What if the problem was never you but the system you were trying to fit into?

In this episode of Just Your Normal Missfit, Ann Thomas speaks with Khushi Sibal - a psychology student and neurodivergent young adult, about her long, complex journey of trying to understand herself in a world that kept trying to label her.

From anxiety and depression to trauma-related disorders and BPD, Khushi shares what it feels like to be repeatedly placed into boxes that never quite fit, and how exploring neurodivergence helped her reframe her experience.

They discuss self-discovery versus demonized self-diagnosis, lack of support from family and many educators, the gap between understanding concepts and translating them into grades, and how one-on-one teaching helped.

Khushi reframes neurodivergence through a social lens, critiques systems built for the majority, shares how she built financial independence through internships and skills, and urges people, especially parents, teachers, and neurodivergent youth to create their own spaces, ask questions, and prioritize acceptance.

This is not a conversation about neat answers or perfect diagnoses. It’s about unlearning, questioning, and creating space for yourself when none exists.

Timestamps:

00:00 Meet Khushi Sibal

01:16 Misdiagnosed And Misfit

03:01 Self Discovery Over Labels

05:39 Everyday Signs Explained

08:22 Family And Acceptance Gap

12:50 School Struggles And Grades

20:16 Fixing Not Helping

24:22 Systems Not Built For Us

29:14 Money Power And Survival

30:08 Building Independence Skills

33:44 Comparisons With Neurotypicals

34:21 Living With Comparison

35:23 Acceptance Over Molding

36:57 Marriage Career Pressure

40:14 Patriarchy And Trauma Cycle

41:18 Eye Contact Social Rules

43:10 Curiosity Shut Down

46:07 Reclaim Asking Why

50:01 Science Gender And Certainty

52:41 Learning Empathy And Masking

55:57 Advice For Self Parents Teachers

01:01:10 Closing Reflections And Outro

If this resonates with you, like, share, and subscribe for more conversations that question what we call “normal.”

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What happens when hope turns into harm?In this powerful episode, host Ann Thomas sits down with Sushama Nagarkar - psychologist, parent, and founder of Yash Charitable Trust. Together, they unpack the recent landmark Indian Supreme Court judgment that banned the commercial use of stem cell therapy for autism in India.💛 About the guest:Sushma Nagarkar is a school psychologist, special educator, and founder of Yash Charitable Trust. With decades of experience and lived insight as a parent, her work focuses on dignity, inclusion, and evidence-based practices for neurodivergent individuals.⚖️ Why this matters:In 2022, Sushama led a Public Interest Litigation challenging the promotion of stem cell therapy as an autism “cure.”In January 2026, it led to a landmark Supreme Court judgment banning its commercial use in India.But this isn’t just a legal story.It’s about parents, desperation, misinformation and the courage to ask: Are we helping, or hurting?📌Timestamps00:00 Landmark Autism Ruling01:35 Sushma’s Advocacy Journey03:05 Why Return to India06:05 Founding Yash Charitable Trust08:46 Building an Inclusive Community: What YCT does. 10:55 Barriers to Inclusion15:01 Evidence-Based Support17:20 Stem Cell Scam Emerges19:39 Filing the Supreme Court PIL22:10 Team and Legal Strategy25:38 Why Parents Stay Silent29:35 How the Case Was Won30:47 Judgment Summary and Impact32:40 Stem Cell Therapy Caveats34:09 Neurodiversity Support Mindset Shift35:52 Medical vs Social Model38:14 Advice for New Parents42:06 Caregiver Burnout and Letting Go44:20 Teaching Choice and Agency47:08 Teen Choices and Boundaries49:19 Evaluating New Therapies51:11 From Cure to Dignity53:20 Siblings Need Support Too57:05 Final Message and ThanksThis episode breaks down what that means for families, practitioners, and the future of neurodivergent care in India.Watch the full episode and subscribe for more conversations that challenge how we think, feel, and show up. 💛

India’s Trans Bill 2026 is a step backwards and in this episode, we discuss why that is the case.

We break down the newly introduced amendment to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act with educator and parent Meghna Kulkarni, who has two neurodivergent, trans, non-binary children, Shreesh and Rit. Meghna explains how society’s binary view of gender shapes misunderstanding, clarifies differences between sex, gender, and sexuality, and shares her family’s unlearning journey supported by Sweekar the Rainbow Parents and related workshops.

She outlines landmark legal moments including the 2014 NALSA judgment and the 2019 Act’s key provision of self-identification without medical intervention, then argues the new amendment removes self-identification, narrows recognition to specific communities, excludes trans men, trans women, and non-binary people, and could criminalize caregivers and allies while reintroducing medical board examinations.

The episode ends with a call to learn, respect differences, and practice compassion, plus information on support resources.

📌 Timestamps

00:00 Why This Amendment Matters

01:16 Breaking the Gender Binary

03:43 Unlearning as a Parent

04:50 Cis and Trans Explained

08:19 Sex Gender and Sexuality

10:59 Asexual and Aromantic Basics

13:04 Landmark Rulings 2014 to 2019

18:31 Self Identification in the 2019 Act

21:07 What Amendments Should Address

22:58 When Kids Cannot Come Out

25:01 Three Outcomes Family Rejection to Support

27:38 Compassion Over Empathy

29:43 Family Rejection Reality

30:39 Planning a Safe Exit

32:13 Amendments Shock Parents

34:59 Who Counts as Trans

37:16 Dividing the Community

38:45 Allies Made Criminals

43:46 Medical Board Policing

45:27 How to Be an Ally

49:12 Respect and Compassion

53:41 Support Resources Closing