Autistic Licence

Welcome to Season 2 💛 🧡 This episode was recorded just after Leo returned from Autscape. We explore his experience and broaden this out to discuss the hallmarks of wider autistic culture.   We then reflect on some of the perils and pitfalls inherent in making the transition "back" and between autistic land and neurotypical society. 💛🧡 ----more----LINKS Autscape Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This episode opens with a discussion of the "Hamilton" theatre production. Leo delights in the complexity of the rapid lyrical genius, enjoying being caught up in the current and looking forward to revisiting it again and again. Siana's experience, in contrast, is one of overwhelm and withdrawal. This is an example of polarities often seen within the autistic community and the significance of context when looking at our capacities and challenges. Siana reflects further on wearing Loop™ earplugs to manage overstimulation - at the theatre, on the tube and recently when out in a social context. We compare this with other ways in which we and others use all sorts of "accommodations" to manage our external and internal relationships and interactions. We then switch to speaking about communication within a therapeutic context, including aspects such as body language, eye contact and silence. Thank you for listening to us. If you have any comments or feedback, positive or negative, we are open and would love to hear from you. 💛🧡 ----more----LINKS Loop earplugs Radiolab - Stravinsky's Rite of Spring Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

In this episode we discuss Leo's recent experience of attending a training course.   We track many details of this, from the planning to sensory challenges and considerations, to social interactions and disclosure. We notice distinctive aspects of this which we experience differently as autistic people, many of which might not be predictable or discernible to our non autistic peers and training facilitators.  Again for this episode we have cut most of the tangential chunks in order to maintain focus for the finished edit, however we may combine all the tangents for a future release! Thank you for all your support and, as ever, please get in touch with us at autisticlicence@gmail.com if you have any comments or reflections you would like to share. LINKS Deb Dana & Polyvagal Theory Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This episode chronicles some of Siana’s travel experiences on a recent trip to London with her daughter. We speak about navigating public transport systems, accommodation and orientation. We highlight things which we find helpful and comforting as autistic people, such as familiar places and foods and building time buffers into our plans. We also focus on the significance of asking for help – both when that goes well and when it doesn’t. We note the anxiety and vulnerability we can experience with cumulative challenges and unpredictable situations. We have cut out many of the tangents to keep the episode focused on travel aspects but there were many enjoyable and fun times. 😊   LINKS Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This episode is an exploration of some aspects of empathic communication and connection which may be distinctive for us as autistic people.  We notice the significance of this within the contexts of friendship and therapy. This dialogue also demonstrates some elements of a repair process and how - within a safe relational space - interpersonal dynamics can be discussed without defensiveness. As ever, we value any feedback you may have - you can reach us at autisticlicence@gmail.com   LINKS Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

In this episode we reflect (broadly!) on the concept of having "spiky profiles".  This relates to us having aptitudes in some areas and limitations in others, usually where the differences are more pronounced than might be expected in the general population. As usual, we record without a plan / topic in mind and so there are lots of tangents.  We think the authenticity of how we speak in addition to what we say also further demonstrates some of the conundrums of being "spiky" in this way. We talk about some aspects of our educational histories, noting the unidentified autism and some of the ways in which we have reframed our ways of being nowadays in light of our ongoing personal identification journeys.   Please do feel free to email us at autisticlicence@gmail.com if you have any feedback you would like to share. Thank-you so much for being with us and all your support.   LINKS Fractals The Piano, Channel 4 (UK) Spiky profiles That's The Way I Think by David Grant Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

"Echolalia" might seem like mere mimicry to some but, for many autistic individuals, it's a profound way to connect and communicate. In this episode we challenge the often-pathologised views of echolalia, highlighting its role in creating warmth and fostering joint attention. Join us as we celebrate the nuances of language, accents, and sensory experiences in autistic communication. Through personal stories and reflections we explore how unconscious speech adaptations and repetitive behaviours provide consistency, creativity and joy. As well as the similarities in our experiences, this episode also showcases some differences between us in relation to the ways our hyper-connected brain pathways respond to the world.  It's always good to be reminded of the old adage "If you know one autistic person, you know one autistic person!" LINKS Radiolab - Stravinsky's Rite of Spring Synaptic pruning ABA PBS - critical article Neuroclastic - What is ABA? AMASE - On ‘Positive Behaviour Support’ ABA Kindle book Francis Bourgeois on TikTok Francis Bourgeois on Instagram Francis Bourgeois on YouTube Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

The general theme of this episode is gender and sexuality. As usual we blend personal anecdotes with some theory and reflection. We shine some light on asexuality as an orientation which is often invisible and / or invalidated by both heteronormative and queer communities.  We then discuss the concept of neuroqueering and apply this to our own evolving identities markers and practices. We acknowledge and explore the impact of imposter syndrome and shame on our processes. This recording is in two parts and the sound quality in the second half is a little different. The fact that it is in two parts means that you will get an in situ insight into the dynamic and ever changing nature of our dialogue. We reflect on the vulnerability of being transparent in this way, particularly in relation to this topic and with reference to our therapeutic practices.  The way in which we do this may actually be "neuroqueering" in the moment?!   Let us know what you think at autisticlicence@gmail.com We love to hear from you 💛🧡   LINKS Photo of Dave Matthews Band Neuroqueer glossary Ace & Aro spectrum definitions Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

The complexities of food and eating - the latest episode in our occasional mini-series on autistic senses and sensitivities. You'll hear about our experiences of eating in a range of contexts throughout our lives. We notice the degree of shame and misattunement which is often attached to this - so much so that Siana was too uncomfortable to discuss the topic in any detail until we were actually together in person and needed to eat. As if in an effort to 'join in' the conversation, Leo's tummy starts rumbling at around 36':30". We were going to try and edit it out, but left its contributions in to honour the "stomach as another brain" theory! If you would like to connect with us about this topic or anything else, you can reach us at autisticlicence@gmail.com. We love to hear from you 🧡💛 LINKS Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This conversation came out of a few messages we have received around the theme of disclosing our autistic identities. We discuss our experiences and notice there is often a distinction between our professional and personal lives.  We reflect and speculate on why this might be, with particular regard to long standing relationships. We reference the impact of ableism, recognising that unmasking is both a choice and a political move which unfortunately nowadays is not always safe, helpful or desirable. Yet. It doesn't stop us doing a podcast though!  We love to hear from you - please get in touch at autisticlicence@gmail.com if you would like to join the conversation. LINKS Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com