Podcast
EPIC Families
Hosted by EPIC Families · EN
We’re on a mission to create EPIC families: Extraordinary Parents. Incredible Children.
Families with children (and potentially parents!) who have ADHD, Autism or sit along the neurodiverse spectrum...it's time to celebrate the power of thinking differently.
The EPIC Families Podcast gives neurodiverse families the certainty, clarity, and confidence to build EPIC relationships and live incredible lives through embracing - not fighting against - what makes them unique.
We deliver strength in neurodiversity by grabbing the information from experts who have it and giving it to the families who need it. Our focus is on real-life families and providing them with practical guidance, tools and support. We are proudly and boldly different - we focus on real, chaotic, messy family life, not perfect psychological scenarios and academic case studies.
No longer will neurodiverse families feel overlooked, misunderstood, confused, ignored, or forgotten. This is where we make a stand and prove to the world that neurodiversity is a superpower!
EPIC Families is delivered by Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand's leading child neurodevelopmental clinic. Discover more at: https://baypaediatrics.com/
The show is hosted by Freddie Bennett, a neurodivergent dad who conquered his mind and became a Guinness World Record holder, crossed the Sahara Desert, and ran the Arctic towards the North Pole. Now he’s on a mission to help every family understand that neurodivergence does not have to be a weakness…it can be your greatest strength.
You can also join the free EPIC Families community here. Get the support you need to build strength in neurodiversity. Be seen, be heard, and be YOU.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
15episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Breaking The System. Building The Future.
1w ago00:48:30Tap to summarizeYour Child Isn't Lazy. The System Just Wasn't Built For Them.What happens when a 23-year-old who left school early, worked 13 jobs, and got labelled ‘lazy’ and ‘entitled’ decides to do something about it? She builds a business that fights for every young person the system wrote off.Nicole Hoeata is the CEO of Growth Hungry. She’s on a mission to bridge the biggest generational divide in workplace history, and make sure that neurodiverse, misunderstood, and square-peg young people finally find their place in the world.This is for every parent who has ever worried about their child's future. And for every young person who has ever been told they just need to fall in line.In this episode, you'll hear:🔎 Why Gen Z are not lazy or entitled…and what's really going on beneath the surface⁉️ The staggering stat that puts it all into perspective: the average young person today carries the same level of anxiety as a psychiatric patient in the 1970s🚫 Why 70 to 80% of companies hire people into the wrong role…and what that means for neurodiverse young people🏢 The generational divide playing out in workplaces right now…and why neither side is wrong🤒 Why workplaces need to stop worrying about employees faking sickness and start worrying about employees faking wellness❤️🩹 The one question Nicole asks after every experience — good or bad — that puts you back in control🔀 Why every rejection is just redirection — and why no experience is ever wasted📈 Should every neurodiverse young person just skip the job and start the business? Nicole gives her honest answerIf you have a young person in your life who is struggling to find their place — in school, in work, or in the world — this conversation will give you both hope and a roadmap.Discover more about Growth Hungry here and connect with Nicole here .>>>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Owning Your Crown: From Tween to Teen Queen
3w ago00:42:58Tap to summarizeGiving tween queens the confidence to build a kingdom.For so many girls, the journey from childhood to teenage years doesn't feel like growing up. It feels like losing themselves. The body changes. The friendships get complicated. The social media comparisons start. And nobody — not school, not mum, not anyone — quite prepares them for what's really happening.Mariana Sala decided to change that.In this episode, you'll hear:🎂 What the "tween years" actually are…and why this window between ages 7 and 12 is one of the most critical and overlooked stages of a girl's development🪞Why body image issues are starting younger than ever, and what mums might be doing without realising that makes it worse❤️🩹 How neurodivergent girls experience this transition differently…and why masking, shame, and fitting in hit harder for them🌹The "Rose and Thorn" ritual that gets girls opening up about things they'd never say at home💥 Why mum and daughter conflict at this age isn't a crisis, it's biology🤫 The double transition nobody talks about: when a daughter hits puberty at the same time mum hits midlife🫶 What dads can actually do, and why father-daughter time matters more than most dads realise👑 Queen Language, the Glowing Bubble, and the Inner Compass: the tools Mariana gives girls to own their voice and protect their peaceIf you have a daughter, know a daughter, or were once a daughter who could have used someone in your corner during those uncertain in-between years, this conversation is for you.Discover more about Mariana and Tween To Teen Queen here and connect with Mariana directly on Instagram and LinkedIn----------------EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Tough Times to Playtimes: The Healing Power of Play
May 500:36:38Tap to summarizeStop Talking. Start PlayingWhat if the most powerful thing you could do for your struggling child wasn't another appointment, another assessment, or another parenting book…but simply getting on the floor and playing with them?Melanie Gilbert-De Rios has spent 35 years working with children and families. She's a registered social worker, a child-centred play therapist, and a family therapist. Most importantly, she believes something that might just change the way you see your child forever: that play is not what children do instead of healing. Play IS how children heal.In this episode, you'll hear:🧸 What play therapy actually is…and why it's SO much more than toys in a room🚀 Why breakthroughs never happen in uncomfortable chairs in clinical rooms...and what to do instead🧠 The concept of Filial Family Therapy…and why psychologists once tried to ban it for being too powerful🪁 How 30 minutes of protected, intentional play time each week can transform your relationship with your child💥 Why the behaviour you're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg...and what's really going on underneath🫣 The one thing most parents do that quietly teaches their kids NOT to take responsibility (Freddie is guilty as charged…)❤️🩹 Why empathy isn't something you teach a child, it's something they catch from you🎁 The gift that matters more than Robux, more than screen time, and more than any toy in Mel's incredible playroomIf you've ever wondered whether your child is OK, whether you are OK, or whether things are ever going to feel less chaotic, this is a conversation you need to hear.Discover more about Mel and Play Therapy Tauranga here: https://www.playtherapytauranga.co.nz/>>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Stronger Than The System: Mum on a Mission
Apr 2800:40:49Tap to summarizeShe Almost Lost Everything. Then She Built a Village.What do you do when the system fails your child?When Lisa Cowan's son Luca was five, he was being sent out of class almost every day. She had no idea. It wasn't until a little girl in his class asked, "So Luca, are you going to stay in class today?" that Lisa found out what was really happening. What followed was years of waitlists, wrong turns, stand-downs, and moments so dark that Lisa didn't know if she could keep going.But she did. And what she built on the other side will move you.In this episode, you'll hear:💥 How Lisa fought the public system for years — falling off waitlists, being told "that's just normal" — until she finally got Luca the diagnosis that changed everything.🫶 Why she started It Takes a Village Papamoa…and how 56 local businesses showed up before she even had an audience🛠️ The LEGO moment that told her the medication was working🧠 Why lived experience might be more powerful than any parenting course🎓 The school assembly that made her cry…four years in the making🧩 Her vision for one place where neurodivergent families can come and never feel like a number❤️🩹 And the stat that should shock every parent: up to 95% of young people in the worst statistics — crime, imprisonment, self-harm — are diagnosed or undiagnosed ADHDThis is a raw, honest, and deeply human conversation about what it really looks like to fight for your child when no one else will. It's about shame, exhaustion, isolation…and the extraordinary things that happen when you simply refuse to give up.Connect with Lisa on Facebook: It Takes a Village Papamoa here.>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Transcribe →Ferrari Brain, BMX Brakes: ADHD in the Digital World
Apr 2100:46:41Tap to summarizeIs the Internet Stealing Your Child's Brain? | Rory Birkbeck, SafeSurferWhat happens when a tech entrepreneur realises the very industry he works in is disproportionately harming neurodivergent kids like his own son?Rory Birkbeck, co-founder and CEO of SafeSurfer, is one of New Zealand's leading voices on online safety. He's also a dad navigating life with an ADHD child. In this raw, honest, and eye-opening conversation, Rory joins Freddie to talk about what it's really like raising a child whose brain runs like a Ferrari with BMX bike brakes... and why the internet was built for exactly the wrong kind of kid.In this episode, you'll hear:🎁 The moment Rory realised his son's ADHD wasn't a problem to fix...it was a gift to understand🧠 Why ADHD kids are disproportionately affected by online harm (and what's really going on behind the screen)🚫 The stat that stopped Rory in his tracks: by age 10, ADHD children may have heard 10,000 more corrective statements than their neurotypical peers📣The creator vs. consumer distinction that every parent needs to hear❤️🩹 Why "it's not that we don't trust our kids...it's that we don't trust the internet" might be the most important reframe of 2026⚒️ Practical, real-world tips you can use tonight to create healthier tech boundaries at home🏄♂️ What SafeSurfer's Kid-Safe Smartphone actually does...and why Rory built it🛟 Where online safety is heading, and what parents need to know about AI, legislation, and the fight for our children's attentionIf you've ever wrestled with your child's iPad, worried about what they're watching, or wondered whether you're winning or losing the battle for their attention, this episode is for you. You can discover more about Safe Surfer here and connect with Rory here >>>>>>>EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s leading child Neurodevelopmental clinic. We believe every family deserves to be an EPIC family with Extraordinary Parents and Incredible Children.Discover more about our award-winning ADHD and ASD assessments, family therapy support, and our free tools and resources here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard, and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Fighting The Good Fight
Jun 2900:42:10Tap to summarizeWhen you’re a parent of a neurodivergent child, there are times when life can feel impossible. But our truly EPIC guest, Mary-Jane du Toit, is living proof that NOTHING is impossible.Mary-Jane is a mum of a neurodiverse family and founder of Spectrum Connections - a charitable trust that provides peer support for families who have a child or teen that has Autism, Aspergers, ADHD, ADD or any other form of neurodiversity.In this open, honest and truly inspirational podcast which is jam-packed with insights and wisdom, Mary-Jane reveals:🧭 What it feels like to be in it for ‘the long haul’ and how the neurodiversity diagnosis of her sons became a ‘gateway’ to her mission of helping the world become a better place for neurodiverse families.🎓 How her son’s behaviours at school and kindergarten started to lay a trail of clues that something was different about his development, which led to an autism diagnosis.😥 Nothing will ever be ‘normal’ again - The pain that parents can go through when their child receives a neurodiversity diagnosis.🗺️ How ‘the neurodiversity journey’ doesn’t end with a diagnosis…in fact, it’s only the beginning. However, it also gives parents the opportunity to embrace their child’s uniqueness.🔄 The cycle of family change and how it can help parents deal with anger, frustration, overwhelm and the other emotions that arise when parenting a neurodiverse child.🆘 When you're on the parenting journey, how to know when to ‘push through’...and when to ask for help.Plus, you’ll discover MJ’s secret…💡When it feels like the world is against you, how to remember, “this is a bad moment, not a bad life”>>>>> EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, one of New Zealand’s leading child neurodiversity clinics. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Get your hands on our free resources and guides to give your family the tools to thrive here Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Neurodiversity: There Is A Future
Jun 1500:39:45Tap to summarizeEducation is such an important part of every child’s life. But for too many neurodiverse families, school is where they feel overlooked and overwhelmed. However, one school in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand is fighting for every child to get the specialised learning support they deserve, so they can create a future to thrive in.This special episode of the EPIC Families Podcast features Mary Woods, Principal of Matahui School in Katikati. She has created a unique education framework that embraces each child’s unique qualities and strengths, celebrates neurodiversity, and aims to build positive self-esteem and a love of learning. Right now, the school’s future is under threat from a number of political and economic challenges, so we are joining this mission to protect the educational future of neurodiverse children.Mary also reveals:🎓 The difficulties that neurodiverse children face in everyday schooling, and how these challenges can show up.😵💫 Why schooling can be so overwhelming for children, and the impacts that can arise if neurodiversity doesn’t get identified early.📝 Tests aren’t everything - why a teacher building a strong relationship with the child can be the most powerful way to understand what is really happening.😃 The one thing every school needs to change in order to improve the learning outcomes of your child.🌺 How being out in nature can have a powerful impact on regulating a child’s emotions and enhancing their learning.🫶 The secret to helping children overcome trauma and confidence issues so they can feel safe and secure.PLUS…🎯 The #1 education TRAVESTY in New Zealand and elsewhere that schools need to fix IMMEDIATELYBay Paediatrics is also supporting the Matahui School Fundraising event on July 26. If you are in the Bay of Plenty we highly recommend you join us for Conversations & Bubbles! Tickets available here: https://events.humanitix.com/conversations-and-bubbles>>>>> EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, one of New Zealand’s leading child neurodiversity clinics. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Neurodiversity: Making The Magic Happen
May 25, 202500:38:54Tap to summarizeHow do you remain calm and composed when trying to manage a neurospicy family, AND you’re a parent with ADHD? It can feel like an impossible task…but we’ve found the neurosuperstar who has cracked the parenting code. Meet Jo Fallowfield, an Occupational Therapist and a mum with ADHD who heads up a neurodiverse family of four.In this thrilling, honest and open episode of EPIC Families, you will discover how neurodiversity can be the thing that brings your family together.Jo reveals…🗺️ How feeling ‘different from the norm’ an early age and ‘stumbling through life’ as she grew up paved the pathway to her own ADHD diagnosis.⚡️ The ‘ADHD difference’ felt so strongly by so many children and their parents…and the power of ‘difference’ being the one thing that neurodiverse families have in common.👂 The challenges of getting professionals to ‘listen’ especially when her children didn’t fit the ‘normal’ description of ADHD.🎓 The power of persistence and how to keep going when it feels like schools and teachers are just labelling your child as ‘naughty’ and refusing to listen when you say they need more help.🤫 The secret to creating empathyand understand in a household that can feel chaotic and overwhelming…especially when emotions are not ‘one size fits all’❤️ How to talk to your children about ADHD and neurodiversity.PLUS🔓 The joys of being a neurodiverse household and how ADHD can unlock the very BEST of your parenting talents.>>>>> EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, one of New Zealand’s leading child neurodiversity clinics. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Overwhelmed Parent
May 11, 202500:24:38Tap to summarizeFrom Overwhelmed to Empowered – The Real Truth About Parenting ConfidenceIn this powerful and deeply personal episode of the EPIC Families podcast, Freddie Bennett gets raw and real about something every parent of a neurodiverse child has faced: Overwhelm.If you’ve ever felt like you’re failing as a parent…If you’ve ever found yourself saying, “I should be better…”If the mental load, school stress, guilt, and emotional rollercoaster of parenting a child with ADHD or Autism has you running on empty — this episode is for you.Freddie shares his own story as a dad with ADHD, the shame spiral so many parents find themselves in, and why we often let overwhelm hold us back from the confident, connected parenting we dream of.You’ll discover:🫣 The 4 hidden drivers of parenting overwhelm (L.I.F.E.)🚨 The 8 ways overwhelm shows up in everyday life — from procrastination to perfectionism💪 Why confidence isn’t a mystery... it’s a muscle you build by keeping promises to yourself🧠 How to shift your mindset from crisis to clarity — and finally feel like you’re back in controlThis is more than just a podcast — it’s a wake-up call, a mirror, and a warm hug for every parent who feels like they’re not enough.>>>>> EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, New Zealand’s child neurodiversity centre of excellence. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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ADHD: In It Together
Apr 27, 202500:45:12Tap to summarizeADHD can feel overwhelming at times. As an ADHD adult or a parent of a neurodiverse child, there are days when the struggle feels impossible. Whether it’s dealing with emotional meltdowns, rejection, self-sabotage or workplaces & schools that just don’t ‘get it’, ADHD ain’t easy.But you are NEVER alone…and the story told by this week’s guest proves it. We were delighted to welcome Neal Mankey, Chair of ADHD UK, neurodiversity champion and a father who was diagnosed with ADHD in his early 40s. In this raw, open and honest episode of the EPIC Families podcast, Neal reveals how ADHD doesn’t have to be a tripwire…it can be the missing piece of the puzzle:🗺️ The personal journey of undiagnosed ADHD in his younger years that went from ‘hyperactive kid’ to school-leaver with zero qualifications to jumping from job to job and struggling with mental health and alcohol challenges.🔎 How an ADHD diagnosis can help to explain the aspects of our lives that we’ve struggled with for so long, and trigger a vast range of positive lifestyle changes.⚠️ The shocking statistics highlighting the links between ADHD and mental illness in young people and adults, and the strategies that can be put in place to help.👋 Why ‘letting go’ can be the secret to dealing with ADHD-related challenges, and how vulnerability can be your greatest strength.❤️ The importance of creating environment that offer psychological safety and the acceptance to allow people to let their authentic strengths shine.🎓 How to help your children thrive in a learning environment, and why ‘being their authentic selves’ may be easy to talk about…but almost impossible to achieve.PLUS, Neal reveals:💪 How he discovered the secret ‘confidence to not conform’ in the most unlikely of places.>>>>> EPIC Families is about creating Extraordinary Parents & Incredible Children. EPIC Families is part of Bay Paediatrics, one of New Zealand’s leading child neurodiversity clinics. Discover more here: https://baypaediatrics.com/Join the free EPIC Families community here. Be seen, be heard and discover strength in neurodiversity.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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