:00 - Intro & Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews Returns
05:30 - "Have you tried a routine?"
10:30 - "Have you tried a parenting course?"
13:30 - “Have you tried changing their diet?”
17:00 - "Why don't you take their screens away?"
20:00 - "Does he have mild autism?"
25:30 - Good autism v bad autism
29:00 - “We’re all a bit autistic"
34:30 - "ADHD is just an excuse"
37:00 - “It doesn't define him”
41:00 - "There's nothing wrong with him"
43:00 - Medical v Social models of disability
47:30 - "My kid does that"
50:00 - “He'll eat when he's hungry"
52:30 - “He'll grow out of it"
54:30 - “He doesn't look autistic"
56:30 - “But, he can talk, so he can’t be autistic”
59:00 - “ADHD is just for boys”
1:01:30 - "What's wrong with him?"
1:02:30 - "I bet he's good at maths"
1:04:30 - "I don't know how you do it"
1:07:00 - Misguided empathy: "I know how you feel"
1:09:00 - "But I do that and I'm not autistic"
1:14:00 - The completely batshit mental comments
1:20:00 - Neurodiversity Champions
1:21:30 - Tiny Epic Wins
1:25:00 - "What the flip?" moments
1:27:30 - Wrap-up & contact info
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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:
The medical vs social models of disability: www.scope.org.uk/about-us/social-model-of-disability/
Autism assessments (AQ Test): www.embrace-autism.com/aq-10/#test
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CONTACT US
📧 Email: hello@neuroshambles.com
📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles
🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod
📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles
🧵 Threads: @neuroshambles
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CREDITS
🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com
