The AutSide Podcast

Today’s episode explores the political implications of literacy, particularly contrasting the Soviet Union's approach with that of the Global North. It begins by analysing a 1921 Soviet poster promoting widespread literacy as a means of collective empowerment and liberation, which a large language model (LLM) surprisingly labels as “agitprop.” The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks,...

Today’s episode critically examines “sane-heteroprofessionalism”—a concept asserting how sanism and cis-heteronormativity combine to dictate professional standards. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, an autistic, GLP, trans educator, uses her lived experience within the special education system to validate and expand upon Davies et al.’s theoretical framework. She illustrates how professional gatekeeping operat...

“Today’s episode explores anxiety in autistic empaths, reframing it not merely as an emotion but as a recursive, embodied, and relational system. It highlights how alexithymia, or difficulty sourcing, identifying, and describing emotions, amplifies anxiety by making it hard for autistic individuals to distinguish between their own feelings and external emotional input, leading to hypervigilance an...

“Today’s episode critically analyses the MIT AI Brain Study on ChatGPT use, arguing that it misinterprets the reasons behind AI adoption for writing tasks. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that the study incorrectly frames AI use as an individual cognitive failing, coining the term “cognitive debt,” when the underlying issue is the demands of a capitalist system that...

“Today’s episode provides a profound perspective on Gestalt Language Processing (GLP) in autistic individuals, challenging conventional understandings of language development. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, an autistic adult and gestalt processor, shares their personal journey to illustrate that autistic language unfolds differently, often in a “teleological” or recursive m...

“Today’s episode reviews and simplifies a 2024 study, “Retinal GABAergic Alterations in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.” The study confirmed what many autistic individuals have reported for years: sensory overload, particularly to light, is a physiological reality. The study used electroretinograms (ERGs) to measure the eye’s electrical response to light, finding that autistic participants’...

“Today’s episode argues that autistic memes and social media provide a more accurate and relevant understanding of autistic emotional experiences, specifically “crashes,” than traditional academic research. The author of the source article, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, highlights how academic frameworks often fail to capture the lived reality of autistic adults, focusing on external symptoms and neurotyp...

“Today’s episode explores a queer history of language, proposing that writing originated not from imperial control or measurement, but from sacred, relational, and feminine roots. It suggests that early marks were invocations and gestures, connecting to the land and spirit rather than serving as tools for documentation or command. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that...

“Today’s episode explores the phenomenon of phosphenes, the lights many people perceive when their eyes are closed, through the lens of autistic perception. The author of the source article, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, challenges the conventional medical interpretation of phosphenes as symptoms of pathology, arguing instead for their recognition as a natural and often comforting aspect of sensory experi...

“Today’s episode argues that queer and trans narratives have not been lost throughout history but were intentionally suppressed and miscategorised within various archival systems, such as folklore collections like the Aarne-Thompson-Uther classification. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, asserts that institutions like the British Museum and the methodologies of scholars like S...

“Today’s episode explores the Dr. Jaime Hoerricks’ experience as an autistic student taking an introductory psychology course, specifically focusing on an assignment requiring an annotated bibliography of recent research. Dr. Hoerricks, the author of the source article, challenges the traditional notion of academic neutrality by critically analysing a purportedly comprehensive review of autism res...

“Today’s episode explores the Dr. Jaime Hoerricks’ personal journey of gender identity and self-acceptance, using the metaphor of a theatre production. It describes the protagonist’s transition from “possibly appearing” to fully embodying her identity, particularly through the use of “she/they” pronouns. The narrative unfolds in five theatrical scenes, each illustrating different aspects of her ex...

“Today’s episode examines the 1965 debate between James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr., where Baldwin argued the American Dream was achieved at the expense of Black Americans. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, reinterprets this historical event through an autistic lens, suggesting that the systemic exploitation and marginalisation faced by Black people mirrors the experien...

“Today’s episode offers a critical reflection on the increasing “gig-ification” of special education, using a personal anecdote from a credentialed autistic educator. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, details their experience declining a job offer from “Fullmind” for a Virtual Extensive Support Needs Educator position, highlighting the discrepancy between the advertised profes...

“Today’s episode explores the complex experience of trauma and autism, particularly for individuals who are gestalt language processors. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, shares a personal reflection on how a simple act of kindness from a trusted friend can trigger past trauma responses, making it difficult to accept support or share their sanctuary, “The Ridge.” Dr. Hoerricks...

“Today’s episode argues that the Trump regime’s “Science of Reading” initiative is not a genuine effort to improve literacy but rather a political strategy to control public education. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that this policy, masquerading as “evidence-based instruction,” is a smokescreen for defunding institutions, centralising ideological control, and prom...

“Today’s episode explores the disparity between the training and performance expected in corporate environments versus professional athletics, using a visual graphic to illustrate this contrast. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks—an autistic professional, explains that for them, writing serves as a crucial form of “training in public”—a method for pre-processing thoughts, rehear...

“Today’s episode explores a trans femme perspective on beauty, self-care, and ancestral nourishment, contrasting it with modern consumerist beauty standards. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that true femme embodiment and softness stem not from external products or performative “glow-ups,” but from internal healing, natural remedies, and a connection to ancestral pract...

“Today’s episode explores the complexities of queer joy and visibility within a society that often punishes authenticity. It argues that trans love and existence are perceived as dangerous because they challenge systems built on control, patriarchy, and traditional norms. The author of the source article and poem, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, highlights how queer spaces, meant for sanctuary and connection...

“Today’s episode critiques the behavioural science model, particularly Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), for its approach to autistic vocalisations. It argues that terms like “vocal stereotypy” are pejorative and misrepresent authentic autistic communication such as echolalia and stimming. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks—themself an autistic gestalt language processor—rebuts a...

“Today’s episode explores the profound impact of classroom design on neurodivergent individuals, particularly those who are autistic. The author of the source article, Jaime Hoerricks, PhD, reflects on their personal experiences as an autistic person navigating sensory-rich environments and advocating for spaces that prioritise nervous system needs over neurotypical norms. Dr. Hoerricks contrasts...

“Today’s episode critiques the limitations of current diagnostic frameworks for Autism and ADHD, particularly for individuals who are AuDHD (Autistic and ADHD). It argues that diagnostic tools, often normed on a narrow demographic, rely on observable behaviours framed as either lack (for autism) or disruption (for ADHD), which fails to recognise the internal struggles and masking used as a surviva...

“Today’s episode explores the meaning of queerness and Pride, emphasising a joyful, defiant stance that rejects binary classifications and external definitions. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that queerness is not a reaction to societal pressures but an inherent practice of living authentically, loving deeply, and building a life of ease and nourishment rather than m...

“Today’s episode explores the double empathy problem through the lens of an autistic gestalt language processor who is wired for resonance but often used as a “confidante for curated chaos.” Dr. Jaime Hoerricks describes the experience of being a “good listener” for people who present a staged version of their pain rather than an authentic emotional truth. This constant exposure to performance-as-...

“Today’s episode reframes internalised ableism not as a personal failing, but as a manifestation of colonialism, arguing that dominant systems overwrite neurodivergent ways of thinking, speaking, and being. It asserts that the mind being colonised is already marked as different by ableist, white supremacist, and capitalist structures, making this form of colonisation foundational for neurodivergen...