Autism Central Podcast

In the second episode of season 6, Catherine talks to Xero - autistic gamer and games-design graduate, and his mother Melissa. Xero has an incredible passion for gaming, and with the support of his mother Melissa, he has turned his passion into a degree, graduating from Sheffield Hallam University with a 2:1 in BA Hons in Games-Design.

Together they discuss how gaming can be a source of joy, decompression, creativity, and connection for autistic people. They reframe gaming as a reasonable adjustment and outline ways in which parents can support their autistic young people to engage with gaming safely - navigating barriers such as screen-time, parental boundaries, online safety and gaming costs together.

They explore the benefits that Xero gains from engaging with games, including using gaming as a mechanism for decompression and transportation to another world where he can expand his creativity through worlds and characters and experience a pressure release from the demands of everyday life.

And how gaming and monotropic flow intersect, exploring how different parental approaches to boundaries stemming from assumptions around screentime and access to consoles could lead to behaviours of distress. Melissa and Catherine also discuss potential barriers to gaming such as family budget, knowledge around online safely and in-app purchases.

Catherine, Xero and Melissa also talk about how gaming has supported connection and friendships between Xero and people who share his passions for games, encouraging parents to prioritize helping young people pursue what makes them happy. A reminder that autistic communication and social connection doesn’t always look the way society expects it to, and that different doesn’t mean less meaningful.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠⁠

Connect with Catherine 

Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

⁠Website⁠ I ⁠Instagram ⁠I ⁠Art⁠ 

Books: ⁠Rediscovered⁠ and ⁠Still Living

Content note: This episode includes discussions of self-harm, suicide and mental health crises. Some listeners may find these topics distressing. Please take care of yourself while listening and consider whether this is the right time for you to engage with the conversation.

In the first episode of season six, Catherine talks to Dr Rachel Moseley-Braund, Principal Academic in Psychology at Bournemouth University, whose research focuses on mental health and wellbeing in autistic people, with a particular interest in self-harm, suicide prevention and understanding the factors that contribute to autistic distress.

Together, Catherine and Dr Moseley-Braund discuss why autistic people may be more vulnerable to self-harm and suicidal thoughts, including the impact of anxiety, depression, trauma, social isolation, inequality and difficulties accessing appropriate support. They explore why self-harm is often misunderstood, and how it may serve different functions for different people, including managing overwhelming emotions, meeting sensory needs or finding temporary relief from distress.

They explore the different ways self-harm and self-injurious behaviours can present in autistic people, including behaviours that may be visible to others and those that happen privately or remain hidden. Catherine and Dr Moseley-Braund also discuss the language used to describe self-harm, why terminology can sometimes be confusing, and the importance of understanding the individual rather than making assumptions about their behaviour.

They discuss how environmental factors, traumatic experiences and a lack of understanding or acceptance can contribute to mental health difficulties, and why improving wellbeing requires looking beyond the individual to the environments and systems around them.

Catherine and Dr Moseley-Braund also talk about protective factors that may support autistic mental health and they explore how parents, carers and professionals can recognise potential warning signs of escalating distress. They also discuss what autism-affirming support can look like when someone is struggling with self-harm or experiencing a mental health crisis, and encourage listeners to approach autistic mental health with compassion, curiosity, hope and understanding. 

In this episode, Catherine talks to Dr Aimee Grant, Associate Professor and Wellcome Trust Career Development Fellow at Swansea University, who leads the "Autism from Menstruation to Menopause" study.

Together, Catherine and Dr Grant discuss why periods can be especially challenging for some autistic people, including sensory experiences, pain, emotional changes, interoception, unpredictability, and the practical difficulties of managing periods at school, work or in healthcare settings.

They explore why autistic young people may need clear, detailed and timely information before their first period, and why support should not stop once periods begin. Catherine and Dr Grant also discuss how parents and carers can support period tracking and preparation, including helping young people understand what to expect, plan ahead, and feel more in control.

The conversation also covers managing periods at school, including bathroom access, changing products, and the importance of reasonable adjustments. They discuss how missing activities, taking breaks or resting more during a period can be a valid form of self-care, rather than something to feel guilty about.

Catherine and Dr Grant also talk about regulation strategies during menstruation, including stimming, using screens, comfort objects, quiet time and other approaches that may help reduce distress or overwhelm. They consider the importance of finding period products that work for the individual, including pads, tampons and period pants, while recognising that sensory preferences and practical needs will vary from person to person.

They also discuss how period pain, heavy bleeding, fatigue or changes in mood and sensory sensitivity can sometimes be misunderstood, dismissed or treated as something autistic people simply have to ‘put up with’. Instead, Dr Grant encourages listeners to take symptoms seriously, seek medical advice when something does not feel right, and approach periods with self-compassion and autism-affirming support.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Dr Aimee Grant

Website:  https://www.draimeegrant.com/

Autism and puberty blog for Autism Central: https://www.autismcentral.nhs.uk/news/blog-talking-about-puberty-your-child

Autism from Menstruation to Menopause study website: https://www.autismmenstruationtomenopause.com/

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art 

Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode, Catherine talks to Dr Jessica Eccles, a consultant neurodevelopmental psychiatrist, researcher and public communicator whose work explores the connections between the brain and body.

Dr Eccles co-leads the world’s first neurodivergent brain–body clinic and is a leading voice in understanding the overlap between autism, hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, dysautonomia, pain and fatigue.

Together, Catherine and Dr Eccles discuss why many autistic people may also experience physical health differences such as flexible joints, chronic pain, dizziness, fainting, gut problems, allergies, fatigue and difficulties with temperature or standing for long periods.

Dr Eccles explains hypermobility using the image of connective tissue as the body’s ‘cling film’ - something found everywhere in the body, not just in the joints. When connective tissue is different, it can affect the joints, blood vessels, gut, skin and nervous system, which may help explain why some autistic and neurodivergent people experience a cluster of physical and emotional symptoms.

They also talk about the importance of not dismissing pain, fatigue or dizziness as ‘just anxiety’ or ‘just sensory sensitivity’. Instead, Dr Eccles encourages listeners to think about how the brain and body work together - and how better understanding can lead to better support, better self-advocacy and better care.

Key themes Catherine and Dr Eccles discuss:

- What hypermobility is and how it can show up  

- What Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, or EDS, are  

- Why all people with EDS are hypermobile, but not all hypermobile people have EDS  

- The emerging research linking autism, ADHD, hypermobility and brain-body health  

- Why autistic people may be more likely to experience chronic pain and fatigue  

- How dizziness, fainting and feeling strange when standing may relate to autonomic dysfunction  

- What POTS and orthostatic intolerance are  

- Why symptoms can be mistaken for anxiety  

- The role of interoception, alexithymia, sensory processing and masking  

- Why some autistic people may mask physical pain and illness  

- How schools and health professionals can better understand children who struggle with standing, walking, pain or fatigue  

- Practical supports such as hydration, electrolytes, cooling strategies, compression garments and pacing  

- How autistic and hypermobile people can begin to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings  

- Why systemic change is needed in how services understand the overlap between neurodivergence and physical health

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Dr Jessica Eccles 

Youtube / Instagram / LinkTree

For further information on the topics discussed in this episode, listeners may want to explore resources from SEDSConnective, POTS UK, the EDS GP Toolkit, StopFainting.com and the Hypermobility Syndromes Association. 

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art 

Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by autistic psychotherapist and registered dietitian Camilla Ferraro to explore autism, ARFID and our relationship with food.

Drawing on her professional expertise, alongside her own lived experience, Camilla explores why autistic eating differences are so often misunderstood and why what can look like "picky eating" from the outside can be something much more complex.

Together they explore ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and the differences between food preferences, sensory-based eating differences and eating difficulties that can have a significant impact on someone’s health, wellbeing and everyday life. They discuss the role of sensory processing, distress, executive functioning and the eating environment, as well as the shame and judgement many autistic people experience around what, when and how they eat.

The conversation also looks at how parents, carers and professionals can better support autistic people around food by moving away from pressure, forcing and rigid expectations and towards curiosity, choice and agency. And they explore why feeling safe is so important when it comes to eating, the value of understanding individual sensory preferences and why sometimes seemingly small adjustments to mealtimes can make a meaningful difference.

Camilla reminds us that when we remove judgement and become curious about what someone’s eating differences are communicating, we can begin to build a safer and more positive relationship with food.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Camilla 

⁠Website⁠

⁠Instagram⁠

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art | The Late Discovered Club | Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

Autism, Culture and Breaking the Silence

In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by AuDHD advocate, mother, researcher and founder of Chinese Autism, Hazel Lim, to explore autism, culture and the experiences of families navigating neurodivergence within the Chinese community. Drawing on her own lived experience as an AuDHD mother of three neurodivergent children, Hazel reflects on how her journey led her to create spaces where families can talk openly, find understanding and feel less alone.

Together they explore the cultural stigma and silence that can surround autism within Chinese communities and the additional barriers faced by families from minority and migrant communities. Along with the importance of why language support needs to be combined with cultural understanding and neuroaffirming practice to build genuine trust between families and services.

This is a powerful conversation about intersectionality, advocacy and the courage it takes to break silence. Hazel reminds us how with greater understanding, culturally informed support and communities willing to listen, families can move away from shame and towards acceptance, confidence and the freedom to embrace difference.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Hazel

https://chineseautism.org.uk

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art 

Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by writer, birthkeeper and filmmaker Lucy Baena to explore the often-overlooked intersection of autism and epilepsy. Drawing on her lived experience as an autistic and epileptic woman, Lucy shares a deeply personal account of growing up with epilepsy, receiving a late autism diagnosis at 38, and how understanding both has transformed the way she understands herself. 

Together they discuss the hidden realities of living with epilepsy beyond seizures, including stigma, disclosure, trauma and the emotional impact of navigating a world that often misunderstands invisible disabilities. Lucy reflects on the challenges of being dismissed by professionals, the overlap between epilepsy and autistic experiences such as shutdowns, meltdowns and burnout, and why listening to lived experience is essential to providing person-centred care. 

The conversation also explores practical ways families, friends and professionals can offer meaningful support and Lucy reflects on how self-compassion has become life-changing, why disability does not diminish the possibility of a joyful and meaningful life.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Lucy

⁠Instagram ⁠

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art 

Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode of the Autism Central Podcast, Catherine Asta is joined by AuDHD coach, researcher and positive psychology practitioner Dr Rebecca Jackson to explore practical strategies and everyday tools for daily living.

Drawing on both her lived experience and her work supporting neurodivergent adults, she shares why understanding yourself is the foundation for finding tools and approaches that genuinely work. 

Together they explore the power of taking a strengths-based approach to neurodivergence, discussing why recognising what comes naturally can improve wellbeing, reduce burnout and help people build lives that feel more aligned with who they really are. 

The conversation also explores practical tools and technology that can support daily living, from productivity systems and AI to sensory support, energy management and simple planning strategies. They discuss why there is no one-size-fits-all solution, how to experiment with different approaches without judgement, and why the most effective support is the one that works with your brain rather than against it. 

Whether you're autistic, ADHD, AuDHD or supporting someone who is, this episode offers practical ideas emphasizing self-awareness, realistic strategies and the importance of permission and self-compassion.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Dr Rebecca Jackson

LinkedIn

Website

Instagram

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art 

Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by AuDHD psychotherapist, author and researcher Alexis Quinn to explore what pregnancy, birth and early parenthood can look like for autistic people. Drawing on both her lived experience and the research behind her book Autistic and Expecting, Alexis reflects on how understanding her own neurodivergence transformed her experience of becoming a parent and why autism cannot be separated from the journey into parenthood. 

Together they discuss the unique challenges autistic people can face throughout pregnancy, from sensory changes and communication differences to navigating healthcare appointments, uncertainty and the emotional impact of becoming a parent. Alexis shares why understanding your own sensory and communication needs before birth can make a significant difference and explains how planning ahead can help create a more positive and empowering experience. 

The conversation explores what autism-inclusive maternity care really looks like, including reasonable adjustments, birth rights, continuity of care and the importance of being listened to without judgement. Catherine and Alexis also discuss practical tools such as maternity passports, preparing for different birth scenarios and building supportive relationships with healthcare professionals and family members throughout pregnancy and beyond. 

This is a much needed conversation about informed choice and creating birth experiences where autistic parents feel seen, understood and supported. Alexis reminds us that while pregnancy and birth can feel overwhelming and unpredictable, with the right adjustments, knowledge and support, autistic people can have positive, transformative experiences of becoming parents.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Explore the ⁠Autism Central website⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources.

Subscribe to our ⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Episode Reference Links:

⁠Birth Rights⁠

⁠Autistic Parents⁠

Connect with Alexis:

https://alexisquinn.co.uk/

Books:

UNbroken

Autistic and Expecting

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art 

Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by award-winning autism advocate, author and founder of "Stories About Autism", James Hunt, for a heartfelt conversation about raising autistic children as they move from childhood into adulthood.

Drawing on nearly two decades of lived experience parenting his two non-speaking autistic sons, James reflects on how his understanding of autism, communication and fatherhood has evolved over time. 

Together they explore the hopes and uncertainties that many families face as autistic young people transition into adulthood. James shares the realities of preparing for life beyond school, balancing hope with understandable fears about future support, independence and long-term care, while explaining why staying present has become one of the most valuable lessons he has learned as a parent. 

The conversation shines a light on communication beyond spoken language, from body language and AAC as well as the realities of family life, including sleep deprivation, isolation, building community and the emotional impact of caring. They reflect on why finding other families who truly understand can make such a difference, and how peer support helps parents navigate both the challenges and the joy of raising autistic children. 

This is a hopeful conversation about finding acceptance, embracing a different path, celebrating the "inchstones" alongside the milestones and discovering that a meaningful life is often found in the moments you never expected. James reminds us that while the future feels scary and uncertain, there is also joy, connection and hope to be found here in the present.

What’s on at Autism Central?

Subscribe to our FREE newsletter

Explore the Autism Central website for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources.

Connect with James

⁠Instagram⁠

Jame’s Book: ⁠Love Needs No Words⁠

Connect with Catherine 

Email: [email protected]

Website I Instagram I Art 

Books: Rediscovered and Still Living