In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Amy Permann, a writer and Substack creator who discovered she’s Autistic in her 50s after decades of burnout, people-pleasing, and perfectionism.

Together, Angela and Amy discuss self-diagnosis, trusting intuition, unlearning pressure, and why self-acceptance is a radical act of care.

🪑 Attendees

Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate

Guest: Amy Permann — Autistic writer and creator of Seeking Authenticity

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

• Opening remarks from the Chair
• Member introduction: Amy’s journey from “good girl” to self-advocate
• Discussion: Misdiagnosis, boundaries, and self-trust
• Key learnings from the meeting
• Club announcements🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela opens by asking: What happens when your entire life is built around expectations that were never yours?

She welcomes Amy as a club member who’s learning to unlearn—redefining success, self-care, and what it means to live authentically.

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Amy’s Story

After years of therapy and being the “good daughter,” Amy learned she was Autistic — not broken, not oversensitive.

Her diagnosis followed her niece’s, sparking a journey through online communities, self-assessment, and finally, a validating experience.

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• Parentified and People-Pleasing: How early responsibility shaped Amy’s self-image.
• The Good Girl Mask: Why pressure isn’t a motivator — and why saying no is survival.
• Trusting Your Own Intuition: Unlearning the habit of assuming others know best.
• Medical Gaslighting & Boundaries: Why autistic women often stop seeking care — and how Amy’s learning to ask questions again.
• Living Authentically: From checklist living to joyful presence — finding beauty in small moments, cats, and nature.

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• You can’t heal by pleasing everyone.
• Autistic women deserve support that trusts their self-knowledge.
• Self-diagnosis and formal diagnosis are equally valid paths to clarity.
• Living authentically means honouring your timing, your needs, and your truth.

📣 Club Announcements

🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.

📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions

💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes artist and illustrator Phoenix Goodson, whose journey through misdiagnosis, hospitalisation, and burnout eventually led to a powerful late diagnosis of autism and ADHD.

Together, they explore how Phoenix rebuilt her life through art, self-advocacy, and community — turning survival into creativity, and chaos into colour.

🪑 Attendees

Chair: Dr Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate

Guest: Phoenix Goodson — Autistic/ADHD artist, illustrator, and memoirist from the UK

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

• Opening remarks from the Chair
• Member introduction: Phoenix’s 15-year road from misdiagnosis to discovery
• Discussion: Healing, identity, and art as sanctuary
• Key learnings from the meeting
• Club announcements

🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela welcomed attendees and introduced Phoenix as this week’s guest. Angela highlighted the importance of recognising misdiagnosis as a barrier to care and community connection.

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Phoenix's Story

Phoenix shares her experience of 15 years of psychiatric misdiagnosis before discovering she is AuDHD. She reflects on how art, writing, and structure became essential tools for healing and communication.

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• The impact of repeated misdiagnosis on self-worth and identity.
• The role of creativity in rebuilding trust in oneself.
• How community spaces can offer safety and validation for AuDHD adults.
• The importance of accessible language when talking about neurodivergence.

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• Misdiagnosis can delay self-understanding, but doesn’t erase it.
• Creative practice supports emotional regulation and belonging.
• Autistic and ADHD experiences often overlap — support needs to reflect that.
• Late discovery can mark the beginning of self-trust, not the end of struggle.

📌 Notice Board

Into The Light — by Phoenix Goodson

A luminous, textural piece exploring self-discovery, resilience, and the transition from survival to creative freedom.

💷 Price: £895 — Foil and acrylic paint on canvas board, includes professional framing and UK postage.

For purchase or exhibition enquiries, don't hesitate to get in touch with Phoenix directly: phoenixgoodsonart@gmail.com

📣 Club Announcements

• 🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on all major podcast platforms.
• 💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.
• 📌 Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributions
• 💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to the first official meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club — the podcast for anyone who discovered their neurodivergence later in life.

Hosted by Dr. Angela Kingdon, this episode features artist and activist Sarah Davies, who shares how she went from a dyslexia diagnosis in childhood to discovering her autism at 34.

Together, Angela and Sarah discuss identity, unmasking, self-advocacy, and what it means to call yourself a “neurodivergent baddie.”

🪑 Attendees

Chair: Dr. Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate

Guest: Sarah Davies — Autistic and Dyslexic artist, campaigner, and community organiser from Wales

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

1. Opening remarks from the Chair
2. Member introduction: Sarah’s late diagnosis story
3. Discussion: Life before and after diagnosis
4. Key learnings from the meeting
5. Club announcements

🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela welcomed listeners to The Late Diagnosis Club — a space where Autistic and Neurodivergent adults can find community, connection, and conversation.

“We’re not here to fix ourselves — we’re here to find each other.”

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Sarah’s Story

Sarah shared how she first identified as Dyslexic in school, but didn’t receive her autism diagnosis until age 34. She described years of masking, burnout, and finally, the relief of understanding her neurotype.

“It wasn’t that I was too much — I was just trying to fit into the wrong room.”

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• Dopamine Dressing: Using bright colours and creative expression as self-regulation and joy.
• Hyperfocus for Healing: How her curiosity about GLP-1 science helped her reconnect with her body.
• Activism & Advocacy: From campaigning against the UK “bedroom tax” to founding Wrexham’s local Autistic meetup group.
• Community as Medicine: Why Autistic friendships feel grounding, not draining.

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• Late diagnosis is an act of self-compassion, not correction.
• Autistic joy thrives in community, not conformity.
• Humour and authenticity are radical tools for survival.
• Self-advocacy begins with knowing what you need — and believing you deserve it.

🔗 Links

Wrexham Adults Autism Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1JjoEtEwcg/?mibextid=wwXIfr%0A

📣 Club Announcements

• 🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
• 💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.
• 💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr. Angela Kingdon welcomes Lily George, a 25-year-old Autistic mental health worker who was first misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder before realising she is Autistic.

Lily shares what it’s like to work inside the psychiatric system as an Autistic person — supporting others while still learning to support herself. Together, Angela and Lily discuss late diagnosis, unmasking, accommodations, and what happens when you finally start to live as your authentic self.

🪑 Attendees

Chair: Dr. Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate

Guest: Lily George — Autistic mental health worker and late-diagnosed self-advocate

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

• Opening remarks from the Chair
• Member introduction: Lily’s path from misdiagnosis to clarity
• Discussion: Mental health, masking, and self-advocacy at work
• Key learnings from the meeting
• Club announcements

🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela opens the meeting by acknowledging how often Autistic women and AFAB people are misdiagnosed before finding the right language for who they are.

“Sometimes it’s not that we missed the signs — it’s that the system wasn’t built to see us.”

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Lily’s Story

Lily was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder in her teens and spent years believing she was “too emotional” or “too much.” When a therapist suggested she might be Autistic, everything shifted. She began exploring her neurotype, pursuing formal diagnosis for workplace accommodations, and finding self-acceptance through Autistic community.

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• From Misdiagnosis to Understanding: Why BPD and autism are often confused — especially for women and AFAB people.
• The Autistic Worker in a Psychiatric System: Supporting others while masking your own needs.
• Unmasking and Regression: Why things you used to force yourself to do may feel impossible once you stop masking.
• Self-Advocacy: Asking for adjustments and understanding in a clinical workplace.
• Autistic Joy: Pattern-matching, special interests, and rediscovering comfort in authenticity.

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• Misdiagnosis delays belonging, not identity.
• Self-identification can be just as valid as formal diagnosis.
• Autistic people make better systems when they’re allowed to be themselves.
• You don’t have to be fully “figured out” to start helping others.

🔗 Links

Follow Lily at her Life with Lily YouTube channel

📣 Club Announcements

• 🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on all major podcast platforms.
• 💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.
• 💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.
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🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr. Angela Kingdon welcomes technologist and advocate Derek Crager, who discovered he was Autistic and ADHD at age 50 — after decades of burnout, masking, and surviving unsafe workplaces.

Derek shares how that late diagnosis changed everything: his relationships, his leadership at Amazon, and his mission to build Pocket Mentor, a voice-based AI tool that helps real humans — not “ideal employees” — get the support they need in the moment they need it.

🪑 Attendees

Chair: Dr. Angela Kingdon — Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocate

Guest: Derek Crager — Autistic/ADHD technologist, founder of Pocket Mentor, and author of Human First AI

You: The Listener!

🗒️ Meeting Agenda

1. Opening remarks from the Chair
2. Member introduction: Derek’s 10-year road to diagnosis
3. Discussion: Work, masking, and Autistic safety
4. Key learnings from the meeting
5. Club announcements

🧾 Minutes from the Meeting

1️⃣ Opening Remarks

Angela opens the meeting by reminding listeners:

“You’re allowed to take ten years to get here. We saved you a seat.”

2️⃣ Member Introduction: Derek’s Story

Derek describes decades of dangerous job sites and social isolation before finally receiving his autism and ADHD diagnoses at 50. Realising his brain wasn’t broken — just wired for depth and precision — gave him permission to stop apologising for his curiosity.

3️⃣ Discussion Highlights

• From Surviving to Designing: How Derek turned his late diagnosis into an advantage at work.
• Human-First AI: Building tech that adapts to people, not the other way around.
• Autistic Belonging: Creating relationships and workplaces that honour honesty and safety.

4️⃣ Key Learnings

• Late diagnosis brings clarity, not limitation.
• Autistic design principles benefit everyone.
• Authenticity at work is psychological safety in action.

🔗 Links

• Web: https://www.practicalai.app
• New Book: https://www.humanfirstai.net (Free Chapter)

📣 Club Announcements

• 🎧 The Late Diagnosis Club is available on all major podcast platforms.
• 💬 Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.
• 💜 There is a small charge — but no one is turned away for lack of funds.

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎉 Introducing the Autistic Culture Podcast Network

What started as one show — The Autistic Culture Podcast — has grown into something bigger: the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, the first podcast network created by and for autistic people.

Across our shows, we celebrate autistic voices, stories, and culture — because being autistic isn’t just a diagnosis, it’s a community, a worldview, and something worth celebrating.

🎙️ Current Shows:

• Autistic Culture (OG)
• Autistic Advocacy (OG Fridays)
• Neurodivergent Narratives
• Autistic Culture 101
• Late Diagnosis Club — launching Halloween 🎃

And that’s just the beginning. In January 2026, a new edition of The Autistic Culture Podcast premieres — exploring the creativity, history, and heart of autistic culture.

💫 Support Autistic-Led Media

Join Autistic Culture Plus for ad-free listening, early access, and an exclusive archive of ~100 classic episodes.

Every membership helps:

🎧 Fund neurodivergent creators

🌍 Amplify autistic voices

💡 Build culture, not pathology

🤝 Support accessible, sensory-friendly storytelling

For less than the price of a coffee, you can help sustain a growing network that’s 100% by and for neurodivergent people.

🎙️ Pitch Your Show

Have a podcast — or an idea for one — that celebrates autistic or neurodivergent life?

We’re now accepting pitches for new and established shows created by autistic and neurodivergent people.

Whether you’re an experienced podcaster or just starting out, we’ll help you bring your vision to life with technical support, mentorship, and promotion through the network.

📩 Pitch your show: info@autisticculturepodcast.com

💜 With Gratitude

A huge thank-you to our founding supporters of Autistic Culture Plus, who believed in this network before it even launched.

Our Executive Producers make this work possible — funding neurodivergent creators, amplifying autistic voices, and helping build a media ecosystem rooted in pride, creativity, and community.

These members form the foundation of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, and you’ll see their names credited at the end of our shows and on our website.

Executive Producers:

Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

💫 Join now to be credited as a Producer on our shows — and help fund autistic-led media that celebrates our voices, stories, and culture.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Late Diagnosis Club, a brand new show from the Autistic Culture Podcast Network!

The Late Diagnosis Club is a podcast by and for adults who found they were neurodivergent later-in-life. Hosted by Story Steward Dr. Angela Kingdon, this show features honest conversations with neurodivergent guests navigating the identity shock of late diagnosis or self-identification. Each episode explores neurodivergent traits through a cultural lens, debunks stereotypes, and offers solidarity for those processing family dynamics, unmasking, and reclaiming long-buried SPINs. Whether you’re self-identified or medically diagnosed, this club has been saving you a seat and helps you feel at home in your neurodivergent self.

Autistic Culture is now the Autistic Culture Podcast Network — five shows live, more on the way — all created by and for neurodivergent people.

We’re also launching Autistic Culture Plus on Supercast, where you can listen ad-free, get early access, binge full series, and unlock our exclusive archive of earlier episodes.

Founding Listener Offer:

• Join now for £0.99/month (80% off) and be listed as an Executive Producer on our site and show credits. You’ll keep that price as long as you stay subscribed!
• On 24 Oct, the price moves to £2.50, and on 31 Oct (Halloween) the standard rate begins: £5/month or £50/year.

Included with Autistic Culture Plus:

• Ad-free listening (sensory-friendly)

• Early access to every episode

• Binge-able themed series

• Exclusive archive of ~100 classic episodes

• Executive Producer credit for founding members

Key Dates:

🗓️ Now — Founding offer live (£0.99)

🗓️ 24 Oct — Trailer drops, price rises to £2.50

🗓️ 31 Oct — Virtual Halloween launch + Late Diagnosis Club premiere

🗓️ Jan 2026 — New Autistic Culture series launches (members binge early!)

Current Shows:

• Autistic Culture (OG)
• Autistic Advocacy (OG Fridays)
• Neurodivergent Narrative
• Autistic Culture 101
• Late Diagnosis Club - Interview show launching Halloween

🎉 Join Autistic Culture Plus: autisticculture.supercast.com

🎃 RSVP to the Halloween party: autisticculture.substack.com

📧 Pitch us your show: info@autisticculturepodcast.com

Thanks for supporting independent, neurodivergent-affirming media. We’re saving you a seat. 💜

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve grown into a network! 🎙️

Autistic Culture is now the Autistic Culture Podcast Network — five shows live, more on the way — all created by and for neurodivergent people.

We’re also launching Autistic Culture Plus on Supercast, where you can listen ad-free, get early access, binge full series, and unlock our exclusive archive of earlier episodes.

Founding Listener Offer:

• Join now for £0.99/month (80% off) and be listed as an Executive Producer on our site and show credits. You’ll keep that price as long as you stay subscribed!
• On 24 Oct, the price moves to £2.50, and on 31 Oct (Halloween) the standard rate begins: £5/month or £50/year.

Included with Autistic Culture Plus:

• Ad-free listening (sensory-friendly)

• Early access to every episode

• Binge-able themed series

• Exclusive archive of ~100 classic episodes

• Executive Producer credit for founding members

Key Dates:

🗓️ Now — Founding offer live (£0.99)

🗓️ 24 Oct — Trailer drops, price rises to £2.50

🗓️ 31 Oct — Virtual Halloween launch + Late Diagnosis Club premiere

🗓️ Jan 2026 — New Autistic Culture series launches (members binge early!)

Current Shows:

• Autistic Culture (OG)
• Autistic Advocacy (OG Fridays)
• Neurodivergent Narrative
• Autistic Culture 101
• Late Diagnosis Club - Interview show launching Halloween

🎉 Join Autistic Culture Plus: autisticculture.supercast.com

🎃 RSVP to the Halloween party: autisticculture.substack.com

📧 Pitch us your show: info@autisticculturepodcast.com

Thanks for supporting independent, neurodivergent-affirming media. We’re saving you a seat. 💜

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode originally aired: January 21 2025

With the Netflix documentary Martha creating conversations about Martha Stewart being Autistic online, this episode is more relevant than ever. We're on hiatus, but bringing this powerful conversation back into the feed for anyone who is seeing themselves in Martha.

Matt and Angela welcome special guest Melanie Deziel to explore the legendary Martha Stewart through an autistic cultural lens. From rigid routines to obsessive attention to detail, we examine the traits that set her apart—and the complex conversation around speculating on public figures’ neurodivergence.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Martha Stewart’s autistic-coded traits – Precision, pattern recognition, direct communication, and unwavering standards.
• Media bias & misogyny – How Martha was vilified for traits celebrated in men, and how the media shapes perceptions of powerful autistic-coded women.
• The ethics of public speculation – Why discussing possible autism in public figures can be both culturally important and ethically challenging.
• Passion as power – How Martha’s drive to share knowledge mirrors autistic info-dumping, and how her post-prison transformation revealed a more authentic self.
• Neurodivergence in the spotlight – Parallels between Martha Stewart, Taylor Swift, and other public figures whose traits clash with allistic norms.

Featured Guest: Melanie Deziel

Melanie Deziel is a keynote speaker and award-winning branded content creator who helps individuals, teams, and organizations unlock and organize their creative potential. She is the Co-Founder of The Creator Kitchen mastermind for creatives and the author of The Content Fuel Framework: How to Generate Unlimited Story Ideas and Prove It: Exactly How Modern Marketers Earn Trust.

Resources:

• 📺 Netflix Documentary – Martha Stewart 🔗 Watch here
• Melanie Deziel – Mini Masterclasses | Advocacy Work

Related Episodes:

Trivia is Autistic

Taylor Swift is Autistic

Lessons in Chemistry is Autistic

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode originally aired: February 14, 2023

With the Netflix hit Wednesday returning for Season 2 and currently #1, this episode is more relevant than ever. We're on hiatus, but bringing this powerful conversation back into the feed for anyone snapping to the beat of Wednesday Addams.

Matt and Angela weigh in on Netflix’s smash hit Wednesday and the heated discussion around whether the titular character is authentically autistic-coded or just another case of “autistic face.” From flat affect and touch aversion to social outsider status, we dig into what’s real, what’s trope, and why representation matters.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Autistic traits in Wednesday Addams – Flat affect, sensory boundaries, focused interests, and rejection of social norms.
• Authenticity vs. performance – Why casting non-autistic actors in autistic-coded roles leads to caricature, and how Wednesday mirrors portrayals like Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory.
• The “fixing” narrative – How the show frames Wednesday’s arc around becoming more socially acceptable, softening her edges for mass appeal.
• Pretty privilege & palatability – How conventional attractiveness and familiar story arcs make autistic-coded characters more acceptable to allistic audiences.
• Media responsibility – Why we need autistic actors in autistic roles and better representation that isn’t filtered through an allistic lens.

Resources:

HERE WE WOE – “I’m neurodivergent and here’s my issue with Netflix’s Wednesday” 🔗 Read here

15 Ways Wednesday Addams is Cool and Autistic 🔗 Read here

Wednesday’s neurodivergent coding is both good and bad 🔗 Read here

Why neurodivergent characters like Wednesday Addams are so important 🔗 Read here

Related Episodes:

Episode 11: Sherlock is Autistic

Episode 30: Doctor Who is Autistic

Episode 41: Tim Burton is Autistic

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode originally aired: April 9 2024

With the announcement of TS12, Taylor Swifts new album 'The Life of a Showgirl', this episode is more relevant than ever. We're on hiatus, but bringing this powerful conversation back into the feed for any Autistic Swiftie listeners.

💡 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Autistic-coded traits in Taylor Swift – From encyclopaedic cat knowledge to embedding riddles, puzzles, and Easter eggs into her music.
• Outsider perspective in her lyrics – How her songs describe masking, outsider feelings, and belonging in ways deeply resonant with autistic experience.
• Justice sensitivity – Exploring the intersection of fairness, expectation sensitivity, and creative expression.
• Family tree and neurodivergence – Why Swift’s relatives may offer hints of autism’s genetic component.
• The role of privilege – How capitalism, public image, and access shape her career and influence.
• Cultural anthems – Why “Shake It Off” feels like a rallying cry for many autistic individuals.

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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Episode originally aired: March 11, 2025

With her Netflix hit Too Much currently #1, this episode is more relevant than ever. We're on hiatus, but bringing this powerful conversation back into the feed for anyone diving into Lena Dunham's latest work.

🎧 In this episode:

We explore how Lena Dunham’s chronic illness journey and creative output reflect core themes of autism, burnout, and neurodivergent storytelling.

Topics covered:

• Why Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and POTS frequently co-occur with autism—and how Lena’s experience mirrors autistic burnout.
• How Girls functions as an autistic-coded TV show, created outside neurotypical storytelling structures.
• The autistic traits embedded in Lena’s on-screen character—sensitivity to clothing, social missteps, and rejection-sensitive dysphoria.
• How Not That Kind of Girl was misread by neurotypical audiences, exposing the risks of radical honesty for autistic creators.
• The canonical autism of Shoshanna, and why autistic-coded characters often cluster in ND-created works.
• How Dunham’s traits were pathologized, her career marginalized, and why lack of creative control can trigger health crises in neurodivergent people.
• Jack Antonoff’s ties to autism-coded songwriting (Bleachers, Fun., Taylor Swift) and his relationship with Dunham.

📺 Are you watching Too Much? Share your thoughts in the comments or go to www.autisticculturepodcast.com

🔗 Featured Links & References:

🧠 Autism, Neurodivergence & Mental Health

• Why Taylor Swift Seems to Be Autistic
• Jack Antonoff Discusses OCD Rituals and Loss – People
• Lena Dunham on OCD, Anxiety, and Mental Health – Wikipedia

🩺 Chronic Illness & EDS

• Lena Dunham Reveals Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Diagnosis – CNN

📚 Writing, Creativity & Public Perception

• Lena Dunham’s Passion for Writing in Girls – Project MUSE
• Lena Dunham’s Communication Style & Public Criticism – Medium
• Lena Dunham on Routine, Structure & Creativity – The New Yorker

🎙️ Related Episodes:

• Taylor Swift is Autistic
• Meat Body Maintenance

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Dr. Angela Kingdon explores Pillar 10 of Autistic Culture: Passionate Superfanning with producer and fellow podcaster Simon Scott. Whether it’s Doctor Who, My Chemical Romance, Star Trek, or Renaissance fairs—superfanning isn’t a phase. It’s a core cultural trait of autistic identity.

We break down how special interests (SPINs), emotional intensity, and parasocial bonding create a uniquely autistic form of connection with fictional universes and fan communities.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why superfanning is a form of emotional regulation, community-building, and cultural expression in autistic lives
• The role of SPINs in forming deep, long-term relationships with fictional characters and stories
• How fan spaces, cosplay, scripting, and world-building support autistic identity, routine, and joy
• The difference between leaning in to fandom as an autistic form of self-care vs. masking it to appear neurotypical
• How conventions and fandom aesthetics offer accessible social connection where autistic people can thrive

💡 Key Concepts from This Episode

• SPINs are not fleeting hobbies—they’re lifelines.
• Superfanning includes collecting, scripting, deep lore analysis, and wearing fandom as identity.
• Fictional friends offer emotional fluency, comfort, and companionship.
• Autistic fans often mask their enthusiasm due to stigma—this episode invites you to unmask with pride.

🎤 Featured Guest

• Simon Scott – The Neurodivergent Experience Podcast

🎙️ Related Episodes:

• Hans Christian Andersen (Ep 9): Fairy tales as emotional mirrors for autistic readers
• Star Trek (Ep 10): Logic, lore, and moral storytelling for the autistic brain
• My Little Pony (Ep 18): Friendship, emotional growth, and gender exploration
• Doctor Who (Ep 30): Regeneration, scripting, and narrative flexibility
• Christmas (Ep 49): Ritual and sensory joy as autistic cultural tradition
• The Orville (Ep 103): Speculative ethics and social fluency in fandom
• My Chemical Romance (Ep 121): Identity and emotional depth through music
• Cults (Ep 129): When shared purpose turns toxic—superfanning vs. coercion

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon is joined by Clare Kumar, productivity speaker and host of the Happy Space Podcast, to explore Pillar 9: Justice-Seeking in autistic culture.

Clare, a late-diagnosed autistic woman and workplace inclusion advocate, shares how her values-driven mindset and sensitivity to fairness shaped her work, her diagnosis journey, and her unmasking process. If you’ve ever been told you’re "too intense," "too rigid," or "black-and-white," this episode offers a radical reframing of those traits as powerful autistic strengths.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• How moral clarity, justice sensitivity, and literal honesty are central to autistic identity
• Why autistic people often challenge unjust systems, even when it’s uncomfortable or costly
• The role of black-and-white thinking in identifying harm — not as immaturity, but as clarity
• How meltdowns can be valid emotional responses to systemic injustice, not just overstimulation
• Strategies for embracing truth, consistency, and fairness in personal and professional spaces

For so many of us, justice-seeking has been used against us. We were called “too much” or “overreactive.” But in autistic culture, these traits are not flaws — they’re cultural strengths. What happens when we stop apologizing for caring so deeply?

👤 Featured Guest: Clare Kumar

• 🎧 Happy Space Podcast – Episode 45 – Clare shares her late-diagnosis journey and explores justice sensitivity with guest Melanie Deziel
• 👕 InclusiviTees Apparel – Neurodivergent-affirming, ethically made designs that promote conversation and inclusion
• 🌐 ClareKumar.com – Learn more about Clare’s work in productivity, sensory-friendly design, and neuroinclusion
• 🧠 Stanford Neurodiversity Summit – Angela & Clare’s presentation on late-diagnosed autistic women

🎙️ Related Episodes:

Greta Thunberg (Ep 15)

John McEnroe (Ep 42)

Lena Dunham (Ep 113)

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon explores Pillar 8: Predictably Comforting with special guest Daria Brown, author of We Chose Play: Raising an Autistic Child to Thrive and Feel Understood. Together, they unpack how predictability, routine, and familiarity are not about rigidity—they’re about emotional safety, sensory regulation, and identity coherence.

This conversation is essential for autistic adults, parents, and advocates who want to better understand the soothing power of sameness in autistic lives.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why routine and repetition are cultural strengths in autistic communities
• How sensory regulation and emotional grounding depend on predictability
• The difference between rigidity vs. self-protection
• How repetition (like rewatching shows or eating the same foods) supports well-being
• Cultural icons—from Thomas the Tank Engine to Andy Warhol—who exemplify this trait
• Tools for supporting autistic children and adults through comfort-based design

👤 Featured Guest: Daria Brown

Daria holds a Master’s in Personality and Social Psychology and brings over 30 years of experience in research, education, and neurodiversity advocacy.

• 🌐 Affect Autism Website
• 📖 We Chose Play – Buy the Book
• 🎧 Affect Autism Podcast
• 📺 Affect Autism YouTube Channel
• 📸 Instagram: @affectautism
• 📘 Facebook
• 🐦 Twitter/X: @affectautism

Related Episodes:

Andy Warhol (Ep 33) - Repetition as art, ritual, and grounding

The Law (Ep 115) - Predictability through rules, order, and structure

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon explores Pillar 7: Boldly Creating with special guest Nina Danon—composer, sound artist, and doctoral researcher whose work focuses on the rich intersections between autism, music, sensory experience, and creativity.

This episode is about making art that’s true, not palatable. It’s for every autistic person who has ever created from a place of emotional intensity, sensory immersion, or special interest—and wondered if it “counts.”

Together, Nina and Angela discuss how stimming, repetition, texture, and rhythm form the basis of autistic artistic practice, and how creative expression becomes a radical act of self-regulation, connection, and authenticity.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why autistic creativity often rejects genre, structure, and perfectionism
• How bottom-up processing fuels invention and form-breaking in autistic art
• How stimming, fandom, and fiber arts like knitting function as bold creative acts
• Nina’s upcoming publication on Musical Neuroqueering and her Stimming Wheel toolkit
• How autistics create to regulate, connect, and process the world through sensory-emotional fusion
• The power of embracing creative process—not just polished outcomes

Featured Guest: Nina Danon

Nina’s work centers autistic creativity as embodied, non-linear, and radically expressive. Her Musical Neuroqueering research will be published in Neuroqueer Theory and Practice (2026, edited by Dr. Nick Walker).

• 📧 Contact Nina: ncdanon@gmail.com
• 🩵 Nina on BlueSky: @ninadanon.bsky.social
• 🎵 “Volcano” – A Neurodivergent Sonic Experience (with Francesco Cassino)
• 🎤 “Composing Neurodivergence” – King’s College Talk (Feb 2025)

Further Reading Recommendations from Nina:

📘 Designing an Autistic Space for Research – Bertilsdotter Rosqvist et al., Neurodiversity Studies (Routledge, 2020)

🎭 Look, I Made a Hat – Stephen Sondheim (Knopf, 2011)

Related Episodes:

Eminem (Ep19) - Bold lyrical precision & emotional vulnerability

Questlove (Ep29) - Rhythmic innovation through sensory hyperfocus

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon explores Pillar 6: Game-Changing Innovation—the autistic drive to question assumptions, reimagine systems, and create from sensory truth and moral clarity.

Autistic innovation isn’t about chasing trends or applause. It’s about paradigm shifts. From Isaac Newton’s invention of calculus to Richard Branson’s rebellious business model to Angela’s father building his own Hot Rod kit cars—this episode shows how autistic game changers build entirely new systems when old ones fail.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why autistic thinkers often notice problems no one else sees
• How emotional intensity, deep focus, and sensory perception drive innovation
• The difference between trend-following disruption and authentic paradigm-building
• How masking stifles game-changing potential—and how to lean into your vision
• Stories of iconic game changers like Isaac Newton, Steve Jobs, Hannah Gadsby, and Martha Stewart

📚 Resources Mentioned

• 🎤 Angela’s TEDx Talk at TEDx Tamworth — on Newton as an autistic game changer
• 📘 Make ‘Em Beg to Work for You – Angela’s Hiring Book
• 📖 Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• 📺 Lessons in Chemistry (TV series featuring autistic-coded innovation)

Related Episodes:

Industrial Light & Magic (Ep4)

Lessons in Chemistry is Autistic (Ep56)

Freddie Mercury (Ep73)

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon is joined by Jodi Brichta-Coyne, author, life coach, and systems-thinker, to explore Pillar 5: Pattern Matching—the cultural superpower at the heart of autistic insight, organization, and perception.

Autistic pattern matching isn’t robotic—it’s deep, human, creative, and emotionally charged. From recognizing micro-patterns in conversation to creating vast knowledge maps across disciplines, autistic people don’t generalize—we observe. We track anomalies. We notice what others miss. And in a world built on noise and guesswork, this precision is transformative.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why autistic people are data-hungry, detail-oriented, and insight-driven
• How monotropic focus and repetition build meaning and emotional grounding
• Why pattern matching isn’t about cold logic—it’s about finding order, comfort, and connection
• Examples of real-world pattern thinking: board games, Kinsey’s research, Wikipedia editing, Magic the Gathering, and more
• How to embrace your “pattern brain” in a world that often mislabels it as “too much”

👤 Featured Guest: Jodi Brichta-Coyne

Jodi is a Certified Life Coach, Strategic Interventionist, and author of Are You Still There God? It’s Me, Jodi—a witty, honest look at midlife, motherhood, and systems-thinking.

• 📘 Buy Jodi’s Book

Resources Mentioned:

• 🧠 “The Predictive Coding Account of Psychosis and Autism” – Frontiers in Psychiatry
• 📖 “The Prehistory of Autism” – Rounded Globe
• 📘 “Understanding Autism” – IntechOpen Chapter
• 🎓 Monotropism Slides – Dr. Damian Milton
• 🌐 Monotropism.org – Wellbeing & Focus

Related Episodes:

Sex/Alfred Kinsey (Ep 35)

Board Games (Ep 95)

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon welcomes Dr. Scott Frasard, autistic author and advocate, as they dive into Pillar 4 of Autistic Culture: World-Building—the powerful autistic drive to construct immersive systems, structures, and stories, both real and imagined.

In his essay “The World We Built: A Future Where Autistic People Are Respected, Not Repaired”, Dr. Frasard envisions a future (set in 2075) where diagnosis has given way to identity co-creation, and neurodivergence is celebrated—not pathologized. This episode explores how autistic people don’t just survive systems—we reimagine them.

👉 Read the full essay here → here.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why world-building is more than fantasy—it’s how autistic minds make meaning
• How mental mapping, systems thinking, and SPINs shape autistic culture
• Why tools like timelines, frameworks, and rituals are forms of self-preservation, not inflexibility
• How world-building starts in childhood and evolves into leadership, creativity, and advocacy
• What it looks like to lean in to your vision instead of hiding it to blend in

👤 Featured Guest: Scott Frasard

Dr. Scott Frasard is an outspoken critic of behaviourist interventions in autism treatment and a fierce advocate for strengths-based, identity-first approaches. He’s a published author and long-time learning strategist.

• 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn
• 📖 The World We Built – Buy the book on Amazon

Related Episodes:

George Lucas (Ep 56)

Ren Fests (Ep 77)

Disney (Ep 26)

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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In this episode of Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon continues our journey through the 10 Pillars of Autistic Culture as we move onto Pillar 3 — Norm Challenging.

This remastered episode explores the life and legacy of Emily Dickinson through an autistic lens, revealing how her truth-telling, gender defiance, sensory preferences, and poetic rebellion made her a quintessential norm challenger—and an early voice of neurodivergent power.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why Emily Dickinson’s life was an act of radical autistic norm defiance.
• How literal thinking, moral clarity, and pattern recognition challenged the social structures around her.
• The connection between rejection sensitivity and creative brilliance.
• How “masking” created safety—but didn’t stop her from telling the truth.
• What we can reclaim from being called “too intense” or “too much.”

Related Episodes:

Emily Dickinson (Ep 3)

Courtney Love (Referenced, Ep 89)

Being an Expat (Ep 105)

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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