Today’s Autistic Moment: A Podcast for Autistic Adults by An Autistic Adult

Go to todaysautisticmoment.com to the episode and follow the instructions to get the transcript. Election years bring with them a lot of stress to add on to our stressful lives. Newspaper and/or blog articles, social media ads, television ads, emails are coming at us one after another with negative messages that bombard our senses. We become so overwhelmed, frustrated and burned out. Each effort to turn things off, leads us to another source that adds more informational overload, like people expressing their opinions when you are already tired. The Summer of Self-Care Series will conclude with some helpful ideas of how you can look after yourself during an election year.

Go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript Crises for Autistic Adults comes from things like not getting hired for a job.  Getting rejected by someone you were dating. Maybe you got a notice that your support services were cancelled.  Your pet needs to go to the Vet.  Maybe you are facing the real threat of homelessness.  Autistics face more crises for various reasons, and it adds more stress on top of our challenging lives.  When people around you try to minimize the impact of those crises on you it worsens our situation.  Becca and I will give more advice on what you can do to take care of yourself in those moments.

Please go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript Zephyr’s understanding of their own sensory limitation needs makes Zephyr a fantastic guest to talk about this topic.  Many non-autistic people just cannot grasp that sensory overload/meltdown is a very painful and traumatic episode that wipes out our energy to a point where we must rest and become better regulated.  Zephyr will share with us some suggestions, so we take care of ourselves.

Please go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript. Why should we talk about seasonal depression at the beginning of the summer and the 4th of July? Because the 4th of July can be one of the worst days for Autistics. A lot of Autistics are the opposite of the general population in that our seasonal depression is worse during the summer and better during the winter. Regardless of the season you experience the worst depression, Autistic Adults can benefit from planning some good self-care strategies. My guest Becca Lory Hector and I will share our insights about seasonal depression for Autistic Adults and what we can do for ourselves to get through our worst times of the year.

Go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript.   Today’s Autistic Moment continues the celebration of Pride Month on this episode The Intersection of LGBTQIA+ Pride & Disability & Autistic Pride that will take a slightly different turn. I will be joined by Andrew Gurza who is a gay queer person with cerebral palsy, and an exceptional advocate for all disabled people through his own podcast Disability After Dark and social media presence on several platforms. Andrew and I will talk together about what is happening with disabled people who are LGBTQIA+, as well as Autistic people. Andrew is going to talk about what is happening with disabled people in general, while I will be talking about what is happening with Autistic people. Andrew will share a heart wrenching story with you all about an incident of abuse that he experienced from a professional caregiver. I am making a one-time exception for him with regards to his use of language as he tells this particular story. It is important that people hear what is truthfully happening to disabled people. The content may not be suitable for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

Go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript.  It's June which means we are celebrating Pride for LGBTQIA+ people.  June 18th is Autistic Pride Day.   It is no accident that both Pride celebrations fall during the same month.   LGBTQIA+ Pride and Autistic Pride share an intersectional relationship as people who experience similar issues. Yenn Purkis, a Queer, Nonbinary and Autistic advocate and author from Australia will talk about the extraordinary intersection June is for LGBTQIA+ people and Autistic people.

In this enlightening discussion, Eric Garcia, acclaimed author of 'We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation,' tackles the complex issue of internalized ableism in the autistic community. He dives into how societal pressures shape self-perception and shares strategies for overcoming harmful stereotypes. With a focus on self-acceptance and community support, Eric emphasizes the importance of embracing unique differences. Listeners are encouraged to understand their identities and advocate for themselves against internalized stigma.

Go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript. One of the reasons many Autistics find it difficult to celebrate Autism Acceptance is because of having to mask our Autism because of a society that has not accepted us. What is masking? How does burnout happen? Listen to this exceptional conversation between Lyric and myself and get the answers with some tips about what you can do to live a healthier life.

Go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript. Ben Levin is the author of the book In The Hole. Ben’s novel is a story depicting a child’s experience with homelessness. Ben has been in love with stories ever since he was a little boy. Ben is also proud to be Autistic and wants to use his status as an author to be an example of how Autism is not a setback, but a gift. “Autism is Not A Curse” is one of Ben’s favorite sayings. Ben will share with us his personal story of accepting his Autism and how his writing is an important piece of self-acceptance.

Go to todaysautisticmoment.com for the transcript. On this special edition episode on Autism Acceptance Day April 2, 2022, I talk with Eric Garcia who is the author of the book We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation.  Eric is an outstanding journalist and author.  Eric talks with me about why Autism Acceptance is so important and that we need to encourage changing the negativity towards Autistic people as part of our advocacy.