The Other Autism

Dr. Kim Sage is a licensed clinical psychologist in southern California. Dr. Sage joins me to discuss her discovery that she may be autistic, the problem of autism underdiagnosis, and the close connection between autism and personality disorders (especially narcissistic personality disorder) within families. Dr. Sage also talks about her early autistic traits, friendship challenges, autistic trait...

Feeling like a fraud or a fake autistic is so common in those who are diagnosed as autistic in adulthood. In this episode, I talk about impostor syndrome and how it relates to autistic impostor syndrome. I also talk about the impact of impostor syndrome and some strategies for coping with it. Be sure to stick around right to the end. Toby is super chatty. And so is Google... It gets weird. Watch t...

Are you ready to navigate the intricate maze of adult autism diagnosis? I dedicate this episode to offering tips and advice to help you determine whether autism assessment is right for you, suggestions on how to find a psychologist who conducts adult autism assessments, and brief strategies on securing financial support if you can't afford the exorbitant assessment fees. This episode is desig...

Courtney Benner, a neurodivergent occupational therapist based in Utah, shares how occupational therapy can help autistic adults. She also talks about her neurodivergent identities and the ways these help her relate to her clients. Courtney shares the lead-up to her diagnoses and how much of an impact they had on her life. Additionally, she shares some very interesting statistics about autistic sl...

Melissa Elaine, a music industry professional in California, shares the lead-up to getting an autism diagnosis just this past January and what life has been like ever since. Melissa shares how past therapists chalked up her challenges to trauma and C-PTSD, dismissing her and her family's well-informed suspicions that she may be autistic. She also shares her experiences of going nonverbal, her...

Let's delve into an under-discussed topic — the intersection of autism and non-monogamy. I talk about the differences between polyamory and open relationships, and challenge the stereotype that autistic individuals are incapable of or uninterested in sexual relationships. Drawing from research and personal experiences, I discuss why autistic individuals are more inclined towards non-monogamou...

In the final episode of season two of The Other Autism podcast, I explore the concept of masking. We've talked about it a lot this season, but now I'd like to do a deeper dive. Topics discussed also include: The definition of masking Why autistic people mask What it means to unmask When masking can be a good thing If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, ch...

Cat is an Australia-based, late-identified autistic individual who suddenly lost the ability to mask following the death of her baby. Kristen and Cat discuss being autistic while undergoing fertility treatments, trauma in midlife, out-of-order loss and bereavement, polyvagal theory, the ways life crises often precede late identification of autism, and more. Correction: Cat said "microwave&quo...

Jennifer Dodd is a Portland-based therapist and owner of the Embodied Life Therapy Center. Jennifer is a late-diagnosed autistic individual who has also been diagnosed with the inattentive type of ADHD. Kristen and Jennifer discuss the ways that ADHD and autism compete with and complement each other, neurodivergent loathing of CBT (sorry, not sorry, CBT!), best types of therapy for autistic folks,...

Kim Gallo is the author of the new book, The Pivot: For Parents and Educators – Looking at Autism and ADHD Through a Different Lens . She is a speech language pathologist in south Florida and has experience as a former applied behaviour analysis (ABA) practitioner. Kristen and Kim discuss Kim's changing views on ABA (thanks in large part to TikTok!), the changing landscape of what it means to...

The number one question I receive from listeners is some version of, "I was just diagnosed as autistic. Now what?" What are some common experiences that people have after autism diagnosis in adulthood? Late autism diagnosis is often defined as diagnosis received after one's 18th birthday.  Topics discussed also include: Positive and negative thoughts and emotions following late auti...

Heath Wilder is the Director of Customer Experience at the Sydney Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia, and they were one of the first listeners of The Other Autism podcast — maybe even the first! Listen as Kristen and Heath aggressively abstain from small talk and dive right in to gender, autigender (aka gendervague), the female autism phenotype or presentation, the double empathy problem, alexit...

You've probably heard about the rising rates of both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Is there any truth to all the talk about an overlap between the two? You can probably tell by the title that, yes, there is!  Topics discussed also include: The three presentations or subtypes of ADHD Differences between ADHD in kids versus ADHD in adults Some of the main...

Recent research indicates that many autistic people might have co-occurring substance use disorder. Let's talk about what this entails and reasons for autistic folks turning to substances in the first place.  Topics discussed also include: Substance use disorder according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) How those with ADHD + autism may be at an even greater...

Hear Nicola Rowan-Brooks's story about being diagnosed by Sarah Hendrickx at the age of 55. Nicola shares the impact of her autism diagnosis and what life was like growing up undiagnosed in the UK. Nicola runs an online business restoring teddy bears. Her website is called Ambrosia Bears . If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out: " Girls and Wome...

Ciara Harte is a neurodivergent counsellor based in Victoria, British Columbia. In this episode, Kristen and Ciara chat about Ciara's critical discourse analysis of ABA. Ciara has firsthand experience working with applied behaviour analysis principles and practices, and was heavily involved in ABA for a few years.  Topics discussed also include: A brief history of ABA The interactional and di...

Hear Leslie's story about stumbling upon autism later in life, and the series of aha moments that ensued. Leslie previously worked in animation on feature films such as FernGully: The Last Rainforest , The Lion King , The Hunchback of Notre Dame , Pocahontas , and Space Jam . She is now a freelance graphic designer crafting bespoke graphics and brand development for rogues, disruptors, and ob...

Have you ever heard that autistic people often have adverse or unexpected reactions (or total lack of response) to prescription and over-the-counter medications? Well, it could be genetics, pharmacogenetics, that is! Topics discussed also include: Ultra-rapid and very slow drug metabolizers How medication sensitivity is not hypochondria Mast cell activation syndrome and medication fillers Autistic...

What's the difference between the medical and social models of autism? And what gave rise to the social model of autism? Topics discussed also include: "Mad pride's" influence on the neurodiversity movement How autism may have a similar fate as homosexuality The neurodiversity movement's stance towards applied behaviour analysis (ABA) The new academic field of Critical Aut...

I discuss the physical and mental health conditions that often exist alongside autism. Topics discussed also include: The overlap between autism and ADHD The overlap between autism and being trans The reasons why it's important to discuss co-occurring conditions and autism Co-occurring conditions in autistic children If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, chec...

Dr. Elaine Aron and her husband coined the term highly sensitive person (HSP) in the 1990s. Since then, her books and online content on the subject have become widely read and discussed. I'm not the first to see an overlap between the HSP trait and autism, and I won't be the last!  Topics discussed also include: An overview of the HSP checklist Getting into some details about Dr. Aron&ap...

Did you know that most, if not all, autistic people have sensory processing differences and that many have some combination of hyper-reactivity and hypo-reactivity to different types of sensory stimuli? In this episode, I talk about sensory processing differences and how they could be THE core feature of autism.   Topics discussed also include: How sensory differences impact adaptive functioning A...

In this episode, I answer a listener question about autism's impact on my education and learning experiences.  Topics discussed include: The challenges AND benefits of being autistic in the context of school and learning Aspects of my autistic brain that made learning easy, and the subject I struggled with most Contributing factors leading to a long interruption during undergrad Episode intro...

What are some traits that autistic adults might experience, especially those with late-diagnosed autism? And what does the female autism phenotype have to do with all of this?  Topics discussed also include: Some of my own autistic traits, starting from infancy till now The impetus for seeking an adult autism diagnosis Looking for a psychologist for adult autism diagnosis If you'd like to kno...

Autism and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR) — are they a good match? Recent findings suggest that EMDR might be particularly helpful for autistic individuals in relieving PTSD symptoms and addressing multiple mental health concerns. Topics discussed also include: An imaginary autism island and what this has to do with diagnostic overshadowing What EMDR therapy entails a...