Your Voice Matters
Your Voice Matters
Podcast Description
Welcome to Your Voice Matters, a podcast amplifying the voices of the SEND and neurodivergent community. Hosted by Asma Jacob, a dedicated SEND Therapist with 20+ years of experience, we create a safe space to share stories, build connections and inspire understanding.
In each episode, we explore powerful stories and perspectives from neurodivergent individuals, their families, and professionals dedicated to supporting the SEND community. Together, we address key topics like advocacy, mental health, navigating education, and building inclusive communities.
Your Voice Matters is a place where every voice is valued—because real change happens when we listen, learn, and embrace the diversity of human experience. Whether you’re part of the neurodivergent community or an ally, this podcast will leave you inspired, informed, and ready to make an impact.
Subscribe today and join the conversation—because your voice matters.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on vital themes such as advocacy, mental health, education navigation, and community inclusion. For example, episodes include discussions on self-love and understanding different learning styles with advocates like Antonio Myers, as well as the unique challenges of PDA with experts like Melanie Phipps, providing actionable insights for listeners.
Welcome to Your Voice Matters, a podcast amplifying the voices of the SEND and neurodivergent community. Hosted by Asma Jacob, a dedicated SEND Therapist with 20+ years of experience, we create a safe space to share stories, build connections and inspire understanding.
In each episode, we explore powerful stories and perspectives from neurodivergent individuals, their families, and professionals dedicated to supporting the SEND community. Together, we address key topics like advocacy, mental health, navigating education, and building inclusive communities.
Your Voice Matters is a place where every voice is valued—because real change happens when we listen, learn, and embrace the diversity of human experience. Whether you’re part of the neurodivergent community or an ally, this podcast will leave you inspired, informed, and ready to make an impact.
Subscribe today and join the conversation—because your voice matters.
What if exhaustion wasn’t a character flaw but your brain working twice as hard just to get through the day? We’re exploring autism, ADHD, burnout, and why understanding your needs matter.
“We’re like a beautiful constellation, and we all have differences and you’ve got a place where you fit in.”
In this episode of Your Voice Matters, Asma Jacob is joined by Lyric Rivera (also known online as the Neurodivergent Rebel), an autistic ADHDer, author, and workplace inclusion consultant.
Lyric shares their personal journey, from being diagnosed with autism at 30, followed by a later ADHD diagnosis in their mid-30s. They talk about what each process looked and felt like.
We explore how autism and ADHD can intertwine, and how unmet needs and masking can lead to burnout. Listeners will come away with a fresh perspective: understanding your needs matters more than labels.
Key takeaways:
- Autism and ADHD diagnoses are very different. The autism assessment often requires childhood history and family input, while ADHD assessment tends to be more straightforward and adult-focused.
- Hiding or adjusting autistic and ADHD traits to fit in (known as masking) takes a real toll. Over time, the effort of constant masking can lead to burnout, physical illness, and loss of skills.
- Knowing your needs matters more than labelling every trait. Rather than sorting behaviours into “that’s autism” or “that’s ADHD,” it’s better to focus on what support you need.
- Neuro-affirming workplaces benefit everyone. When environments are designed with neurodivergent needs in mind, everyone benefits. This could include flexible working hours, reduced sensory load, and clear communication.
- You don’t need to have it all figured out. Whether you have a diagnosis or not, you can advocate for yourself by naming what you need and that is enough.
“The things that neurodivergent people need benefit everyone, if we just lean into them.”
About Lyric:
Lyric Rivera is a late-identified Autistic and ADHD adult, best known for their blog, NeuroDivergent Rebel, and for the best-selling business ethics book, Workplace Neurodiversity Rising (which was praised in Forbes as “an excellent ‘how to manual ‘based on lived Experience and professional competence.”)
Other titles Lyric has worked on include the popular children’s workbook Autism, Identity, and Me (adult version coming soon), and Neurodivergent Rebel’s The Weight of Normal (released this past fall).
The philosophy of Neurodivergent Consulting is to support the creation of accessible workplaces and other spaces (via universal design) that enable Neurodivergent (and all) people to fully realize their unique talents and fresh perspectives through care and support of the whole person. This allows us to bring our full selves to the spaces we enter.
Where to find Lyric:
🔗 Neurodivergent Rebel Website
🔗 Neurodivergent Consulting Website
🔗 Neurodivergent Rebel Patreon
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Disclaimer
This podcast’s information is provided for general reference and was obtained from publicly accessible sources. The Podcast Collaborative neither produces nor verifies the content, accuracy, or suitability of this podcast. Views and opinions belong solely to the podcast creators and guests.
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