About this episode
What if everything you think you know about occupational therapy (OT) is… not quite right?Here’s a confession: until recently, I thought OT was just glorified PT for your arms. Someone stands you up, hands you a toothbrush, checks a box, and off you go back to life, hopefully less miserable.Turns out, that’s not even close.In this episode of Different, not Broken, I, Lauren Howard (aka L2), sit down with the very person responsible for blowing up everything I thought I knew: Jayna Niblock. She leads our OT efforts and, frankly, if there’s ever a Hall of Fame for affirming neurodivergent care, her (sensory-friendly, weighted) cape deserves to be on display.Let’s hit pause on everything you’ve heard about adult autism care. Because what actually happens after an adult diagnosis? Not much, honestly. There’s a chasm—no bridge, barely a ladder—between finally knowing you’re not “broken” and actually figuring out how to live as yourself in a world designed for, well, not you.Spoiler: the aftercare programs that support adults who’ve lived decades masking, muddling through social scripts, wondering why life feels like pushing a boulder up Mount Neurotypical, do not exist. (Except now, they kind of do, and Jayna’s at the center of it.)But what is OT for adults, especially for neurodivergent adults? It’s not about workplace “occupations,” and it’s definitely not just “PT from the waist up.” We talk about what “affirming” OT truly means—because trust us, not all therapy is created equal. We break down how “meaningful engagement” is radically more important (and therapeutic) than any checklist. Cookies, margaritas, grandkid snuggles—sometimes the route to healing starts with the things people actually care about, not the ones prescribed by someone who just met you.Jayna gets real about why so much of the OT world hasn’t caught up to neurodivergent realities, and what an education (not treatment) program can unlock for adults desperate for answers after a lifetime of feeling “othered.” Plus: why most information out there (hello, TikTok) is validating but not always actually, you know, evidence-based.And then there’s the stuff NO ONE TELLS YOU about sensory processing as an adult. Like why your eyes work in mysterious ways even after every eye doctor swears you’re “fine.” Or why “touch” isn’t just about what fabric you like, and brushing your teeth means something different for everyone.We also get into the messy, beautiful, lifeline-level importance of consent, motivation, and adapting “therapy” to what matters for real people, not just what looks good on an insurance form. (Hint: if getting up in the morning for yoga is torture, you’re allowed to say no. Here, consent isn’t optional, it’s foundational.)Maybe you’re wondering: why should YOU listen?Listen if you were ever told you’re “normal now”—but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Listen if you believe neurodivergent adu
