"You Are A Lot" (an ADHD/AuDHD podcast) Episode #52: Understanding The Emotional Impact of School as ADHD & Autistic Adults
Aug 18, 2025
A deep look at how school environments created lasting emotional burdens for neurodivergent people. Reflections on late diagnosis and reframing childhood neglect into adult understanding. Distinctions between what stresses ADHD versus autistic students are explored. Practical changes and accommodations for schools are discussed, alongside personal stories of bullying and recovery.
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School’s Emotional Load Lasts Into Adulthood
- Schools gave neurodivergent students a persistent emotional burden that often went unrecognized.
- Jen Kirkman says that unmet emotional needs from school are carried into adulthood and shape self-care and identity.
Energy Returns For Interest-Based Activities
- Jen met clinic workers who recognized the same drained-after-school feeling and had energy for dance or theater instead.
- She links that to interest-driven nervous system activation and to activities structured more supportively.
Environment, Not The Student, Drives Distress
- Neurodivergent teens experienced twice the emotional burden at school compared to peers.
- The study shows the problem lies more with the environment than with the student, Jen explains.
