NeuroDiverse Christian Couples

Just the Guys discussed their experiences with planning surprise events and trips, emphasizing the importance of considering the other person's interests and preferences.

They also shared their experiences with travel planning, highlighting the challenges and stress involved and the need to be more mindful and attentive in daily life. The conversation concluded with the importance of expanding experiences beyond the US context and understanding the unique interests and needs of their children.

Dr. Stephanie and Meredith discuss social skills groups for adolescents and young adults 14 and older.

Meredith Sinclair is the Executive Director/Founder of LIFE Behavior Consulting, LLC. Meredith holds a Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Georgia State University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University. She is a certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Certified PEERS for Young Adults Provider, school-based Provider, and Telehealth provider. Meredith loves working with people with Neurodiverse brain styles to help them learn the skills to build their confidence and independence in working on their goals in life, whatever those may be. Meredith's specialty is helping her clients uncover and leverage their strengths and take action steps to apply the skills they learn in the real world. She is an advocate for Neurodiversity in the workplace and believes that anyone who has the desire to work CAN work and have a fulfilling career with the proper support.

Find her at:
https://lifebehaviorconsulting.com/

About our Guests:

Kristin Faith Evans, MA, MS, LMSW, and Todd Evans, PhD, MA,
are award-winning authors, speakers, and disability parents. They
earned their MA in Christian educational ministries at Wheaton College
in Illinois and have served together in full-time ministry in church,
camping, and retreat settings. Todd received his PhD from Vanderbilt
University’s School of Engineering and currently manages his own
business. Kristin earned her MSW from the University of Tennessee and
is a Licensed Master Social Worker experienced in couples, child and
family, substance abuse, and crisis counseling.

About Their Book:

In their upcoming book How to Build a Thriving Marriage as You Care for Children with Disabilities (Baker Books, May 2024), Kristin and Todd provide the field guide for success. With extreme practicality and empathy, they present research-based skills for fostering a thriving caregiving marriage.

Caregiving parents require an additional set of skills for protecting their marriage amidst emotional, financial, and relational obstacles. Much like on a wilderness adventure, the steps of identifying where you are, setting goals, and planning your path together are vital to the success and enjoyment of the journey. Kristin and Todd apply this easy-to-follow framework in crucial areas such as stress management, communication, problem-solving, and respite to help couples thrive.

Kristin and Todd are available for interviews to discuss topics such as:
• Grieving the continual losses in a caregiving lifestyle
• Prioritizing marital intimacy in an overwhelming schedule
• Supporting each other’s mental, physical, and emotional health
• Fostering a life of joy despite “unhappy” circumstances

https://disabilityparenting.com/
Dr. Holmes says you want to get the book!
Get the book! Visit their site:

https://toddandkristinevans.com/

Get Connected
www.DisabilityParenting.com

Instagram
@disabilityparenting

Facebook
/kristin.evans.5895

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@AuthorKristinEv

Listeners, you asked! We listened!

Many reached out and wanted to hear from an NT Husband and ND Wife!
Today, we have Gary and Molly, who discuss not only neurodiversity in marriage but also the extra layer and complexity of being a couple in ministry and who would find out about their neurodiversity.

What are the similarities and differences of being the "reverse," so to speak, type of NeuroDiverse Christian Couple?

Gary, being in ministry and having counseled hundreds of couples, what did he say about pastoral training and the need for Christian counseling to have specific training in NeuroDiverse Couples?

We had 2 questions come in from listeners about chronic stress and autoimmune issues in the ND marriage and how to build resiliency and calm the central nervous system in high-stress environments.

Today, Dan and Stephanie talked with Jana Smith, an expert in this area.

About Jana:

Bio: Jana Smith is a Certified Nervous System and Somatics Coach with a Master’s Degree in Health Education. Jana’s experience with neurodiversity began in her family of origin and included her diagnosis of ADHD as an adult. She also has firsthand experience navigating chronic illness. After 7 years of debilitating symptoms, Jana found relief by learning how to build resilience through nervous system regulation. She has made it her life’s work to help others bounce back so they can thrive instead of just surviving.

Talking points:
1. Chronic illness is connected to stress, even if we don’t feel stressed out. Low-level ongoing
nervous system dysregulation leaves us vulnerable to developing symptoms and illnesses
(physical and emotional).

2. Define and explain the causes of nervous system dysregulation.

Factors that affect our propensity to dysregulate:

• Our neurotype

• Our personality

• Our attachment style

• Our past experiences

• Our current stress level

• Our perceptions of safety

3. Dysregulation is not bad! God created our nervous system responses to protect us. However, when we are unable to return to regulation, we can end up living in a chronic stress state.

4. What types of situations, without proper support, create chronic dysregulation?

• Past trauma

• Difficult marriage

• Parenting challenges

• Neurodiversity (both for the individual and the family)

• Not feeling emotionally supported or connected; feeling emotionally abandoned

• Feeling invalidated: not feeling seen and heard

• Overfunctioning, perfectionism, people-pleasing

• Co-dependency

• Lack of sleep

5. Dysregulated nervous system states: fight/flight, freeze, fawn/overwhelm. Examples.

6. It’s never too late to learn nervous system fitness.

7. Knowledge vs experience: you can learn all about the brain, the science, polyvagal theory,
etc., and still live in a mostly dysregulated state.

8. Walk through a brief experiential example to help cultivate nervous system balance.

Reach out to Jana:
https://www.janamsmith.com/

Dr. Donna Berghauser is a Florida-licensed and Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) with over 10 years of experience in public schools and community settings.

Dr. Donna Berghauser earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Florida State University and a doctorate in psychology from Nova Southeastern University. Since 2011, she has served on the Florida Association of School Psychologists (FASP) executive board in many capacities, including President. Her professional interests include systems change, restorative practices, and culturally sensitive assessment and intervention. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling, visiting local coffee shops, reading, and hanging out with her fluffy boy, Cosmo.

Today is a special edition of JTG. Our usual crew will be back!
Today, Dan discusses marriage, divorce, and a new marriage with John Fela of Joni & Friends. While not officially diagnosed, John has realized later in life his neurodivergent identification.

About John:
John Fela is the Ministry Relations Manager at Joni and Friends Chicago, working with churches to equip and train them to help the disabled in their communities. Prior to that, he spent almost 20 years in education, working with children from Infants to Middle School, serving in a variety of roles, including Teacher, Mentor Teacher, and School Director.

Zoom AI Summary of Conversation:

• John and his wife have a dedicated time or day to review and update their shared calendar to ensure they are both aware of each other's schedules and commitments.

• John and his wife consistently express gratitude and appreciation for each other's efforts and contributions, even for small tasks or gestures.

• John and his wife practice gentleness and empathy in their communication, especially when discussing sensitive or past-related topics.

• John and his wife continue engaging in regular devotional and check-in times to maintain a strong connection and support each other.

John lives in Round Lake, IL, and is married to his wife Faith and father to his son Christopher (ASD.) He is a public speaker, podcast guest on multiple shows, and regular contributor to Key Ministry’s Special Needs Family blog and other special needs blogs, including Hope Anew and The Mighty.

Today we took some listener questions and Dr.Stephanie asks them from neurodiverse couples to Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks. 
One key component- Neurodiversity is never THE only marriage challenge or complexity.

ntroducing Natalie Roberts and Heather Parks

Heather Parks has been in a neurodiverse relationship for over 25 years and lives in Devon, UK, with her husband and four children. Neurodiversity was unknown until 2012 when it exploded into their lives amid a mental health crisis that affected every family member. Ill from the persistent stress of trying to keep everyone afloat, desperate to find solutions, and losing hope that things would ever get better, Heather embarked on a journey in which she recovered herself and rebuilt connection firstly with herself and then in her relationship, family, and beyond. After 8 years of supporting families discovering and navigating neurodiversity, Heather certified with MasterCoach in 2020 before becoming a Positive Intelligence ® Coach. In 2021, she gained the ICF Accredited Certificate in Body-Oriented Coaching with The Somatic School in London, UK.

Heather coaches individuals struggling in their neurodiverse relationships using a nervous system approach of safety and curiosity so that they can reconnect with themselves and create conscious, loving connections with others... so they can be themselves, too!


Natalie Roberts lives in the UK with her husband Pete. She’s been married for 25 years and has known about neurodiversity, participating in it for 10 of those years when her husband discovered he’s autistic.
Frustrated and depressed by toxic online groups, a lack of hope, and virtually no solutions that actually worked in real life, Natalie took a different path. Led by her social sciences background and inspired by her incessant curiosity to find a way where there is seemingly no way, she busted neurodiversity relationship myths, reversed symptoms of Cassandra Syndrome, and began to thrive in her relationship again! 

Professionally, as an accredited and award-winning Relationship Coach, Natalie coaches individuals who are struggling in their neurodiverse relationships to reverse the individual and relationship impact of unknown neurodiversity so that they can be true to themselves and feel empowered to make positive and hopeful decisions about their present and future.
In 2020, Heather and Natalie co-founded Loving Difference to bring hope and a way forward for neurodiverse relationships to more people. Loving Difference has an online home that combines empowering coaching, a friendly community, and step-by-step guidance to be you again and flourish, with the company and encouragement of others navigating the same challenges. Heather and Natalie also co-host the Myth Busting Neurodiverse Relationships podcast.
www.lovingdifference.net
heather@lovingdifference.net
www.natalieroberts.com
natalie@natalieroberts.com

Myth Busting Neurodiverse Relationship podcast is available where you listen to podcasts.

Disclaimer:
When we have guests on the ASR podcast, they are recognized for their expertise in autism as advocates, self-advocates, clinicians, parents, or other professionals in the field. They may or may not be part of the faith community; having a guest on the broader topic of autism does not reflect complete agreement with the guest, just as many guests may not agree with our faith perspective. Guests are chosen by topic for the chosen podcast discussion and are not necessarily in full agreement with all beliefs of the chosen guest(s).