The Squarepeg Podcast

Déa Neile-Hopton is a basketmaker and artist. She is of mixed Jamaican and English heritage and grew up in the 1970s and 80s in York, England. Now 47, she lives in Whitland in Wales, with her partner and three neurodivergent children. She is self diagnosed autistic and was diagnosed ADHD in 2021. ** Listen ad-free by joining my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast ** She has a passion for arts and crafts, and for teaching circus skills, but has struggled to find a place in the world of work, finding job seeking and workplaces traumatic and experiencing repeated breakdowns, depression and lack of confidence around work, leading to her surviving on disability benefits. She is now trying to figure out how to approach work in a way that supports her better, focusing on creating and making, and developing her basket making business. Earlier this year she was selected to take part in a BBC TV show about crafters starting businesses. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Growing up Black and autistic in a dysfunctional neurodivergent family ➡ Her experience as a teen at boarding school ➡ Finding it hard to recognise autistic traits in herself ➡ Burnouts, breakdowns, anxiety and her struggles around employment ➡ Raising autistic kids and being their advocate 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: Déa's website: http://styxandstone.co.uk Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dea.styx_and_stone.willow/ Facebook business page: https://www.facebook.com/styxandstone.willow Personal facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dea.neilehopton 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: https://squarepeg.community/ ** Listen ad-free by joining my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast ** THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Wendy Walker, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Kelly McCartney is a music journalist from Rhode Island, USA. She is 52 and self-diagnosed as autistic in April of 2022. She has turned a life-long special interest in music into an incredibly varied, 30-year career in almost every area of the music industry, including interning at Entertainment Tonight, working as personal assistant to various well known musicians, project managing independent artists, and hosting music podcasts and radio shows, including Record Bin Radio on Apple Music. In 2018, she co-founded the Rainey Day Fund, which provides assistance to BIPOC, LGBTQ+, disabled and other marginalised artists who add to the rich fabric of roots music. She is currently exploring a tangle of identities, being queer, genderqueer and autistic, and deep in discovery about which of her life-long quirks are actually autism. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Trying to untangle her overlapping identities ➡ The challenges of romantic relationships, confrontation and sensory overload ➡ Alexithymia ➡ How she's built her career out of her special interest, and adapted how she works to meet her autistic needs 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: Kelly's radio show: http://apple.co/recordbinradio Her website: https://www.kellymccartney.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellymccartneyx/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellymccartneyx Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kellymccartneyx 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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Wendy Walker, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Audrey Mitchell is a counsellor with a private practise in Idaho, USA. She was diagnosed autistic in 2020, around the same time as her teenage daughter, and the last two years have been a time of processing and learning to accept herself as she is, and unmask in both her personal and professional lives. I first interviewed her two years ago, for the very first season of SquarePeg. Since that interview was recorded she has finished writing her first, soon-to-be-published memoir, Polishing Marbles, a book intended, in her words, for 'all the generations of women who ever asked, "What am I doing here and why does everything hurt so much?"' The book has been decades in the writing; she started writing it, she says, after she kept finding that telling people anecdotes about her life often 'resulted in looks of shock and concern, followed with the cautious suggestion that I should perhaps consider writing a book about it.' It was lovely to catch up and so interesting to get another snapshot in time of someone's journey from diagnosis. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Processing her diagnosis as a counsellor, and recognising her autistic clients ➡ Unmasking at home, in relationships and as a business owner - and her ever-evolving relationship with her autistic teen ➡ Uncovering the impact of undiagnosed autism across generations of her family ➡ Returning to her book and discovering it was always a book about an autistic woman 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: Audrey's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/audreypolishesmarbles/ Her book: https://www.polishingmarbles.com/ Her therapy practice: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/audreys-peace-of-mind-counseling-services-boise-id/331803 Her previous Squarepeg episode: https://squarepeg.community/9-s1-ep9-female-presentation-autistic-counsellors-and-dealing-with-depression/ Her bonus episode: https://squarepeg.community/25-audrey-mitchell-meeting-my-needs-with-family-and-friends-dating-again-and-advocating-for-my-daughter/ 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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Wendy Walker, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Jacqui O'Riordan is an Advanced Nurse Practitioner from Harrogate, North Yorkshire in the UK. She has worked as a mental health nurse for almost 20 years, including working in a secure unit with chronically ill patients. She has worked in crisis assessment with Accident and Emergency and the Police since 2008. Now 49, Jacqui was diagnosed as autistic and ADHD a year ago, and her two children are also autistic. Since learning more about autism, she has begun to question the lack of proper training in neurodiversity that mental health professionals in the UK are currently given. She wants to see a push for better training and the inclusion of autistic staff in planning and delivering training. To this end, she recently set up a working group of autistic staff who work in her NHS organisation, including a Consultant Psychiatrist, social workers, nurses and admin staff, to explore this further. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ How she and her children came to realise they were all autistic ➡ The positives and the challenges of living as a newly diagnosed family unit ➡ How her work as a psychiatric nurse has been impacted and informed by her deepening understanding of autism, and addressing the lack of knowledge and awareness in the profession 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: The autistic student nurse Jacqui mentions at the end (who has since qualified): https://www.authenticallyemily.uk/ National Autistic Society information and signposts on autism and mental health: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health Mentalhealth.org information and signposts on autism and mental health: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/explore-mental-health/a-z-topics/autism-and-mental-health 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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Wendy Walker, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Alexis Quinn is a mother, author, educator and former teacher who spent three and a half years in inpatient services following a mental health breakdown in her mid twenties. 14 months into this period, aged 27, she was diagnosed autistic by chance, when an Autism Psychiatric Specialist happened to witness one of her meltdowns. I first discovered Alexis on Twitter, and I was compelled to read her first devastating but incredible first book, Unbroken, which tells the story of her breakdown, her years trapped in the mental health system, and her courageous break for freedom. Now 38, she lives in Kent in the UK. Since 2021 she has been Manager of the Restraint Reduction Network, a registered charity which aims to reduce reliance on restrictive practices across education, health, social care, youth justice services, mental health, autism, learning disability and dementia services across the UK and beyond. In a video made for the RRN Alexis speaks of the importance of creating "cultures that see people as assets, not problems, where genuine relationships are built on mutual trust and respect and people's rights, their families and their humanity are front and centre." In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Alex's experiences as an autistic mental health inpatient, both before and after her autism diagnosis ➡ The problems she sees in the UK's mental health system, and the dehumanisation, pathologising and othering of autistic people, and the disproportionate effect on women ➡ The healing process of writing her story ➡ Her work with the Restraint Reduction Network ➡ Navigating pregnancy, birth and parenting as an autistic mother CONTENT WARNING: Before we begin, please be aware that this episode includes discussion of bereavement, and descriptions of traumatic treatment of inpatients in mental health settings. So if you don't want to hear about these topics, you might want to give this episode a miss. 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: Unbroken: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41164820-unbroken Twitter: https://twitter.com/AQuinnUnbroken Olaseni Lewis: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/07/man-died-olaseni-lewis-police-restraint-gentle-giant Oliver McGowan mandatory training: https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/news/oliver-mcgowan-mandatory-training 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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Sanna Östergren is a writer and literary translator from Sweden. She lives in the countryside with her husband and their two-year-old son, where she also runs a small independent publishing company. She realised she was autistic about a year ago, when the overwhelm of new motherhood started turning her life-long shutdowns into meltdowns, and she was diagnosed in April this year, aged 32. When we recorded this episode she was on a break from work, to allow her to focus on parenting, gardening and preparing for the imminent birth of her second child. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ The sensory and self regulatory overwhelm of becoming a parent ➡ Shutdowns, meltdowns, burnouts and boundary setting ➡ Overcoming her fear of childbirth ➡ Depression, social anxiety, and seeking therapy ➡ How being self employed has made her life easier 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: Katherine May's Wintering: https://katherine-may.co.uk/ 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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Routledge and Zephyrine Craster. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Janet Murray is a content strategist who lives near London in the UK. She was recently diagnosed autistic, after first getting a diagnosis of ADHD in 2020. ** Listen ad-free by joining my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast ** A former journalist and PR coach, Janet has written for many national publications, is the host of the Courageous Content podcast and founder of the Courageous Content Live Event - an annual content marketing event for creative businesses/brands - and is also a keynote speaker who has spoken on big stages all over the world. She says that she has a strong desire for order and routine, but is also one of the most disorganised people on the planet, and puts her unlikely success down to creating easy-to-follow systems and processes to help her stay productive. In this episode Janet really goes into the everyday experience of being autistic, as we talk about: ➡ Feeling disconnected from peers and experiencing bullying as a child and an adult ➡ How her rule following and direct communication have caused her difficulties in her interactions with others ➡ Being emotional and highly sensitive, yet often being interpreted as rude, overly serious and cold. ➡ The challenges of navigating female friendships as a neurodivergent woman 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: Website: https://www.janetmurray.co.uk Podcast: https://courageous-content.captivate.fm/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janmurrayuk/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janetmurrayofficial TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@janmurrayuk Twitter: https://twitter.com/jan_murray Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janet-murray74/ https://janetmurray.co.uk/how-i-discovered-im-autistic-and-have-adhd/ https://janetmurray.co.uk/how-i-discovered-i-had-adhd-and-why-its-my-superpower-as-an-entrepreneur/ 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: https://squarepeg.community/ ** Listen ad-free by joining my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast ** THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Routledge and Zephyrine Craster. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Janelle Johnson is an Inclusion Strategist, therapist and researcher from North Carolina, USA. She is self diagnosed and her son is also autistic. She has recently taken a step back from practising as a therapist to focus on her research as a PhD student and graduate research assistant at North Carolina State University's College of Education. Her work explores development for students with invisible disabilities, the intersection of mental health and other marginalised identities, and systemic change in education. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Being socially awkward, solitary and living in her own head as a child ➡ Learning to unmask in her marriage ➡ Being an empath, and psychology as a special interest ➡ Her take on the word 'neurodivergent' ➡ Her PhD research ➡ The burnout cycle, and her strategies for helping break it 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: Janelle's company website: https://www.bridgesflc.com/ The website for her research: https://sites.google.com/ncsu.edu/facesprogram/home LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefamilyfanatic/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thefamilyfanatic/ The Color of Autism: https://thecolorofautism.org/ Autism in Black podcast: https://www.autisminblack.org/podcast/ 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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Annette, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Emily, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Routledge and Zephyrine Craster. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

D.L. Mayfield is a freelance writer from Portland, USA. She has written for Christian publications in the US for over 10 years, and is the author of several books, the latest of which, Unruly Saint, explores the life and work of the late American journalist, social activist and anarchist Catholic Dorothy Day. D.L. herself grew up highly religious in an evangelical family in the US. Now in her late 30s, she is currently in the process of being assessed for autism, after she reached out to an autistic therapist in order to better parent her autistic child. In her words, what followed has been a 'wild year' of self discovery. She is in the process of transitioning away from being, as she describes it, a hyper-religious person, deconstructing authoritarian religion and exploring the exploitation of neurodivergent people by some religious groups. Her Substack newsletter, God is My Special Interest, has attracted a wide community of people who are exploring neurodivergence and who also come from a faith background. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ The impact of growing up undiagnosed in the evangelical church in America ➡ Parenting an autistic PDA child, postpartum depression, and being an autistic mother in autism mom spaces ➡ Autistic experiences of lockdowns ➡ The appeal of religion to autistic people, and the numbers of undiagnosed autistic women that can be found in Christian groups ➡ The deconstruction of her own religious identity alongside her emerging self identification as autistic 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: D.L.'s website: http://www.dlmayfield.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d_l_mayfield/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/d_l_mayfield God Is My Special Interest Substack: https://dlmayfield.substack.com/ The Prophetic Imagination Station podcast: https://www.propheticimaginationstation.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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Annette, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Emily, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Felicia Libo, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Routledge and Zephyrine Craster. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Dr Kate Tomas is a Spiritual Mentor who lives in mid Wales in the UK. Kate developed powerful psychic abilities from an early age, and by 22 had built a thriving international practice as a witch, healer and psychic for individuals, multinational brands, governments and CEOs. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Theology from the University of Oxford, and is a world expert in Mysticism and Catholic women mystics. In 2018 she started a program called The Spiritual Life Upgrade to give women and non-binary people access to the core teachings of her spiritual tradition. First diagnosed with the connective tissue disorder EDS, Kate was diagnosed autistic and ADHD in her late 30s, when, like so many of us, she found herself making sense of many aspects of her life. In our conversation, Kate and I talk about: ➡ How our concept of self can change with an autism diagnosis ➡ Masking, misophonia, texture issues, and re-watching the same TV shows ➡ Structural oppression and privilege and how these relate to neurodivergent people ➡ The joy of gradually unmasking with our partners This episode of the SquarePeg podcast is sponsored by THRIVE, my live workshop series. In these workshops I invite late diagnosed autistic women and nonbinary people to come with me on a journey of self discovery around life, work, personal fulfilment, and figuring out what you want out of life, what you actually need as an autistic adult, and how to start creating the life you truly want. If you'd like me to let you know when the next live round of workshops is open for enrolment, go to squarepeg.community/thrive/. 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: Kate's website: https://www.drkatetomas.com/ Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katetomasphd/ 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: https://squarepeg.community/ THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Annette, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Emily, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura Battley, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vicki Temple, Victoria Routledge and Zephyrine Craster. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast