Listener note: We want to let listeners know that this episode includes discussion of grief and the loss of a child. Please listen in a way that feels supportive for you.

In this episode, Catherine Asta is joined by Sue Lansbury for a deeply moving and compassionate conversation about late autism discovery, grief, creativity, and aging as an autistic woman in a world that often overlooks older women, especially autistic older women.

Diagnosed as autistic at the age of 68, Sue reflects on a lifetime shaped by confusion, overwhelm, masking, and the huge personal cost of pushing through. She shares how receiving her diagnosis brought both relief and the slow, ongoing work of rediscovering herself - reconnecting with her youngest self through art, making, and a lifelong relationship with the natural world.

Sue speaks powerfully about burnout, invisibility, and the risks faced by autistic people whose needs remain undiscovered later in life. She also reflects with great tenderness on the death of her son Jay - a gifted, fearless artist - and how art, ritual, and the changing seasons have helped her hold grief, love, and memory together.

Throughout the conversation, Sue offers “waves of compassion” -  for herself, for parents and carers navigating guilt around late discovery, and for autistic people and families living within systems that still struggle to understand and support them. She introduces the idea of creating a personal “self-portrait” to capture needs, sensitivities, and ways of being, as a way of protecting dignity and wellbeing as we age.

Their conversation explores:

- Late autism discovery and the emotional cost of masking

- Burnout, aging, and the invisibility of older autistic women

- Grief, loss, and autistic experiences of profound change

- Art as a process for expression and healing when words aren’t enough

- Compassion over guilt for families facing late discovery

- Advocacy, legacy, and why a more diverse society benefits everyone

It’s a wise and hopeful episode about grief and growth, creativity and care, and the importance of meeting ourselves -  and each other -  with compassion at every stage of life.

Autism Central

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter

Explore our FREE support - 1:1 sessions, blogs, events 

Connect with Catherine 

Website

Instagram 

Book

TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast episode mentions suicidal ideation.

In this episode, Catherine is joined by Jo Feaster for an honest and deeply reflective conversation about lived experience, identity, and what it can mean to finally make sense of yourself later in life as an autistic and bipolar woman, along with the small, real life supports and accommodations that help power self-acceptance, build stability and live well, and as Jo says, “help to change my world”.

Their conversation explores:

- What finally helped Jo feel seen and understood, and the challenges of living with co-occurring conditions alongside being autistic, and the additional stigma associated with them.

- The importance of community, belonging, role models and peer support.

- The role of writing and advocacy as tools for mental health and challenging societal stigma. 

- Insights into the dynamics of family support and the impact of personal relationships on mental health.

- The transformative power of self-acceptance and the significance of self-care as a parent carer.

It’s a compassionate, hopeful and practical episode for anyone navigating late identification, multiple neurodivergence and mental health, and / or supporting a loved one through crisis and recovery. 

Autism Central

Subscribe to our ⁠FREE newsletter⁠

Explore our ⁠FREE support⁠ - 1:1 sessions, group coaching, resources and events 

Connect with Jo on LinkedIn

LinkedIn profile - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-feaster/ 

LinkedIn Newsletter - Autistic & Bipolar Musings - https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/autistic-bipolar-musings-7239130678460649473/ 

Connect with Catherine 

Website: https://www.catherineasta.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/catherine.asta

Book: https://amzn.eu/d/1MJL4h2 

www.catherineasta.com

Welcome to Season 4 of the Autism Central Podcast, hosted by psychotherapist, podcaster, and author Catherine Asta. 

To open the season, we’re doing something special.

In this episode, Catherine is joined by both of her daughters - Caty and Kristina - for a gentle, insightful mother-daughter conversation that sets the tone for the journey ahead. You’ll first hear from Caty, who not only joins on mic, but also works behind the scenes editing the podcast. Together, they reflect on what it means to create a mother-daughter show, nurturing strengths as a mature student at university, their ‘family eco-system,’ and why this podcast matters to the parents, carers, and supporters who need it most.

Then the microphone is handed to Catherine’s youngest daughter, 8-year-old (and three-quarters!) Kristina, stepping into the guest-host role to ask her mum five thoughtful questions about life as an autistic person and parent.

Their conversation explores:

• What it feels like to navigate the world with an autistic and multiply neurodivergent brain

• Childhood experiences before knowing she was autistic

• The strengths autism brings

• The emotional clarity of a late autism discovery

• What it’s like balancing autistic needs with parenting

It’s warm, honest and deeply human -  a window into a multiply neurodivergent family committed to kindness, compassion, curiosity, and building a life that works for each of them. This episode offers parents and supporters a rare, real-life insight into autistic experience across generations - and why community, understanding, and the right support matter so much.

Connect with Catherine

www.catherineasta.com

Resources Catherine makes reference to in the episode:

Catherine’s book ‘Rediscovered’ and ‘The Late Discovered Club Podcast’

Autism Central

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter

Explore our FREE support - 1:1 sessions, blogs, events 

Holly chats to autistic researcher Dr. Wenn Lawson aboutgetting older and what this means for autistic people.

Find out more about our programme for parents and carers ofautistic people at autismcentral.org.uk

Some of our podcast episodes contain specialist terms youmay be unfamiliar with. We’ve put together a glossary toexplain some of the terms mentioned.

The Autism Central Podcast is produced by Autism Central andis the copyright of NHS England. All rights reserved.

More content can be found on our YouTube channel.

Holly talks to autistic mothers Lynette Morgan and Sophia Abdel about their experiences in pregnancy and motherhood.

Links for this episode:

Maternity Autism Research Group

Find out more about our programme for parents and carers of autistic people at autismcentral.org.uk

Some of our podcast episodes contain specialist terms you may be unfamiliar with. We’ve put together a glossary to explain some of the terms mentioned.

The Autism Central Podcast is produced by Autism Central and is the copyright of NHS England. All rights reserved.

More content can be found on the Autism Central YouTube channel.

Holly meets Jamie + Lion to talk about their experiences around moving away from home, setting up an autism-friendly space and how to get support with independent living.

Find out more about our programme for parents and carers of autistic people at autismcentral.org.uk

Some of our podcast episodes contain specialist terms you may be unfamiliar with. We’ve put together a glossary to explain some of the terms mentioned.

The Autism Central Podcast is produced by Autism Central and is the copyright of NHS England. All rights reserved.

More content can be found on the Autism Central YouTube channel.

Holly talks to Senior Lecturer in Autism Dr Luke Beardon and autistic student Leona Laverty about starting university and how to get support.

Find out more about our programme for parents and carers of autistic people at autismcentral.org.uk

Some of our podcast episodes contain specialist terms you may be unfamiliar with. We’ve put together a glossary to explain some of the terms mentioned.

The Autism Central Podcast is produced by Autism Central and is the copyright of NHS England. All rights reserved.

More content can be found on the Autism Central YouTube channel.

Holly chats to two autistic people, Andrew Carpenter and Mandy Taylor, about their experiences around starting work, with tips and advice for other autistic people.

Links for this episode:

·      Access to work

·      Finding work – links to resources on the Autism Central website

·      Transition to adulthood – free resources that can be accessed by registering on the Autism Central website

Find out more about our programme for parents and carers of autistic people at autismcentral.org.uk

Some of our podcast episodes contain specialist terms you may be unfamiliar with. We’ve put together a glossary to explain some of the terms mentioned.

The Autism Central Podcast is produced by Autism Central and is the copyright of NHS England. All rights reserved.

More content can be found on the Autism Central YouTube channel.

Holly meets autistic coach Sarah-Jane Critchley and autistic mum and veterinary surgeon Jacq Watkins to talk about the changes young people face when finishing school and how we can best support them.

Find out more about our programme for parents and carers of autistic people at autismcentral.org.uk

Some of our podcast episodes contain specialist terms you may be unfamiliar with. We’ve put together a glossary to explain some of the terms mentioned.

The Autism Central Podcast is produced by Autism Central and is the copyright of NHS England. All rights reserved.

More content can be found on the Autism Central YouTube channel.

Holly talks to Dr Naomi Fisher and Eliza Fricker about puberty and what parents and carers can do to support autistic young people during this period.

Links for this episode:

You can watch the following free webinar series by Dr Naomi Fisher and Eliza Fricker on the Autism Central website:

·      Wellbeing for parents/carers

·      Navigating education and working well with school

·      Low demand parenting

 Find out more about our programme for parents and carers of autistic people at autismcentral.org.uk

Some of our podcast episodes contain specialist terms you may be unfamiliar with. We’ve put together a glossary to explain some of the terms mentioned.

 The Autism Central Podcast is produced by Autism Central and is the copyright of NHS England. All rights reserved.

 More content can be found on the Autism Central YouTube channel.