The Squarepeg Podcast

Abs Lee is a carer, gardener and cleaner from Suffolk in the UK. Now 54, she was formally identified as autistic early in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic and lockdown. She's a parent to an AuDHD, queer adult human, and cares for her elderly mother. Abs has moved between multiple jobs throughout her life so far, full of potential but often finding it difficult to stay in roles due to sensory iss...

Toni Borneo was formally recognised as autistic two years ago, at age 42 - something that has saved and completely changed her life. For her, the process of unmasking uncovered complex, long term mental and emotional health issues. And more recently she realised that she has developmental trauma that has led to her having a personality disorder.  Toni has spent her working life in health policy ad...

Phoebe Taylor is a Canadian writer and artist whose work attempts to translate the experience of autism from the inside out. 'Fired from every job she ever had', she decided to explore self employment during the pandemic. Now 32, she was formally identified as autistic a couple of years ago, and has spent the last few years figuring out how to make a life that works better for her. Phoebe was a sh...

Phoenix* is 44 and from The Netherlands. She has a PhD in philosophy and worked in academia for several years, before experiencing a severe burnout in her early thirties. Phoenix started seriously considering that she might be autistic around two and a half years ago, after struggling for years with burnout, chronic fatigue and anxiety. She was formally recognised as autistic about a year ago, sho...

Dr Rachel Mosely was halfway through her second postdoctoral job in autism research when she learnt that she herself had been suspected as being autistic as a child. After some investigation, she was assessed and diagnosed at the Lorna Wing Centre, aged 28. Ten years on, Rachel is Principal academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University, where her research focuses on understanding the challenges...

Mrinal Gokhale is an author, writer, and speaker based in Wisconsin in the United States, passionate about all things psychology and wellness. Since becoming an author, Mrinal has written for and collaborated with platforms to discuss South Asian and Asian American mental health. She has a Bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Now 35, Mrinal is the author of tw...

Su Scotting is a poet, writer and artist, and retired National Trust archivist, from Cornwall in the UK. Now 63, she was formally recognised as autistic at 58. Su excelled at school, going on to get a BA in Medieval English Studies, and later an MA in Art. After years as an archivist she worked in government administration. But her education and career were impacted by sensory issues, overwhelm an...

For years Emily Nyrop lived what looked on the outside like a 'perfect' life; after graduating from Harvard University, she spent over a decade in high-powered roles. But underneath her outward success she was quietly burning out, as she built a life and career inside systems that weren't built for her. Then Emily hit breaking point. Feeling like she was falling apart, she decided to rip open her...

Helen Shaddock was formally identified as autistic two years ago, after spending over 25 years in the mental health system. During the pandemic Helen was readmitted to mental health services for eating disorders, before receiving an unexpected autism diagnosis.  Now 39, Helen is a multidisciplinary artist and PhD researcher. She lives in Newcastle in the UK, where her work as a multidisciplinary a...

Hannah Breslin runs her own business, Coaching for Difference, offering neuroaffirming coaching support for late-identified neurodivergent professionals, and education and consultancy for organisations looking to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity. Originally from Dublin, she lives in London and was formally recognised as autistic in 2022, with dyscalculia following in 2023 and ADHD in 2...

Emma Marsh works at the RSPB (the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), where she is Executive Director of Digital Technology, Campaigns and Communications. She lives in North Warwickshire in England. Emma was formally recognised as autistic in 2023, in her late 40s. She says that her autism has given her an innate connection to nature which drives her passion for conservation. She grew up o...

Laura Richmond is a writer, researcher and doll restorer from Southampton in the UK. She was my guest on the podcast in 2023. When we spoke then, it was just a year on from her autism diagnosis, and she was on the brink of publishing her memoir. So I was delighted to catch up with her three years on and find out what's been happening for her since then. Now 38, Laura was formally recognised as aut...

Laura Richmond is a writer, researcher and doll restorer from Southampton in the UK. This episode is from 2023 - I've re-released it because Laura just recorded a new episode with me, episode 145.  At the time this re-released episode was recorded it was just a year on from Laura's autism diagnosis, and she was on the brink of publishing her memoir. Now 38, Laura was formally recognised as autisti...

I first met today's guest, Vera, nearly five years ago, when we recorded a podcast episode early in 2021. A lot has changed for Vera since then, so we decided it was time for a catch up. Now 46, when we last spoke Vera had very recently been formally identified as autistic. Over the years since, her initial excitement - that she describes as sounding 'practically giddy' after listening back to tha...

This episode was recorded in early 2021 and originally released as part of the third season of Squarepeg. I was delighted to get to speak to Vera again recently, in 2026, and that new episode is now available for you to listen to. So I'm re-releasing my original conversation with Vera here, so that anyone who wants to can refresh their memory before listening to our more recent conversation in epi...

After the Season 10 episode with Sam Brown, AKA Mrs AuDHD, was released in the summer, a lovely listener got in touch to share their feelings about being disappointed by some of the comments Sam and I made about how we felt about having ADHD. Sam and I thought it was worth discussing our responses and reflections to the email, as it raised some really interesting questions around internalised able...

Kara Nash is a registered nurse and autism consultant who focuses on creating positive change in how the healthcare system treats people on the spectrum. Kara has over twenty years' experience working in the field of autism and mental health. Now 50, she was diagnosed autistic herself at 37.  During her career Kara has supported autistic people across the lifespan in hospitals, residential program...

Hassani Turner is an executive coach for neurodivergent professionals and the founder of MyNeuroCompass, a coaching service and app that helps neurodivergent people understand how their brains work, identify their strengths, stop masking and start leading authentically  – as Hassani puts it, 'finding space to show up without shrinking'. Hassani has spent 15 years in the corporate world. She was fo...

Lara Schaeffer taught high school English for 28 years until her autism identification at age 47 - and her school's resistance to her being open about her autism to her students. She waited three years for them to change their stance, before eventually leaving the secure, well paying job she thought she would one day retire from.  Now in her early 50s, these days Lara works as a counselor to autis...

Marian Schembari is an author and essayist whose first byline was at age eleven. It was a poem about dragons. Since then, her essays about travel, friendship, money, and love have appeared in many well known publications, including The New York Times and Marie Claire. Marian was formally recognised as autistic at 34, and spent the next couple of years writing a memoir about it, A Little Less Broke...

Shazzy Tharby is a Disability & Neurodiversity Leader, Mental Health & Neurodivergence Consultant, counsellor and psychotherapist, the Founder of Positively Living, a worldwide therapeutic service, and Vice President of the Australian Clinical Supervision Association. Shazzy describes herself as "Autistic, disabled, a wheelchair user, and Muslim". They are 49, the parent of two autistic children,...

My guest this week is Clara Törnvall, an author and journalist who lives in Stockholm, Sweden with her two children. Clara was diagnosed autistic five years ago at age 42, leading her to write her first book, The Autists - Women on the Spectrum, a personal essay and cultural history of autism, which has been sold to 13 countries. In 2023, she published a second book, The Autist's Guide to the Gala...

** We're taking a 2-week mid-season break – new episodes will start again on Saturday 27 September ** Leighanne Stephens is a fitness and lifestyle coach for neurodivergent women and non binary people. Now 27, she was diagnosed autistic two years ago, with as she puts it, 'a surprise addition of ADHD'.  Leighanne lives in London and has been self employed since leaving college, niching down to wor...

Dr Michelle McQuaid is a wellbeing researcher in her early 50s. She lives and works in Melbourne, Australia, where she is an honorary fellow at Melbourne University's Center for Wellbeing Science. Michelle was diagnosed autistic nearly ten years ago, after her then five year old son was diagnosed. By then, Michelle's autistic brain had turned perfectionism into an all-consuming mission, and by 34...

Kirsty Cullen-Campanelli is Head Of People Ops, Comms And Employee Engagement at Apple. She was diagnosed autistic two years ago at 38.  Kirsty's story began on a council estate in southern England, where she grew up in a working-class family alongside foster siblings from the age of three. Her journey into mental health and self-understanding began early - navigating life with a narcissistic, psy...