Family and relationships
Mixed neurotype families, intimacy, siblings and staying connected when everyone needs something different.
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Mixed neurotype families, intimacy, siblings and staying connected when everyone needs something different.
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Neurodivergent families experience isolation at twice the rate of neurotypical families, not because they can't cope, but because most spaces were never designed for them. In this episode, Laetitia Andrac (co-founder of Understanding Zoe) explores what real community looks like for neurodivergent people and families. She shares practical strategies for creating sensory-friendly, inclusive gatherings where everyone genuinely feels welcome, and explains how to build your village deliberately, right where you are.
4 September 2026
Neurodivergent parents are whole people with their own nervous systems, capacity limits, and needs that matter just as much as their children's. This conversation with disability advocate Hollie-Ann Newman challenges the myth that parental regulation must be perfect, explores what sustainable neurodivergent parenting actually looks like when you embrace your own needs rather than constantly compensating for them, and offers a practical framework: awareness, accommodation, repair, and support. For the 60% of neurodivergent parents raising neurodivergent children, the path forward is not better self-care habits but honest acknowledgment that your needs belong in the family too.
27 August 2026
Travel is not off the table for neurodivergent families. This guide explores why over 600 neurodivergent young people named travel as their top interest, and how to design trips around the nervous system rather than neuronormative expectations. Learn practical preparation steps (visual social stories, airport accessibility pages, pre-trip planning), how to build travel confidence in small moments, and why sensory breaks and decompression days are essential, not optional. Featuring insights from Agnes Abelsen, founder of Travengers AU, and a neurodivergent young person's honest perspective on what actually makes travel easier.
1 July 2026
Online spaces have been a lifeline for autistic and neurodivergent communities for decades. Rather than viewing screens as dangerous, this article explores why curiosity-based approaches to online safety work better than restriction. Drawing on lived experience and research, we explore what screen time actually meets for neurodivergent children, how to talk about online safety without damage to trust, and why families thrive when supported by community rather than burdened alone.
26 May 2026
Understanding Zoe co-founders Laetitia and Johan discuss what it really looks like to parent a neurodivergent child inside a relationship where each partner experiences the world differently. They explore the shift from fixing behaviour to facilitating the environment, practical co-regulation strategies, and why neurodivergent parents feel so alone (and why they're not). Backed by research showing 93% of parents raising neurodivergent children feel misunderstood, this conversation models honest communication across neurotype differences.
13 May 2026
This article explores building authentic connections with neurodivergent young people by shifting from compliance to connection-based approaches. Featuring psychologist Isobel Ziatas, it covers the PACE framework (Playfulness, Acceptance, Curiosity, Empathy), safety through predictability and control, and repair strategies. Key concepts include the 'most generous interpretation' for behaviour and recognising that genuine connection grows from curiosity and consistency.
3 February 2026
Raising neurodivergent children depletes the emotional and physical resources couples need for intimacy. But intimacy extends far beyond sex. Clinical psychologist and sexologist Lil Desille shares how neurodivergent families can create 'pockets' of connection. From understanding the systemic pressures that pull partners apart to practical strategies for rebuilding emotional closeness, this guide shows why prioritising your partnership benefits your entire family.
2 December 2025
With Agnes Abelsen
With Shadia Hancock
With Isobel Ziatas
With Lil Desille