The Autistic Culture Podcast

What happens when artificial intelligence meets neurodivergent life?In AI and Autism, host Bree Ransom explores how AI interacts with — and could potentially accommodate — neurological and developmental differences.Through conversations with people from across the spectrum, the series explores the ways neurodivergent people are using AI to communicate, create, process information, navigate everyday life and better understand themselves.Whether you're an AI super-user, a sceptic or simply curious about what these technologies could mean for neurodivergent people, you don't have to love AI to join the conversation.Subscribe to ai.tism — Bre's Substack exploring AI, neurodivergence and the ways she uses AI as an accessibility tool.Get in touch with Bre — Share your experiences with AI, tell Bre what you're experimenting with, or express your interest in joining AI and Autism as a guest.Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Matt Lowry, LPP and Dr. Angela Kingdon take a fresh look at tennis legend John McEnroe, reframing his legacy through a neurodiversity-affirming lens.

In the first episode of The Dialogues, Kassiane Asasumasu, Morénike Giwa-Onaiwu, Renae Martin, and Oswin Latimer explore the history, politics, and lived realities of Autistic advocacy.Drawing on decades of experience within the Autistic and disability communities, the group discusses the growing use of terms such as “profound autism”, the complicated relationship between diagnosis and support needs, and what happens when disabled people are denied the resources and autonomy they need to live in their communities.They also reflect on the history of Autistic-led organising, the early online communities that helped shape the neurodiversity movement, and the personal cost that advocacy has sometimes carried for the people doing the work.Along the way, the conversation explores institutionalisation, disability rights, Medicaid and community-based support, the loss of Autistic community history, and why many of the battles being fought today feel remarkably familiar to those who have been fighting them for decades.The Dialogues is produced in collaboration with Foundations for Divergent Minds for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss three neurodivergent dilemmas involving boundaries, brutal honesty, family expectations and when neurodivergence explains behaviour — but doesn't necessarily excuse it.First, someone kicks their friend's autistic friend out of their home after they repeatedly ignore boundaries, burp in their face and start handling their expensive hearing aids without permission. Jordan and Simon discuss autism and social cues, respecting personal space, medical devices, direct communication and the difference between struggling to recognise an unspoken social rule and ignoring someone who has explicitly told you to stop.Next, a new mum clashes with her 19-year-old neurodivergent sister-in-law after being told that her six-month-old baby isn't actually that cute. When the sister-in-law becomes determined to make her admit it, Jordan and Simon discuss autistic bluntness, honesty versus unnecessary rudeness, learning social conventions, family members excusing behaviour because of neurodivergence and why sometimes you really don't need to say the thing you're thinking.Finally, a 20-year-old woman is told by her father that if he dies, she should take responsibility for raising her five-year-old autistic brother — despite his mother still being perfectly capable of caring for him. Jordan and Simon explore the pressure placed on siblings of disabled children, parental expectations, guilt, independence and whether being family means accepting a responsibility you never chose.The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• AITAH for kicking out my friend's neurodivergent friend, for what I felt was ignoring boundaries and touching my most personal stuff?• AITA for telling my parents that if they died right now I would not take in my autistic little brother?• AITA for being harsh with my neurodivergent SIL?Our Sponsors:

When your body says you have to pause, your seat is still warm. You don't have to start over from zero.In this episode of The Neurocomplex Creative, Vicki Peterson sits down with her executive producer Angela Kingdon, co-founder of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, for a behind-the-scenes conversation about creating when your brain and body no longer allow you to work the way you once did.Vicki and Angela explore skill regression, autistic burnout and the grief of changing capacity, alongside the importance of building creative practices around real human needs rather than conventional ideas of productivity. Angela shares how her own experience of burnout changed the way she thinks about supporting creatives, and why podcasting can offer neurodivergent creators greater autonomy over how, when and where they work.Together, they explore what it means to build a sustainable creative life — one where taking a break doesn't mean giving up your place, and where being met with understanding on your hardest day can make it possible to return when you're ready.

For many neurodivergent people with complex chronic illness, the barriers they experience at school or work aren't only neurological or psychological. So why are accommodations so often approached as though they are?In this episode of Clinical Misfits, Dr Mary explores the relationship between dysautonomia, neurodivergence and the need for school and workplace accommodations. She questions whether current assessment processes adequately recognise physical symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, pain, sensory sensitivities and difficulties regulating heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.Dr Mary looks at how dysautonomia might be recognised and investigated in healthcare, and argues for greater involvement from medical professionals when determining the support someone needs. She also discusses practical routes towards better quality of life, from physical and occupational therapy to nutrition, movement and other forms of ongoing support.Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

In this episode of Autistic Standpoint Theory, Isha Snow is joined by AuDHD seminary student Willow Shirtz for a deeply personal conversation about autistic cognition, faith, identity and religious trauma.Content note: This episode contains discussion of religious trauma, mental health, psychiatric treatment and difficult family experiences, as well as strong language.Raised in a devout Mormon household, Willow reflects on entering missionary service with genuine belief and the experiences that eventually forced them to question both their faith and the expectations placed upon them. They discuss what it means to process belief, morality and contradiction through an autistic lens — particularly when the systems around you demand certainty and conformity.Their conversation moves through missionary life, mental health, psychiatric treatment, family relationships, sexuality and gender, as Willow describes the difficult process of dismantling an inherited worldview and rebuilding a life beyond it.Now identifying as an atheist while preparing for Unitarian Universalist ministry, Willow's story raises a bigger question at the heart of the series: when a system you were taught to trust stops making sense, what can your own way of knowing help you build in its place?Autistic Standpoint Theory is part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

Sound is one of the fastest, most powerful systems in the human brain. It can soothe, destabilise, regulate, overwhelm - and, when used intentionally, it can become a profound tool for nervous system support.In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Ashley explores the neuroscience and lived experience of sound for neurodivergent minds. From music and rhythm as ancient emotional language, to binaural beats and brainwave states, humming and vagus nerve activation, ASMR, pink noise, and the surprising science behind tinnitus and musical ear syndrome.We also talk honestly about misophonia, loud noise sensitivity, and the cocktail party effect - and why regulation, not exposure, is the key.The episode closes with a guided theta journey using Alexander Voloshin of Healing Meditation Music's theta binaural beats - an immersive sound experience designed to gently support deep rest, insight, and recalibration.If sound has ever felt like too much - or not enough - this episode will help you understand why, and how to work with it.Headphones recommended.Our Sponsors:

What happens when you spend years doing everything “right” — only to discover you might have missed something along the way?In this episode of The Still Growing Up Film Club, Cece Fanning heads back to high school with Booksmart, following best friends Molly and Amy as they attempt to squeeze four years of missed parties, bad decisions and teenage chaos into one unforgettable night before graduation.As their carefully constructed plans spectacularly unravel, Cece explores what the film can teach us about perfectionism, achievement, friendship and the danger of assuming we already understand the people around us. She also looks at the pressure to be known for one particular thing — whether that's being smart, successful or neurodivergent — and what happens when other people see a very different version of us from the person we know ourselves to be.Along the way, there are crushes, awkward encounters, unexpected friendships, plans going wildly off-script and some painful lessons about listening to the people we love. Molly and Amy may begin the night determined to prove that they can have it all, but they discover something more important: growing up sometimes means admitting you were wrong, apologising when you've hurt someone and allowing yourself to enjoy the present instead of constantly preparing for what's next.Because working hard matters. But so do friendship, fun, mistakes and all the parts of life that can't be added to a résumé.Follow Cece:

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our magazine podcast that brings together the stories, conversations and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.This week, Simon is back from holiday and joins Angela to unpack new guidance from the National Autistic Society stating that autism is genetic and lifelong. They discuss why that message matters, the misinformation that still surrounds the causes of autism, and why something seemingly so straightforward can still provoke disagreement.They also turn to controversial proposals for tackling England's huge ADHD assessment backlog, asking what happens when access to diagnosis and support is increasingly reserved for those deemed to have the greatest clinical need.There's also big news from ACPN as Angela and Simon reveal the first trailer for Season Four of The Autistic Culture Podcast, with Simon joining Angela as co-host when the show returns in October.As always, we'll take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week, before heading to the Community Notice Board for books, research, events and opportunities from across the wider Autistic community.

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP take on the self-help mega-hit Atomic Habits by James Clear—exploring why its behaviourist strategies fail for autistic people, and what actually works when it comes to productivity in Autistic Culture.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss three neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.They begin with a woman at breaking point after her husband stops taking his ADHD medication and insists that ADHD is his “superpower” — while his impulsive spending, emotional outbursts and inability to manage everyday responsibilities leave her carrying the household. Jordan and Simon discuss ADHD medication, emotional regulation, burnout, accountability, relationships and the difference between accepting neurodivergence and refusing support.Next, a father is furious after his wife explains the reality of death to their eight-year-old autistic son, leaving him terrified by the idea that life eventually ends. Jordan and Simon explore autism, childhood anxiety, literal thinking, religion, death, parenting neurodivergent children and whether protecting children from difficult subjects can sometimes make those subjects even scarier.Finally, someone reaches breaking point with a friend who has self-diagnosed ADHD but refuses to seek a professional diagnosis, while repeatedly using ADHD to explain their behaviour. Jordan and Simon discuss self-identification, diagnosis, ADHD stigma, medication, accountability and why understanding the reasons behind our behaviour doesn't necessarily remove responsibility for it.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• AITA for refusing to help my ADHD husband until he gets treatment?• AIO: Upset at my wife because she told our 8 year old autistic kid the reality of dying.• AITA for finally breaking and telling my friend she probably doesn't have ADHD?Our Sponsors:

He put more care into choosing a corsage than most of us put into ourselves — and that same attention shaped a whole life.In this episode of The Neurocomplex Creative, Vicki Peterson reconnects with her high school prom date and longtime friend Jesse Keene to explore sensitivity, intuition and the survival skills we carry with us from childhood into adult life.Together, they reflect on growing up highly sensitive in difficult environments, learning to read the people around them, and how those early adaptations can develop into people-pleasing, masking and losing ourselves in order to feel safe. Jesse traces his own journey through corporate success, meditation and spiritual communities towards a more intentional life rooted in Ayurveda, healing and wellness.Vicki and Jesse also explore childhood trauma, neurodivergence, recovery and the exhaustion that can come from constantly adapting ourselves to different people and environments. At its heart, this is a conversation about friendship, intuition and what happens when we finally find relationships and communities where it feels safe to be seen.

Clinical Misfits returns for Season Two with a deeper, more conversational approach to the connections between neurodivergence and complex chronic illness.In this episode, Dr Mary revisits ideas explored in Season One before turning her attention to hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), dysautonomia and their relationship with neurodivergence. She explores the potential role of chondroitin sulfate in connective tissue and the nervous system, including its involvement in structures surrounding nerve cells known as perineuronal nets.From there, Dr Mary considers how differences in synaptic pruning could influence the way neurodivergent nervous systems process and retain signals. Using pain and the body's autonomic response as an example, she explores a possible connection between neurological development, heightened nervous-system responses and the complex physical symptoms experienced by many neurodivergent people.Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

In this episode of Autistic Standpoint Theory, Isha Snow is joined by autistic advocate and technology professional Sam Farmer to explore what happens when autistic people are expected to navigate systems built around different ways of communicating, learning and relating to the world.Drawing on Sam's career in technology and his experience as an autistic self-advocate, they discuss neurodiversity-affirming support, accommodations and the importance of involving autistic people in the development of tools and services intended for their community.Together, Isha and Sam consider the enormous diversity within autism, why support needs aren't always visible, and whether some of what is described as autistic deficit might instead emerge from a mismatch between autistic people and the environments around them.The conversation also turns to empathy, advocacy and Sam's opposition to aversive interventions, asking what our institutions could look like if autistic knowledge was treated as expertise rather than an afterthought.Autistic Standpoint Theory is part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our magazine podcast that brings together the stories, conversations and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.With Simon away on a much-needed holiday, Angela is joined by ACPN's Head of Finance — and her husband — Paul Kingdon. Together, they dive into journalist and broadcaster Scott Bryan's story of discovering he was Autistic at 34, after experiencing sensory overwhelm while working at Eurovision. His lifelong love of the competition had already helped shape his career, bringing together late diagnosis, fandom and the power of special interests.That leads into a wider conversation about what happens when a special interest becomes your job. Angela and Paul reflect on their own experiences of turning passions into professions, and ask whether something can still provide the same comfort, joy and regulation once deadlines, expectations and sensory demands become attached to it.As always, we'll also take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week, including Bridget Jones's Diary on Still Growing Up Film Club, cultural mismatch on Autistic Standpoint Theory, sensitivity and belonging on The Neuro Complex Creative, the return of Clinical Misfits, another Neurodivergent Experience and a Friday rewind exploring Autistic productivity.Plus, we head to the Community Notice Board for new books, research, resources and events from across the wider Autistic community, including a free programme for recently identified Autistic adults, new research into Minecraft and sensory regulation, and opportunities for Autistic young people.

What if growing up isn't about finally having everything figured out, but learning to like the person you already are?In this episode of The Still Growing Up Film Club, Cece Fanning opens the diary on one of the most beloved romantic comedies of all time, Bridget Jones's Diary, and makes the case that Bridget's story is also a coming-of-age film — just one where the person growing up happens to already be in her thirties.From New Year's resolutions and disastrous dates to career changes, embarrassing family gatherings and questionable romantic decisions, Cece follows Bridget as she tries to build the life she thinks she's supposed to want. Along the way, she explores people-pleasing, masking, self-doubt, trusting your instincts and the uncomfortable feeling that everyone around you has adulthood figured out while you're still making it up as you go.And while Bridget might begin the film determined to find the right man, her biggest transformation comes when she starts choosing herself. Cece looks at what Bridget can teach us about setting goals, surviving embarrassment, walking away from people who don't value us and learning that mistakes don't have to define what happens next.Because finding someone who likes you just as you are is wonderful. Learning to offer yourself that same acceptance might be even more important.Follow Cece:

What if balance is not a fixed point we finally reach, but a living relationship with what is happening?In this episode of Mindful Mondays, Ashley explores the space between holding on and letting go, certainty and possibility, roots and wings. Beginning with the image of a surfer responding to the movement of a wave, she asks what changes when we stop searching for the permanently correct position and begin listening for what this moment actually requires.Today's Bite-Sized Buddhism wanders next door into Taoism through the ancient story of the Chinese farmer and his enduring response to apparent fortune and misfortune: “Maybe.” Alongside Alan Watts's backwards law, the story invites us to leave a little room around the meanings we assign while life is still unfolding.With essential Neurodivergent Nuance, Ashley considers why routine, predictability and clear answers may be genuine forms of nervous-system support - and why flexibility should never become another demand to override ourselves.Drawing upon David Eagleman's image of roots and wings, Ido Portal's “wild and wise,” emerging neuroscience around creativity, Carl Jung's transcendent function and Mark Nepo's reflections on fragility and resilience, the episode explores the human capacities that appear to oppose one another but may actually need each other.Even Cookie Monster makes an appearance as an unlikely Taoist philosopher.The episode closes with a guided practice, Roots and Wings. Through the natural movement of the breath, you will be invited to honour the truth already present within you while making room for another truth to exist beside it.Not everything must be resolved today. Sometimes we need only enough grounding to remain - and enough freedom to move.Practise with Ashley on Insight Timer:https://insighttimer.com/AshleyDupuyExplore From Mask to Map and more:https://www.integrativeiom.co.ukOur Sponsors:

QC joins Hannah Brockway for an enthusiastic deep dive into the world of Pokémon, exploring the global franchise that has remained a lifelong special interest.Together they discuss collecting, fan communities, childhood creativity, themed transport, and some of the more surprising corners of the Pokémon world. Along the way, QC reflects on how Pokémon shaped her friendships, encouraged her imagination, and continues to provide opportunities for connection, curiosity and joy.Find QC online:

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP take listeners on a virtual culture trip into the intersections of autism, sex, gender, and sexuality. This episode spotlights the life and work of Alfred Kinsey, the ground-breaking scientist who transformed how society understands human sexuality.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon do things a little differently, turning to some of Reddit's funniest and most wholesome pet stories after Jordan shares the sad news that his beloved Sheepadoodle, Milo, has passed away.First, a woman who deliberately got a cat because she doesn't like dogs discovers that her new companion apparently missed the memo and behaves exactly like one. From constant licking to greeting people at the door, Jordan and Simon talk about the weird personalities our pets develop, sensory sensitivities around animals, misophonia and why neurodivergent relationships with pets can be so powerful.Then, a husband asks whether he was wrong to veto his wife's choice of name for their new Golden Retriever: "Bitch". What follows is a spectacular detour through inappropriate pet names, questionable baby names, the strange nicknames we give our animals and whether telling someone they can name a dog “anything they want” really means anything.Next, a woman accidentally trains her dog Molly to respond almost exclusively to the nickname "Poopypants". Jordan and Simon discuss the ridiculous language we develop around our pets, echolalia, quotes that become permanent parts of our vocabulary and the mildly embarrassing consequences when a private nickname has to be shouted in public.Finally, a cat owner reveals the strange bedtime ritual her boyfriend has developed with his cat Magoo: letting him lick the inside of his mouth. Jordan and Simon attempt to understand why anyone would willingly participate in this arrangement, before the conversation descends into cats stealing food, questionable animal hygiene, Robin Hood impressions and general chaos.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• I got a cat because I don't like dogs and my cat acts like a dog• AITA for not letting my wife name our dog something stupid?• TIFU calling my dog by a not very mature pet name• TIFU by giving my dog unintentionally the best damn day of his life• TIFU by accidentally teaching my boyfriend's cat that love means shoving her foot in your mouth• TIFU by petting a dog during a meetingOur Sponsors:

Two California girls, one meditation university in the middle of an Iowa cornfield, and a friendship that can only be described as cosmic.In this episode of The Neurocomplex Creative, Vicki Peterson reconnects with her first-ever roommate, visual artist Summer Love, whom she met at Maharishi International University when they were just seventeen.Together, they revisit coming of age in an unconventional world of golden domes, mandatory meditation, yogic flying and rules that shaped their everyday lives. They reflect on finding friendship and belonging within that environment, being seen for who they were rather than who they were connected to, and developing a bond built on understanding, shared experience and a lot of laughter.Summer also reflects on her life as a visual artist, staying true to her own creative lens and finding beauty in the world around her. It's a conversation about self-definition, creativity and the rare friendships that allow us to be completely ourselves — even when they begin in the strangest of places.

In the first episode of Autistic Standpoint Theory, Isha Snow is joined by Dani Stephens to explore what changes when neurodivergent people begin to understand themselves — and are finally given the support they need to succeed.Dani shares their journey through ADHD and autism identification, navigating university as a neurodivergent student, and the difference that access to accommodations has made to their education. Together, they discuss burnout, disability support, inaccessible systems and what happens when struggles previously understood as personal failings are viewed through a neurodivergent lens.They also explore the importance of finding community. Inspired by Isha's own peer support work, Dani created a neurodivergent social group at Washington State University that became a registered student club.From discovering a new understanding of yourself to building spaces where others can belong, this conversation asks what becomes possible when neurodivergent people are supported rather than expected to become someone else.Autistic Standpoint Theory is part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

What can surviving a zombie apocalypse teach us about surviving everyday life?In this episode of The Still Growing Up Film Club, Cece Fanning takes an unconventional coming-of-age trip into Zombieland, following Columbus, Tallahassee, Wichita and Little Rock through a world where staying alive requires rules, resilience, courage — and occasionally a desperate search for a Twinkie.Using Columbus's famous survival rules as a starting point, Cece explores our need for structure and predictability, the comfort of self-imposed rules, and what happens when keeping ourselves safe begins to get in the way of actually living. Through a neurodivergent lens, she reflects on anxiety, hypervigilance, vulnerability, finding safe people and the complicated process of learning when to trust ourselves enough to take a risk.But survival is only part of the story. Zombieland is also about finding your people, knowing what keeps you going, doing things even when you're scared, enjoying the little things and making room for fun when life feels overwhelming.Because sometimes the rules that keep us safe are exactly what we need. And sometimes growing means knowing when it's okay to break them.Follow Cece:

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine podcast that brings together the stories, conversations and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.This week, Angela and Simon dive into the unexpected new Elizabeth Holmes documentary You Can See Everything, created by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim. From Fielder's famously awkward interviewing style and fascination with aviation to Holmes' carefully constructed public persona, routines and intense eye contact, they explore the Autistic traits they recognise in both figures — and what happens when we look at familiar cultural stories through an Autistic lens.That conversation also raises a bigger question about so-called “armchair diagnosis”. Is there a difference between diagnosing somebody and recognising Autistic traits in another person? And why can simply suggesting that somebody might be Autistic provoke such a strong reaction? Angela and Simon consider whether some of that discomfort reveals more about the stigma still attached to autism than the act of recognising those traits itself.As always, we'll also take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week, including the launch of Isha Snow's Autistic Standpoint Theory, alongside new episodes exploring Zombieland, friendship and creativity, nervous-system regulation, Neurodivergent tales from Reddit, Alfred Kinsey and a joyful deep dive into the world of Pokémon.Plus, we head to the Community Notice Board for books, events and opportunities from across the wider Autistic community.

If the word gratitude has ever made you roll your eyes, this episode is for you.This isn't about toxic positivity or pretending everything is fine. It's about neuroscience.In this episode, Ashley explores how gratitude reshapes your Reticular Activating System (RAS) — the brain's internal filter that decides what gets noticed. For neurodivergent nervous systems wired for intensity, pattern recognition, and threat detection, that filter can easily become tuned toward what's overwhelming or missing.Gratitude, practised intentionally, becomes a neural training practice.You'll learn how negativity bias and modern media hijack your attention, why simply searching for something to appreciate changes your brain, and how a simple six-week challenge can gently retrain your inner lens.This is grounded, science-backed, and fully relevant to the lived experience of neurodivergence.Gratitude isn't naive.It's neural.Our Sponsors:

Aaron Wyatt joins Hannah Brockway to explore the art of music composition, sharing how his passions for composing, conducting and computer programming have shaped his career.Together they discuss Aaron's work developing the Decibel ScorePlayer app, composing and performing contemporary classical music, and the creative possibilities that emerge when music and technology come together. The conversation also explores the growing recognition of Indigenous Australian classical music and the importance of using composition to tell stories, preserve culture and inspire audiences.Find out more:

What changes when Autistic people aren't simply the subjects of knowledge — but the people producing it?Autistic Standpoint Theory is a new podcast hosted by researcher and author Isha Snow, exploring how Autistic experience can offer a distinct way of understanding ourselves, each other and the systems around us.Hosted by researcher and author Isha Snow, Isha is joined by Autistic thinkers, researchers and advocates for conversations spanning Autistic history, identity and culture, religious trauma, the Double Empathy Problem, epistemic injustice and the systems that shape whose knowledge gets recognised.Drawing on decolonial theory, attachment science, and the Double Empathy Problem, the show builds a rigorous, accessible framework for understanding neurodivergence not as a deficit, but as a legitimate standpoint, for listeners who are done being explained and ready to explain.

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP dive into the life and legacy of Andy Warhol, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, exploring his story through the lens of Autistic culture.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss four neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.They begin with a disabled woman whose parents complain about having to drive her places despite doctors advising her not to drive. Jordan and Simon discuss autism, ADHD, disability, independence, family expectations and the difficult balance between needing support and finding ways to build autonomy.Next, a man considers ending a new relationship after the woman he's dating reveals she has a cognitive disability. They explore disability and dating, assumptions about someone's capabilities, hyperfixation, emotional intensity, guilt, masking and whether fear about becoming someone's carer is enough reason to walk away.Then, a drunken student pretends to have a speech impediment after a doorman refuses to let him back into a bar to retrieve his keys and student ID. Jordan and Simon debate impulsivity, disability as an excuse, drunken decision-making and whether the lie was justified when it ultimately got him his belongings back.Finally, an autistic man becomes overwhelmed and leaves a family dinner in tears after accidentally spilling his drink. Jordan and Simon discuss autistic overwhelm, shutdowns, RSD, catastrophising, masking, social expectations and how changing the environment can make meeting a partner's family far more manageable.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• AITA I told my parents they birthed a disabled child so they just have to live with it.• I (25M) matched with a woman (24F) who later told me she has a cognitive disability• AITA for pretending to have a speech impediment?• My(18F) boyfriend (19M) (has autism) had a breakdown when we are at my family's house for dinner. My parents are understanding but he feels to nervous to face them againOur Sponsors:

Creating again means going off script — in a lot of other people's stories — in order to claim your own.In the Season Two premiere of The Neurocomplex Creative, Vicki Peterson reflects on what it actually takes to create while recovering from autistic burnout and living with chronic illness. From working in "low battery mode" to creating from a recliner, she explores what happens when conventional expectations around productivity no longer fit your brain or body.Vicki examines masking, late diagnosis and the process of stitching together the different versions of ourselves we've developed throughout our lives. At the heart of the episode is the double bind of being a neurocomplex creative: when creating is fundamental to your identity and purpose, but the work itself can exceed your available capacity.Through burnout recovery, friendship and rediscovering the silly, theatrical parts of herself, Vicki finds something worth building towards — autistic joy, and a creative life designed around who she actually is. Plus, she introduces some of the friends and family joining her throughout Season Two.

Autistic people are often told that independence is the goal. But what happens when menopause changes what you can do, what you can tolerate, and how much support you need?In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) explores the reality of changing support needs during autistic menopause. Drawing on her own experiences of severe perimenopause, cognitive regression, chronic pain, medical gaslighting, suicidal ideation, and surgical menopause, she examines what happens when lifelong coping strategies stop working.Sam discusses the barriers that prevent autistic adults from seeking support, including masking, internalised ableism, trauma, and societal expectations around independence. She also shares the practical accommodations, medical interventions, community supports, and mindset shifts that helped her survive one of the most difficult periods of her life.This episode is a reminder that support is not failure, accommodation is not cheating, and quality of life matters at every age.Content Warning: This episode includes frank discussion of mental health crisis and suicidal thoughts, alongside experiences of autistic burnout, medical care, chronic pain, and menopause. Please take care while listening and skip any sections that may be difficult for you.Resources mentioned or relevant:

What does it actually mean to become the person you're capable of being — without losing the person you already are?In this episode of The Still Growing Up Film Club, Cece Fanning revisits the beloved coming-of-age classic The Princess Diaries and Mia Thermopolis's unexpected journey from invisible teenager to Princess of Genovia.Through princess lessons, makeovers, friendship fallouts, embarrassing mistakes and one very important royal decision, Cece explores what Mia's story can teach us about identity, confidence, courage and finding our own voice. She considers the difference between changing to meet other people's expectations and allowing ourselves to grow in ways that genuinely feel right.Cece also looks at The Princess Diaries through a neurodivergent lens, reflecting on the parts of Mia she finds particularly relatable — from literal thinking and feeling awkward or out of place to the struggle of stepping outside an identity other people have prescribed for us.Because becoming more confident doesn't have to mean becoming somebody else. Sometimes growing up is about discovering that you can change, make mistakes, ask for help and still remain entirely yourself.Follow Cece:

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine podcast that brings together the stories, conversations and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.This week, Angela and Simon explore what it means to find your people, after a story from Boomtown Festival about an Autistic festivalgoer who arrived alone and left with a whole new group of friends. Simon reflects on his own experiences of finding community through music festivals, and how a muddy field in Leeds became one of the first places he experienced neurodivergence without deficit.They also dive into new research using lab-grown brain models to study differences in synaptic pruning, and the uncomfortable questions raised when understanding Autistic brains becomes intertwined with attempts to change them. If science could one day offer a pill that altered the neurological differences associated with autism, would we want it? And where would improving someone's quality of life end and changing who they are begin?As always, we'll also take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week, including the return of The Neuro Complex Creative for its second season, new episodes exploring the Kākāpō, The Princess Diaries, Autistic menopause, burnout, Neurodivergent tales on Reddit and Andy Warhol.Plus, we head to the Community Notice Board for books, events and opportunities from across the wider Autistic community.

This week marks one full year of Mindful Mondays! And to celebrate, we're going somewhere a little adventurous: the growing research into psychedelics, neuroplasticity, and what it might mean for neurodivergent minds. Ashley explores the idea of a "slow psychedelic" - how From Mask to Map's substance-free process can offer a slower, more integrated version of the revelation psychedelics can provide in a single night. Plus: emerging research on psychedelics and neurodivergence (including autism and ADHD), a few honest words on due diligence, and a brand-new guided practice, Meeting What You Carry.In this episode:- The origin of the word "psychedelic" - and the more poetic meaning behind its Greek roots- Why psychedelic experiences can feel so revealing, and what neuroscience says about prediction, filtering, and neuroplasticity- The "slow psychedelic": how From Mask to Map's Aware, Allow, Align process works without substances- What's genuinely known so far about psychedelics and neurodivergence, including autism and ADHD research- A few honest words on due diligence and care- A guided practice: Meeting What You CarryLinks & resources:From Mask to Map - founding cohort begins 15 September, ten places: integrativeiom.co.uk/from-mask-to-mapAshley's psychedelic and mental-health series on Tenacious Be: https://youtu.be/HKrEN6-3-r4?si=F9687B3CbrsBOcH7 - the show itself is also on Spotify and Apple PodcastsNext week: revisiting a favourite from the archive - Episode 24, How Gratitude Rewires the Neurodivergent BrainOur Sponsors:

Krista joins Hannah Brockway to share her passion for the kākāpō, New Zealand's critically endangered flightless parrot, and the remarkable conservation efforts helping to bring the species back from the brink of extinction.Together they explore what makes the kākāpō so unique, from its unusual behaviours and breeding habits to the challenges of protecting such a vulnerable species. Krista also shares how this extraordinary bird has inspired her own creative projects and why celebrating wildlife can be just as rewarding as helping to protect it.Find out more:

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP dive into the timeless world of chess—a game woven deeply into Autistic culture. Through the story of legendary chess player Bobby Fischer and the Netflix hit The Queen's Gambit, the hosts explore why this game resonates so strongly with the Autistic community.

This week on The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan and Simon are joined by the show's in-house therapist and Mindful Mondays host Ashley Dupuy for four Reddit stories exploring therapy, parenting, disability, neurodivergence and the complicated line between support and autonomy.First, a father questions why his teenage daughter needs to continue therapy when, in his eyes, she should have already dealt with her trauma. The conversation explores why healing doesn't work to somebody else's timetable, the importance of trusting the therapeutic process, and what happens when financial concerns collide with a young person asking for help.Then, a parent wonders whether speech therapy is really worth paying for when their fast-talking nine-year-old can technically be understood. Jordan, Simon and Ashley discuss communication differences, the danger of defining support purely around whether other people find someone inconvenient, and why “there's nothing wrong with her” doesn't necessarily mean there's nothing she could benefit from support with.The third story introduces a much more complicated question: can too much support hold a neurodivergent child back? A parent declines an IEP for their six-year-old autistic daughter after feeling that her previous school was “coddling” her. The discussion looks at independence versus accommodation, learned helplessness, individualised support, parental fear about the future and why the answer doesn't have to be either support them with everything or make them cope alone. Finally, the conversation turns to a raw TrueOffMyChest post from a parent who loves her significantly disabled son but hates what their lives have become. It opens up a difficult discussion around caregiver exhaustion, grief, resentment, guilt and the uncomfortable feelings parents and carers may experience but feel they are never allowed to say aloud. Plus, Ashley introduces From Mask to Map, her new eight-week programme exploring late neurodivergent discovery, identity, masking, nervous-system regulation and finding out who you are underneath the roles you've learned to play. https://www.integrativeiom.co.uk/from-mask-to-map*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• AITA for telling my daughter to limit her therapy sessions• AITA for not wanting to waste money on speech therapy for my daughter• AITA for declining an IEP for my child?• My son has significant disabilities, and I hate that this is my lifeOur Sponsors:

In this episode of Two Mics, No Masking, Katie Scott and Jenna Goldstein are joined by Shubha Bala, Media Justice advocate, to explore what parenting looks like when the goal shifts from helping children fit in to helping them be understood.Together they discuss moving beyond compliance-based parenting, building relationships through connection, and creating environments where neurodivergent children are accepted for who they are. Through an honest conversation about trust, understanding, and belonging, they explore what it means to raise children in ways that honour their individuality rather than asking them to mask it.

Can DIRFloortime® help autistic adults, too?In this final episode of the Rethinking Autism Therapy mini-series, Daria Brown is joined by clinical developmental psychologist and DIRFloortime® Expert and Training Leader Dr. Kathy Platzman to explore how the DIR® model can support autistic adults, late-diagnosed individuals, and anyone seeking greater self-understanding, self-advocacy, and emotional growth.Together, they discuss how DIRFloortime® extends far beyond childhood intervention. Rather than focusing on deficits, the model emphasizes relationships, individual differences, strengths, and human development across the lifespan. Dr. Platzman explains how DIR's developmental framework can help adults better understand their sensory profiles, emotional regulation needs, personal strengths, and patterns of connection with others.The conversation explores topics such as masking, self-advocacy, trauma, neurodiversity, sensory differences, self-regulation, and the importance of discovering what brings joy and meaning to life. Through personal stories and reflections, Daria and Kathy demonstrate how DIRFloortime® can provide a roadmap for understanding ourselves with greater compassion and helping others do the same.Learn more:

Menopause affects far more than mood and cognition.In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) examines the profound physical impact of menopause on the neurodivergent body. From severe dry eye syndrome, sensory hypersensitivity and chronic pain to sleep disruption, premenstrual dysphoria disorder (PMDD), temperature dysregulation, bladder changes, fatigue and mobility challenges, she explores how hormonal changes can transform everyday life.Drawing on her own experiences, Sam discusses the complex relationship between menopause symptoms, sensory processing, trauma, chronic stress and autistic wellbeing. She also reflects on how physical changes can contribute to shrinking worlds, increased support needs and loss of identity.This episode highlights the importance of recognising physical symptoms that are often dismissed, minimised or incorrectly attributed to ageing alone.Content Warning: This episode includes frank discussion of mental health crisis and suicidal thoughts, alongside experiences of autistic burnout, medical care, and menopause. Please take care while listening and skip any sections that may be difficult for you.Resources mentioned or relevant:

We please. We rescue. We perform. We hold everything together - until sometimes we disappear or reach for escape.But what if these familiar responses are not fixed identities? What if they are intelligent adaptations: ways we learned to secure safety, belonging, continuity or relief?Following last week's introduction to From Mask to Map, Ashley explores the Nine Adaptation Patterns at the heart of this developing body of work: the Pleaser, Rescuer, Performer, Chameleon, Strong One, Perfectionist, Controller, Vanisher and Escaper.Moving through the different ways we reach towards belonging, attempt to hold ourselves and the world together, or create distance from overwhelming intensity, Ashley considers the protective purpose, genuine strengths and present-day costs carried within each pattern.These are not diagnoses, personality types or nine new boxes in which to place ourselves. With careful attention to Neurodivergent Nuance, Ashley explores why the behaviour alone cannot reveal the whole pattern. Structure may be an essential accommodation rather than control. Solitude may be restoration rather than disappearance. Social fluency may be joyful expression rather than compulsory performance. What matters is the job the behaviour is performing, the freedom we have around it and the price we may now be paying.Ashley also returns to the work of Jungian analyst Dr James Hollis and his question of what, beyond survival, may be seeking expression through us as meaning and purpose.Through recollection, Shakespeare's “ravelled sleave of care” and the image of the Weaver, the episode becomes an invitation to gather every thread of our experience without mistaking any single pattern for the whole design.The episode closes with a brief guided practice, The Weaver and the Thread.The complete guided exploration of the Nine Adaptation Patterns - including discovering your own configuration and mapping the way forward - will be exclusive to the founding From Mask to Map group coaching and hypnotherapy cohort beginning on 15 September. The programme is fully online, limited to ten people and available worldwide, with replays provided for those unable to attend live.Spaces are still available. Visit integrativeiom.co.uk/from-mask-to-map for full details.Our Sponsors:

What can Ferris Bueller teach us about letting go of the plan and actually enjoying the moment we're in?In the first episode of The Still Growing Up Film Club, Cece Fanning revisits the 1986 coming-of-age classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off and the lessons hidden inside one unforgettable day of playing hooky.Through Ferris, Cameron and Sloane's adventure across Chicago, Cece explores spontaneity, friendship, anxiety, masking and the pressure we can put on ourselves to make everything go according to plan. From Ferris's determination to make the day count to Cameron learning to confront his fear, the film offers a reminder that growing up sometimes means taking a chance, finding your people and accepting that life can still be meaningful when it goes off script.For a neurodivergent brain that loves schedules and certainty, perhaps Ferris has something particularly useful to teach us: leave a little room for the unexpected.Follow Cece:

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine podcast that brings together the stories, conversations and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.This week, Angela and Simon turn their attention to Channel 4 documentary The Great ADHD Myth and the backlash it has received from the ADHD community. They discuss its claims around diagnosis and medication, the decision to centre the experiences of a ten-year-old boy, and what happens when mainstream media tells stories about neurodivergent people without meaningfully including the communities at the centre of them.Simon also reflects on his own experience of ADHD medication, from finding the right dose to the difference it has made to his life, as Angela and Simon explore the wider narratives around overdiagnosis, masking and the idea that people must be visibly struggling for their neurodivergence to be considered legitimate.As always, we'll also take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week, including the launch of The Still Growing Up Film Club, a new Mindful Mondays, Autistic Menopause and plenty more from across the network.Plus, we head to the Community Notice Board for books, events and opportunities from across the wider Autistic community.

Dr Lillian Hearn joins Hannah Brockway for a fascinating introduction to the world of microtonal music, exploring the sounds, scales and tuning systems that exist beyond the notes most of us hear every day.Together they discuss how microtonal music is written and performed, why musicians are drawn to these alternative ways of thinking about sound, and the surprising connections between music, mathematics and synaesthesia. They also explore why so many neurodivergent people are part of the microtonal community, making this an episode about curiosity and creativity as much as music itself.Find out more:

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP, dig into the rich world of Autistic food culture—exploring safe foods, same foods, and the deep comfort Autistic people find in ritualized eating.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon unpack another selection of dilemmas involving autism, ADHD, relationships and the realities of being neurodivergent.They begin with a parent who invites an entire class to her son's birthday party — except for one autistic child. Jordan and Simon discuss exclusion, ableism, reasonable accommodations and the lasting impact of being the child who is always left out.Next, they explore another neurodivergent dilemma and the assumptions people make about behaviour, asking where personal responsibility ends and understanding someone's disability begins.The conversation then turns to the complicated ways neurodivergent traits can be interpreted by the people around us, including executive dysfunction, forgetfulness and behaviours that can easily be mistaken for laziness or a lack of care.Finally, a woman takes to Reddit to describe her husband as stupid, prompting a discussion about ADHD, dyslexia, executive dysfunction, relationships, resentment and what happens when the person you love doesn't understand the way your brain works.*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.• AITA for inviting my sons entire class except for one child because of his autism?• AITA for disagreeing with my daughter's ADHD diagnosis?• My speech disability has ruined my life and I think I will never amount to anything.• My husband is so dumb and I think I need to leave him because of itOur Sponsors:

In this episode of Two Mics, No Masking, Katie Scott and Jenna Goldstein are joined by Rabbi Shoshana Meira Friedman, founder of the PDA Safe Circle, to explore what happens when we stop trying to fit ourselves into systems that were never designed for us.Together they discuss nervous system literacy, questioning the default blueprints we've inherited, and what it means to build a life that is sustainable, authentic, and aligned with who we are. Rather than asking how we can adapt to existing expectations, Katie, Jenna, and Shoshana explore how we can create lives that genuinely work for us.

How does DIRFloortime® meet autistic needs in a neurodiversity-affirming way?In this third episode of the Rethinking Autism Therapy mini-series, Daria Brown is joined by autistic self-advocate, researcher, and ICDL Board President Dr. Emile Gouws to explore how the DIR® model aligns with autistic lived experience and why relationships, respect, and understanding are essential for meaningful development.Drawing on his own experiences growing up as a nonspeaking autistic child, Emile shares the challenges of being viewed through a medical-model lens, the trauma of compliance-based interventions, and the profound impact of finally being seen, understood, and supported through a relationship-based approach. Together, Daria and Emile discuss how DIRFloortime® differs from approaches focused on normalization by emphasizing individual differences, emotional development, authentic communication, and connection.The conversation highlights how autistic development may look different from neurotypical development, why practitioners must be mindful of ableist assumptions, and how play, co-regulation, and meaningful relationships create the conditions for growth. They also explore the role of neurodiversity, self-advocacy, sensory differences, and the Double Empathy Problem in shaping a more affirming understanding of autism.Learn more:

Sometimes the stories families tell about what is "normal" look very different after a diagnosis.Chelsey Flood is joined by her mum, Caroline Dale, for a conversation about family, misunderstanding, drinking, and late diagnosis. Together they reflect on the assumptions families make, the experiences that go unnoticed, and how understanding neurodivergence can change the way we view the past.In this episode:Family relationships and understandingDrinking culture and expectationsLate diagnosisLooking back with new perspectiveNeurodivergence within familiesContent Note: This episode includes discussion of family relationships, alcohol use, and late diagnosis.

What happens when the cognitive strengths you've relied upon your entire life suddenly stop working?In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) explores the neurological impact of menopause on the autistic brain. Through personal examples of memory loss, executive dysfunction, shutdowns, meltdowns, speech difficulties and skill regression, she examines how hormonal changes can amplify existing neurodivergent traits and create challenges that extend far beyond typical descriptions of brain fog.Sam discusses autistic burnout, involuntary unmasking, sensory overwhelm, loss of independence, and the fear that accompanies sudden changes in cognition and identity. She also shares some of the strategies, accommodations and treatments that have helped her navigate this difficult period.For many listeners, this episode may provide language for experiences that have previously felt impossible to explain.Content Warning: This episode includes frank discussion of mental health crisis and suicidal thoughts, alongside experiences of autistic burnout, medical care, and menopause. Please take care while listening and skip any sections that may be difficult for you.Resources mentioned or relevant: