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

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 It’s because so many of us are working from outdated ideas about what builds independence, and those ideas just don’t work for neurodivergent development.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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45:27

01 March 2025

Why You Keep Getting Stuck in the Same Parenting Struggles (And How to Break Free) with Debbie

If you’ve ever thought, “Why does this keep happening?!”—whether it’s battles over transitions, screen time, or meltdowns—you’re not alone.

You try different strategies, set boundaries, offer choices… yet you keep getting stuck in the same frustrating cycles. The truth is, the situation isn’t actually the problem—it’s how we think about the situation that keeps us stuck.

You’ll learn:

✔ Why shifting your thoughts (not just the situation) is the key to breaking frustrating cycles

✔ How lower brain survival patterns—Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn—keep parents and kids stuck

✔ A simple mindset shift that helps you respond instead of react

✔ How to notice and reframe thoughts in the moment for better connection and cooperation

If you’re tired of power struggles and emotional exhaustion, this episode will help you take the first step toward real change.

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

"Mastering the Brain STEARing Model™: From Survival Reactions to Thriving Responses."

You'll learn step-by-step how to shift from reacting to responding, helping both you and your child move toward more connection, regulation, and peace.

🔗 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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12:29

07 February 2025

Decoding the 'I Can't vs. I Won't' Paradox in Neurodivergence with Jason & Debbie

Is it that they can’t—or that they won’t?

In this episode, we break down the common struggle of distinguishing between genuine inability and refusal in neurodivergent kids, teens, and young adults. We explore:

• Why challenges can feel insurmountable due to unique brain wiring

• How to avoid power struggles and foster autonomy

• The neural response to perceived difficulty and how it impacts motivation

• The role of resilience and discipline in long-term growth

Understanding this gray area can help you respond with more clarity and support—without getting stuck in frustration.

📩 Want more insights and practical tools? Be sure to join our email list for inspiration and updates.

👉 For deeper support, join our NDM Circle Community at NDM.Circle.so—a space for parents and professionals navigating the complexities of parenting neurodivergent young people.

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