Neuroshambles

Description

If you're a parent of a neurodivergent child and you've ever felt quietly judged for your approach to screen time, this episode of Neuroshambles is for you. Mark is joined by Hannah Woods - one of the founders of the Spectrum Squad, a neurodivergent youth group in Penarth, South Wales - to tackle one of the most requested topics the show has ever had: managing screen time with our neurodivergent kids.

This is part one of a two-part deep dive of a particularly knotty topic, and it's entirely focused on the positives of screen time. Because if you're navigating autism parenting, ADHD parenting, or PDA parenting, you'll know that screens aren't just a lazy shortcut - they can be a genuine lifeline. Whether it's helping your child regulate, learn and connect with peers, or just giving you ten minutes of respite to gather your energy, screen time is doing some heavy lifting in a lot of neurodivergent households.

This is an honest, relatable conversation about the gap between the parents we thought we'd be and the parents our kids actually need us to be. Part 2, covering the potential downsides of screen time, is coming in the next episode. But for now, let's hear the case for the defence.

 

Chapter Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction and Neuroshambles Live Announcement

02:56 - Meet the Guest: Hannah Woods

08:10 - Topic Introduction: Screen Time with Neurodivergent Kids

10:00 - How We Thought We'd Parent Around Screens (Before We Met Our Kids)

14:29 - The Stigma Around Screen Time

15:23 - Screen Time Limits, NHS Guidance and Why It Doesn't Apply to Our Kids

18:17 - Dr Naomi Fisher: It's Not the Screen, It's What's Behind It

21:59 - Screens for Regulation - Meltdowns, Overwhelm and India's Wardrobe Nook

29:29 - Special Interests, Hyperfocus and Letting Them Go Deep

39:17 - Online Connection, Belonging and the Social Value of Multiplayer Gaming

42:39 - Building Friendships Through Minecraft and Shared Play

50:04 - Sharing Content as a Love Language (YouTube Clips Count)

55:16 - Watching Online as a Gateway to Special Interests

57:40 - Screens as a Learning Tool - Laptops, Writing and Demand Avoidance

01:01:08 - Reading Apps and How They Changed Everything

01:03:20 - Self-Esteem, Gaming and Finding Your Thing

01:04:53 - Screens as a Social Bridge

01:07:44 - From 3D Printing to School Fair Entrepreneur

01:09:52 - The Parental Sanity Argument (Yes, It Counts)

01:13:16 - Screens for Sleep and Winding Down

01:15:20 - Neurodiversity Champions

01:18:22 - Tiny Epic Wins

01:22:09 - What the Flip Moments

 

Links to Stuff We Mention in This Episode

Neuroshambles Live, Brighton (23rd July 2026) - www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1988682312330/?discount=Neuroshamblers

Alternatively, search "Neuroshambles Live" on https://www.eventbrite.co.uk and use the access code “Neuroshamblers” for the discounted rate of £8 throughout May. After that, tickets go on general sale for £10.

The Family Experience of PDA by Eliza Fricker - https://amzn.eu/d/02qGPcjD

Dr Naomi Fisher article on screens - https://naomifisher.co.uk/tags/screens/

Bluey - https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000vbrk/bluey

Gravity Falls - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_Falls

How To Break Up With Your Phone - https://amzn.eu/d/04PSfLq9

Roblox - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roblox

JusTalk Kids - https://kids.justalk.com/

MindJam - https://mindjam.org.uk/

Super Mario Odyssey - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Odyssey

Audible storybooks - https://www.audible.co.uk/

Calm app - https://www.calm.com/

Greeking Out (National Geographic podcast) - https://www.nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/greeking-out/

Have Fun, Get Fit (South Wales) - https://www.facebook.com/HaveFunGetFitRossParsons/

Neurospicy Wings (South Wales) - https://www.neurospicywings.co.uk/

 

📣 CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neuroshambles/

🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Neuroshambles

 

🎙️ CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: https://pixabay.com

If you've ever found yourself having to outline the entire day's schedule before you've even had your first coffee, or negotiating bath time as a sacred non-negotiable human right, this episode might just be the one you didn't know you needed. Mark is joined by the brilliant Jo Matthews for a deep dive into what it really means to be your child's safe person.

Whether your neuroshambolic family is shaped by autism, ADHD or PDA, so many of us know the exhausting, relentless, sometimes claustrophobic experience of being the one person our child needs above all others. It's a privilege and it's hard work, but it's almost never talked about with the honesty it deserves on a neurodivergent parenting podcast.

In a Neuroshambles first, this episode also features a second guest - Dotty Matthews, Jo's 19-year-old autistic daughter - who joins Mark for a candid, funny and genuinely moving conversation about what it felt like to be that child. From the early days of demanding apple juice to command her mum's attention, through to slowly learning to find safety in other people, Dotty's perspective is the kind of lived experience that makes this show worth your time.

There's also a listener email from Lydia, whose 13-year-old daughter's intense attachment prompted this whole conversation - and both Jo and Dotty have something genuinely useful to say in response. Autistic parenting advice doesn't get much more grounded in lived experience than this.

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (ESTIMATED)

00:01:08 - Meet the Guest: Jo Matthews

00:03:40 - This Week's Topic: Being Your Child's Safe Person

00:04:22 - Lydia's Listener Email

00:07:06 - Dotty's Early Attachment (and the Gee Story)

00:10:25 - Transitional Objects and Starting School

00:18:58 - Co-regulation: Being Your Child's Emotional Anchor

00:25:54 - Scaffolding the Day: Structure and Predictability

00:30:54 - Being Their Executive Function

00:37:45 - Advocating for Your Child

00:43:41 - Being a Physical Safe Space (Including Co-sleeping)

00:48:05 - Being an Emotional Outlet

00:56:34 - The Guilt and Exhaustion of Being a Safe Person

01:03:12 - Attachment Theory and Building Independence

01:06:58 - When Only One Parent is the Safe Person

01:14:17 - Meet the Second Guest: Dotty Matthews

01:38:51 - It's Not All Rubbish

01:41:07 - Neurodiversity Champions

01:43:46 - Tiny Epic Wins

01:47:04 - What the Flip Moments

LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE

Attachment Theory (John Bowlby) - https://www.simplypsychology.org/bowlby.html

The Loxdale Centre, Portslade - https://www.loxdale.com/

mASCot - https://www.asc-mascot.com/

Mark's talk: "How Dads Can Show Up Better For Our Neurodivergent Kids" - https://neuroshambles.com/page-gazc-3dk8-ywa8-dnly

Raising SEND kids: The Dad's Perspective (with Terry Lloyd) - https://neuroshambles.com/episode/raising-send-kids-the-dads-perspective-terry-lloyd

 

📣 CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🎙️ CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com

If you've ever stared at a parenting book and thought "none of this applies to my child whatsoever" - this episode is for you. Mark is joined by comedian, author, and fellow parent-in-the-trenches George Lewis for a proper deep dive into one of the great unspoken challenges of neurodivergent parenting: figuring out who your kid actually is, and how to parent them, when the instruction manual simply doesn't exist.

Because most parenting advice out there is written for neurotypical kids. And when you've got autistic, ADHD, or PDA children, you quickly discover that you essentially have to work it out yourself. That means years of research, trial and error, conflicting information, and the occasional moment of going "hang on… is THIS a thing I need to learn about now?" It's exhausting and exasperating, but it's also, occasionally, brilliant.

This is an honest, funny and insightful autism parenting podcast episode that covers the whole messy journey - from those early days of thinking something's different but not knowing quite what, through diagnosis (including the woefully misguided NHS leaflet with their list of top tips), to the point where you cautiously start to feel like you might actually know what you're doing.

If you're deep in that process right now, or just starting out, this one's for you. And if you're a seasoned neurodivergent parenting veteran, you'll recognise pretty much every single moment of it.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated)

00:00 – Intro

01:15 - Meet the Guest: George Lewis

06:28 - Topic of the Week: Writing Your Own User Manual

08:18 - Imagining parenthood vs the reality

12:04 - Apraxia of speech and George's early diagnosis journey

18:19 - Understanding autism: the spectrum, spiky profiles and the mixing desk analogy

31:32 - Navigating the NHS diagnosis route (and the unhelpful booklet you receive when they're diagnosed)

58:16 - Information overload and knowing when to put the lid back on

01:03:39 - Discovering PDA and low demand language

01:05:31 - Conflicting advice and how to navigate it

01:11:36 - Trusting your gut when some recommended approaches don't sit right

01:20:44 - It's Not All Rubbish: the positives of doing the research

01:25:52 - Neurodiversity Champions

01:28:53 - Tiny Epic Wins

01:32:24 - What the Flip! Moments

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE

George Lewis website - https://www.georgelewiscomedian.com

George Lewis Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/georgelewiscom

George Lewis TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@georgelewiscomedian

George Lewis Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/georgelewiscom

George Lewis YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@georgelewiscom

Autism Colour Wheel - https://community.autism.org.uk/cfs-file/__key/communityserver-discussions-components-files/4/autism-colour-wheel.pdf

Government SEND white paper - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving

Neuroshambles Episode with Kieran Rose: How Autistic Is Your Child? – https://neuroshambles.com/episode/how-autistic-is-your-child-kieran-rose

Autistica - https://www.autistica.org.uk/

Pierre Novellie “Why can’t I just enjoy things?” - https://amzn.eu/d/0fL1X5Fb

Fern Brady “Strong Female Character” - https://amzn.eu/d/07Uk4H6a

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📣 CONTACT US

🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: @neuroshambles

--------------

🎙️ CREDITS

🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com

Mark is joined by Sam Bayley - founder of mASCot, a Sussex-based parent-to-parent support network for families of autistic, ADHD and PDA children and young adults - for a warm and genuinely uplifting conversation about one of the most important things you can do as a neurodivergent parent: find your people.

They dig into why parenting a neurodivergent child can feel so isolating - especially in the early days before diagnosis, when you're still trying to crowbar your kid into situations built for neurotypical families and slowly realising it isn't working. Sam shares the story of how mASCot grew from a few breakout coffee sessions into a community supporting thousands of families, and Mark recounts the moment he first walked into Sunday Club and felt the blessed relief of a room with absolutely no judgement in it.

They also get into the thornier side of finding your people - namely, the bit where you have to let go of the ones who aren't. From unsupportive friends who just aren't listening, to family members who think it's all a fad, this episode doesn't shy away from how hard it can be to protect your energy when you haven't got much of it to spare.

If you're after a neurodivergent parenting podcast that feels human, honest and occasionally sweary, this one's for you.

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CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS (Estimated):
00:00 - Intro
01:11 - Meet the Guest: Sam Bayley
04:01 - Topic of the Week: The Importance of Finding Your People
09:10 - How mASCot Was Born: Coffee Mornings and the Birth of Community
10:09 - Early Expectations and the Reality of Neurodivergent Parenthood
27:19 - The "Coming Home to Autism" Event That Changed Everything
31:35 - The mASCot Card: A Little Bit of Context, a Lot of Confidence
37:51 - Sunday Club and the Joy of a Non-Judgmental Space
47:59 - Inspired to Act: Hannah Woods and Spectrum Squad Penarth
52:16 - The Online Community: Why mASCot's Facebook Forum Matters
59:52 - When Lockdown Showed Us What Our Kids Already Knew
01:01:49 - Finding Your People Means Letting Go of the Wrong Ones
01:09:05 - The Tricky Business of Unsupportive Family Members
01:13:18 - It's Not All Rubbish: The Positives of Finding Your People
01:16:17 - Neurodiversity Champions: mASCot, Bill Bayley and the BNC
01:22:40 - Tiny Epic Wins
01:26:12 - What the Flip? Moments

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LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE:

Podcasthon - https://podcasthon.org/

mASCot - https://www.asc-mascot.com

Donate to mASCot via Givey - https://www.givey.com/mascot

National Autistic Society - https://www.autism.org.uk/

PDA Society - https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/

Bristol Parent Carers Forum - https://www.bristolparentcarers.org.uk/

The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene - https://amzn.eu/d/0jkdMxga

Spectrum Squad Penarth - https://www.facebook.com/groups/2039735040102766/

Brighton Neurodivergent Community (BNC) - https://www.facebook.com/groups/brightonneurodiverse

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📣 CONTACT US
🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com
📧 Email: [email protected]
📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles
🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod
📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

---------------------------------------------------------

🎙️ CREDITS
🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com

Mark is joined by returning guest Rebecca Hussain for a hilarious chat about the perils of trying to introduce any kind of hair care routine to our neurodivergent kids. It’s a knotty issue for loads of Neuroshambolic families - whether it's brushing, washing, cutting it or trying to navigate dreaded nit combs.

Mark and Rebecca unpick why hair-related stuff can be so dysregulating for our autistic, ADHD or PDA kids - from sensory overwhelm and loss of control, to the irrepressible instinct to run away when someone approaches them with a brush and they're already feeling overwhelmed.

Rebecca explains her role as night time hair brushing ninja and Mark recounts the horror story of the time he tried to trim India's fringe himself. They also dig into the awkward realities of salons and barbers, the compromises that sometimes (briefly) work, and the grim truth that a lot of so-called “simple” solutions don’t feel simple at all when you’re parenting a child with a PDA profile, ADHD traits, or autism-related sensory sensitivities.

If you’re after autistic parenting advice that feels human rather than preachy, this one will have you nodding, laughing and cringing in equal measure.

CHAPTER TIMESTAMPS
00:00:37 - Intro
00:01:07 - Meet the guest: Rebecca Huseyin
00:05:36 - What’s the topic of the week? Hair care
00:08:01 - Haircuts: clippers, salons and pure dread
00:13:16 - Dealing with brushing & knots - night time ninja brushing
00:21:40 - Sensory overload: why hair care causes so much overwhelm
00:25:25 - The drama of washing their hair
00:42:34 - Barbers/hairdressers: trusting a stranger with scissors
00:47:15 - Products, routines and reducing the stakes
00:55:08 - The reason some neurodivergent’s prefer long hair
00:58:10 - The lengths we go to for a haircut
01:03:12 - Not wanting people to notice their hair
01:05:47 - Reliving Mark’s trauma of cutting India’s fringe
01:18:17 - A surprising India haircut success story
01:21:04 - It’s not all rubbish: looking at the Positives
01:22:22 - Neurodiversity Champions
01:26:10 - Tiny Epic Wins
01:31:18 - What the Flip Moments?

LINKS TO STUFF WE MENTION IN THIS EPISODE
A Boy Less Ordinary (Rebecca’s blog) - https://aboylessordinary.com/

PDA Society - https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/

Jem’s Hair brush - https://amzn.eu/d/0dTSItLZ

India’s hair brush - https://amzn.eu/d/072vd0L6

India’s coconut scented hair brush - https://amzn.eu/d/05Er65tF

Nit comb - https://amzn.eu/d/00cSPgcz

Grappling with Personal Hygiene episode of Neuroshambles - https://neuroshambles.com/episode/grappling-with-personal-hygiene-rebecca-huseyin

Wash and Go - https://amzn.eu/d/0cmgCDdU

Danielle Jata-Hall / “PDA Parenting” - https://pdaparenting.com/

Hairport (Brighton) - https://www.brightonhairport.co.uk/

EAG Expo, Docklands - https://www.eagexpo.com/

📣 CONTACT US
🌐 Website: www.neuroshambles.com

📧 Email: [email protected]

📸 Instagram: @neuroshambles

🎵 TikTok: @neuroshamblespod

📘 Facebook: Neuroshambles

🎙️ CREDITS
🎶 Theme music by Skilsel on Pixabay: pixabay.com