The AutSide Podcast

“ Today’s bonus episode highlights a series introduction focusing on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to create inclusive classrooms. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, a teacher with lived experience of multiple disabilities, outlines a week-long plan addressing accommodations for diverse learners, specifically students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD), Other Health Impairments (OHI), Au...

“ Today’s episode advocates for adapting instructional group activities to better suit diverse learners, especially those with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) and auditory / verbal processing challenges. It emphasises the importance of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles in creating Purposeful and Productive Instructional Groups (PPIGs) that are truly inclusive. Dr. Jaime Hoerrick...

“ Today’s episode analyses the shortcomings of the SBAC standardised test, arguing that its design and content unfairly disadvantage students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, particularly those with IEPs. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks highlights the crucial distinction between background and prior knowledge, emphasising that the SBAC’s focus on summative assessment penalises students lackin...

“In today’s episode, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks explores reclaiming their identity and ancestral truths, specifically reinterpreting the Gaelic spirit, the Ghillie Dhu, as a maternal protector, challenging colonial misinterpretations. This reclamation involves understanding the power of shadows as both sanctuary and threat, mirroring their personal journey as a trans and autistic individual navigating so...

“ Today’s episode explores how myths across various cultures have historically diminished the feminine divine and female autonomy, often portraying women as inherently flawed or dangerous. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, a trans woman, uses personal experiences to illustrate how patriarchal structures perpetuate these harmful narratives. Dr. Hoerricks analyses specific mythological figures like Medusa and Li...

“In today’s episode, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks’s critiques the PSAT, arguing that it primarily benefits the College Board through test fees and data sales, offering minimal benefits to students. The extremely low odds of winning a National Merit Scholarship are highlighted, contrasting sharply with the College Board’s guaranteed profit. Dr. Hoerricks proposes alternative avenues for students to pursue f...

“ Today’s episode critiques a recent EdWeek article for neglecting the potential impact of Trump’s Agenda47 and Project 2025 on English learners with disabilities. Agenda47, aiming to eliminate the Department of Education, threatens to dismantle federal oversight and funding for crucial support programs. This shift would disproportionately harm vulnerable students, exacerbating existing inequities...

“ Today’s episode critiques autism research that uses a deficit model, focusing on a study examining autistic children’s responses to “cute” stimuli. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks argues this approach wrongly frames autistic traits as deficits compared to the norms of the neuro-majority, ignoring the “Double Empathy Problem”—mutual misunderstandings between neurotypes. Dr. Hoerricks advocates for research p...

“ Today’s episode exposes the unethical practices of a pay-to-publish scientific journal, which published a flawed study linking air pollution to autism. The study, seemingly designed to promote a biotech company's products, utilized poor methodology and lacked scientific rigor. Dr. Hoerricks critiques the journal’s lack of ethical oversight and the broader problem of for-profit science, highlight...

“ Today’s episode analyses an article from Disability Scoop, arguing that it subtly promotes a far-right agenda by downplaying the negative consequences of dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks contends that the article’s framing aligns with neocolonial, neoliberal, and neoconservative ideologies, which prioritise deregulation and privatisation (aka, wealth transfer), u...

“Today’s episode critiques the commercialisation of ‘the holiday season,’ arguing that capitalist forces have transformed celebrations rooted in community and solstice traditions into spectacles of consumption. It highlights the role of media and marketing in perpetuating unattainable aesthetic ideals, placing undue pressure on individuals, particularly women and marginalised groups. Dr. Jaime Hoe...

“ Today’s episode examines Gestalt Language Processing (GLP), a holistic approach to language comprehension and communication prevalent in “pre-literate” oral cultures, contrasting it with the analytical approach (ALP) favored by “literate” societies. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks argues that GLP, characterised by efficient “scripts” or chunks of language, aligns with Zipf's Law, showcasing language’s inher...

Today’s episode examines the disparity in how the legal system treats different types of theft. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, a victim of wage theft by the City of Los Angeles, contrasts the harsh punishment for petty theft with the impunity enjoyed by corporations and institutions committing large-scale wage theft. The core argument highlights the systemic bias favoring the powerful and the need to crimin...

“ Today’s episode examines the challenges faced by “Xóchitl,” an autistic high school student, within the American education system. It highlights how outdated stereotypes and inflexible systems hinder “Xóchitl’s” learning, particularly due to her Gestalt Language Processing style and her vibrant personality. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, “Xóchitl’s” teacher and case manager, advocates for shifting traditi...

“Today’s episode article critically analyses an Emotional Recognition Memory Training Program (ERMTP) study on autistic children in Thailand. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks uses a “Get Ready With Me” (GRWM) style to dissect the study’s methodology , examining its design flaws, small sample size, questionable reliability and validity, and lack of generalizability. Key concerns raised include the study’s defic...

“In today’s episode, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks critiques an article by Hari Srinivasan, a neuroscience PhD student, that discusses loneliness among autistic individuals. Dr. Hoerricks challenges Srinivasan's framing, arguing it blames autistic people for societal issues rather than addressing systemic problems. They contend that Srinivasan's use of person-first language and reliance on a medical model o...

“ Today’s episode critiques the LLM research assistant ConsensusGPT for its biased representation of autism research. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, an autistic researcher, demonstrates how ConsensusGPT’s reliance on existing data overwhelmingly reflects the medical model of autism, prioritising technological solutions and interventions over autistic lived experiences and alternative perspectives. This bias...

“In today’s episode, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, a Level 2 autistic Gestalt Language Processor (GLP), describes the significant challenges they face while preparing for the Praxis English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) certification exam. The standardised testing format, heavily reliant on analytical processing and rote memorisation, clashes with Hoerricks' GLP learning style, creating immense anx...

“ Today’s bonus episode explores the profound impact of holidays and routines on autistic individuals. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, an autistic gestalt processor and trans woman, discusses how established routines are crucial for well-being and how holiday disruptions can cause significant distress, often manifesting as meltdowns. The piece critiques Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy, arguing that...

“ In today’s episode, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, a trans woman and autistic gestalt processor, recounts their journey of finding their voice through poetry. They describe experiencing a heightened ability to express themself after beginning hormone replacement therapy, allowing them to articulate feelings and experiences previously inaccessible. This newfound ability is reflected in the poems “Unseen St...

“Today’s episode explores the United States’ rejection of a national healthcare system, analysing the role of corporate media in shaping public perception against public healthcare alternatives. The author argues that this resistance is driven by a profit-driven system that prioritises the interests of insurance companies and pharmaceutical giants over the needs of the population. Today’s episode...

“ In today’s episode, Dr. Jamie Hoerricks argues that the Christian far-right in America misinterprets and selectively applies the Bible to support its political agenda. They focus on issues like LGBTQ+ rights and bathroom policies whilst ignoring teachings on economic justice, wealth inequality, and the condemnation of usury in the Bible. Dr. Hoerricks contends that their focus on social issues d...

“ Today’s episode explores the concept of “being” versus “having” in relation to identity and how it is impacted by societal expectations. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks explains that their own life experiences, including a complex adoption story and a lack of traditional family connections, have caused them to feel like an outsider in a world focused on “having” things like credentials and societal recognit...

“ Today’s episode analyses the Trump administration's “Project 2025,” a proposed policy roadmap intended to restructure American institutions. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks argues that the project represents a dangerous shift toward neoliberalism and neocolonialism, with policies aimed at dismantling public goods, exacerbating inequality, and consolidating power in the hands of a wealthy elite. Dr. Hoerrick...

“ Today’s episode explores the history and ongoing impact of settler colonialism in Aotearoa (New Zealand), specifically focusing on the Māori struggle to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi. Dr. Jaime Hoerricks argues that settler colonialism is a global phenomenon that dispossesses Indigenous peoples of their lands and cultural identities. The source article examines the Māori perspective on the treat...