99: Bonus Episode: Autism (actually) Speaks, An Interview Mashup

In today’s episode, you’ll hear from three guests about their autism experience and their perspectives on common stereotypes about autism around communication, relationships, and more. This is a bonus follow-up to our most recent episode about autism with Kaelynn Partlow. Join us as we explore autism further with Syd, Atlas, and Sapphire. I’m happy to have them here to share their insights. 

Show Highlights:

• Meet Syd, a 22-year-old post-grad student who is self-diagnosed as autistic and ADHD:
• Thoughts on relationships, unmasking, and “quality over quantity” 
• Being yourself in a world that isn’t always welcoming to your kind
• Cultivating a special (and rare!) interest in learning and education
• Meet Atlas, who was self-diagnosed at age 16:
• Identifying with autistic characters on a favorite TV show
• What it’s like to pick up on other people’s perceptions of your weirdness
• Autistic traits that Atlas recognized from childhood about obsessive routines
• Meet Sapphire, who was identified as autistic in 5th grade but not diagnosed until age 19:
• Nuances around communication, conversations, and awkward silences
• The common misunderstandings about what a relationship with an autistic person can be like
• Using an “Excel spreadsheet in my brain” to catalog each person
• Relationships and the need for “alone time” to decompress
• Sapphire’s advice to parents who are hesitant to have their child tested/diagnosed

Resources and Links:

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