The hidden grief of parenting a neurodivergent kid

About this episode

Brittney Crabtree discusses the emotional challenges of parenting a neurodivergent child and the importance of feeling one's feelings.

Brittney Crabtree, mom of four and co-host of the Moms Talk Autism podcast, gets refreshingly honest about what she calls “grieving the gap.” That’s the particular sadness of watching your neurodivergent kid fall behind their peers. She talks about building a “friendship portfolio,” vetting safe people to open up to, and why actually feeling your feelings is the best strategy.

People in this episode

Host: Jessica Shaw

Guest: Brittney Crabtree

Topics covered

• grief
• neurodivergent parenting
• emotional honesty
• friendship portfolio
• support networks

Keywords

• neurodivergent
• parenting
• grief
• emotional support
• autism

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Moms Talk Autism

More episodes of Everyone Gets a Juice Box: For Parents of Neurodivergent Kids

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• Debbie Reber on homeschooling a neurodivergent kid · April 14, 2026 · 30 min
• Parenting with ADHD: Balancing chaos and consistency · March 31, 2026 · 24 min
• Math mystery: How we discovered my daughter has dyscalculia · March 17, 2026 · 25 min