Autistic and ADHD Kids Parenting Strategies: Every Brain is Different

Autistic Burnout and What You Can Do About It | Ep. 141

Autistic and ADHD Kids Parenting Strategies: Every Brain is Different

Show Notes

In this episode, Samantha and Lauren discuss autistic burnout, especially prevalent during the holiday season. They explain the difference between stress and burnout, and share personal experiences to illustrate the impact of prolonged masking and sensory overload on neurodivergent children.

Samantha and Lauren provide detailed signs of burnout, including increased irritability, emotional outbursts, and physical symptoms, along with practical advice on how to support recovery through reduced demands, predictability, sensory rest, and encouraging autonomy.

They emphasize the importance of parental regulation and offer strategies to prevent future burnout, such as prioritizing recovery time, practicing energy accounting, and teaching children to advocate for their needs.

More from Autistic and ADHD Kids Parenting Strategies: Every Brain is Different

Oct 19, 2026

Samantha and Lauren discuss why children may struggle with tasks they seemed able to do the day before (like getting dressed, brushing teeth, or doing homework) and how parents can respond without assuming laziness or defiance.

Oct 12, 2026

Samantha and Lauren discuss Samantha’s son’s years-long struggle with chronic, debilitating pain (legs, back, migraines) and how a pain clinic evaluation led to a new explanation: sensory processing disorder with heightened interoception. After extensive normal test results, a multidisciplinary team suggested his internal body-signal sense may be “turned up,” intensifying pain perception.

Oct 5, 2026

Samantha and Lauren interview Susan Minor, a certified relationship coach trained in the Laura Doyle method, about rebuilding connection in marriage, especially for parents under the stress of raising neurodivergent children.

Sep 28, 2026

Samantha and Lauren interview Dalisse, an autistic author and mom of two autistic boys, living in Barcelona, Spain, who wrote the five-book Loving Pieces series. Dalisse shares her family’s journey since her oldest son's diagnosis at 17 months, discussing early challenges such as meltdowns, guilt, grief, and uncertainty, and advises parents to give themselves time, take things one day at a time, and not treat bleak predictions as fixed outcomes.

Sep 21, 2026

Samantha and Lauren discuss out-of-the-box ways to teach neurodivergent kids kitchen skills. They share practical strategies to include kids without overwhelm by breaking cooking into clear steps, assigning specific tasks, and using visuals, play kitchens, and practice activities like pouring between measuring cups or “mud pie” measuring. They cover progressive knife and cutting practice with kid-safe tools, softer foods, and Play-Doh, while emphasizing safety routines.

See all episodes →