Autism & Neurodiversity

Podcast by Jason & Debbie Grygla

Autism & Neurodiversity

Parenting or working with neurodivergent children, teens, or young adults? Join us Jason Grygla, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Founder and Director of NeuroDev, a specialized mentoring program for neurodivergent young adults, and Debbie Grygla, Certified Parent Coach as we share practical tools, expert insights, and personal experiences to help you better support neurodivergents and foster their growth, development, and emotional well-being.

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Latest episodes

24 May 2025

Crash or Protect? The Parenting Dilemma No One Talks About

You want your neurodivergent child, teen, or young adult to grow into a confident, capable adult. But what do you do when they’re heading straight toward failure? Do you step in and save them—or let them crash and hope they learn?

If you’ve ever wrestled with that gut-wrenching decision, this episode will speak right to you.

Because most parents are making one of two well-intentioned mistakes—and both can leave their loved one stuck, discouraged, or completely shut down.

In this episode, Jason breaks down the complex—and often painful—decision parents face: When do I intervene? And when do I let go? What he shares may just change how you approach your role entirely.

🎧 Tune in now, and then come get support inside our NDM Circle Community—where you’ll connect with others who are navigating these same questions with empathy and expert guidance. Visit NDM.Circle.so to learn more and start your free trial.

What You’ll Explore:

What if your instinct to “teach a lesson” is actually backfiring?
What happens when failure doesn’t build resilience—but destroys it?
Is rescuing always enabling—or is something deeper going on?
What if they’re not lazy—but stuck in a brain state that blocks growth?
How do you tell the difference between a hard moment… and a harmful one?

💬 This kind of nuance isn’t something you figure out alone. Join us in the NDM Circle Community for live coaching, connection, and practical mentoring support. Your first 14 days are free—NDM.Circle.so

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16 May 2025

5 Patterns That Help Neurodivergent Young Adults Transition to Adulthood with Confidence (Instead of Anxiety) with Debbie

If your neurodivergent teen or young adult is struggling to launch or if you find yourself constantly questioning whether you’re doing too much or not enough... this episode is for you.

There’s a reason things feel stuck or fragile, even when you're working so hard to support them.

It’s not about your efforts. It’s about the patterns shaping your day-to-day interactions.

In this episode, I’ll share five foundational patterns that can shift the trajectory from anxiety and shutdowns… to confidence and steady progress.

Inside, we’ll explore:

What might be missing beneath the surface of your daily routines
A common mindset trap that increases anxiety (without you realizing it)
Why “more responsibility” backfires without this key support piece
The one thing your child needs more than productivity
A quiet but powerful strategy that strengthens independence from the inside out

🎧 Tune in now and if this resonates, join us inside NDM Circle for ongoing coaching, live workshops, and a supportive community of parents and professionals who truly get it.

🔗 NDM.Circle.so

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16:46

10 May 2025

Is This Helping or Hurting? 5 Ways We Accidentally Undermine Independence with Debbie

You’re doing everything you can to help your neurodivergent child, teen, or young adult grow into an independent adult, but what if some of the things you’re doing to help are actually holding them back?

It’s not because you don’t care. It’s because so many of us are working from outdated ideas about what builds independence, and those ideas just don’t work for neurodivergent development.

In this episode, I’ll walk you through five common patterns that loving, well-meaning parents fall into, and how they can unintentionally keep your child stuck. We’ll zoom in on one of those patterns and give you a practical shift you can make right away.

If you recognize yourself in this episode, it’s a sign you’ll enjoy our upcoming workshop, The Independence Pathway: From Home to Thriving.

What You’ll Learn:

5 parenting patterns that can quietly undermine independence
Why solving problems for your child may do more harm than good
A simple shift to start mentoring instead of managing
The key mindset change that supports real growth
How to get support that actually fits your neurodivergent loved one’s brain

📅 Tuesday, May 13, 2025 | 🕖 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM MDT

🎟 $27 or FREE for NDM Circle members

💻 RSVP now at NDM.Circle.so to build mentoring strategies that support autonomy, emotional well-being, and life skills—without the power struggles.

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02 May 2025

From Surviving to Thriving—Our Journey, Lessons, and the Heart Behind NDM

You’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and doing everything you can to help your neurodivergent loved one. So why does it still feel like nothing’s working?

You’re not alone. We’ve been there too—desperate for answers, bouncing from expert to expert, trying every intervention, school, and strategy we could find… and still feeling stuck in survival mode.

In this special 150th episode (a rerecording of our very first), we open up about our early struggles as parents to neurodivergent kids, how little support there was, and the painful moments that nearly broke us. But it was also the beginning of something transformative—the start of what would become Neuro-Developmental Mentoring (NDM™).

If you’ve ever wondered where to begin—or how to keep going—this episode will give you hope, direction, and a sense that someone finally gets it.

Tune in and get a deeper understanding of where we’ve come from, what we’ve learned, and why this podcast and community exists—for YOU.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

The real-life crisis moment that changed everything for us as parents
Why most traditional mental health and educational approaches fall short for neurodivergent kids
What finally started working—and why development, not behavior, is the key
How our approach evolved into NDM™ and what makes it different
Where to start when you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, and don’t know what else to try

🎧 If this episode resonates, take the next step and join our NDM Circle community at NDM.Circle.so. You don’t have to do this alone.

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26 April 2025

Navigating the Parent-Mentor Balance with Jason

Ever catch yourself wondering "Am I doing too much… or not enough?" Whether you're stepping in to help your child solve a problem—or stepping back to let them figure it out—finding that balance can feel like walking a tightrope.

You might be working overtime to fix, rescue, or guide every decision, only to feel exhausted… or you might pull back too far, unsure when to re-engage. Either way, when the balance is off, kids struggle to grow into capable, confident adults.

In this episode, Jason unpacks how to know when to parent, when to mentor, and why this distinction matters more than you think—especially for neurodivergent kids, teens, and young adults.

You’ll learn:

✔ Why over-parenting or under-parenting can lead to emotional and developmental roadblocks

✔ How to recognize when your child needs a parent vs. a mentor (and how to shift gears)

✔ What happens when parents aren’t aligned—and how to get on the same page

✔ How parenting from survival mode affects your child’s emotional health

✔ The simple mindset shift that helps you balance intervention and autonomy for long-term growth

If you're ready to stop second-guessing and start feeling confident in how you support your child’s journey to independence, this episode is for you.

✨ Want to go deeper? Join us for our upcoming workshop:

"The Independence Pathway: From Home to Thriving."

You'll learn how to foster autonomy, emotional well-being, and life skills without power struggles or overwhelm.

🔗 RSVP for the Workshop here: NDM.Circle.so

📩 Get more insights & tools—Join our email list for inspiration and updates.

👉 Need a supportive community? Join our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals mentoring neurodivergent young people.

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07 March 2025

Embracing Neurodivergent Affirming Care: Balancing Acceptance and Practical Support with Jason

If you’ve ever wondered, “How do I support my child’s authentic self while helping them navigate the real world?”—you’re not alone.

You’ve heard about neurodivergent affirming care and its emphasis on acceptance, but there’s still a challenge: How do we strike the balance between honoring individuality and addressing the practical demands of life?

In this episode, Jason Grygla dives into the complexities of neurodivergent affirming care, exploring both its transformative strengths and potential limitations.

You’ll learn:

✔ Why affirming care is essential for empowering neurodivergent individuals

✔ How trauma-informed and client-centered approaches promote healing and growth

✔ Why we need to balance authentic self-expression with real-world life skills

✔ Practical considerations in supporting neurodivergent individuals without ignoring necessary social norms and behavioral adaptations

If you’re ready to move beyond just acceptance and create a balanced approach to supporting neurodivergent individuals, this episode will help you get clear on the next steps.

✨ Want to go deeper?

📩 Get more insights & tools—Join our email list for inspiration and updates.

👉 Need a supportive community? Join our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals mentoring neurodivergent young people.

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