Autism Stories

"It has to be done on their terms and their choice. I cannot be imposing stuff onto them. From my perspective, how would I feel if somebody did this to me? It shouldn't be about doing stuff, it should be helping people and listening to them", says Ashley Jones. Ashley joins this episode to discuss supporting neurodivergent adults, playing the flute professionally, and self advocacy a...

"Having the party was another way of coming out in a sense of this is my brain and this is my life and there's no shame. I feel like my superpower isn't autism, but vulnerability that comes from being autistic", says Tree Lily Butcher. Tree joins this episode to discuss throwing a party after learning they were autistic, how everyone is born an artist, and the impact of collage o...

"There was no blueprint about how to run a business as a neurodivergent entrepreneur. All the resources, all the advice, everything is really targeted at neurotypicals and neurotypical standards- and that's fine. But there's no support and help really for someone to be like this is how my brain works, this is how my neurological condition affects my day to day and my business. How do...

"We've got a body of creative work, which expresses the lived experience of autistic menopause. And I'm really, really excited about that, because sometimes it's difficult to express oneself in traditional ways. Research can sometimes feel like we're sucking all the individuality out of something and ending up with just data, whereas this is very much alive", says Rose Ma...

"Self-identification and diagnosis can really help for an autistic, neurodivergent person, knowing that they are different and not broken. I'm very passionate about everyone knowing they've got value as well because, for me, that was key in order to advocate for myself", says The Autistic Teacher. The Autistic Teacher joins this episode to discuss self advocacy, facilitating a su...

"Can you imagine so much wanting to do something, but having to do it with someone who is not always available or interested? I think this has been the hardest life lesson for me, Not everyone cares enough to make the time to develop the skills needed to be a communication and regulation partner", says Graciela Lotharius. Graciela joins this episode to discuss learning to communicate wit...

"It's never assumed that we'll enter spaces with the 'cool kids.' It's never assumed that we'll be in with professional peers as out, as our authentic selves- flappy and happy and needing hearing protection, and these types of things that tend to attract attention. It's assumed that you'll mask, that you'll blend in to get in", says Jim Hoerricks. Jim...

"For me, I have the sacral authority, which means I have a gut reaction. If you say, "Hey, Michelle, do you want to go to the carnival tonight?" It's either going to be a heck yes or a heck no!  In finding out this part of myself, that plays in big with the autism, because if I don't want to do something, if I'm not lit up about it, I'm just gonna get to that burnout...

"To me, autistic joy is about authenticity and being able to express joy in a way that is comfortable and unique to oneself. But I think that there's also this added autism layer to it. Because everybody wants the opportunity to be authentically joyful in the way they would like to be, but I think the added autism layer to it is that the joy may present differently or the joy may be about...

" I personally am one of those people that's like I would rather put all the cards on the table. I'm not gonna be able to hide it. So, if you're going to judge me and discriminate against me and you're going to make things hard for me, you're going to do that whether I tell you or not. The difference is, if I tell you who I am, and then you choose to do that to me, that sa...

"For people to understand that it's not us that are preventing our success and inclusion in the workplace. It really is the systems, procedures, policies, and bias that come into play and prevent us from either entering the workforce or having a stable position for a long period of time. That's my biggest thing that I hope people take away", says Nicole Seaward. Nicole joins this...

"Honestly, I feel like they know I'm not trying to just keep them coming back to therapy or keep them dependent on me. I want them to have a whole slate of autistic people in your friendship circle. Even if I'm the first autistic person you ever sat down and talked to about your life or medical history, I don't want that to be the case six months from now. I want them to have an o...

"The steady day job with the constant salary that was predictable, in my comfort zone, that was covering of the basic needs, the safety, that kind of thing. But I'm getting to the point now at the age of 47 where I need to shoot for the self actualization bit of the top of the pyramid. And really do something that will be memorable to me, and where I will really feel like I made a big dif...

"Being an autistic bookkeeper, I love working with neurodivergent folks. I find it easier to navigate communication, and I provide a safe place where we can work together to gain clarity on finances", says Nathanael Low. Nathanael joins this episode to discuss being a bookkeeper and creating diverse business plans. To learn more about Nathanael and his services visit https://www.nlbookke...

"Our understanding of masking up until talking about this has been really, really limited, because it hasn't looked at the trauma aspect, it hasn't looked at the identity aspect. It's really been this superficial notion of, "Oh look, here's a social situation. I'm gonna pop a mask on, be a different person, and then at the end of it, I'll take it off again."...

"We're so busy talking, we're not taking the time to listen to one another. Instead of me just saying here's what I believe, because that's only one out of how many millions autistic people out there, I took the stance of let me use something that I use in the classroom and in the change management work that I do: ask questions. I follow this simple mantra: "First, seek t...

"The polyvagal theory teaches that safety is the treatment. From that foundation, we're looking to create micro moments of finding what does that safety mean again. It might be the sound of the breeze, or it might be being tucked in your bed with a particular blanket, or it might be a certain bird call. What is the thing that can help light up that little bit of safety, and we start to cr...

"For the autistic people that I've known, a lot of people, including myself, get good jobs, but you have trouble keeping those jobs. And lots of times, you feel like you're banging your head against a wall. I specifically needed a reason to keep trying. It was needing to provide a life for her that made me say no, keep trying", says Terrill North. Terrill joins this episode to di...

"After I made that realization, I can make mistakes, I can go to a meeting and stutter a little bit, I can have difficulties with different sensory issues and actually get accommodations for that instead of restrict myself to make everyone else comfortable all of the time", says Jason Brady. Jason and Cameron Allen join this episode to discuss to  being kinder to yourself and their film...

"I must emphasize how soul-crushing it is to have people treat you like you are a lesser human. Please do your part in making the world a more accepting and respectful place. Proactively unlearn ableism. You make a difference when you believe I matter", says Sabrina Guerra. Sabrina joins this episode to discuss unlearning ableism and how self-acceptance is a glorious rebellion. To learn...

"If I can't figure out how to cut something correctly like the recipe says, I give up and I'm done for like 48 hours and I don't eat, and that's not healthy. I think the path of least resistance is opening that can of peas, eating that safe food, doing the things that make your neurological problems happy for the moment so you can move", says Bianca Elizabeth. Bianca join...

Now when I work with a lot of semi-speaking, autistic young people, I demonstrate that I am very open about my diagnosis and I share the fact that I'm semi-speaking. It has worked absolute wonders with the young people because they're like, Oh, somebody else is like me. I can do this," says Hat Talks. Hat joins this episode to discuss  being a speech and language therapist, creating a...

"With the adult autistic community in India and internationally, I realized that there was a huge gap of understanding of autism between parents and actually autistic people. I wanted to bridge this gap because I felt that this is where we need to start", says Preeti Dixit. Preeti joins this episode to discuss the autistic experience in India and how her son helped her to understand her...

"The Ninja Turtles are something else entirely. The Ninja Turtles refuse to mask. They wear masks, but what are they gonna do? It's a little domino mask over a turtle face- they look like turtles. They're basically a group of autistic friends who refuse to mask for other people. They're just gonna go out and they're gonna go be the freaks that they are inside, deep down, and t...

"When we talk about stereotypes, stereotypes don't always have to be all bad. For example, when you hear something like all Asians are smart, all Asians are math whizzes. All Indians are doctors and engineers. It's not a bad thing to be those things, but to paint it with that broad stroke brush creates undue pressure, obviously. I think that's what created pressure for me growing...