Suzan Issa Launches New Podcast, Wild Ways: Chaos, Coffee And Compassion, For ADHD Awareness Month

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, Human Connection Expert Suzan Issa launched the Wild Ways: Chaos, Coffee and Compassion podcast, offering parents a judgment-free space to explore neurodivergence, PDA, and family support.

Human Connection Expert and Behavioural Translator Suzan Issa launched a weekly podcast titled Wild Ways: Chaos, Coffee and Compassion on October 1st, 2026, coinciding with ADHD Awareness Month. Co-hosted with Rosalind Walker from The WildWays Foundation, the show addresses the isolation of neurodivergence by offering parents a judgment-free space focused on lived experiences and behavioral understanding.

Background and Career Highlights

Suzan Issa brings over two decades of expertise helping individuals and groups communicate effectively across education, boardrooms, and organizations like MIND, Action for Children, and The Globe Theatre. Having received a late autism diagnosis in her forties, she understands the loneliness and masking associated with neurodivergence. Her career spans founding The WildWays, authoring “Raising a Wild Child,” and presenting on the TEDx stage.

Her professional journey includes surviving a stabbing by a student on her first day in a special educational needs classroom. Instead of leaving the field, she created customized emotional regulation programs for every child in that room. She later left mainstream teaching when institutional rules prevented her from helping a child in crisis, choosing instead to build a dedicated family support network.

Podcast Focus and Core Philosophy

The weekly series centers on the lived neurodivergent experience, tackling challenges such as pathological demand avoidance (PDA). Rather than trying to fix children, the hosts use curiosity to name the unmet needs happening beneath the surface of strained relationships. The entire project operates on a strict no-shame, no-blame philosophy designed to lift the weight of parental guilt.

Listeners can expect honest discussions about everyday realities and the gap between what children need and what environments currently provide. The format includes a dedicated question-and-answer segment where listeners can submit inquiries regarding school refusal, burnout, and behavioral challenges. Following the launch, accessible donation-based question sessions will ensure financial barriers never block families from receiving guidance.

Authoring “Raising a Wild Child”

Suzan Issa’s book, “Raising a Wild Child,” is designed for free spirits, innovators, wavemakers, and children who cannot be moulded into standard boxes. It also speaks directly to parents, carers, and teachers who have been made to feel like they are trying too hard, being too strict, or imagining things.

The publication provides practical strategies for managing meltdowns, understanding distress, and restoring relationships between children and themselves. Readers gain insight into human behavior, trauma, and the effects of stress on the body and brain. Drawing from lived experience rather than just academic theory, the book offers life-changing perspectives that challenge traditional behavioral systems and celebrate individuality.

The Urgent Need for Support

The timing of the launch aligns with mounting pressures within educational and healthcare systems. Over 270,000 individuals in England currently sit on waiting lists for autism assessments, with nine out of ten waiting longer than the recommended three months. Department for Education statistics indicate that severe school absence has reached record highs.

Compounding the problem, a recent survey of more than 9,000 teachers revealed that over half feel unequipped to handle emotionally based school avoidance. This reflects a deep system failure rather than a mere diagnostic shortage.

Confirmed Guests and Future Episodes

The upcoming season features a diverse line-up of expert guests and advocates sharing personal and professional insights. Confirmed participants include:

• A mother who challenged her local authority regarding special educational needs provision following the I Knew It campaign.
• Elly Heaton, CEO of the Young Ealing Foundation.
• Jeremy Askew, Founder of Town Close Financial Planning.
• Jenna Maudlin and Sonia Kneepkens from bereavement support organization The Firefly Project.
• A mother sharing her experience navigating police interactions involving Pathological Demand Avoidance.
• Dr Alex Pagett, Founder of Sunbeam Education.
• Muriel Morgan Walckiers, Founder and Executive Director of Mahaba Cafe.
• Arooj Robinson, Founder of My Little Voyager.

Find more from the Wild Ways podcast now:

Website: http://www.thewildways.org.uk/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@The_Wild_Ways

Apple Books: https://apple.co/4xTC7gF

Kindle: https://link.amazon/B02XKTpLA

Paperback: https://link.amazon/B00qFgHGT