In this episode of Amplifying Autism, Wendy speaks with April Ratchford about self-acceptance, late autism diagnosis, and what it means to truly “lean into” being autistic.

April is the host of the top-ranking podcast Adulting with Autism, a resource for neurodivergent adults seeking validation and practical tools for navigating adulthood. She originally created the podcast for her autistic son before realizing later in life that she is autistic herself.

Drawing from both clinical experience and lived experience, April shares advice on self-advocacy, college, work, and relationships.  She encourages autistic adults to stop masking and instead embrace who they are. By leaning into your identity and surrounding yourself with people who accept you, you can create a more fulfilling life.

Takeaways:

• Lean into it, instead of hiding it
• There is nothing wrong with you
• Your life experience is valuable
• Find your people and a space where you can unmask and be yourself

About April Ratchford:

April Ratchford, OTR/L, is an Autistic occupational therapist, writer, and host of the top-ranking podcast Adulting with Autism, which has over 2.7 million downloads worldwide. Her work combines clinical expertise with lived experience to support neurodivergent adults navigating independence, workplace challenges, and mental health. 

As an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, she focuses on helping autistic adults advocate for themselves and thrive.

Linktree: https://linktr.ee/adultingwithautism

Website: adulting-with-autism-shop.fourthwall.com

About Your Host:

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity and community. 

Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com

Books Available on Amazon

Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh

Adulting While Autistic: @adultingwhileautistic 

Join the Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm

Thank You for Listening:

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults and those who care about them. 

YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism

Spotify & Apple Podcast: Amplifying Autism Podcast

In this episode, Wendy speaks with Lynn C. Davison about problem-solving, family relationships, and autistic young adults entering adulthood.

Lynn hosts the podcast When Autism Grows Up and is the parent of an autistic adult child. Later in life, in her 60s, she realized she is autistic herself. Like many late-identified autistic adults, Lynn developed systems that helped her navigate the world so effectively that early autism screenings did not recognize her neurodivergence. She created The P.E.A.C.E. Practice to help autistic young adults and their families solve problems, build independence, and strengthen relationships. Instead of goals imposed by others, the approach centers on the autistic person’s needs and safety.

The P.E.A.C.E. Practice:

Pause –Take a break from difficult conversations and return when everyone is regulated

Empathize –Name your feelings so everyone understands each other

Align –Identify strengths and needs so everyone understands what matters most

Collaborate – Work together toward solutions while allowing the autistic person to take the lead

Experiment –Try different approaches to see what works best

Takeaways:

•  Recognize how much effort you've put into figuring life out. Where you are now is fine

• Traditional solutions may not work for everyone; experimentation is necessary

• Supporting nervous system regulation can improve sleep, health, and well-being

About Lynn C. Davison:

Lynn helps families make peaceful progress together using the P.E.A.C.E. Practice. She supports neurodivergent young adults and their families in building self-reliance, emotional regulation, and healthier relationships without shame or power struggles.

As a life coach and founder of LynnCDavison.com, Lynn guides clients through The Art of Adulting, a practical system shaped by decades of leadership experience.

LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/lynncdavison
Website: LynnCDavison.com

Mentioned in This Episode:

The Pattern Seekers: A New Theory of Human Invention by Simon Baron-Cohen

About Your Host:

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity and community. 

Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com

Books Available on Amazon

Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh

Adulting While Autistic: @adultingwhileautistic 

Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm

Thank You for Listening:

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults and those who care about them. 

YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism

In this episode of Amplifying Autism, Wendy speaks with social psychologist and author Dr. Devon Price about autistic masking and what it means to live authentically. 

Devon shares its journey of realization about autism and masking. We also discuss the myth of laziness, something many autistic folk feel guilty about. Needing help to get things done is common, yet so many people are labeled, or label themselves, as lazy.

Drawing from the new book, Unmasking for Life, Devon explores how autistic people can move beyond survival and begin building lives that actually work for them. The conversation touches on self-advocacy, rejecting harmful productivity myths, and imagining new ways of living that honor autistic needs and strengths.

Takeaways:

• Many autistic people grow up performing neuronormativity by masking their natural behaviors
• The myth of laziness harms autistic people. Needing help with tasks does not mean you are lazy or incapable
• Adjusting to an autism diagnosis often includes waves of shame and waves of self-acceptance. It's a long journey, but it's worth it
• Remember moments in your life when you felt yourself fully. That authentic version of you still exists
• Having a life where you have the power to say what you are capable of and what you need is an important goal
• A fulfilling life can be completely different from what you've been told, which opens up limitless possibilities

About Dr. Devon Price:

Dr. Devon Price is a social psychologist, clinical associate professor at Loyola University Chicago, and an Autistic writer and advocate. Its books include Laziness Does Not Exist, Unlearning Shame, Unmasking Autism, and the recently released Unmasking for Life.

Devon’s work explores neurodiversity, trauma recovery, anti-productivity, body liberation, queer culture, mental health anarchy, and social justice.

Substack: drdevonprice.substack.com

YouTube: @drdevonprice

About Your Host:

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating for the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity, self-understanding, and community. 

Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com

Books Available on Amazon

Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh

Adulting While Autistic: @adultingwhileautistic 

Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm

Thank You for Listening:

Thank you for joining us for this powerful conversation with Dr. Devon Price. If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults, those who love them, and anyone wondering if they might be autistic themselves.

YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism

Summary: 

In this episode of Amplifying Autism, Wendy speaks with Jenny Smith about trauma-informed healing, nervous system regulation, and why healing for autistic and ADHD adults must be gentle, embodied, and compassionate. 

Jenny draws from somatic experiencing, nervous system attunement, inner child work, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and a spacious, progressive Christian spirituality. She supports people in tending the memories and stories held in the body so they can move through life with more grounding and self-trust. As an autistic and ADHD practitioner herself, Jenny's approach is shaped by lived experience and the belief that healing does not come from pushing harder, but from honoring the body's wisdom and boundaries.

Takeaways:

• Trauma is often stored in the body, not just in our memories
• Healing begins by slowing down and reconnecting with your nervous system
• The Gentle Way integrates somatic experiencing, IFS, inner child work, and spiritual care
• Healing is sacred, courageous work, and you deserve gentleness on your healing path

About Jenny Smith:

Jenny Smith is a nervous system practitioner, writer, pastor, and trauma-informed guide who helps people face what hurts so they can live with greater clarity, courage, and compassion. With a Master of Divinity and over 20 years of pastoral and spiritual leadership, she blends embodied coaching, soul care, and deep listening in her work.

As an autistic and ADHD practitioner, her work reflects lived experience and a commitment to honoring the body’s wisdom. Later this year, Jenny will transition into her new role as a somatic practitioner with The Gentle Way. 

Gentle Way Website: thegentleway.co

Instagram: @thegentlewayjenny

Facebook: @thegentlewayjenny 

About Your Host:

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating for the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity, self-understanding, and community. 

Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com

Books Available on Amazon

Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh

Adulting While Autistic: @adultingwhileautistic 

Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm

Thank You for Listening:

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults, those who care about them, and anyone wondering if they might be autistic themselves.

YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism

Podcast Available on Spotify & Apple

In this episode, Wendy speaks with Krista West about being formally diagnosed with autism at age 50, building a successful global business as an autistic entrepreneur, and traveling without burnout.

Krista long suspected she was autistic but assumed her quirks came from growing up with an autistic parent. When her father was identified as being on the spectrum in hospice, she realized she had spent her life acting as his social translator. Despite career success, she struggled with overstimulation and exhaustion from masking. After restructuring her business and creating sensory-friendly travel systems, Krista shares practical tools for autistic adults navigating work, creativity, and the world.

Takeaways:

• Wear wired headphones to manage auditory sensitivity (no need to power off for takeoff and landing)
• Use sunglasses to reduce visual overstimulation in airports and airplanes
• Request preboarding and use a TSA disability card to avoid overwhelming crowds
• Give yourself permission not to socialize while traveling. Use a communication app to display typed messages when speech feels inaccessible
• Some airports recognize the sunflower lanyard as a symbol for an invisible disability. Hopefully, someday, all airports will use them
• Reframe your narrative. Replace self-judgment with self-compassion
• Don't ask "What's wrong with me?" but rather "What's right with me?"
• Let your quirky out! Don't be afraid of your passion and enthusiasm
• If you have faceblindness, acknowledge it upfront. This will eliminate future awkwardness
• Explore embroidery or other handcrafts for emotional regulation

About Krista West:

Krista West brings ancient beauty to the modern world through embroidery designs inspired by traditional Mediterranean folk textiles. Introduced to them in Greece, she fell in love with the vibrant colors and historic motifs and later founded Avlea Folk Embroidery. Her patterns and kits are sold online and in over 200 brick-and-mortar shops.

Website: avleafolkembroidery.com

Instagram / Facebook / YouTube: @kristamwest

About Your Host:

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating for the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity, self-understanding, and community.

Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com

Books Available on Amazon

Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh

Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm

Thank You for Listening:

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults and those who love them.

YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism

In this solo, Wendy explores the language, labels, and experiences that shape the autistic community. Whether you are late-diagnosed, self-identified, or just beginning to question if you might be autistic, this episode offers a supportive introduction to understanding autism beyond stereotypes and clinical definitions.

Wendy discusses the limitations of the medical model, which often focuses on deficits rather than lived experience. She explores why functioning labels can be misleading, how masking affects autistic people emotionally and physically, and why many autistic adults prefer identity-first language.

The episode also examines the difference between being “neurotypical” and “neuro-privileged,” reminding listeners that neurodivergence is not wrong — it is simply a different way of experiencing and processing the world. Wendy also validates self-identification, acknowledging that formal diagnosis is not accessible to everyone and that lived experience matters.

Takeaways:

• Autism is not something that needs to be “fixed”
• Functioning labels often oversimplify autistic experiences
• Masking can help people survive socially, but it is exhausting over time
• Neurodivergence is a difference, not a personal failure
• Many autistic adults prefer identity-first language like “autistic person”
• Self-identification is valid, especially when diagnosis is inaccessible

About Your Host:

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity and community. 

Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com

Books Available on Amazon

Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh

Adulting While Autistic: @adultingwhileautistic 

Join the Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm

Thank You for Listening:

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults and those who care about them. 

YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism

Spotify & Apple Podcast: Amplifying Autism Podcast

Summary:

In this episode of Amplifying Autism, Wendy speaks with Dr. Temple Grandin about autism and employment, from early job skills to navigating workplace challenges as a late-diagnosed autistic adult.

Temple emphasizes the importance of structured work experience for autistic youth and encourages autistic adults who struggle with employment to look at why a job was lost to find practical solutions. Temple shares advice to help autistic individuals build sustainable careers. She also discusses the impact of AI on the job market and highlights career paths where autistic strengths are highly valued.

Takeaways:

• Autistic children benefit from real structured work experience outside of the family, such as walking a neighbor’s dog or volunteering in the community
• If you struggle with employment. Temple says to look at why you lost the job
  • If you are consistently late for work because of time blindness, switch from a digital to an analog clock to track time visually
  • If you are accused of rudeness, ask for specific feedback and consider working with a communication coach
  • If you have poor hygiene, it’s unlikely that anyone at work will come right out and tell you. You’ll need to take care of personal hygiene yourself.
  • Having a new boss is difficult. Temple advises that you keep copies of evaluations and documented accomplishments
• While some entry-level programming jobs are being replaced by AI, nursing, teaching, and cybersecurity remain strong fields 

About Dr. Grandin:

Dr. Temple Grandin is a Distinguished Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Facilities she designed for livestock handling are used worldwide, and she helped implement animal welfare auditing programs for companies including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Whole Foods. 

A bestselling author and autism advocate, her books include Thinking in Pictures, The Autistic Brain, Animals in Translation, and Visual Thinking. She has appeared on programs such as 20/20 and Prime Time and has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame, the Colorado Authors’ Hall of Fame, and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. 

Website & Autism Books: templegrandin.com

Livestock Website & Books: grandin.com

About Your Host:

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating for the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity, self-understanding, and community.

Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com

Books Available on Amazon

Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh

Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm

Thank You for Listening:

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults.

YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism

 Episode Summary:

In this episode of the Amplifying Autism Podcast, Jennifer talked about her journey of learning about herself as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. As a doctoral-level social worker, she was aware of the lack of research available to help professionals working with children, teens, and adults with high support needs. Jennifer believes that everyone who struggles with anxiety and other strong emotions deserves therapy that is designed for their unique strengths and challenges. That’s why she wrote, What’s Your Anxiety Level? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Neurodivergent Children and Teens with Co-Occurring Anxiety Disorder.

Takeaways:

• People with high support needs can benefit from modified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy which has been designed for them.
• Autistic people do not lack empathy. That is a myth. Some have different,
extreme, or hyper-empathy, like Greta Thunberg who cares so deeply about the world.
• If you have recently learned that you are autistic, or you think you might be,
Jennifer suggests that you find someone who is neurodiversity-affirming and who understands masking to work with you on processing your new diagnosis. You deserve to be understood.

Connect with Dr. Jennifer Cook:

Jennifer Cork, LCSW, DSW, Certified Autism Specialist (CAS), ADHD-CCSP, (she/her) is an autistic doctor of social work and a licensed clinical social worker. She specializes in the treatment of neurodivergent individuals who also have other mental health conditions, including people with high support needs. Dr. Cork is the author of What’s Your Anxiety Level? Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Neurodivergent Children and Teens with Co-Occurring Anxiety Disorders. She is a dedicated advocate whose passions include increasing mental health awareness and access to mental healthcare for the neurodivergent community. She is also the mom, spouse, and sister of some awesome neurodivergent humans.

• Visit her website at https://www.drjennifercork.com/

• Purchase her book here.

Listen to this episode:

Thank you for joining us in this informative conversation with Dr. Jennifer Cork. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share this with your friends who might be interested. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults, those who care about them, and everyone who has wondered if they might be autistic themselves.

https://wendelawhitcombmarsh.com/

https://www.instagram.com/adultingwhileautistic

https://www.instagram.com/wendela.w.marsh

Wendela Whitcomb Marsh's books

Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm