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The Untypical Parent™ Podcast
For parents and carers who love their kids but feel completely overwhelmed sometimes.
Welcome to The Untypical Parent™ Podcast, a place for parents in neurodivergent, SEN and additional needs families. Here we talk about the messy and the sparkles, share ideas you can actually use, and give you space to take what might work and leave what doesn't.
Hosted by me, Liz Evans — The Untypical OT, a dyslexic, solo parent in a neurodiverse family, this show explores everything from parenting through parental burnout and sensory needs to dyslexia, ADHD, and chronic illness. You’ll hear from experts and parents alike, sharing tips and stories to help you create a family life that works for you, because every family is unique and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to families.
If you’ve ever felt that “typical” parenting advice doesn’t fit your world, this is your place for connection, practical tools, and encouragement without the judgment.
Welcome to your backup team. We've been expecting you.
Episodes
55 episodes
AI, Neurodivergence and Being Understood with Elaine and Jay cofounders of Evro AI
One meeting can spiral into weeks of stress when you’re neurodivergent and constantly second-guessing what you said, how you came across, or what everyone “really meant.” Dr Jay Spence, a clinical psychologist and co-founder of Avro AI, talks a...
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I Don’t Read Books… But I Still Need What’s Inside Them
Do you ever feel like reading just… isn’t built for you?In this solo episode, I talk about my honest experience with dyslexia, distraction, and why traditional reading has always felt like hard work rather than relaxation. From unfinishe...
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No One Is a Perfect Parent, Not Even the Experts with Dr Kim Collett
In this episode of The Untypical Parent Podcast, I’m joined by Dr Kim Collett for a really honest conversation about the reality of parenting, and why knowing the “right” thing doesn’t mean it’s easy to do it.Kim has a PhD in in...
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Parents and Schools Working Together — Not Against Each Other When Kids Are Unable to Attend School
Over 170,000 children in England were severely absent from school last year, according to the Department for Education.Behind that number are families, schools, and children all trying to navigate something incredibly complex.In t...
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Interoception for Parents: The Missing Link in Burnout and Overwhelm with Kelly Mahler
Parents are often so busy meeting everyone else’s needs that they stop noticing their own.And when that happens, burnout and overwhelm can build long before we even realise what’s going on.In this episode, I'm joined by occupation...
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50 Episodes In.... Here's What I Know About Parenting (And What I don't)
I recorded this one in my car, on my phone, because the irony finally caught up with me: I cannot keep talking about untypical parenting and ditching perfection while I’m secretly trying to manufacture a “perfect” milestone episode. So I just g...
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Suicide Prevention in Young People: A Conversation with Papyrus
Content note: This episode contains conversation about suicide. Please look after yourself when listening. This episode is a special one.It’s part of Podcasthon 2026, where podcasters come together to raise ...
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The Power of Creativity for Parents and Kids (with Julie Bevan, Dot Kids)
In this episode I'm joined by Julie Bevan founder of DotKids where we explore creativity. Creativity often feels like something we leave behind in childhood.Somewhere between school expectations, work, parenting and the press...
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Holding The Line: Boundaries, Burnout, And Brave Parenting with Chrissa from Sunshine Support
In this episode of The Untypical Parent Podcast, I’m joined by Chrissa Wadlow from Sunshine Support, and this one turns into a proper real-life chat (the kind I know so many of us need).Chrissa shares her journey as ...
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When Is It the Right Time? EOTAS, School Trauma & The Fear of Letting Go
Living in a neurodivergent family can feel like walking barefoot through a dark room full of Lego.In this episode, I share a powerful metaphor from listener Lindsay Morris, and then take you into something very real happening in my own f...
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Parenting Stress & Burnout: How to Step Back From the Edge with Dr Lee David
What if the smallest straw isn’t the cause of your collapse, but the clue you’ve been carrying too much for too long? We sit down with Dr Lee David, GP, CBT therapist, author, and host of The Choice Space, to make stress understandable, visible...
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The Wins That Matter: Strengths, Self-Esteem & Neurodivergent Parenting
Parenting in a neurodivergent family is many things. Boring is most definitely not one of them.In this episode, I reflect on a listener message from Carla Berlin that perfectly captures something so many of us live every day: the exhaust...
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You’re Not Alone: Autism, ADHD, School Struggles, Diagnosis & Parenting with Greer Jones
“I learned quickly that I am my child’s voice. No one else will care the way I do.” This quote from Greer captures the heart of our conversation. Greer shares her experience of autism, ADHD, school systems, a...
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My brain has a soundtrack - anyone else?
This week I share a comment from a listener. Sharon Thompson wrote what it’s like parenting in a neurodivergent family, the realities people don’t always see, and the strength it takes to keep showing up.And in amongst that I’m bringing...
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Fostering children with SEND: the highs, the lows, and a lot of love with Jordan Garratt from Sensory Classroom
Content Note: This episode includes discussion of foster care, trauma, low mood and suicidal feelings. If these topics are difficult for you, please take care while listening. If you are struggling, please consider spea...
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Parenting in a neurodivergent family is...... like riding a bike with a flat tyre...
In this short series, parents in neurodivergent families tell us what it's really like. In this episode Laura explains "parenting in a neurodivergent family is like riding a bike with a flat tyre, with a blindfold on, one hand tied behind your ...
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Why Parenting Feels So Hard When You Have ADHD & RSD with Laura Kerbey
In this episode, Laura Kerbey, author and founder of PAST (Positive Assessments, Support and Training), shares her lived experience of growing up undiagnosed with ADHD, and how that shaped not only her childhood but adulthood and parenthood as ...
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I Dropped A Ball And Nearly Missed Christmas: Life In A Neurodivergent Family
In this bonus episode of The Untypical Parent Podcast, I admit something slightly embarrassing: I dropped a ball… a Christmas-shaped ball. Somewhere between broken legs, work deadlines, end-of-term chaos, questionable diary scheduling,...
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Untypical Parenting: Friends, Laughter and Connection
Untypical Parenting One Year OnThe best stories start where the script stops working. Marking a full year of The Untypical Parent Podcast, we sit down with two people who helped shape it from day one, Charlotte from Badger Education, my...
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Neurodivergence, Dadhood, Diagnosis, And Doing Your Best with David from Neuro Dad's Diary
What if “perfect” parenting is the wrong goal, and honest repair is the real superpower? I sit down with David, the Dad behind NeuroDad’s Diary, to explore what changes when a late ADHD diagnosis reframes years of anxiety, overwhelm, and self-c...
Squirrels, Penguins, And Parenting
In this episode I sit down with Steph Simpson, a late-identified ADHD mom on a pathway for autism assessment, to explore how a simple language shift—calling ADHD “squirrels” and autism “penguins”—reshaped her family’s daily life. Instead of lab...
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When Your Parenting Plane Gets Diverted to Amsterdam with Archie from ADHD Care
What happens when your carefully planned parenting journey takes an unexpected turn? For Archie, specialist ADHD nurse prescriber and director of ADHD Care Limited, raising a neurodivergent child meant learning to embrace a completely different...
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BDD: What is it? Early Signs, Misdiagnosis, and How Parents Can Help
I sit down with Sam Milburn to unpack body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), what it is, why it hides in plain sight, and how parents can spot early signs. We share practical next steps, from navigating CAMHS to using scripts that break reassurance lo...
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Autistic Girls, Women and Non Binary People with Cathy from The Autistic Girls Network
Kathy Wassell, CEO and founder of the Autistic Girls Network Charity, talks with me about her journey creating supportive spaces for neurodivergent individuals, particularly women and girls who are often missed in traditional diagnostic pathway...
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Demand Avoidance Decoded with Libby Hill
What actually is PDA?Speech and language therapist Libby Hill cuts through the confusion with clarity and compassion, drawing on decades of clinical experience and her work with leading PDA researchers."There's demand avoidance, ...
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