The Neurodivergent Connection / The Curious Storyteller

From “Not College Material” to Advocate: Katie Shelby on Voice, Belonging, and Real Inclusion

Told she wasn’t “college material,” Katie Shelby went anyway—and what she learned can change how we support students.

In this episode of The Neurodiversion Connection, I sit down with Katie Shelby, a paraprofessional from St. Louis living with a language impairment and learning disabilities. She went from being nonverbal in preschool to earn...

Something has changed.

What started as conversations…
has become something deeper.

Both shows have shifted from asking questions…
to exploring the stories behind them.

Because the most powerful moments aren’t scripted.
They’re lived.

These are stories about:

• who we are

• how we think

• what we struggle with

• and what we’re still trying to understand

From neurodivergent experiences to curiosity-driven conversations about...

Intuitive Communication with Nonverbal Individuals: A 30-Year Exploration

Can intuitive communication help us better support nonverbal people? I sit down with a guest who’s spent 30+ years exploring it.

In this episode, I share the moment that set her work in motion: a horseback therapy session where she says she heard a child who didn’t use spoken language communicate with her. From there, we open up a thoughtful, respectful convers...

ADHD Paralysis, The Anti-Planner, and Getting Unstuck with Dani Donovan

Feeling stuck but can’t explain why? In this episode, I sit with ADHD creator Dani Donovan to unpack what “stuck” really feels like—and how we can move again.

I ask Dani to paint that frozen moment we all know: the mess is obvious, the guilt is loud, and your body still won’t start. From there, we explore the real reasons ADHD brains stall, why it’s not lazin...

Patience, Progress, and Real-World Teaching with Joseph Galloway

A 16-year-old lesson in patience reshaped how I see ability, progress, and what real teaching asks of us.

In this episode, I sit down with martial arts instructor and community advocate Joseph Galloway to talk about how one early teaching moment with a student with Down syndrome reframed success for him—and for me. We get real about labels, expectations, and why small w...

Autistic Kids and Sleep: What Parents Often Miss (and What Actually Helps)

Exhausted at 2 a.m.? You’re not alone. In this episode, I sit down with Kelly Ann Riley Smith to talk real-world fixes for autistic sleep struggles.

Kelly’s a neurodivergent former teacher, a mom of four neurodivergent kids, and an autism-and-anxiety sleep specialist. We get honest about what “my child doesn’t sleep” really means, why bedtime isn’t the true st...

Writing as a Lifeline: AuDHD, Burnout, and Building Soul Scribe with Kristy Lee Rackham

What if the story you’re scared to share is the one that helps someone heal?

In this candid conversation, I sit down with Kristy Lee Rackham AuDHD mom, former nurse, boutique publisher, and creator of the Wisdom Keepers series. You’ll hear how she went from full burnout to building Soul Scribe Publishing, why writing became a practical path to...

Dani Donovan is an ADHD advocate, educator, and creator of The Anti-Planner, a revolutionary tool designed to help neurodivergent minds work with their brains instead of against them. Through her art, resources, and lived experience, Dani helps adults better understand executive dysfunction, self-compassion, and how to build systems that actually fit the way they’re wired.

Growing up, Dani always felt out of place—curious, quick...

When Schools Don’t Fit: How to Advocate for Neurodivergent Kids with Janet Krebs

I sit down with Janet Krebs to talk about raising neurodivergent kids in unkind education systems—and what actually helps.

In this episode I ask the tough questions parents avoid: why schools still treat difference like a problem, how to push back when meetings feel hostile, and what parenting leadership actually looks like when the stakes are your child...

I Threw My Mask Away: Living AuDHD Out Loud with Nick Pagano

Masking nearly cost my guest his life — and his honesty about it changed everything. In this episode I talk with Nick Pagano about what happens when you stop pretending and start living as AuDHD.

I’ll share why this conversation matters: you’ll hear how chronic masking, suicidal thoughts, and unmasking intersect with work, relationships, and identity. Nick reveals the p...

Training for a World That Doesn’t Slow Down: Neurodivergent Tools, Food Rescue, and Real Vocational Pathways

What if the world didn’t have to slow down for us — we just needed better tools to meet it on our terms?

In this episode I talk with Shannon Dobbs about three decades of navigating disability, designing assistive tech, and building practical community systems that actually work. You’ll hear why Shannon built an AI-driven “...

About the Guest

Gary Martinez Jr. — autism parent, Manitou Incline devotee, and fundraiser for Kishami Academy. He averages multiple laps per day, uses the trail to raise awareness, and shares practical sensory strategies learned parenting his daughter.

Timestamps

• 0:04 - Episode open and intro to Gary's climb

• 1:19 - Gary explains the one-year Manitou Incline challenge

• 3:53 - Elevation, lap counts, and sponsor match

• 7:02 - Gary on...

When a Diagnosis Opens the Door: A Mother’s Story of Autism, School Battles, and Small Wins

I sit down with Anita G., a retired teacher and podcast host, to hear how one diagnosis changed everything for her family—and why that could matter to you.

In this episode I talk with Anita about recognizing subtle signs of autism, the relief and confusion that followed her son Tyler’s diagnosis at 10, and the ways schools and doctors some...

From Nightclubs to Food Justice: Shannon Dobbs on Neurodivergence, Disability, and Building Better Systems (Part 1)

What happens when a former nightclub owner rethinks food access, work, and learning through a neurodivergent lens?

In this conversation, I sit down with Shannon Dobbs—an Army vet turned nonprofit advocate—who shares how health scares, a late ADHD diagnosis, and hard-won lessons from the VA pushed him to redesign how com...

From Near-Fatal TBI to Helping Men Heal: Daniel’s Story of Grit, Care, and Possibility

A teenage car crash changed everything. In this episode, I sit with Daniel, an LCSW who turned his traumatic brain injury into a calling to support men facing trauma, PTSD, and TBI.

You’ll hear how he went from ICU and tinnitus-filled nights to guiding others through the fog—without losing himself in the process. I reveal the words that fueled ...

ADHD, Fear, and Finding Recovery: A Real Conversation with Chase Thayer

If school felt like quicksand and calm never lasted, this episode will feel like a breath you didn’t know you needed.

I sit down with Chase Thayer to talk about ADHD, fear, grief, and recovery—without sugarcoating. You’ll hear how early shame shaped his choices, why baseball became a lifeline, and the moment he realized substances weren’t the core issue. We get i...

Robert’s story starts with a simple question that changed everything: why can’t people talk to someone right at the point of purchase online? Back in the late ‘90s, he was building websites and saw firsthand how disconnected people felt behind their screens. That spark led him to invent web chat, a tool now woven into the fabric of daily life, and eventually build a multibillion-dollar company centered around making human connectio...

Neurodiverse Intimacy: Rethinking Sex, Consent, and Connection with Cheri

Intimacy isn’t “broken” when you’re neurodivergent—it just plays by different rules. In this episode, I sit down with Cheri, a couple sex therapist and relationship coach, to reframe sex, consent, and communication for neurodiverse couples.

You’ll hear how sensory sensitivities, masking, burnout, and mixed communication styles can shape closeness—and why th...

In this episode, you’ll hear Aisha open up about her journey with multiple mental health diagnoses and how she’s found ways to cope and thrive, even when things felt overwhelming. She shares real stories about what it’s like to juggle conditions like autism, anxiety, and depression, and how she learned to ask for help, set boundaries, and tune into her own needs instead of just powering through. Aisha’s experiences show you’re not ...