The Neurodivergent Lens
The Neurodivergent Lens explores what the world looks like when you genuinely listen to neurodivergent individuals. Through conversations with people of lived and professional experience, it delves into the realities of dyslexic and neurodivergent lives. The podcast aims to educate, reduce stigma, and foster a more inclusive and nuanced understanding of neurodivergence.
Episodes
ADHD & The Two Clocks: The Battle Between Clock Time and Felt Time
Why can you do in two hours at 11:37pm the night before a deadline, what you couldn’t start for two weeks? If that question lands a little too close to home, this episode is for you.In this solo reflection, host Meryem Hassan explores ADHD and our relationship with time through two ancient Greek ideas: Chronos - clock time, the time we measure and organise our lives around - and Kairos - the oppor
ADHD in Elite Sport: From Shame Spirals to Tag Rugby World Cup Bronze | Sophia Prout
She was diagnosed with ADHD at 16 in the US, thought she'd grown out of it, then diagnosed again in her 20s after the pandemic pulled the routine out from under her. In this episode, former GB tag rugby player and Tag Rugby World Cup bronze medallist Sophia Prout joins Meryem to talk about masking, rejection sensitivity dysphoria and the "shame spirals," and the striking contrast be
Think Differently: Inside a School Built for Neurodivergent Minds | Bridget Young, Head Teacher
"Think differently means at Holmewood we think differently - because we're neurodivergent." That's how one of her own students corrected Bridget Young on what her school's tagline actually means.Bridget is Head Teacher of The Holmewood School, London - a specialist school built around neurodivergent young people - and has spent more than 20 years in education. Host Meryem
Diagnosed at 37: How Dyslexia Hides—Even From a Doctor | Dr Rohini Sabherwal, GP
"I was told I just didn't read enough." For years, that was the explanation for Dr Rohini Sabherwal's struggles at school. It wasn't until she was 37 - mid-way through a Master's, and already a practising GP - that a chance moment revealed the truth: she's dyslexic.Host Meryem Hassan sits down with Rohini for a warm, honest and genuinely illuminating conversation
Dyslexia, Stigma & Men's Mental Health: "Society Didn't Know How to Talk to Me" | Jon Salmon
⚠️ CONTENT NOTE: This episode includes open discussion of suicide, bereavement by suicide, mental health crisis and hospitalisation. Please take care while listening - pause or skip if you need to. Support resources are listed below.Jon Salmon kept his mental health experience hidden for almost 20 years - but the shame he felt about being dyslexic was even harder to talk about. Host Meryem Hassan
Coaching, Culture & Neurodivergence in Women's Football | Carly Williams (Brentford FC Women)
What does it take to build a football/soccer environment where neurodivergent players truly belong? In this episode, host Meryem Hassan is joined by Carly Williams - Head Coach of Brentford FC Women's First Team - to explore neurodivergence, elite coaching, player care, and the culture of belonging in the women's game of football/soccer.Carly shares her journey from grassroots to elite f
The Truth About Neurodivergent Empathy
Do neurodivergent people lack empathy? It's one of the most damaging and persistent myths out there - particularly about autistic individuals. In Episode 5, we challenge that assumption head on, exploring how empathy is genuinely felt and expressed across neurodivergence, and why so much of the misunderstanding comes down to difference, not deficit.What This Episode CoversIn this episode, we
Why time feels different when you’re neurodivergent
Does time feel like your enemy? In Episode 4, we explore why neurodivergent individuals experience time so differently - from time blindness and hyperfocus to punctuality, executive functioning, and the shame of never quite keeping up.We cover: time slippage vs time management, why the language matters, time blindness and the neurodivergent brain, hyperfocus and losing track of time completely, th
Why Do Neurodivergent Individuals Experience Decision Paralysis?
Why Do Neurodivergent Individuals Experience Decision Paralysis?Do you freeze when faced with a decision? In Episode 3, we explore decision paralysis and the "don't knows" - unpacking why neurodivergent individuals are disproportionately affected, how alexithymia, shame, and anxiety intersect, and what self-understanding and psychological safety can unlock.In this episode, we discus
Does the Shame of Being Neurodivergent Hold You Back?
Episode SummaryDoes shame hold neurodivergent people back? In Episode 2, we unpack the links between shame, trauma, bias, disclosure, and self-worth, while also exploring resilience, creativity, advocacy, and what becomes possible on the other side of shame.What We CoverHow shame can shape the neurodivergent experienceThe link between shame, trauma, and the internal criticHealthy shame vs toxic sh
Trauma & Neurodivergence Uncovered!
Episode 1: Trauma & Neurodivergence UncoveredEpisode SummaryIn this episode of The Neurodivergent Lens, we explore how trauma shapes the neurodivergent experience — from masking, invisibility and toxic shame to dysregulation, brain fatigue and emotional intensity.Alongside the challenges, we also uncover the often-overlooked strengths that can emerge through lived experience, including resilie
Season 1 Trailer: Nemesis & Gifts
What if the challenges of neurodivergence also hold hidden strengths? Season 1 explores the Nemesis and Gifts of neurodivergence - unpacking trauma, shame, time, decision-making and empathy through lived experience. With five episodes releasing every 3 weeks, subscribe so you don’t miss what’s to come and be part of the conversation.Free GuideDownload our free guide, Myths & Misconceptions: Un
Podcast Trailer
Welcome to The Neurodivergent Lens - a podcast exploring neurodivergence through thoughtful conversations that challenge assumptions, centre lived experience, and reframe difference through a strengths-based lens. New episodes drop every 3 weeks throughout Season 1. Subscribe so you don’t miss a conversation and let's talk neurodivergence!Free GuideDownload our free guide, Myths & Misconc
