The Squarepeg Podcast

Becca Kerl was diagnosed at 38 - after a lifetime of wondering why she didn’t seem to quite fit into the world - and three of her children are on the spectrum too.  She has spent years supporting the autistic community and helping others advocate for services. She recently completed a Masters degree in Counselling and is in the process of starting a counselling practice in Las Vegas, USA.  She’s also a musician and a semi professional poker player, and she met her biological father for the first time on TV. In this conversation we talk about: The differences in trying to get an autism diagnosis for kids of different sexes; Neurotypical people's perceptions of autism - and navigating friendships with neurotypical friends Masking, routines and decision fatigue What it was like meeting her father on television And what effective counselling for neurodivergent people looks like. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit. EPISODE LINKS: Becca’s website: http://www.youruniquemind.com/ (site under construction when this episode was published) Becca’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Your-Unique-Mind-108559494362144  Becca meets her dad on the Today Show: https://www.today.com/video/watch-father-daughters-emotional-first-meeting-42075715670  If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/ 

Stephanie Silvan is self diagnosed. Originally from Germany, she now lives in Finland with her teenage daughter, who is also autistic.  She has worked in many different fields: she has run her own business as a dog behaviourist, she is a linguist and biologist, has trained as a teacher and also spent several years as a farmer. Her most recent role saw her travelling all Asia, Europe, and the USA managing global teams. She is currently focusing on reprioritising her life and practicing self care after having to leave employment due to autistic burnout. In our conversation we talk about autism at school, raising an autistic child when you’re autistic yourself, the availability of adult diagnosis, having a connection with animals, introversion, burnout and mental health. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: If you'd like to connect with Stephanie, you can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-silvan-93881491/ If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/ 

My guest today has insights into life as an autistic person both personally and professionally: she works in a Local Authority Children's Home for autistic young people with high support needs, and received her own diagnosis at the age of 27. She was initially misdiagnosed, and it took years - and an unusual approach from a psychologist - to help her finally find an explanation for the things the medical profession hadn’t been able to find answers for. Despite being a bright and articulate person, and having plenty of academic ability, problems related to undiagnosed autism led to her dropping out of college twice when she was younger. But she has now been able to resume her interrupted education and is now undertaking a Social Work Degree Apprenticeship through her job. She has asked that I don’t use her real name for this podcast, so we will be using the name Abbie. In this conversation we talk about being autistic impacts on working in a challenging environment with young autistic people; navigating life, education and work with undiagnosed autism; the frustration of misdiagnosis; support following adult autism diagnosis; and her experience of being openly autistic at work. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/ 

My guest today blew me away with their energy and drive to help marginalised communities flourish. Still only 25, they work full time in autism advocacy for an organisation in Washington, USA, and they are a writer, musician and playwright, as well as serving on the board of the Plus One Foundation, an organisation that funds life changing experiences for people with neurological disorders. They are also Executive Director and Co-Founder of a brand new inclusive theatre project, Rainy Day Arts Collective. In this conversation I talk with Jack Conley about going through school and university with undiagnosed autism, getting a diagnosis as an adult, strategies for managing job interviews as an autistic person, the intersection of autistic and queer communities, and the benefits of living with an emotional support animal. Jack says that they ‘absolutely love’ what they do, and that they are ‘passionate about advocacy being done by people connected to a cause’. As well as being autistic, Jack identifies as nonbinary, transgender and bisexual. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Rainy Day Arts Collective: https://www.facebook.com/rainydaycollective/  Washington Autism Advocacy: https://washingtonautismadvocacy.org/    If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/

Madge Woollard is a musician and teacher from Sheffield in the UK. A Cambridge graduate, she has run her own piano teaching business for the last 25 years, teaching privately and in schools. She was diagnosed autistic at the age of 44, and has since gone on to win an Autism Friendly Business Award from the National Autistic Society, for her work teaching music to autistic students. She has taken part in autism research, is involved with the autistic theatre group, Spectrum Theatre, and has played on stage with actress and singer Heather Peace. She identifies as LGBT and nonbinary. In this conversation we talk about her experience of late diagnosis; what it was like studying at one of our top universities; how failing to master job interviews and find employment led to her setting up a business instead; what it’s like teaching and running a business as an autistic person; teaching autistic children when you are autistic yourself; and the benefits and drawbacks of ‘coming out’ as autistic to clients and students. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit. EPISODE LINKS Madge's website: https://mwoollard.webs.com/ Spectrum Theatre, Sheffield, UK: https://www.spectrumtheatresheffield.com/ If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/ 

In this conversation I talk with assistance dog trainer Monique Juniper about the inspiration behind Capable K9s, and how she’s been able to build a business that allows her the freedom to work around her own disability and needs, so she’s able to enjoy her work, manage her workload and avoid burning out again; and the importance of serving our communities and being authentic in the work that we do. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit. If you'd like to connect or get in touch, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/  If you'd like to connect with Monique or find out more about Capable Canines, head over to her website: https://www.capablek9s.com.au/ 

Welcome to Squarepeg, the podcast in which neurodivergent women, trans and nonbinary people explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. Lis Parsons is an Open University tutor from North Wales who describes herself as ‘the classic gifted student with no social skills’. Diagnosed autistic in her 40s, she says that in some ways she’s a ‘slow learner’, but despite experiencing interruption in her education, she has gone on to achieve a BSc in Psychology and an MA in Creative Writing. In this conversation I talk with Lis Parsons about growing up and trying to make sense of life before diagnosis; trying to find a doctor who understands autism in women; the challenges of staying in employment - and paying the bills - when you’re autistic; finding engaging and rewarding work that suits us and fits our needs; and how being autistic can give us certain advantages in life. Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit. If you'd like to connect or get in touch, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: http://squarepeg.community/ 

Welcome to the Squarepeg podcast! This is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I’m Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I’m now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn’t quite fit. If you'd like to connect or get in touch, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or via my website: http://squarepeg.community/