The AutSide Podcast

Today’s episode presents a critical examination of Ayn Rand’s Objectivist philosophy, particularly her views on money and capitalism, as articulated through the character of Francisco d’Anconia in Atlas Shrugged. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, challenges the Randian assertion that money is solely the product of virtue and honest exchange, arguing instead that global financi...

Today’s episode critiques the prevalent narrative within autism advocacy, arguing that it often perpetuates a eugenics-rooted “Aspie supremacy.” This supremacy centers on a narrow archetype—typically a cisgender, white, verbally fluent, and academically-inclined boy—who is deemed “worth saving” due to perceived utility or brilliance. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends...

Today’s episode argues that the concept of “you'll own nothing and be happy” is not a threat, but rather a business plan that has been in motion for decades. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that traditional markers of success like homeownership and retirement are now illusory, with ownership transforming into a perpetual subscription model. Furthermore, Dr. Hoerrick...

Today’s episode critically examines a new study claiming to identify four ‘autism subtypes’ through genetic and behavioural data, arguing that this research primarily centres white children of European ancestry, overlooks lived experiences of autistic individuals, and ultimately serves systems of control and classification rather than genuine care. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerr...

Today’s episode offers a poignant reflection on state violence and its impact, particularly through the lens of immigration enforcement in Los Angeles County. The author of the source piece, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, interweaves personal observations of ICE raids and their effect on students with literary allusions, notably to Ursula K. Le Guin, to critique the dehumanising rhetoric and policies that c...

Today’s episode discusses malpractice in neurodivergent coaching, drawing parallels to physical harm in sports to illustrate the subtlety yet profound impact of linguistic and emotional misguidance. It asserts that misinterpreting gestalt language processing (GLP) as a deficit or trauma instead of a natural communication style constitutes “linguistic malpractice,” leading to identity confusion and...

Today’s episode critiques the United States’ foundational myths of freedom and democracy, arguing they serve as conditioning for public compliance and militarisation, exemplified by intensified ICE raids in Los Angeles and across the US. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that the federal budget weaponises agencies like ICE, providing them with immense funding to enfor...

Today’s episode critiques the current academic publishing model, asserting it prioritises extraction and prestige over accessibility and public good. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that this system gatekeeps knowledge and fails researchers, reviewers, and the public by locking essential information behind paywalls and requiring unpaid labor. Instead, Dr. Hoerricks pr...

Today’s episode emphasises how official narratives and “maps” often obscure the devastating human impact of policy changes, particularly on disabled, autistic, and low-income individuals. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that mainstream media and institutional reports, like those from Disability Scoop, present a sanitised view of budget cuts and policy reforms, focusin...

Today’s episode emphasises how official narratives and “maps” often obscure the devastating human impact of policy changes, particularly on disabled, autistic, and low-income individuals. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that mainstream media and institutional reports, like those from Disability Scoop, present a sanitised view of budget cuts and policy reforms, focusin...

Today’s episode argues that the new budget bill in the US, termed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” actively dismantles climate action and profoundly impacts the mobility of disabled and autistic individuals. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, asserts that this bill, through gutting public transit, removing EV incentives, and stalling green infrastructure projects, traps these comm...

Today’s episode argues that the new budget bill, signed into law in the US, effectively dismantles essential support for autistic individuals by classifying vital services as “optional” under Medicaid. Whilst the Bill nominally protects disabled children’s eligibility, it strips away the funding for critical supports like in-home care, communication therapies, and educational aides, rendering thos...

Today’s episode explores the concept of mutual aid and self-sufficiency in the face of diminishing state-provided support systems like healthcare and education. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, uses the metaphor of a sweet potato sprouting in water to symbolise resilience and growth despite hostile conditions. Dr. Hoerricks advocates for community-led initiatives such as “hea...

Today’s episode focuses on fostering community resilience and self-sufficiency in the face of declining state support for essential services like healthcare and education. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, uses the metaphor of a sweet potato growing in water to illustrate how individuals and communities can cultivate care and mutual aid outside traditional institutional framew...

Today’s episode argues against the mischaracterization of gestalt language processing (GLP), particularly by online "autism coaches" and even some licensed professionals. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, explains that GLP, a distinct language development pathway where individuals learn language in emotionally resonant "chunks," is often mislabeled as OCD, trauma responses, or...

Today’s episode explores the concept of “thought-terminating clichés” and the profound impact of non-responsive or dismissive communication, particularly on autistic individuals who are gestalt language processors (GLPs). It highlights how seemingly simple replies like a thumbs-up emoji or common phrases such as “It is what it is” can create a “ghost gestalt,” representing an incomplete or aborted...

Today’s episode explores a hypothetical alternate history of the United States, beginning in 1945, where the nation chose a path of “commons” over “conquest.” Instead of a Cold War and a focus on military expansion, this timeline features a “Grand Reconstruction” emphasising public good, social welfare, and communal living. The author of the piece, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, presented as a “historian of...

Today’s episode argues that recent changes to U.S. policy, specifically the elimination of federal loan access for many graduate students, pose a significant threat to autistic quality of life research. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that this policy effectively prices out poor, working-class, disabled, and autistic individuals from doctoral programs, thereby silen...

Today’s episode examines how the Mahmoud v. Taylor Supreme Court ruling will likely enable a gradual dismantling of Inclusive education in U.S. public schools. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that this ruling, which seemingly reaffirms parental rights to opt out of objectionable content, is being stretched to allow objections not only to material but also to the ident...

Today’s episode explores the profound significance of inanimate objects, specifically plush toys, in the lives of autistic individuals and beyond. The author of the source article, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, challenges the dominant cultural narrative that encourages discarding “soft things” as one “grows up,” arguing instead that maintaining attachment to these items fosters a different kind of strengt...

Today’s episode explores autistic temporality, arguing that the common perception of autistic individuals as “late” or “delayed” stems from a linear, clock-based societal framework rather than any inherent deficit. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, posits that autistic time often operates recursively and non-linearly, allowing for deeper processing and understanding to emerge...

Today’s episode argues that the concept of objectivity, particularly within psychiatry and as embodied by the DSM, is not neutral but rather a colonial technology rooted in Cartesian philosophy. This framework, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks contends, dislocates suffering from its social and historical contexts, pathologising structural harms like poverty or systemic violence as individual mental illnesses....

Today’s episode explores the concept of autistic embodied language, challenging the common misconception that non-vocal individuals are also non-verbal. The author of the source article, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, explains that silence from an autistic person is often a form of “composition” or a “waiting-language,” where communication occurs through body movements, rhythms, and attunement rather than...

Today’s episode critiques the modern discourse of resilience, arguing that it often functions as a “cage” for multiply marginalised people rather than a virtue. It explains how this concept, particularly within neoliberal frameworks, shifts responsibility for overcoming adversity from systemic issues to individuals, effectively gaslighting those who suffer from structural harm. The author of the s...

Today’s episode critically examines how “functioning labels,” particularly for autistic individuals, serve as economic assignments within a “Calibration Machine” designed to sort and control bodies for capitalist productivity. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, writing as a “seanchaidh” or keeper of memory, traces the historical roots of this system from the enclosure of land a...