I had lunch with a longtime friend recently, and in the middle of a conversation that had absolutely nothing to do with neurodivergence, she asked me a question. “What does it change if someone is autistic?” My answer was immediate: Nothing. They’re the same person they were yesterday. Their brain didn’t suddenly become autistic because…
Categories: Autistic Traits, Neurodiverse Relationships, Tips for Couples
The problem isn’t just my awkward answer. It’s what our language still fails to capture about neurodivergence. Ask me about neurodivergence, and I can talk for hours. I do talk about it for hours on my podcasts. I write extensively. My first book is about to be released, and I have hundreds of pages of…
Categories: Autism Awareness and Acceptance, Brain dump from my perspective
I couldn’t fall asleep last night. It was after 1:30 a.m., and my mind kept returning to my daughter’s upcoming housing situation when she returns to college this fall. The landlords had communicated poorly, important details remained unresolved, and several things didn’t feel quite right. As I tossed and turned, my brain kept sorting through…
Categories: ADHD Traits, Autistic Traits, Executive Functioning
I was that child. The one who drove adults crazy asking “Why?” One answer was never enough. My curiosity usually led to another “Why?” and then another. Not much has changed. Today, I still spend my days asking why. Over the years, I have worked with thousands of people carrying deep hurt. Couples trapped in…
Categories: Communication, Neurodiverse Relationships, Tips for Couples
Five years ago, I worried she wasn’t ready to leave home. Today, she’s headed to the other side of the globe. This is the current state of my front room. Suitcases. Laundry. Lists. Last-minute preparations. In a few days, my 23-year-old autistic daughter will leave for Taiwan for two months of intensive Mandarin study. Five…
Categories: Autism Awareness and Acceptance, Autistic Traits, Education, Neurodiverse Family
Lovebombed Today, I came across a photo of a long-forgotten gift. I received it nearly 10 years ago, shortly after I started dating a man who turned out to be a narcissist. An autistic one. The gift was a jewelry box with a verse about love. I had been slow to date after my divorce,…
Categories: Autistic Traits, Narcissism, Neurodiverse Relationships
In this episode, I sit down with Jeremy and Charity, a couple married for over 20 years, who share their journey of discovering neurodivergence in their children—and eventually in Jeremy himself.
Categories: Autism Awareness and Acceptance, Neurodiverse Family, Neurodiverse Relationships, Neurodiversity Paradigm Shift, Podcast, Tips for Couples
Have you ever left something out on purpose, only to come back and find it “helpfully” put away? A pile of mail moved. A drinking glass gone. Shoes no longer where you left them when you’re rushing out the door. Different Brains, Different Systems In my family, this shows up in very specific ways. My…
Categories: ADHD, Executive Functioning, Neurodiverse Family, Neurodiverse Relationships, Tips for Couples
If working hard to understand yourself, and make changes in how you interact with your partner, hasn’t brought you closer together, it may be costing you instead. Trying to fix a relationship by working on yourself often feels like the right thing to do. It looks responsible, mature, and loving. And sometimes, it is. But…
Categories: Neurodiverse Relationships
Have you ever vented to a friend when you were upset, only to realize later that what you actually needed was perspective? Now imagine the “friend” you turned to always agrees, never challenges you, and never gets tired of the conversation. That’s what can happen when someone turns to AI for emotional guidance. It feels…
Categories: Communication, Neurodiverse Relationships, Neurodiversity Paradigm Shift
© 2026 Jodi Carlton, MEd, LLC
