This episode is a hello... and a bit of context.

I’m Johanna, a registered nurse with nearly 2 decades of experience across operating theatres and high-pressure healthcare environments. In this first episode of Change of Mind, I share who I am, why this podcast exists, and what we’ll be exploring together.

In this episode, I talk about:

• Who I am and why I'm here
• Everything I love and know that I want to share with you
• Why it might matter to you
• What you can expect from future episodes of Change of Mind

This is a space for curious minds, tired carers, neurodivergent thinkers, and anyone who feels functional on the outside but overloaded on the inside.

No optimisation culture. No pressure to fix yourself. Just evidence-based insight, lived experience, and small shifts that actually stick.

If you’ve ever wondered why knowing better doesn’t always lead to doing better — you’re in the right place.

🎧 New episodes released weekly

📍 Recorded in Australia | Relevant everywhere

Check out the YouTube Video Here:

https://youtu.be/0TfKb-d2f9g

Check out my Insta here:

www.instagram.com/_johanna.kate

Disclaimer:

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, nursing, or mental health advice and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your individual needs. While I’m a registered nurse with experience in operating theatres, mental health, neuroscience, and motherhood, the content shared here reflects general information and personal insights — not clinical recommendations.

#ChangeOfMind #NeurosciencePodcast #MentalHealthPodcast #SoftRewiring #ScienceSis #ScienceSisEnergy #Neuroplasticity #NervousSystem #MotherhoodAndMind

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this first part of my conversation with Temple Grandin, we go right back to the beginning — her childhood, her early experiences of being misunderstood, and the moment that changed everything.

This episode is about what happens when adults stop deciding what a child can’t do and start assuming capacity instead. Not competence. Capacity. There’s a difference, and it matters more than most systems are willing to admit. In this series, Temple shares how animals shaped her thinking, how visual reasoning became her strength, and why support, timing, and environment can alter a life trajectory without needing to “fix” a person first. We talk autism, education, misunderstanding, and the long tail of childhood experiences that follow people into adulthood — for better or worse.

This is part one of a longer conversation and it sets the foundation for everything that follows. If you work with children, raise neurodivergent kids, design systems, teach, lead, or simply want to think more carefully about human potential, start here.

Hosted by Johanna Kate.

Watch Episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsJohannaKate

Follow along on Insta:

https://www.instagram.com/thisisjohannakate/

https://www.instagram.com/changeofmindpodcast/

#changeofmind #templegrandin #neurodiversity #autismacceptance #assumecapacity #neuroscience #educationreform #mentalmodels #sciencesis #softrewiring #neuroscience

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 2 of this six-part conversation, Temple Grandin reflects on what it was like to see her own brain—and why that mattered.

This episode explores sensory regulation, stimming, deep pressure, and how early experiences shaped Temple’s ability to learn, self-soothe, and build independence. We talk visual thinking, motor memory, skill-building, and her “hardware vs software” model of the brain, alongside candid reflections on brain imaging, genetics, and validation in adulthood.

Grounded, practical, and thoughtful, this conversation is for parents, educators, clinicians, and anyone interested in autism, sensory processing, neurodiversity, and human development—without the hype or oversimplification.

🎧 In this episode:

– Stimming, sensory overload, and self-regulation

– Visual thinking and motor learning

– Autism, genetics, and brain scans

– Supporting progress without limiting potential

This is Part 2 of a 6-part interview series with Temple Grandin.

About the channel

Change of Mind is a podcast and video channel exploring neuroscience, psychology, neurodiversity, mental health, and how humans actually change — in real life, not theory.

Hosted by Johanna Kate, a registered nurse with experience across healthcare, neuroscience, leadership, and motherhood. Expect thoughtful conversations, evidence-informed insights, and the kind of nuance the internet usually skips.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, nursing, or mental health advice and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your individual needs. While I’m a registered nurse with experience in operating theatres, mental health, neuroscience, and motherhood, the content shared here reflects general information and personal insights — not clinical recommendations.

Watch on YouTube

Part 1: https://youtu.be/8X_BVJLoXkE?si=T17NyUVaujugmwAw

Listen to previous episodes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YuybHkjX6CsPX8RqNsYAJ

Follow & connect

Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/thisisjohannakate/

Instagram Show: https://www.instagram.com/changeofmindpodcast/

#templegrandin #autismawareness #autismacceptance #autismparenting #specialneeds #specialneedsparenting #changeofmind #neuroscience #neurodiversity #mentalhealth #autismacceptance #assumecapacity #podcast #longformconversation #softrewiring #sciencesis #sciencesisenergy

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should stimming be limited, shaped, or simply understood better?

In Part 3 of this six-part conversation, Temple Grandin shares her lived experience of stimming, sensory regulation, and learning how to function in a world that isn’t built for autistic nervous systems. She explains why control and context matter, how sensory sensitivities can change over time, and what helped her build impulse control, tolerance, and independence without overwhelm.

This episode offers practical, grounded insight for parents, carers, educators, and clinicians navigating questions around autism, stimming, masking, sensory processing, and support strategies—without fear-based narratives or oversimplified answers.

🎧 In this episode:

– Stimming and self-regulation

– Sensory sensitivity and desensitisation

– Masking, fatigue, and social tolerance

– Supporting independence over time

Part 3 of a 6-part interview series with Temple Grandin.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 4 of this six-part conversation, Temple Grandin tackles the biggest questions—meaning, belief, morality—and one of the most controversial issues in autism today: facilitated communication and RPM.

Temple shares her views on God, values, and what it means to live a good life, before turning to the ethics of assisted communication, independent typing, and authorship in non-speaking autistic individuals. This episode sits where evidence, lived experience, hope, and caution collide—without tidy answers or slogans.

Thoughtful, nuanced, and practical, this conversation is essential listening for parents, carers, educators, clinicians, and autistic adults navigating communication, autonomy, and ethical support.

🎧 In this episode:

– Temple Grandin on God and the meaning of life

– Autism, purpose, and values

– Facilitated Communication vs RPM

– Independent typing, competence, and ethics

Part 4 of a 6-part interview series with Temple Grandin.

About the podcast

Change of Mind is a long-form podcast and video channel exploring neuroscience, parenting, neurodiversity, and how humans actually change — in real life, not theory.

Hosted by Johanna Kate, a registered nurse with experience across healthcare, neuroscience, leadership, and motherhood. Expect thoughtful conversations, evidence-informed insights, and the kind of nuance the internet usually skips.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, nursing, or mental health advice and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your individual needs. While I’m a registered nurse with experience in operating theatres, mental health, neuroscience, and motherhood, the content shared here reflects general information and personal insights — not clinical recommendations.

Listen to other episodes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YuybHkjX6CsPX8RqNsYAJ

Follow & connect

Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/thisisjohannakate/

Instagram Show: https://www.instagram.com/changeofmindpodcast/

#changeofmind #neuroscience #neurodiversity #softrewiring #specialneeds #disabilityparenting #templegrandin #autismawareness #autismacceptance #autismparenting

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Part 5 of this six-part conversation, Temple Grandin reflects on ageing, legacy, work, and the principle that has guided her life: assuming capacity.

At 78, Temple is still teaching, mentoring, designing, and advocating. She shares why practical skills matter more than labels, why success looks different for every autistic person, and why parents and carers must sometimes risk disappointment to avoid something worse—regret.

This episode is especially meaningful for parents and carers of autistic children with high support needs, non-speaking children, and those navigating intellectual disability with both realism and hope.

Part 5 of a 6-part interview series with Temple Grandin.

About the podcast

Change of Mind is a long-form podcast and video channel exploring neuroscience, parenting, neurodiversity, and how humans actually change — in real life, not theory.

Hosted by Johanna Kate, a registered nurse with experience across healthcare, neuroscience, leadership, and motherhood. Expect thoughtful conversations, evidence-informed insights, and the kind of nuance the internet usually skips.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, nursing, or mental health advice and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your individual needs. While I’m a registered nurse with experience in operating theatres, mental health, neuroscience, and motherhood, the content shared here reflects general information and personal insights — not clinical recommendations.

Listen to other episodes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YuybHkjX6CsPX8RqNsYAJ

Follow & connect

Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/thisisjohannakate/

Instagram Show: https://www.instagram.com/changeofmindpodcast/

#changeofmind #neuroscience #neurodiversity #softrewiring #specialneeds #disabilityparenting #templegrandin #autismawareness #autismparenting #autismacceptance

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last installment of this six-part conversation, Temple Grandin and I continued to chat after the official part of the interview wrapped up. I wanted to share some of these candid moments because they show a side to her that I fell in love with - witty, caring, and brilliant as ever.

Part 6 of a 6-part interview series with Temple Grandin.

About the podcast

Change of Mind is a long-form podcast and video channel exploring neuroscience, parenting, neurodiversity, and how humans actually change — in real life, not theory.

Hosted by Johanna Kate, a registered nurse with experience across healthcare, neuroscience, leadership, and motherhood. Expect thoughtful conversations, evidence-informed insights, and the kind of nuance the internet usually skips.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical, nursing, or mental health advice and is not a substitute for professional care. Always consult your healthcare provider for guidance tailored to your individual needs. While I’m a registered nurse with experience in operating theatres, mental health, neuroscience, and motherhood, the content shared here reflects general information and personal insights — not clinical recommendations.

Listen to other episodes

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6YuybHkjX6CsPX8RqNsYAJ

Follow & connect

Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/thisisjohannakate/

Instagram Show: https://www.instagram.com/changeofmindpodcast/

#changeofmind #neuroscience #neurodiversity #softrewiring #specialneeds #disabilityparenting #templegrandin #autismawareness #autismparenting #autismacceptance

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.