Neurodiversity and the Sandwich Generation

Raising neurodivergent children who think and learn differently adds a heightened level of complexity for moms and dads. And for parents who find themselves adding their own parents into the family circle, that complexity, and stress, can ratchet up several notches, leaving them feeling sandwiched.

One side of the sandwich may be neurodivergent children who need advocacy, structure, therapies, educational support, and co-regulation. The other may be aging parents who need transportation, medical coordination, financial assistance, or increasing physical care.

While those responsibilities may not disappear, relief and functionality can grow as families build capacity, expand supports, and embrace an important truth: being responsible for people is different from being solely responsible for them.

On this episode of A World of Difference, we meet a Georgia family navigating life at the intersection of neurodiversity and multigenerational caregiving when Nana moves in and family routines shift. Our panel of national experts shares strategies for surviving the sandwich generation years without losing yourself in the process. Later, we’ll meet a North Carolina mother with autism who is building a more inclusive future for neurodivergent children like her son. First, we head to Stone Mountain, Georgia, where the Nelson family is learning that when Nana joins the household, everyone has to make room for change.