I sit down with Dr Mel Houser to rethink neurodiversity as a normal fact of human life and to name how shame, masking, and burnout can build when the world expects one way of being. We connect those realities to Long Covid and ME/CFS, showing how access needs, cognitive pacing, and community support can change what recovery and participation look like.
• Neurodiversity as the full range of human brains, not a rare exception • Why “one size fits all” environments create struggle and shame • Autistic burnout, loss of tolerance to stimuli, and loss of skills • Masking as a survival strategy and what happens when it collapses • Universal design in healthcare, offering choices proactively for everyone • Access needs as a practical way to support full participation • Cognitive pacing and balancing physical, cognitive, emotional and orthostatic energy • Dopamine, regulation, and why illness disrupts protein, hydration, movement and sleep • PEM-aware approaches and avoiding harmful graded exercise advice • Patterns in complex chronic illness where treatments can backfire • The double empathy problem and communication gaps in healthcare • Resources from All Brains Belong Vermont including toolkits, Brain Club and the book
Links:
Everything is Connected to Everything: Improving the Healthcare of Autistic & ADHD Adults: https://allbrainsbelong.org/all-the-things
Free community programs and educational resources: https://allbrainsbelong.org/get-connected
A Failure of Imagination: How the Healthcare System Fails Neurodivergent People--And What We're Doing Instead: https://allbrainsbelong.org/book
Brain Club® (free virtual community education program): https://allbrainsbelong.org/brain-club
Universal Design Toolkit for Healthcare, Workplaces & Community Events: https://allbrainsbelong.org/universal-design-menus/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thankyou for joining me in The Recovery Room. If you found this episode useful & are able to, you can support the show by buying me a coffee or checking out the merch
Follow me on social media channels: @JackiesRecoveryRoom
**Disclaimer - you should not rely on any medical information contained in this Podcast and related materials in making medical, health-related or other decisions. Please consult a doctor or other health professional**
Podden och tillhörande omslagsbild på den här sidan tillhör
Jackie Baxter. Innehållet i podden är skapat av Jackie Baxter och inte av,
eller tillsammans med, Poddtoppen.
