Dr. Theresa Regan explores how school transitions and hidden daily demands tax the autistic nervous system, making participation about capacity—not motivation. She explains sensory, social, and organizational challenges that accumulate across the school day and offers a different framework for understanding school avoidance and fatigue.

This episode introduces a series on school, college, and adulthood, and includes practical ideas for designing participation, accommodations that protect recovery, and a case story about Alyssa to illustrate why early support and curiosity matter.

Understanding Autism Book Series

Autism in the Adult website

This episode explores how coming home after a trip is its own important transition, especially for neurodiverse households. Dr. Theresa Regan explains how vacations can drain resilience and why the nervous system needs intentional recovery time.

Practical ideas include planning quiet re-entry days, using sensory comforts, breaking tasks into smaller steps, and honoring individual ways of refilling energy so everyone can truly feel at home again.

Understanding Autism Book Series

Autism in the Adult website

Dr. Theresa Regan explores how families can plan vacations that match each person’s nervous system and energy, focusing on managing transitions, sensory demands, and recovery. She shares practical examples—like choosing trains over airports, assigning roles, and packing regulation tools—and emphasizes choosing manageable challenges that build confidence.

The episode offers concrete questions to guide planning (e.g., what parts of the trip demand the most energy, what routines can be preserved, and how much recovery is needed) and reframes successful travel as creating conditions for participation and belonging rather than copying others’ vacations.

Understanding Autism Book Series

Autism in the Adult website