In this episode of Kitchen Table Conversations, Angela Geddes shares insights from her clinical work supporting veterans, OPP personnel, and individuals and families navigating complex mental health and neurodevelopmental challenges.

With a focus on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), this episode highlights a critical system gap: most individuals affected remain unrecognized and unsupported, with fewer than 1% receiving a diagnosis.

Angela shares a clear call to action and the need for a collaborative approach for professionals and communities of all kinds to :

• Move beyond diagnosis-dependent systems
• Build capacity across all sectors
• Support individuals based on functional needs
• Prioritize safety, dignity, and understanding

Blending lived experience, research, and policy advocacy, this episode challenges listeners to rethink how we respond when traditional approaches fail.

Recommended Resources:

• Training for Social Workers & Allied Health Practitioners
• 10th International Conference on Adolescents and Adults with FASD
• National FASD Program (Australian Prevention Efforts)

Please share this podcast with those in your circle and community who would benefit from these important Kitchen Table Conversations. Your support means the world to us.

In this episode, Angela Geddes invites listeners into a gentle, grounding conversation about her latest resource, which highlights what happens when we stop fighting our neurodivergent wiring — and begin to understand it.

This episode is especially for people who have grown up feeling “out of step,” misunderstood, or blamed for struggles that are actually rooted in how their brain works - and for the people who love and support them. This episode speaks directly to those living with ADHD, FASD, trauma, substance use impacts, learning differences, and complicated mental health profiles — particularly when life feels overwhelming, uncertain, or high-stakes.

Through a compassionate, brain-based lens, this "Deep Dive" explores:

• Why fear and misinformation often surround assessment, diagnosis, and systems
• How increased stress, substance use, prenatal alcohol/substance exposure and trauma can change how our brain functions
• Why understanding your brain is not about labels or punishment — but about safety, advocacy, and better outcomes
• How slowing down and getting curious can open the door to relief and self-compassion

This episode is not about fixing people or telling them what to do.

It’s about offering clarity, reassurance, and a reminder that you are not broken — you are wired differently.

This conversation provides an overview of Angela’s book, Not Your Typical Growing Up & Adulting Guide, and companion workbook which offers further language, tools, and validation for navigating growing up and adulting with a complicated and beautiful brain.

Listeners are encouraged to listen at their own pace, return to it when needed, and share it with someone who might finally feel seen.

🌸 Rising up through muddy waters.

This episode features a rich, brain-based conversation with Lisa Riegel, a school transformation specialist who uses brain science as a foundation for building culture and practices that align to the way our brain works. This conversation explores how schools and families can better support students by understanding behaviour as the intersection of biology and context.

A central theme is the widespread misunderstanding of “manipulation.” For individuals with FASD and other neurodevelopmental profiles related to prenatal alcohol or substance exposure, behaviour can appear manipulative because they often know expectations but lack the executive functioning, emotional regulation, and problem-solving skills needed to consistently meet them or repair mistakes. When situations unravel, they may keep talking, reacting, or shifting direction — not to deceive, but because they are overwhelmed and don’t yet have the tools to navigate the moment effectively.

The conversation also explores why stress is normal, but how modern pressures — including social media, changing family routines, fewer shared meals, reduced idle time, and less opportunity to observe and practice nonverbal communication in safe settings — can amplify regulation challenges for vulnerable learners.

Rather than pathologizing behaviour or blaming parents, this discussion emphasizes the importance of:

• Focusing on brain and context
• Teaching skills instead of assuming intent
• Using “when–then” strategies and clear structure
• Helping students link skill development with positive outcomes
• Supporting self-understanding and self-advocacy, especially for those with hidden disabilities

The episode ultimately invites educators, caregivers, and systems to shift from reactive responses to proactive skill-building environments that help students learn how to manage their symptoms and thrive.

Educators looking to apply these concepts in real classrooms can explore Not Your Typical Teaching Guide, which offers practical, brain-based strategies.

Not Your Typical Growing Up and Adulting Guide (coming soon) continues this work by supporting teens and young adults to understand their brains, advocate for support, and build meaningful, capable lives. Books can be found here.

To learn more about Lisa Riegel’s work, speaking, and books on improving school climates through neuroscience, visit lisariegel.com.

Please share this podcast with those in your circle and community who would benefit from these important Kitchen Table Conversations. Your support means the world to us.