Walking the Neurodiversity Path is a podcast hosted by Coty Walker exploring ADHD, neurodiversity, parenting, emotional wellness, late diagnosis, self-compassion, and the lived experience of navigating life with differently wired brains. Through honest conversations with experts, parents, and neurodivergent individuals, the podcast creates a compassionate space to better understand the challenges, strengths, emotions, and realities of living in a world that often misunderstands neurodiversity.
Why So Many Girls with ADHD Go Undiagnosed: The Hidden Face of ADHD in Girls and Women – A Conversation With Katie Bertie – Episode 15
In this episode of Walking the Neurodiversity Path, Coty Walker sits down with UK based ADHD and dyslexia specialist, teacher, and neurodivergent parent Katie Bertie for an honest conversation about why so many girls and women with ADHD continue to go unnoticed, misunderstood, or misdiagnosed for years.
Together, they explore the hidden presentation of ADHD in girls, including masking, perfectionism, emotional sensitivity, people pleasing, anxiety, and the deep impact of growing up feeling “different” without understanding why. Katie shares insights from both her professional and personal experience supporting neurodivergent children, teens, and families, while Coty opens up a compassionate space for conversations many women are only now beginning to have later in life.
Whether you are a parent, educator, late-diagnosed woman, or someone trying to better understand the neurodivergent experience, this conversation offers insight, validation, compassion, and hope.
Katie is offering us a free 3 part parent guide: 3 simple steps you can take to support your ADHD/dyslexic teen fearlessly, so they can tackle school and life with confidence and joy.
Dowload it here: https://gift.katiebertieeducation.com/coty
To learn more about Katie Bertie and her work, visit:
Her website: www.katiebertieeducation.com
Substack: https://substack.com/@katiebertie
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiebertie/
Understanding Myself Later in Life: A Conversation with Lotti on ADHD, Identity and Self-Acceptance – Episode 14
In this candid and deeply personal episode, Coty sits down with her close friend Lotti to explore what it means to be diagnosed with ADHD later in life. Through honest reflections, moments of humor, and stories from their friendship, they unpack the complexity of identity, the realities of navigating stigma, especially as professionals, and the ongoing journey of making sense of yourself. This conversation is a gentle reminder that understanding doesn’t happen overnight, and that self-acceptance is not a destination, but a process. If you’ve ever questioned how your brain works or felt like you’re figuring things out later than others, this episode will resonate.
Sensory Overload & Change, Why Small Things feel Big – Episode 13
In this honest and personal episode, Coty Walker explores how sensory overload and resistance to change can make even the smallest things feel overwhelming. From avoiding a new microphone to struggling with clothing tags, Coty shares her own experiences to uncover a deeper truth: when our nervous system is stretched, what looks like overreacting is often our brain trying to protect us.This episode is a gentle reminder that you’re not alone and that instead of pushing through, there may be a different way forward. If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed by small tasks, or resistant to change, this conversation will help you better understand what’s really going on beneath the surface.
The Shift from Correction to Compassion in ADHD: A Conversation with Krista Van Iderstine – Episode 12
In this episode of Walking the Neurodiversity Path, Coty Walker sits down with Registered Occupational Therapist and ADD coach Krista Van Iderstine for a deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation about what it really means to support ADHD. Diagnosed as an adult, Krista brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work. Together, Krista and Coty explore the limitations of traditional ADHD approaches that focus heavily on behavior modification, productivity, and “fixing” challenges, often without addressing the inner emotional world.
This conversation invites a powerful shift: from constant correction to self-understanding, from pressure to compassion, and from relying solely on systems to developing a deeper relationship with yourself.
If you’ve ever felt like you’re working harder than everyone else just to keep up, or like the systems that are supposed to help you just aren’t enough…this episode offers a refreshing and validating perspective. You are not broken. And there is another way.
Krista Van Iderstine’s website-Befriending Your Brain OT & Coaching Services: https://www.kristaotcoach.com/index.html
For Krista’s meditations on Free Insight Timer app-her teacher profile coming soon and you will be able to search her name in the app
Krista Van Iderstine’s meditations on Free Soundcloud app: https://on.soundcloud.com/vZWX07B7hA4WkWTo9o
Other resources mentioned during podcast
Kristin Neff self-compassion researcher website: https://self-compassion.org/
Kristin Neff TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKEtknqHTjo
ADHD in a World That Feels Like It’s Falling Apart – Episode 11
In this episode of Walking the Neurodiversity Path, Coty Walker explores how constant exposure to global crises, breaking news, and social media can deeply impact ADHD and other neurodiverse nervous systems. When the world feels overwhelming, ADHD brains (wired to respond to urgency and emotional intensity) can easily become caught in cycles of anxiety, hyperfocus on negative news, and emotional exhaustion. Coty shares insights on why this happens, how it particularly affects teenagers whose brains are still developing, and what we can do to protect our mental and emotional well-being. Through practical strategies like setting boundaries with media, reconnecting with the body, and focusing on what we can influence in our daily lives, this episode offers compassionate guidance for neurodiverse individuals and parents navigating uncertain times.
You’re Not Broken: A Kinder Way to Think About Productivity – Episode 10
February can be a heavy month for neurodivergent minds. The new year energy has faded, expectations are still loud, and exhaustion, self-doubt, and shame often begin to surface. If productivity feels harder than it “should” right now, you’re not imagining it, and you’re not failing. In this episode of Walking the Neurodiversity Path, Coty Walker invites you into a gentler, more honest conversation about productivity, one that offers relief rather than pressure. This episode explores why traditional productivity systems were never designed for neurodivergent brains, the emotional cost of forcing ourselves to fit them, and how burnout often comes from working against our nervous systems. Coty shares compassionate reframes, gentle experiments, and a powerful reminder that rest is not a reward, it’s regulation. If you’ve ever wondered why things feel harder for you, this episode is here to remind you: you’re not broken, you’re navigating systems that don’t understand your brain.
When January Doesn’t Go as Planned: The Myth of the Fresh Start for Neurodivergent Individuals – Episode 9
January often comes with loud expectations: fresh starts, big goals, and pressure to begin the year at full speed. In this gentle solo episode, Coty reflects on starting the year sick and depleted, and how quickly one setback can turn into a story of failure, especially for neurodivergent nervous systems. Through personal insight and a neurodiversity lens, she explores why rigidity and productivity culture can be dysregulating for both kids and adults, and why winter invites rest, not pushing. This episode is a reminder that health is emotional and nervous-system based, micro-resets are always available, and gentleness is not giving up, it’s regulation. If your year hasn’t gone as planned, you haven’t failed. This is your micro-reset.
In His Own Words: Living with ADHD in a World Not Built For You – An Interview With My Son Jayden – Episode 8
In this episode of Walking the Neurodiversity Path, Coty interviews her son Jayden about living with severe ADHD and the challenges of navigating engineering school. Jayden speaks candidly about focus, hyperactivity, pressure, and what it feels like to learn in a system not designed for neurodivergent minds. This is not a how-to episode, it’s a compassionate conversation centered on understanding, dignity, and lived experience. An important listen for parents, students, and anyone touched by ADHD.
ADHD & the Holidays: Why This Season Feels So Hard – Episode 7
The holidays can be joyful, but for many ADHD and neurodiverse people, they can also be overwhelming and emotionally draining. In this episode of Walking the Neurodiversity Path, Coty Walker explores why the holiday season often intensifies overstimulation, disrupted routines, people-pleasing, boundary challenges, executive function struggles, impulsive spending, and rejection sensitivity. Through personal reflection and lived experience, Coty reframes these challenges as neurological realities, not personal failures.This conversation is an invitation to release perfection, honor your capacity, and approach the season with more awareness, self-compassion, and choice. If the holidays feel harder than they “should,” this episode reminds you that you’re not broken, and you’re not alone.
The High Cost of Being Misunderstood – Episode 6
Being misunderstood comes with an emotional cost — one that many neurodivergent people carry for a lifetime.
In this episode, Coty explores the hidden wounds created by misdiagnosis, harsh labels, and years of feeling “too much” or “not enough.” Through compassion and clarity, she helps you recognize how these experiences shape identity, self-worth, and the way we parent and relate to others. Most importantly, she offers a new narrative, one rooted in acceptance, truth, and healing. If you or your child have ever felt misunderstood, this episode will feel like a deep exhale.
Embracing Who We Are – Interview With GregT – Episode 5
Welcome back to Walking the Neurodiversity Path, a space for honest conversations about growth, parenting, and what it truly means to thrive with a neurodivergent mind. Today’s episode is a special milestone, I’m welcoming my very first guest, Greg Travnicek, better known as Greg T, the owner of The Image Stop, a web design and hosting company here in Calgary. Greg joins me to share his personal journey of discovering his neurodivergence. Together, we explore his journey of acceptance and self-understanding. Greg opens up about the strategies that support him, how he practices self-compassion and his overall outlook on life and work. If Greg’s story resonates and you’d like to connect with him, he shares where to find him at the end of the episode.
Perfectionism Isn’t the Goal. Why Imperfect is More Honest – Episode 4
In this short episode, I open up about perfection, how it shows up in neurodiversity, and how it almost stopped me from making this podcast. We talk about the pressure to “have it all together,” why so many neurodivergent brains don’t begin unless they can do something perfectly, and the power of choosing authenticity over performance. This episode is a reminder that connection doesn’t come from perfection, it comes from being real.
Unmasking My ADHD: Finding Myself Beneath the Coping – Episode 3
The cost of hiding who we are and the freedom that comes with showing up authentically. After my car accident, I thought I was just healing from a concussion. Months of therapy later, I realized there was something deeper, the exhaustion of years spent masking, pushing through, and performing to a level it wasn’t realistic. In this episode, I talk about the cost of masking — especially for women and moms who lose themselves behind caregiving, expectations, and perfection. I share the moment I realized it wasn’t just about recovery — it was about rediscovery. We’ll explore what it means to unmask, to start asking “What do I need?” instead of “What do others need from me?” and why it’s never too late to ask for help, to set aside time for yourself, and to reconnect with your real self beneath the layers of doing.
My ADHD Awakening, When I Realized It Wasn’t Just My Kids… – Episode 2
In this first episode of Walking the Neurodiversity Path, Coty Walker opens up about her family’s journey with ADHD, from advocating for her first son’s diagnosis in Switzerland, to missing the signs in her second son, to finally recognizing her own neurodiversity after a car accident. Through honesty and compassion, Coty explores how parenting, self-discovery, and changing seasons of life often lead us back to ourselves.
Walking the Neurodiversity Path – One Step at a Time (Introduction) – Episode 1
Walking the Neurodiversity Path is a podcast of honest conversations about parenting, ADHD, and self-care for neurodiverse individuals and caregivers. Each episode shares personal stories, expert insights, and practical tools to help listeners move from surviving to thriving with compassion, clarity, and community.