The Social Detective: Moving Beyond Prescriptive Communication Skills
Release Date: 10/29/2026
All Know, But No Go: ADHD Performance vs Procrastination
Neurodiversity Podcast
Most people with ADHD don't struggle because they don't know what to do, they struggle because getting their brain to actually start feels like pushing a boulder uphill. Even when the stakes are clear and the motivation is there, everyday tasks can stall out before they ever begin. In this episode, psychologist and longtime ADHD researcher Dr. J. Russell Ramsay joins Emily Kircher-Morris to talk about why ADHD is really a performance challenge rather than a knowledge gap. Drawing from his book Once I Get Started, Russ breaks down how emotional impulsivity, front-end perfectionism, and...
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The Social Detective: Moving Beyond Prescriptive Communication Skills
Neurodiversity Podcast
When someone struggles in a group conversation or misses the unspoken cues of a classroom or workplace, the solution isn't giving them a prescriptive checklist of social rules and expecting them to fit in. For years, traditional interventions leaned heavily on teaching people what to do and say, while often overlooking whether those expectations made sense to the person living them. Michelle Garcia Winner, speech-language pathologist and founder of Social Thinking, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to discuss how feedback from the neurodivergent community has reshaped her approach to social learning....
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The Boredom Paradox: Why Having Plenty to Do Doesn't Cure Monotony
Neurodiversity Podcast
You are surrounded by things you could be doing, yet none of them feel worth starting, leaving you stuck in a weird mix of restlessness and agitation. Do you chalk that up to being lazy or unmotivated? Many people do, but science tells a very different story. Boredom is actually a motivated state. It's an internal signal that your brain is hungry for meaning and personal control, but can't find a good place to land. In this episode, Dr. James Danckert, psychology professor at the University of Waterloo and co-author of Out of My Skull: The Psychology of Boredom, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to...
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Why Smart People Get Stuck: Asynchrony, Perfectionism, and Identity
Neurodiversity Podcast
Say someone you know is exceptionally articulate, intellectually advanced, or academically capable. Do you then assume their general ability to function, emotional regulation, and organizational skills also operate at that same high level? You might, but that would be a mistake. For gifted and twice-exceptional people, intellectual capability often outpaces practical execution. In this episode, Mark Talaga, a licensed professional counselor, founder of the Center for Identity Potential, and host of the Hopelessly Gifted podcast, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to talk about the painful gap between...
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Why Universal Classrooms Work, and Conventional Ones Often Don't
Neurodiversity Podcast
True classroom inclusion involves far more than simply placing a student's chair inside a general education room. When schools define inclusion purely by physical placement, neurodivergent students often face conditions that fall short of genuine access, belonging, and appropriate challenge. Dr. Katie Novak, an internationally recognized education consultant, former assistant superintendent, and author of The UDL Shift, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to discuss how Universal Design for Learning creates classrooms that support learner variability from the ground up. TAKEAWAYS Physical placement...
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Planners and Binders Don’t Fix Executive Dysfunction. So, what does?
Neurodiversity Podcast
When a student consistently misses deadlines, misplaces assignments, or struggles to get out the door in the morning, adults often label them as disorganized or careless. Handing them a paper planner or demanding they clean their desk rarely solves the underlying breakdown. Rachel Kapp, founder of Kapp Educational Therapy Group and co-host of the Learn Smarter Podcast, joins Emily to explore how families and educators can design organizational systems that work in the real world rather than just on paper. TAKEAWAYS Handing a student an organizational tool like a planner or binder does not...
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Why Forced Transitions Dysregulate the Autistic Brain with Pete Wharmby
Neurodiversity Podcast
When autistic kids struggle, their difficulties are often treated as behavioral non-compliance or a lack of social desire, when it's often a direct mismatch with the learning environment. Adults routinely push these students into sensory-heavy spaces or force sudden task shifts, misunderstanding the neurological toll this takes on a differently wired nervous system. Pete Wharmby, an autistic author, former teacher, and late-diagnosed ADHDer, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to talk about what happens when schools and families learn to support rather than correct autistic ways of being. TAKEAWAYS ...
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The Myth of the Uncoachable Athlete
Neurodiversity Podcast
In competitive sports, athletes who struggle to follow plays, miss subtle social cues, or freeze during high-pressure moments are often branded as uncoachable, unmotivated, or even defiant. Because athletic environments lack formal supports like IEPs or 504 plans, coaches often default to traditional, high-pressure discipline, mistaking neurological overwhelm for a lack of commitment. Courtney Edman, an executive function coach, founder of 2tametheshamE, and co-host of the See Me Podcast, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to explore what changes when coaches and families view sports through a...
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Understanding Yourself: A Process to Finding the Person Inside
Neurodiversity Podcast
Today's episode is a heartfelt conversation about the importance of helping neurodivergent children understand themselves and their brain profile, and how this understanding can foster confidence and self-advocacy. Emily talks with Dr. Liz Angoff about the need for transparent communication with children about their diagnoses, and the use of relatable metaphors to explain complex concepts. They discuss collaborative approaches in assessments, the challenges of co-occurring diagnoses, and the role of parents in supporting their children. How can families find practitioners who align with...
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The Wall of Awful: Why Starting Feels Impossible
Neurodiversity Podcast
When people with ADHD struggle to start, return to, or finish a task, their inaction is frequently mislabeled as laziness, poor motivation, or chronic procrastination. In reality, the obstacle is rarely about logistics or effort. It stems from the emotional pre-work required just to get to the starting line. Brendan Mahan, an ADHD coach, speaker, host of the ADHD Essentials podcast, and author of Overcoming the Wall of Awful, joins Emily to talk about the emotional barriers that turn ordinary demands into overwhelming roadblocks. TAKEAWAYS Task paralysis is driven primarily by emotional...
info_outlineWhen someone struggles in a group conversation or misses the unspoken cues of a classroom or workplace, the solution isn't giving them a prescriptive checklist of social rules and expecting them to fit in. For years, traditional interventions leaned heavily on teaching people what to do and say, while often overlooking whether those expectations made sense to the person living them.
Michelle Garcia Winner, speech-language pathologist and founder of Social Thinking, joins Emily Kircher-Morris to discuss how feedback from the neurodivergent community has reshaped her approach to social learning. The conversation explores why social problem-solving is about figuring out dynamic situations rather than memorizing scripts, how high-structure roles can mask deeper relational challenges, and why genuine support always starts by getting the other person's point of view.
TAKEAWAYS
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Effective social learning focuses on helping people interpret specific situations and intentions.
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Real-world social problem-solving requires a continuous process of attending to context, interpreting what is happening, and deciding on a response based on personal goals.
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Fidgets and sensory tools support focus when used in an unobtrusive way, but they turn into distractors when they draw attention away from the group's shared purpose.
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Stepping back to observe a social environment from the outside helps people identify unspoken dynamics without the immediate pressure of participating in them.
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Many neurodivergent people thrive in structured professional roles where expectations are explicit, yet struggle in family or community settings where social boundaries are fluid.
Conducting a virtual autism evaluation isn't as simple as moving in-person assessments onto Zoom. On Friday, November 6th from 2:00 PM-3:30 PM Eastern / 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Pacific, join us as Dr. Taylor Day presents a live, 90-minute training, Conducting Comprehensive Telehealth Evaluations for Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions. You'll earn 1.5 CE credits through the APA and NBCC, while learning practical, neurodiversity-affirming strategies for virtual assessment. Register at this link by November 2nd to receive a free bonus resource guide with planning checklists and client materials!
Michelle Garcia Winner, MA, CCC-SLP, is the founder and CEO of Social Thinking and a globally recognized thought leader, author, speaker, and social-cognitive therapist. She is dedicated to helping neurodivergent and neurotypical people of all ages (starting at 4 years old) meet their social goals through better understanding of social emotional concepts, increase the development of their social competencies, learn strategies for social problem solving and executive.
BACKGROUND READING
Michelle’s website, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube
The Neurodiversity Podcast is on Facebook, Instagram, BlueSky, and you’re invited to join our Facebook Group. For more information go to www.NeurodiversityPodcast.com
If you'd like members of your organization, school district, or company to know more about the subjects discussed on our podcast, Emily Kircher-Morris provides keynote addresses, workshops, and training sessions worldwide, in-person or virtually. You can choose from a list of established presentations, or work with Emily to develop a custom talk to fit your unique situation. To learn more, visit our website.
Thank you for supporting neurodivergent people.