Adulting with Autism

The promotions were there. The pay was good. The team was successful.
So why didn't it feel like success?
In this episode of Adulting with Autism, I talk with executive coach and author Chad Betz about the moment he sat in a parking garage after work and realized that the life he had built no longer matched what success meant to him.
We explore the difference between pursuing something you genuinely want and following expectations inherited from family, coworkers, social media, or an earlier version of yourself. Chad shares how informational interviews, small experiments, trusted support, and reflection can help you explore a new direction without immediately quitting your job or taking on another degree.
For autistic, ADHD, and other neurodivergent adults reassessing life after late identification, this conversation makes room for an important possibility: learning more about yourself can change your goals—and changing direction does not erase everything you have already accomplished.
We also discuss Chad's 20-goal exercise, his use of the OODA loop—Observe, Orient, Decide, Act—and why coaching should help you identify your own direction rather than hand you another person's definition of success.
In This Episode, We Cover
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Chad's parking-garage realization: professional achievement did not automatically create personal fulfillment.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The shift from reacting to circumstances toward identifying choices within his control.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why success does not have to happen by a particular age.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How experience can provide useful skills while also making it harder to change direction.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Exploring whether difficult work still connects with your sense of purpose.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why leaving a field does not mean your education and experience were wasted.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> A criminal-justice graduate's exploration of banking, legal support, and alternative career paths.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Informational interviews: learning what a role actually involves before committing.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Coaches, mentors, and trusted advisers as outside perspectives.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Testing an idea through a hobby, volunteer opportunity, or side project.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Fear of uncertainty versus the feeling that leaving means losing your past investment.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Building confidence through manageable action and learning.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Coaching that draws out your goals instead of imposing new ones.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The 20-goal exercise: identifying recurring interests and priorities.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Reassessing work after learning something significant about yourself.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Distinguishing genuine ambition from pressure to prove yourself.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why protection and support are not always the same thing.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Accountability, habits, and giving yourself room for difficult days.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Using Observe, Orient, Decide, Act to revisit your direction.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Questions to ask before accepting a promotion or new responsibility.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Allowing your definition of success to evolve.

About the Guest
Chad Betz is an executive coach and author who helps people explore success that is personally meaningful to them. He works with individuals who feel stuck, uncertain about their next step, or disconnected from a career that may appear successful from the outside.
In this episode, Chad shares how his own professional dissatisfaction led him to reconsider his values, goals, and relationship with work. His approach emphasizes reflection, practical exploration, informational interviews, and small steps toward change.
Find Chad's coaching information, books, social links, and free content through the website he names in the interview: An Authentic Success.
Publishing note: The spoken website address sounds like "an authentic success dot com." Confirm the exact URL with Chad before adding a clickable link. The transcript also does not identify a specific book title.
Key Takeaways
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> External achievement and personal fulfillment are not necessarily the same thing.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Your education and experience remain part of your skill set even if you change direction.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> A new chapter can begin with an experiment—not an immediate resignation.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Informational interviews can help replace an imagined career with a clearer picture of daily work.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Coaching should support your choices rather than create another set of expectations to satisfy.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Confidence can grow through small actions; it does not have to arrive before you begin.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> A promotion deserves evaluation, not automatic acceptance.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Your goals can change as your needs, priorities, and self-understanding change.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> A hard period is a reason to investigate—not proof that your whole career was a mistake.

A company can celebrate neurodiversity, hire neurodivergent employees, and still create a workplace where those employees burn out trying to stay.
So what does inclusion look like after the interview?
In this episode of Adulting with Autism, I talk with Nat Hawley, founder of Divergent Thinking, a UK-based workplace neuroinclusion consultancy. Nat combines lived experience of autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia with professional experience and a master's degree in applied neuroscience. His organization supports workplaces through training, coaching, needs assessments, and reviews of recruitment, communication, policies, and everyday practice.divergentthinking
We discuss the difference between awareness and embedded inclusion, why accessible recruitment must lead to sustainable employment, and how workplaces can remove unnecessary barriers before employees have to ask.
Nat also shares a practical approach to feedback: describe what happened, avoid assuming the worst, explain the impact, and work together on a way forward. We explore disclosure as a personal decision, asking for support, workplace needs passports, and why promotion should recognize results—not require everyone to follow one narrow path.
This episode is for neurodivergent employees, job seekers, managers, HR teams, parents supporting young adults, and anyone tired of hearing "read the room" instead of receiving clear instructions.
In this episode
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Nat's journey from understanding himself through limitations to recognizing his strengths.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Combining lived experience, professional practice, and neuroscience.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Universal design: starting with how people work rather than requiring people to fit existing processes.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why celebrating neurodiversity is different from embedding inclusion into everyday decisions.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Moving from reactive support toward proactive, sustainable workplace practices.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The difference between getting someone hired and helping them stay without exhausting themselves.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Recruitment processes that reward familiarity and social performance rather than revealing talent.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Written communication, quiet spaces, and accessible onboarding as everyday design choices.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Checking staffing, training, workload, and time expectations before blaming an employee.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Questions job seekers can ask about policies, employee networks, and leadership.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Nat's explanation of double empathy as a two-way effort to understand different communication styles.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why "be more proactive," "it's obvious," and "read the room" can leave employees guessing.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> A feedback approach built around observation, impact, curiosity, and collaboration.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Framing support requests around what helps you contribute effectively.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why disclosure is personal—not a requirement to become the office's neurodiversity spokesperson.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Workplace needs assessments and passports as ways to document practical support.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Recognizing when repeated unmet needs may indicate a workplace mismatch.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Career progression through different methods, including assistive technology.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Nat's example of using audio to improve his understanding and retention of written material.

About Nat Hawley
Nat Hawley is the founder of Divergent Thinking, a UK-based workplace neuroinclusion consultancy. In this conversation, he shares his lived experience of autism, dyslexia, and dyspraxia and describes a decade of supporting neurodivergent people with employment, purpose, and self-understanding.
A TEDx speaker with an MSc in Applied Neuroscience, Nat brings together personal experience and workplace expertise. Divergent Thinking offers consultancy, workplace needs assessments, strengths-based coaching, audits, manager training, workshops, and speaking services.divergentthinking
Find Nat's resources, training, coaching, workshops, and contact information at divergentthinking.uk—not ".co.uk."divergentthinking
Key takeaways
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> An accessible interview is a beginning, not the end of inclusion.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Sustainable employment matters as much as recruitment.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Before judging performance, investigate the instructions, training, workload, environment, and available support.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Clear feedback describes behavior and impact rather than assigning a negative personality label.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Understanding communication differences should be a shared effort.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> People can discuss work preferences without making their whole identity available for public discussion.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Different methods can lead to the same valuable outcome.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Workplace inclusion should be built into everyday systems—not restarted every awareness week.

What if understanding your energy, attention, and daily struggles does not require another expensive wearable—or tracking every 15 minutes of your life?
In this episode of Adulting with Autism, I talk with science writer Gary Wolf, co-founder of the Quantified Self movement and author of The Quantified Self: Learning to Observe. His work explores how people can use their own observations and data to answer questions that matter in their everyday lives.:not([hidden])~:not([hidden]))]:border-soft bg-soft">workman+1
We discuss how to start with one concrete question: Do I have energy left after work? When do I crash? What makes me late? What helps me recover?
Gary explains why personal observations matter, how wearables can provide context without telling the whole story, and why an experiment that does not work is information—not proof that you failed. We also walk through my hypothetical work-crash pattern and explore how to investigate it without immediately turning my entire life upside down.
This conversation is for autistic, ADHD, and neurodivergent adults who want to understand themselves without creating another overwhelming productivity system.
In this episode
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How a gathering organized by Gary and Kevin Kelly became a worldwide self-research community.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The three Quantified Self show-and-tell questions: "What did I do? How did I do it? What did I learn?"

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why tracking attention or energy does not have to mean recording every moment.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Starting with one daily observation rather than a complicated dashboard.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Gary's practical starting suggestion of approximately six weeks of daily observations—not a universal threshold for proving a result.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why "I had energy left after work" is a meaningful observation.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Refining vague measures into something easier to notice.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Investigating specific difficulties instead of trying to measure "executive function" as one giant concept.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Foreground data: the question or experience you actually care about.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Background data: context from wearables, calendars, messages, and other existing records.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The difference between noticing a useful personal pattern and proving an intervention works for everyone.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> When tracking becomes more burdensome than useful.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The role of clinician collaboration when questions involve symptoms, medication, or health decisions.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> April's hypothetical question: "Why do I crash every third workday?"

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Observing a pattern before choosing a change.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Using what you learn to select a small, relevant experiment.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why curiosity can help replace the story "This system failed, so I'm a failure."

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Learning from other people's self-research without assuming their solution will fit your life.

About Gary
Gary Wolf is a science and technology writer based in Berkeley, California. A former executive editor of Wired Digital and contributing editor at Wired, he co-founded the Quantified Self movement in 2008.workman
He now works with the Personal Science Research Group to develop methods, tools, and case studies that support small-scale empirical research. His book, The Quantified Self: Learning to Observe, brings together personal stories and scientific reasoning methods for exploring questions about mood, cognition, sleep, pain, digestion, and other areas of life.:not([hidden])~:not([hidden]))]:border-soft bg-soft">workman+1
Resources:
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Gary's website.antephase

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Quantified Self and book information.quantifiedself

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Publisher's book page.workman

Release note: The publisher lists October 6, 2026, as the book's release date. Use "available for preorder" if the episode publishes before then, and "available now" afterward.workman
Key takeaways
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Start with a question that matters to you—not whatever your device happens to measure.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> One useful observation can be more manageable than a complicated tracking system.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Your experience belongs in the picture; a wearable score is not the whole story.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Personal patterns can guide questions and decisions without establishing universal cause and effect.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Tracking should serve your life. Reassess when its burden exceeds its usefulness.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> An unsuccessful experiment can still teach you something.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Health-related tracking can support a clinical conversation; it is not a substitute for medical evaluation or guidance on medication changes.

What if you spent years believing you were lazy, disorganized, not smart enough, too emotional, not trying hard enough, or "not living up to your potential"—only to discover that ADHD, executive-function differences, anxiety, and a learning disability were shaping your experience the entire time?
In this episode of Adulting with Autism, I talk with Marvie Corbett, clinical therapist, social worker, author, ADHD adult, parent of three, and educational advocate in the DC/Virginia area. Marvie shares how postpartum depression and anxiety led to cognitive testing—and how those results gave her language for a lifetime of struggles with focus, math, organization, task initiation, academic pressure, self-doubt, and masking.paste.txt
We talk about bright kids who can compensate until executive-function demands rise, the overlap between ADHD and anxiety, why girls are often labeled anxious or depressed before anyone looks at ADHD, and how families can support neurodivergent children without turning every struggle into a moral failure.
This is a conversation about replacing shame with context, building systems around your actual brain, and learning how to be the boss of your executive functioning instead of feeling controlled by it.
In This Episode, We Cover
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Who Marvie Corbett is: clinical therapist, social worker, author, parent of three, ADHD adult, educational advocate, and clinician in the DC/Virginia area.paste.txt

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why "bright but struggling," "lazy," "not trying," "unmotivated," and "not living up to your potential" are harmful labels for ADHD adults and children.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Executive functioning as a collection of skills or "muscles," not one single ability.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Different executive-function areas: task initiation, sustained attention, working memory, organization, planning, emotional regulation, impulse control, flexibility, prioritization, and follow-through.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why task initiation gets so much attention: people can see that you are not starting the report, assignment, homework, email, or household task—but they cannot see the effort it takes to begin.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Marvie's late ADHD discovery after postpartum depression and anxiety with her second child.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How cognitive testing helped separate sleep deprivation, anxiety, depression, focus difficulties, learning differences, and underlying ADHD patterns.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why a good assessment can create a "lightbulb moment" for adults who have spent decades blaming themselves.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The grief and relief of realizing, "I am actually smart. It was just really hard."

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How ADHD and learning differences can remain hidden in academically bright children who compensate through intelligence, perfectionism, people-pleasing, overworking, anxiety, and last-minute effort.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why executive-function demands often increase sharply around third and fourth grade, sixth grade, ninth grade, college, parenting, postpartum life, and high-pressure careers.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why a child can do well in early grades and then "hit a wall" as organization, multi-step assignments, independent work, social complexity, and workload demands increase.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Marvie's realization that she also had a math learning disability and how that reframed years of frustration with math homework and academics.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why girls are often diagnosed first with anxiety or depression while ADHD goes unseen.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why anxiety and ADHD can become intertwined: behavioral feedback, rejection, impulsivity, overstimulation, fast thinking, threat scanning, perfectionism, and fear of disappointing people.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> ADHD and anxiety as "friends nobody asked for."

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why highly capable ADHD adults may create elaborate systems, lists, reminders, alarms, notes, and organization hacks without realizing they are compensating for executive-function needs.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Neurodivergent and neurotypical relationships: why people can care deeply about each other while using different "operating systems."

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why forgetfulness, missed dates, incomplete tasks, topic-switching, and delayed follow-through can hurt loved ones even when they are not intentional.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why neurotypical people may need to pause before personalizing executive-function challenges.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why neurodivergent people still need to take responsibility for creating systems that help them show up in relationships.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Batching: pairing a task you need to do with something more enjoyable or rewarding to make it easier to start.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why neurotypical people do not always need to understand every neurodivergent brain hack in order to respect it.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How ADHD masking differs from autistic masking.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> ADHD masking as overworking, people-pleasing, running too hot, striving for approval, overperforming, compensating, and pushing yourself beyond sustainable capacity.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Autistic masking as navigating social cues, performing expected behavior, modifying communication, managing eye contact, decoding indirect language, and suppressing natural responses.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why "doing your best" should include leaving enough energy for home, rest, relationships, hobbies, and life outside work.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How to distinguish your actual goals from conventional success, prestige, family expectations, income pressure, achievement culture, and "more, more, more."

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why a sustainable job may matter more than a prestigious job.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Questions to ask about career fit:

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Will I have energy after work?

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Can I work at a pace that fits my brain?

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Do I have autonomy?

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Is there meaning behind the work?

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Is the environment tolerable?

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Can I build a contented life around this role?

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Time blindness: struggling to estimate time, track time passing, plan ahead, understand duration, or accurately predict how long something will take.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why always arriving 15–30 minutes early can actually be a coping strategy for time blindness.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Visual time tools: analog clocks, visual timers, color-based timers, countdowns, routines, and external time cues.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Biological time versus clock time: working around hunger, fatigue, energy, interest, and internal rhythm rather than only arbitrary clock expectations.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Strategic avoidance: avoiding emails, bank accounts, grading, paperwork, difficult conversations, medical appointments, and other emotionally threatening tasks.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How to tell the difference between avoiding something because it is boring and avoiding it because it triggers shame, rejection sensitivity, fear, guilt, or past negative experiences.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why scheduling work and scheduling fun can reduce guilt and make rest more restorative.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Sensory regulation for ADHD adults: movement, fidgeting, cardiovascular exercise, music, novelty, physical activity, stimulation, and intentional sensory input.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why fidgeting may support focus and retention.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why ADHD adults may need stimulation to regulate rather than needing only quiet rest.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why exercise can help reduce anxiety and improve executive functioning.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Body doubling as adult parallel play: working near another person, even on different tasks, to support activation, accountability, and focus.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> What supportive relationships with ADHD adults can look like: curiosity, humor, realistic time expectations, reminders, acceptance, communication, and not taking every interruption personally.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why ADHD interruptions can be about working memory and connection rather than disrespect.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How to communicate when interruptions hurt: name the impact without assuming malicious intent.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why neurodivergence should not become a moral failure or an excuse.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How to own your needs while also accepting responsibility for the systems, supports, and strategies that help you participate in relationships and daily life.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why newly diagnosed ADHD adults should begin with reflection instead of immediately redesigning their entire lives.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> The importance of looking back at your history with curiosity: school, relationships, work, childhood feedback, academic shifts, anxiety, depression, burnout, and patterns of self-blame.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Self-compassion versus self-esteem: why worth should not depend on achievement, success, being "good enough," or proving yourself.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why you should treat yourself as you would treat a good friend who is struggling.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Parenting neurodivergent children while neurodivergent yourself: dividing responsibilities based on actual strengths, supporting your own sensory needs, preventing overload, and asking for help.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Educational advocacy: why parents should not wait until the wheels fall off to ask for evaluation, testing, accommodations, support, or learning-difference screening.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why academic decline, school refusal, homework meltdowns, sudden dislike of school, reading avoidance, math distress, writing avoidance, and increased anxiety can all be useful signs that more support is needed.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How to include young people in IEP, 504, accommodation, and advocacy conversations without making them feel broken or different.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> How to frame supports positively: "Your brain needs this," "This helps you learn," and "You deserve tools that make school workable."

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Why families can laugh about ADHD chaos without becoming mocking, minimizing, or shame-based.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Marvie's books: a picture book about ADHD and anxiety, plus a therapeutic fantasy novel exploring productive thoughts, perfectionism, trauma, ADHD, learning differences, depression, friendship, and self-understanding.paste.txt

About the Guest
Marvie Corbett is a clinical therapist, social worker, author, parent of three, and ADHD adult based in the DC/Virginia area. She works with neurodivergent children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families around ADHD, anxiety, depression, executive functioning, learning differences, parent coaching, educational advocacy, relationships, and self-understanding.paste.txt
Marvie serves as one of the directors at Rebecca Resnick and Associates, where she supports group programming and educational advocacy. Her work focuses on helping people understand their own cognitive and emotional patterns, reduce shame, build practical strategies, and develop language for needs that may have gone unnamed for years.paste.txt
She is also the creator of Marveling Therapeutic Tools, where she shares therapeutic and educational resources, including books for children, parents, and families navigating ADHD, anxiety, perfectionism, trauma, learning differences, depression, and self-compassion.paste.txt
Find Marvie through resnickpsychology.com and marvelingtherapeutictools.com. Her books are also available through Amazon and Barnes & Noble.paste.txt
Key Takeaways
p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> ADHD is not laziness. Executive function affects task initiation, sustained focus, organization, working memory, emotional regulation, impulse control, and follow-through.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Bright children may compensate through intelligence, anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and extreme effort until executive-function demands become too high.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Girls are often identified first as anxious or depressed while ADHD and learning differences go unnoticed.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> A child who suddenly hates school, melts down over homework, avoids reading, struggles with math, or becomes more anxious may need more support—not more criticism.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Anxiety can become an executive-function strategy by creating urgency, but cortisol-driven productivity is not sustainable.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Neurodivergent people do not need to become good at every weakness. They need systems, support, delegation, accommodations, trade-offs, and opportunities to use their strengths.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Time blindness can look like chronic lateness, but it can also look like always being excessively early to avoid the risk of lateness.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> A supportive relationship with an ADHD person includes communication, curiosity, humor, realistic expectations, and understanding that interruptions or tangents are not always disrespect.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Self-compassion is more sustainable than self-esteem built on performance.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Parents of neurodivergent kids need to support their own regulation, sensory needs, executive-function limits, and overload patterns too.

p]:pt-0 [&>p]:mb-2 [&>p]:my-0"> Educational advocacy works best when parents notice early signs, document concerns, ask questions, seek evaluation, and include children in understanding their supports.