Memoirs of a Neurodivergent Latina

Hi all,Today I have the pleasure of sharing an interview with Dalisse. Dalisse Sequeiros is a Honduran-born late-diagnosed autistic adult, mother of two autistic sons, and founder of Loving Pieces Books, a children's book series for autistic kids ages 6 to 14 inspired by real moments from her own family life. She lives in Barcelona with her husband Luis and their sons Adrián, 12, and Guillermo, 5, and discovered she was autistic by recognizing herself in her own children's evaluations, a moment that transformed not just how she understands herself, but how she shows up every single day as a neurodivergent mom raising neurodivergent children in a world that was not designed for any of them.Her website is: https://lovingpiecesbooks.com/ if anyone wants to check it out.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

This new episode is about the year when everything started to finally go right. It was enough to make me somewhat hopeful for the future.This will be the last episode of the season.  I know it's a short one, but thanks for listening to everything.  I'll be back by the end of the summer with being a mother and neurodivergent.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Michelle Choairy is a speaker, mentor, podcaster, and the founder of Wisdom 4 Complex Kids, Special Education Concierge, and the THRIVE Program. She is the creator and host of the Complex Kids, Simple Solutions podcast and co-host of The Mom Panel, where she blends expert guidance with heartfelt conversations to support parents raising neurodivergent, apraxic, and complex kids.In this episode, we will be talking to her about her personal journey as a woman with anxiety and depression.  We will also discuss how latine culture affected her getting the help she needed.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

I think this deserves a trigger warning in the text, though the name is probably enough. This is an episode about what my depression felt like from the inside: the spirals, the self-talk, even a brief considered un-aliving. If this is too much, skip the episode. Your mental health matters more.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

I'm sorry that I'm so late with this episode.  It was a slip of mind that I won't make again.This episode is about all the happy little things that kept me going during college. You've been hearing a lot of the dark, so I figured I'd break it up a little.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Holidays are a strange mix of traditions and changes that break traditions. All of these things can cause anxiety for neurodivergent people.This episode is not about college. It's more about the general holidays and the difficulties we might have around this time of year.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

There are negative words and descriptions about yourself that tend to stay with you forever. For me, being irresponsible came up in college, and I've never managed to shake the term in my internal dialogue. Listen to the things my junior year that embedded it into my psyche.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

This is by far the hardest episode I have done to date. There are a lot of pauses that I considered taking out, but they, I think, convey how much this still affects me. This episode is about a couple of events that redefined my trust in others around me and my belief in the reality of my friendships in a negative way.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

They say that being autistic makes it hard to have and maintain relationships.  I don't find that to be fully true, but I did struggle making meaningful friendships in secondary education.  Listen to get the story,Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

I have spoken before about singing being my stim, and how there were a lot of factors that made it harder and harder for me to engage in it.  This episode is about the evolution of my ability to sing and perform again throughout college.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Academics were always a consistent source of self-esteem, so what happens when I go to a new place, with unresolved trauma, and a neurodiversity that I didn't know about?  It was definitely not what I would have hoped for.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

An honest look at going to a new Secondary School from someone who is autistic.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

We're coming back in September with more storytelling.  Join us!Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

There are a number of correlated physical traits that go along with autism.  This episode focuses on hyperextending joints, ligament issues, and poor muscle tone.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

As much as I might be a good person, there are always some selfish impulses.  Listen to this podcast episode on my need for acknowledgement and decide for yourself whether this is just a me thing or if it's a symptom of neurodivergence.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Beth has always known she had OCD.  Find out what it's like for her.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

One of the biggest difficulties with autism and other Neurodivergences can be how we react to change.  While it has been talked about in other episodes, we haven't really focused on it specifically.  So, let's discuss change.  What kinds of change affect us?  And what does the reaction to change look like?Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Comfort with different communication styles is something that changes a lot even within people with the same neurodivergence.  Listen to my preferences and why some things are difficult.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

There are a lot of misconceptions about neurodivergence and creativity, especially when focusing on autism.  This episode helps to debunk those misconceptions.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

This episode addresses twice exceptional people and how they tend to mask their difficulties until they can't anymore.  Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Theory of Mind is often said to be missing in certain neurodivergences.  Listen as I discuss an article on the topic and breakdown the reality vs perception of theory of mind.The article is: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/basics/theory-of-mindSupport the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Subtle gaslighting from people around us, even people thinking they are helping, makes it difficult for women with neurodiversity to look for support.  This episode explores the different ways that we tend to get gaslit.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

We're going to talk about feelings. It's how I think my ability to feel differs from what I, only observationally, see in others.  There can't be a scientific comparison on something so ephemeral, but you will at least be introduced to my internal state.Note that we are not a monolith and others with a similar neurodivergence might have different levels of comfort and fortitude when it comes to negative vs positive feelings.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

I'm diverting my programming to tell you spooky stories of things I've experienced.  I figure that you won't find a professional who uses "has had paranormal experiences" as part of an ND diagnosis, so who knows?  Maybe it's still on topic.  Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Masking and Chameleoning are two of the coping mechanisms used by neurodivergent people to fit into the world.  Learn what they look like and the long-term effects they truly have.I promised links to [Spoon Theory](https://butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory/)\Episode produced, written, and directed by: Lya Batlle-Rafferty https://www.moanl.com/Music written and performed by: Carlos Neda https://www.instagram.com/somosnedaSupport the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Sensory Processing issues can be by far the most obvious signs of neurodivergence in those of us good at blending in.  Listen to hear how it works from someone who struggles with it.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

Schedules help to deal with the risk of the unknown, but what happens if you're also trapped by them?  Listen and find out.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social

While there are many neurodivergent patterns out there, my personal one seems to center around risk.  Listen to this episode to see if this resonates with you.Support the showVisit our website at https://www.moanl.com/Our Bluesky is at https://bsky.app/profile/moanl.bsky.social