The AutSide Podcast

“Today’s episode explores how alienation under capitalism significantly impacts mental health. It argues that societal structures, rather than individual failings, cause widespread distress. Drawing from Marxist, Maoist, Pan-Africanist, and other critical theories, the author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, examines how systemic oppression contributes to mental health struggles. They i...

“Today’s episode analyses the potential threats to neurodivergent individuals and disability rights under the new political regime in the US. The source article, by Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, highlights concerns that figures like RFK Jr. and policies within Agenda 47 signal an ideological assault, potentially dismantling crucial support systems and promoting eugenicist frameworks. Dr. Hoerricks contends...

“Today’s episode argues that many schools fail to provide adequate literacy education, particularly for students with disabilities like dyslexia. It uses legal cases like Endrew F. and William A. to highlight the legal obligation schools have to ensure meaningful progress, not just minimal advancement. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, shares their personal experience of gradu...

“Today’s episode analyses the Make America Healthy Again Commission (MAHA), arguing that it is a neoliberal scheme designed to privatise public health. It asserts that the commission's true purpose is to shift blame onto individuals for health disparities whilst redirecting public funds to private corporations. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that the commission's m...

“Today’s episode dissects capitalism, challenging common misconceptions and exposing its exploitative nature. It contrasts capitalism with trade and commerce, arguing that it uniquely prioritises profit extraction. The author of the lengthy source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, highlights the concept of surplus value, where workers are underpaid to maximise capitalist profit. Dr. Hoerricks discusse...

“Today’s episode introduces Able Grounded Phenomenology (AGP), a framework to reform autism research. AGP was created by Dr. Henny Kupferstein to challenge traditional, deficit-based research approaches that dehumanise Autistic individuals. The source article from Dr. Jaime Hoerricks critiques existing research paradigms, pointing out their colonial and capitalist underpinnings, which prioritise p...

“Today’s episode examines the divide between reformist and revolutionary approaches within neurodiversity advocacy, particularly regarding the experiences of BIPOC individuals. It highlights how white, reformist advocacy often focuses on incremental changes that do not address systemic oppression. Revolutionary advocacy, on the other hand, seeks to dismantle oppressive systems like capitalism and...

“Today’s episode argues that “Texas v. Becerra” is not simply a legal challenge, but a strategic attack on disability rights that uses trans people as a scapegoat. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues the lawsuit, cloaked in legal technicalities, aims to dismantle Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, prioritising capitalist and patriarchal interests over equity and inclu...

“Today’s episode critiques the attack on Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, viewing it as an effort to undermine disability rights and equity. Using Stafford Beer's dictum that a system’s purpose is what it does, the author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that the government consistently serves capital and patriarchy, even at the expense of marginalised groups. Dr. Hoerricks...

“Today’s episode explores the challenges of sleep disorders in autistic individuals, particularly night terrors. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, shares their personal journey to find effective sleep solutions after struggling with traditional medical approaches and adverse side effects. They discuss the importance of understanding the “why” behind sleep problems, rather than...

“Today’s episode examines the challenges and exhaustion faced by autistic individuals navigating a world and digital landscape often hostile to neurodivergence. It explores the paradox of technology, highlighting how online platforms can be both a source of community and a site of harm due to algorithmic amplification of negativity and lack of accessibility. The author of the source article, Dr. J...

“Today’s episode analyses the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act in the US as a modern tool of patriarchal exclusion, linking it to historical and ongoing efforts to marginalise women and other groups in the so-called ‘land of the free.’ It argues the Act’s requirement for documentary proof of citizenship disproportionately affects those without easy access, such as women whose names...

“Today’s episode reflects on the historical Red Clydeside movement and its relevance to contemporary issues, particularly regarding disability and capitalism. Drawing inspiration from Marxism, the source article critiques the commodification of basic needs like housing and healthcare under capitalist systems. The author, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, proposes a vision of a self-sustaining, utopian communit...

“Today’s episode contrasts two distinct approaches to autism: a Soviet model of inclusion and a Global North model rooted in eugenics. It highlights the work of Dr. Grunya Sukhareva, whose inclusive approach in the Soviet Union aimed to integrate autistic individuals into society, contrasting it with the Global North’s focus on genetic research that seeks to eliminate autism. The author of the sou...

“Today’s episode critiques the commodification of neurodivergence under capitalism, highlighting how diagnosis becomes a gatekeeping tool that favours the privileged. The source article argues that organisations like Toronto’s Embrace Autism are essential yet reveal systemic failures to support autistic individuals without financial burdens. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, a...

“Today’s episode critiques the academic field of ‘neurodiversity,’ arguing that it has become a lucrative industry that benefits corporations and researchers more than autistic individuals. The source article asserts that academic neurodiversity often ignores the lived realities of autistic people, who face exclusion, poverty, and systemic barriers. The author, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contends that i...

“Today’s episode examines the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) historical and recent actions, arguing that the organisation has consistently prioritised the interests of cisgender gay and lesbian individuals over those of the transgender community. The source article points to instances like HRC’s stance on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and its focus on marriage equality as examples of...

“Today’s episode critiques Friedrich Hayek’s The Road to Serfdom, arguing that its neoliberal followers have ironically created the authoritarian economic system Hayek feared, not through socialist planning, but via unchecked market forces concentrating power in corporations and financial institutions. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, contrasts Hayek’s warnings about state co...

“Today’s episode argues that the current housing crisis in the US is not accidental but a deliberate corporate takeover engineered by Private Capital. Through manipulation of financial instruments, like mortgage forbearance and HELOCs, and strategic market control, investment firms are driving mass foreclosures and consolidating ownership. Government inaction, stemming from regulatory capture by f...

“Today’s episode argues that mainstream gay and lesbian organisations have historically marginalised and abandoned transgender people in the pursuit of assimilation into existing power structures. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, traces this pattern from the Stonewall Riots to the present day, highlighting instances where trans individuals were excluded from movements and leg...

“In today’s episode, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks critiques the Autism Research Centre (ARC) at Cambridge, led by Simon Baron-Cohen, for decades of research that has documented the healthcare disparities and struggles faced by autistic individuals, particularly transgender and gender-diverse autistic people, without resulting in tangible improvements or policy changes. They argue that the ARC prioritises s...

“Today’s episode explores the intersection of Christian nationalism and American politics, focusing on a scenario where the US tax code is rewritten based on biblical interpretations, disproportionately impacting women. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, critiques this hypothetical policy and similar manifestations of Christian nationalism, arguing that it distorts Jesus's teac...

“Today’s episode critiques the misuse of scientific research to promote harmful ideologies, particularly concerning autism. A satirical study from Dr. Jaime Hoerricks is presented, illustrating how flawed research, amplified by media and policy makers, can create false narratives. Dr. Hoerricks highlights the dangers of pseudoscience, emphasising the need for critical thinking and the ethical impl...

“ Today’s episode features a book review and personal essay reflecting on Sarah Wilson’s First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, which reframes anxiety not as a disorder to be cured, but as an inherent aspect of human experience. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, an autistic individual, connects Wilson's perspective to their own experience of anxiety and gestalt processing, illust...

“Today’s episode argues that modern capitalism functions like financial colonialism, systematically extracting wealth from ordinary people (the “colonised class”) and concentrating it among a wealthy elite. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, supports this claim by analysing several prominent examples of financial scams and market manipulations, highlighting how insiders profit...