April Ratchford MS OT/L

Adulting with Autism

Mental Health Self-Improvement Personal Journals English

Adulting with Autism isn’t just a podcast — it’s a movement.

We give autistic and neurodivergent adults the platform, voice, and validation they’ve always deserved. Here, we don’t mask. We don’t perform. We belong.

Every episode brings honest conversations with leaders, advocates, and everyday people who are rewriting what it means to thrive as a neurodivergent adult. We talk life skills, independence, mental health, relationships, careers, and legacy — because autistic voices don’t just need a seat at the table… we are the table.

Ranked among Apple’s Top 200 Podcasts (All Categories), Adulting with Autism is proof that our voices are resonating worldwide.

Join us Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays as we move beyond survival, build authentic lives, and create legacies that last.

Because autism isn’t broken. It’s just a different frequency — and the world is finally tuning in.

🎧 Listen on Buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube
🔗 Explore all links + merch: https://linktr.ee/adultingwithautism
📩 Want to be a guest or collaborate? Message April on PodMatch:
https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1708097947800879cbdd654ca

🧩 Autistic. Authentic. Unapologetic.
🔥 With over 2 million downloads and listeners worldwide, Adulting with Autism proves our voices belong here.

Website

08 September 2025

Rewrite Your Story on Adulting With Autism: Jamie Naegele’s Journey from Burnout to Happiness, Self-Love & Success

Send us a textOn this powerful episode of Adulting With Autism, meet international bestselling author, happiness coach, and engineer Jamie Naegele (Nay-Glee). Jamie opens up about transforming his life from anxiety and burnout to joy and purpose—leaving a high-paying job, conquering $50K in debt, and learning the science of self-love. Through his story, Jamie reveals how self-discovery and...

06 September 2025

Monetize Your Mindset: Bart Merrell on Side Hustles, Action, and Financial Security | Adulting With Autism #EntrepreneurMindset #SideHustle2025

Send us a textOn this lively episode of Adulting With Autism, international entrepreneur and author Bart Merrell (aka the Side Hustle Samurai) shares how anyone—yes, even those starting from scratch—can create financial freedom by monetizing what they already know. With wild stories (bungee jumping in Japan, entrepreneur since age 15, adaptive dog training) and a practical memory-jogger for side...

03 September 2025

Finding Voice: Mila Maxwell on Sibling Bonds, Disability, and Writing Truths

Send us a textJoin Adulting With Autism as we sit down with debut Canadian author Mila Maxwell—mother, firefighter, and co-owner of a rural gym—whose life and writing are shaped by growing up alongside a sister with cerebral palsy. In this episode, Mila shares an honest conversation about the realities of sibling relationships, disability representation in fiction, and the emotional complexities...

01 September 2025

From Punishment to Progress: Duff on Hypnosis, Burnout & Neurodivergent Adulting

Send us a textHypnotist and coach Duff joins Adulting with Autism to flip the script on burnout and “doing life the hard way.” Growing up autistic and mostly mute, Duff went all-in on personal growth—meditation, NLP, hypnosis—and discovered a deeper lever for change: shifting from the Punishment Paradigm (fear/pain motivation) to the Progress Paradigm (love/joy motivation). We talk practical...

30 August 2025

Roman Wyden (ADHD IS OVER): Rethinking Labels, Healing the Nervous System & Parenting on Purpose

Send us a textFilmmaker, life coach, and host of ADHD IS OVER Roman Wyden joins me to challenge the “disorder-first” mindset and offer a more human, nervous-system-aware path forward. We talk labels vs. lived reality, meds as band-aids vs. root-cause work, school fit, and how parents can lead with clarity, courage, and connection.In this episode:Why Roman says ADHD is over (and what he really...

27 August 2025

Dating, Boundaries & Burnout: Therapist Nicole Penrod on Mixed-Neurotype Love, Creative Healing & Autistic Adulting

Send us a textToday I’m sitting down with Nicole Penrod, MFT—a therapist and writer who works with neurodivergent adults, creatives, and mixed-neurotype couples. We dig into the real-world stuff: how to spot autistic burnout before it flattens you, unmask without losing your identity, set boundaries that actually stick, and navigate dating, breakups, and repair when ADHD and autism meet. Nicole...

23 August 2025

Daniel Durany on Real-World Adulting: Jobs, Dating, Driving, Budgeting & Self-Advocacy (Autism)

Send us a textAutism advocate, author, and year-round sports official Daniel Durany joins me to get practical about adulting: keeping a job (not just getting one), dating without panic, building independence behind the wheel, and budgeting so freedom lasts. Daniel’s spoken across the country (Texas State Autism Conference, Oklahoma State Autism Conference ’14 & ’24, Virginia Tech keynote...

22 August 2025

Z's First Week at Marshall University: Independence, Growth & Real Talk | Adulting with Autism

Send us a textIn this deeply personal episode of Adulting with Autism, host April shares the raw, real, and remarkable reflections on her autistic son Ahzerei's first week of college at Marshall University. From roommate tension to navigating Vocational Rehabilitation, this is the story of a young man choosing to stay, stand strong, and hold his own — and the mama bear cheering him on from a...

20 August 2025

From Adult Autism Dx to 500K Views: Kyle Wright’s Rubik’s Cube Art & “You Are Loved” Movement

Send us a textIn July 2024, Kyle Wright was diagnosed autistic as an adult—and everything shifted. He left gaming streams, picked up 100 mini Rubik’s Cubes, and started creating mosaic art that exploded on YouTube. In 60 days, Kyle doubled his subs; by December, one month pulled ~500K views and +2K subs. Now “Kyle Cubes” is a daily practice in creativity, routine, and faith—with a message at the...

16 August 2025

Control Your Career: Burnout, Pivots & Advocacy for Neurodivergent Pros w/ Julia Toothacre

Send us a textFeeling stuck, burned out, or boxed in at work? Career strategist Julia Toothacre (Ride The Tide Collective) breaks down how neurodivergent professionals can own their careers—without masking or burning out. We cover smart pivots (without “starting over”), asking for accommodations that actually help, navigating toxic managers, handling feedback without spiraling, and building...