The Neurodivergent Woman

This week we welcome Clem Bastow to the pod. Clem is an autistic author, cultural critic and screenwriting researcher from Naarm/Melbourne. Their work appears regularly in The Guardian, The Saturday Paper and The Big Issue, and their debut nonfiction book ‘Late Bloomer’ was published by Hardie Grant in 2021. They are currently completing a PhD in screenwriting and Autistic experience at RMIT, and they have taught screenwriting at University of Melbourne and short story at RMIT.    We chat with Clem about identity, language, and the power of seeing ourselves represented in fiction and media. We discuss the importance of seeing autistic stories, shared by autistic voices, to better represent the diversity of autistic experience. Clem shares their path to diagnosis and an autistic identity, and we chat about the myth of ‘high functioning’.   For more about Clem, or to buy their book ‘Late Bloomer’, check out Clem’s website here: http://www.clembastow.com/   Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.   Enjoyed this episode and want more content? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, 50% off our episode articles, plus access to a huge backlog of bonus content, including bonus episodes, access to online courses, tip sheets and workbooks, and guided meditation practices. Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.   Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we have Barb Cook on the pod. Barb is a neurodivergent author, speaker, and advocate, best known as founder of Spectrum Women Magazine and leading editor and co-author of the book, Spectrum Women, Walking to the Beat of Autism. Barb works in her own practice, the NeuroDiversity Hub in Gympie, as a Developmental Educator, Integrative Nutritionist and a Neurodiversity Employment Consultant for neurodivergent adults.   We chat with Barb about advocacy, including her journey to becoming an autistic, ADHDer, and dyslexic advocate, how to become an advocate for yourself and for others, and what are some of the key barriers to self-advocacy. This episode is packed full of practical examples and tips from Barb about how to know what you need and advocate for this. Barb also chats with us about the importance of self-acceptance and advocating for yourself, to yourself, after a late diagnosis.   Find a registered developmental educator here: www.deai.com.au   The Autistic Self Advocacy Network of Australia and New Zealand (ASAN)  https://asan-aunz.org/   For links to Barb’s books, including her new book with Yenn Purkis ‘The Autism and Neurodiversity Self-Advocacy Handbook’, check out Barb’s website here: https://barbcook.com.au/   Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.   Enjoyed this episode and want more content? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, 50% off our episode articles, plus access to a huge backlog of bonus content, including bonus episodes, access to online courses, tip sheets and workbooks, and guided meditation practices. Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.   Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Exploring Pathological Demand Avoidance in neurodivergent individuals, discussing factors contributing to demand avoidance, stress responses, and practical tips for minimizing its impact. Gender differences in PDA diagnosis and the importance of understanding individual demands and emotional regulation.

This week we explore repetitive behaviours. We cover repetitive behaviours in autism, OCD, tics and Tourette’s Syndrome, and hoarding behaviour, including what causes and drives repetitive behaviours across these neurodivergences. We discuss the overlap of different neurodivergences that include repetitive behaviours, in addition to what distinguishes and differentiates different forms of repetitive behaviour.   Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.   Enjoyed this episode and want more content? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, 50% off our episode articles, plus access to a huge backlog of bonus content, including bonus episodes, access to online courses, tip sheets and workbooks, and guided meditation practices. Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.   Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Content warning: This episode contains multiple references to sexual assault. Some listeners may decide to skip this one.    It is a disturbing reality that neurodivergent women are more likely to experience sexual assault in their lifetime compared to neurotypical women. In this episode we define sexual assault and sexual consent, and chat through the statistics around sexual assault amongst neurodivergent women. We explore the factors driving the increased risk of sexual assault for neurodivergent women and discuss how to enact change, at a personal and societal level.   Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.   Enjoyed this episode and want more content? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, 50% off our episode articles, plus access to a huge backlog of bonus content, including bonus episodes, access to online courses, tip sheets and workbooks, and guided meditation practices. Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.   Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr Tanya Murray is an autistic woman and the principal project officer for the All Kinds of Minds team for the Department of Education in Queensland. This week we chat with Tanya about diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We cover what inclusion means in a workplace, ways that workplaces can work toward inclusion, make change, and embrace a different approach, how to create an inclusive culture in the workplace, and how employees can recognize if a workplace is inclusive. We explore the strengths that neurodivergent minds bring to the workplace, and go through some examples of workplace adjustments to enable neurodivergent minds to flourish in a work setting. Finally, Tanya tells us about The All Kinds of Minds team that she is part of, and the neurodiversity pilot her team has run.   Check out the Diversity Council of Australia website here - https://www.dca.org.au/   Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.   Enjoyed this episode and want more content? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, 50% off our episode articles, plus access to a huge backlog of bonus content, including bonus episodes, access to online courses, tip sheets and workbooks, and guided meditation practices. Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.   Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This podcast with Dr. Sarah Bernard covers her experiences as a neurodivergent woman in healthcare, challenges of gender expectations, work accommodations, and mirror touch synaesthesia. It explores the myth of 'high functioning', the importance of interdependence, and advocating for disability representation. Sarah shares her journey to diagnosis, emphasizing authenticity and navigating neurodiversity in academics and medicine. The episode highlights the struggles of neurodivergent individuals in professional settings and the significance of disability accommodations.

In this episode we explore two of the most common mental health conditions: depression and anxiety. We unpack what separates normal sadness and worry from clinical levels of depression and anxiety and what the ‘purpose’ of these emotional states are. We discuss the overlap of depression and anxiety in neurodivergence, including how common it is, and what factors contribute to depression and anxiety in neurodivergence. Finally, we talk solutions. Including how to support good mental health functioning long term, and what you can do in the moment.   Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.   Enjoyed this episode and want more content? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, 50% off our episode articles, plus access to a huge backlog of bonus content, including bonus episodes, access to online courses, tip sheets and workbooks, and guided meditation practices. Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.   Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we discuss unusual and exceptional abilities in neurodivergence. We explore savant abilities, ‘splinter skills’, hyperlexia, and giftedness, as well as ‘twice exceptionality’.   Want polished copies of our episodes in pdf article format? Grab them here.   Enjoyed this episode and want more content? Join our Patreon community! Patreon subscribers receive ad-free episodes, basic episode transcripts from Season 4 onwards, 50% off our episode articles, plus access to a huge backlog of bonus content, including bonus episodes, access to online courses, tip sheets and workbooks, and guided meditation practices. Check out our Patreon page to support us, as we aim to make quality mental health care information accessible to everyone: www.patreon.com/ndwomanpod.   Contact us at ndwomanpod@gmail.com, or visit our website: www.ndwomanpod.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Anastasia McLean, host of The Bipolar Diaries podcast, discusses her journey with Bipolar Disorder, from getting a diagnosis to managing relationships and medication. She shares insights on personality vs. neurodivergence, cognitive traits overlap with ADHD, trauma, and strengths of neurodivergence. Emphasizing behavioral strategies and lifestyle changes, she navigates the societal pressures and personal struggles related to alcohol consumption. Overall, her openness and grace shine through as she embraces her diagnosis and shares her experiences on the podcast.