
ADHD + Autism, Sensory Needs, and Burnout with Dr. Megan Anna Neff [Part 1]
The ADHD Social PlaybookShow Notes
When you don’t have words for what’s going on, it’s easy to think “I’m lazy” or “I’m just too much.” Once you learn the language of ADHD and autism, including executive function, sensory needs, and real supports, everything starts to click. In this conversation, Caroline and clinical psychologist Dr. Megan Anna Neff unpack the push and pull of being AuDHD, why sensory needs matter in ADHD too, how naming needs lowers shame, and practical self-advocacy that protects your energy and your relationships.
More from The ADHD Social Playbook
In this episode, we're joined by Emma McAdam, licensed therapist and creator of Therapy in a Nutshell, to explore the connection between the brain, body, emotions, and mental health. Emma breaks down nervous system regulation, the window of tolerance, and why our bodies respond to stress with fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown.
In this episode, Caroline is joined by Kathryn Mutti-Driscoll, executive function coach, therapy intern, and author of The Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria Workbook: Skills for ADHD, Autistic, and Neurodivergent Adults to Heal from Rejection, Build Resilience, and Thrive.
In this interview, Janine explains why coping skills aren't one-size-fits-all and why you don't have to love breathing exercises, meditation, or journaling to become better at managing your emotions. From taking a mindful drink of cold water and moving your body to journaling, music, play, grounding, sensory strategies, and setting boundaries, there are countless ways to find what works for you.
For Suzanne Sophos, one of the biggest gifts of diagnosis was self-compassion. Before understanding her neurodivergence, struggles could feel like personal or character flaws. After diagnosis, she was able to understand those experiences through a different framework and extend herself the same grace she had always given her son. In this conversation, Suzanne and I explore what happens after an ADHD or autism diagnosis and why finding the right kind of support matters.
In this episode, I talk with Suzanne Sophos, a peer support specialist and coach, about her experience with ADHD and a later autism diagnosis. Suzanne shares how receiving her autism diagnosis helped the pieces of her history finally click into place—and how that new understanding changed the way she viewed friendships, social cues, sensory experiences, and her own body.