Advocating for Neurodiversity and Hormonal Health with Meredith Canaan S3E32

Perimenopause, Neurodivergence & Self-Advocacy: ADHD, Hormones, and Accommodations with Meredith Canaan | Period Besties In this episode of Period Besties, Stasha interviews business and marketing expert Meredith Canaan about neurodivergence, perimenopause, and advocating for diagnoses and accommodations. Meredith shares her 1990s learning-disability diagnoses, later recognizing ADHD traits as estrogen changes affected executive function, and describes self-advocacy that led to ADHD medication. They discuss why ADHD/autism diagnoses are rising (DSM-5 changes and social media), how hormones influence cognition across the menstrual cycle and menopause, and how accommodations improve quality of life for invisible conditions like ADHD and endometriosis. Meredith covers practical advocacy steps, partnering for complementary executive-function strengths, and self-care strategies.   Free gift: “Guide for Advocating for Accommodations” Whether you’re navigating ADHD, Autism, chronic illness, Endometriosis, burnout, fatigue, sensory overwhelm, or executive function challenges, this guide helps you identify your needs, communicate them clearly, and advocate for support without shame. Inside are 7 practical advocacy steps, conversation scripts, and the 8 categories of accommodations and support needs.   meredithcanaan.com/advocate    Meredith is a Differently-wired business coach with heart. She let’s her True Colors Shine while bursting into song. She is a serial entrepreneur and has been helping creative visionary and Heart-Centered entrepreneurs grow and scale online businesses since 2017. Her focus is business building through relationships, community, collaborations and has a passion for Summits. She hosts the Heart-Centered Leaders Summit, and has the Differently-wired Business membership. As a Momprenuer, her previous focus was on coaching moms. She was inspired to create The Mommies Game, and hosted the Ultimate Moms’ Summit. After struggling with challenges in her family, she recently became a Licensed and Certified trainer of Sanity School ® and discovered she is ADHD and dyslexic. She brings this into helping entrepreneurs who think just a little bit differently. The Love of her family keeps her moving, and the love of coffee fuels the drive!   meredithcanaan.com https://www.facebook.com/LikeMeredithCanaan   00:00 Meet Meredith Canaan 01:24 Early Labels and Self Diagnosis 03:09 Hormones Parenting and Executive Function 06:25 Advocating for ADHD Support 08:03 Why Diagnoses Are Rising 09:55 ADHD Hacks and Accommodations 13:03 Missed Girls and Anxiety Masking 18:46 Ferrari Brain Hormones and HRT 26:31 Menopause Symptoms and Late Pregnancy 31:49 Live Event Promo Break 32:36 Advocacy Skills and Workplace Needs 37:50 Win Win Accommodations 39:05 Gratitude Reinforces Support 40:38 Invisible Needs Matter 43:19 Partners Share Strengths 46:38 Accepting Helpful Tools 49:00 Universal Design Benefits 50:55 Self Care Routines 55:07 Audiobooks Count Too 57:39 Find Meredith Online 58:50 Lightning Round Fun 01:04:34 Beach Vacation Reset 01:06:16 Final Thanks And Sponsors   Todays episode is sponsored by: Period Coaching School and Katie Bressack Wellness. Email us: [email protected] Our Websites: PeriodCoachingSchool.com KatieBressack.com Instagram and Facebook: @StashaWashburn  @KatieBressack  Freebies: Charting with Stasha https://ThePeriodCoach.com/etrc Eating For Your Hormones Guide https://katiebressack.com/freegift/ Books: The Revolution Will Be Bloody https://ThePeriodCoach.com/Revolution Bloody Brilliant Business https://PeriodCoachingSchool.com/Bloody-Brilliant-Business-book  Eating For Your Hormones Recipe Book https://katiebressack.com/hormone-balancing-recipe-book/ Theme music composed, recorded, performed, engineered, mixed and mastered by Ted Wulfers 663 Sound