In this episode of Autism Help, Heather McKay is joined by PhD researcher Helen Johnston to explore the relationship between autism and fibromyalgia, a condition that affects many autistic people but remains under-recognised.

Together, they discuss what fibromyalgia is, how it develops, the challenges of diagnosis, and the latest research into the condition. The conversation offers valuable insight into an area of health that deserves greater awareness within the autistic community.

Helen Johnston welcomes enquiries about her research and can be contacted at [email protected].

Disclaimer

Autism Help is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. The views expressed are based on the host's knowledge and lived experience. If you have questions about your health, treatment, or legal circumstances, please seek advice from an appropriately qualified professional.

🎧 Autism help is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's Reddit Stories episode, Jordan and Simon discuss four neurodivergent dilemmas shared by the online community.

They begin with a mother who admits she hates her eight-year-old son with ADHD and ODD, sparking a conversation about parenting, challenging behaviour, boundaries, meltdowns, and the impact of growing up feeling like you're always doing something wrong.

They then unpack a post describing ADHD as a "living fucking nightmare", exploring the disabling reality of ADHD, depression, addiction, medication, and whether portraying neurodivergence as quirky or desirable risks minimising the people who genuinely struggle with it.

Next, a holidaymaker becomes uncomfortable with a disabled child's behaviour and hygiene at an all-inclusive hotel. Jordan and Simon discuss disability, parenting, accommodations, personal boundaries, and the difference between explaining someone's behaviour and excusing it.

Finally, an autistic woman's carefully planned day at a Disney theme park falls apart, resulting in a meltdown and her friend leaving her behind. They explore autistic planning, sensory overload, friendship, personal responsibility, and whether someone should ever be left alone during a meltdown.

*The stories discussed in this episode are public Reddit posts. Titles may be shortened for readability, and all opinions expressed are those of the original posters.

• I hate my ADHD son.

• ADHD is a living fucking nightmare and most people think it's only a silly mental disorder for kids

• AITAH - kid with special needs keeps bothering me. I’ve spoken to the mum and she won’t do anything about it.

• AITAH for Leaving my Autistic Friend at Disney during a Meltdown?

Our Sponsors:

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Two Mics, No Masking, Katie Scott and Jenna Goldstein question the way resilience is often celebrated, asking whether what's praised as adaptability is sometimes simply chronic self-abandonment.

Together they explore the hidden cost of constantly overriding your own needs, how burnout can become normalised, and why enduring difficult circumstances isn't the same as thriving. Through personal reflection and honest conversation, Katie and Jenna discuss what it means to move away from survival mode and towards a life built on regulation, self-awareness, and genuine wellbeing.

🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does DIRFloortime® actually feel like from the perspective of an autistic person?

In this second episode of Rethinking Autism Therapy, Daria Brown is joined by autistic musician Cheyenne Erikson to explore what it was like growing up with situational mutism, anxiety, and an undiagnosed autistic neurotype, and how a relationship-based, developmental approach helped her feel understood and supported.

Cheyenne shares her personal journey from an early diagnosis of situational mutism to discovering her autistic identity as a young adult.

Together, she and Daria discuss how DIRFloortime's emphasis on relationships, individual differences, play, and emotional connection contrasts with more directive or compliance-based approaches. Through stories from childhood, teaching, parenting, and clinical practice, they illustrate how following a child's lead, presuming competence, and supporting regulation can foster authentic communication and growth.

The conversation highlights the importance of understanding the world through a neurodivergent lens, recognizing the many ways children communicate, and creating safe opportunities for exploration, play, and emotional expression. Listeners will gain insight into how DIRFloortime® supports not only autistic children, but meaningful relationships across the lifespan.

Learn more:

🌐 Cheyenne Erikson: https://www.cheyennepaige.com/

📸 Instagram: @cheyennepaigemusic

📖 Situational Mutism: https://reframingautism.org.au/all-about-situational-mutism-a-guide-for-allies/

🗂️ Cheyenne's SLP mother's Situational Mutism cards: https://www.bjoremspeech.com/en-ca/products/dir%C2%AE-sm-a-developmental-approach-to-selective-mutism-intervention

Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

🎧 Rethinking Autism Therapy is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Helen and Elizabeth explore the bittersweet subject of endings. Whether it's the final episode of a favourite TV show, the end of a relationship, or deciding whether to continue a project that no longer brings you joy, letting go can be difficult.

Together they discuss why endings can feel so challenging, how periods of transition can create opportunities for growth, and the importance of embracing change as part of the creative process. Through personal reflections and creative examples, they explore how one chapter ending can become the beginning of another.

In this episode:

• Understanding the sunk cost fallacy
• Navigating change with Bridges' Transitional Model
• Creative becoming through life's transitions
• How artists and collaborators approached endings
• Collecting, curiosity, and autistic culture
• Final reflections, lessons, and creative tips

Resources and Links

• Helen's graphic diary archive: https://arted.online/blog/diaries/
• Graphic diary template: https://arted.online/toolbox/resource-diary-template/
• The 10 Pillars of Autistic Culture: https://www.autisticculturepodcast.com/p/the-10-pillars-revisited-episode
• Bridges' Transitional Model overview: https://www.changequest.co.uk/resources/bridges-transition-model/
• Understanding the sunk cost fallacy: https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_the_sunk_cost_fallacy_can_drive_bad_decisions

Contact: [email protected]

Support

If you are experiencing distress, please contact your GP or a relevant support service in your area.

Disclaimer

Creative Becoming is connected to Helen Shaddock's practice-based PhD, "Welcome to My Messy World": A practice-based, messy auto-ethnographic artistic exploration into multimedia storytelling as an integral method towards creative becoming.

🎨 Subscribe now to hear future episodes.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The opening episode of Autistic Menopause introduces the concept of autistic menopause. It explores why so many neurodivergent people may struggle to recognise the transition until they are already in crisis.

In this episode, Sam Galloway (she/her) shares the profoundly personal story of how perimenopause slowly dismantled the coping strategies she had relied upon her entire life.

From unexplained anxiety, insomnia, rage and cognitive changes to late diagnoses of autism and ADHD, Sam traces the path that eventually led her to understand what was really happening. She reflects on hormonal sensitivity throughout her life, the challenges of parenting while neurodivergent, and how recognising her autism ultimately helped her make sense of an experience that nearly broke her.

Content Warning: This episode includes frank discussion of mental health crisis and suicidal thoughts, alongside experiences of autistic burnout, medical care, and menopause. Please take care while listening and skip any sections that may be difficult for you.

Resources mentioned or relevant:

• 🌐 Divergent Menopause community and newsletter
• 📖 MENO-D – A rating scale to detect depression in menopause
• 🌿 Australasian Menopause Society
• 📚 Autistic Menopause – A Guide to the Menopausal Transition for Autistic People and those Supporting Them by Dr. Rachel Moseley and Professor Gamble-Turner (2026)
• 📄 Resources for autistic (/neurodivergent) women and people with ovaries at menopause – Dr. Rachel Moseley and Professor Julie Gamble-Turner, Bournemouth University
• 📱 Balance – menopause symptom tracking and information from menopause specialist Dr. Louise Newson

Continue the conversation:

Find Sam at Divergent Menopause for essays, research updates, practical reflections, and stories from the neurodivergent menopause community.

Every article is free to read. Paid subscriptions operate as a patron model and help fund the advocacy, research translation, and community work behind Divergent Menopause.

🌐 https://samgallowayaudhd.substack.com/

☕ Support Sam's work: https://buymeacoffee.com/samgalloway

Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

🎧 Autistic Menopause is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seeing your life clearly doesn’t mean seeing it harshly.

In this episode of Mindful Mondays, we explore how mindset and reframing shape not just how we think - but how our nervous system experiences the world.

Many neurodivergent and highly sensitive people live with a loud inner commentary. Thoughts can feel convincing, critical, and fixed - yet thoughts are not facts.

Together, we explore:

* Growth mindset through a neurodivergent lens

* Why reframing supports nervous system safety (not toxic positivity)

* How meaning - not circumstances - shapes our experience

* Why challenges often deepen, rather than diminish, a meaningful life

Drawing on wisdom from thinkers and creatives including William James, Hugh Mackay, Tina Turner, Joan Rivers, Kurt Vonnegut, and Michael Jordan, this episode invites a gentler, truer way of seeing yourself.

You’ll also be guided through a reflective visualisation - The Gallery of Your Life - offering a new relationship with past moments, old judgments, and the stories you live inside.

This is not about fixing yourself.

It’s about learning to see yourself in a way that supports you.

Our Sponsors:

🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy

🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com

🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tess joins Hannah Brockway to share her lifelong passion for musical theatre, from discovering it as a child to performing on stage and becoming part of a close-knit theatre community.

Together they discuss favourite productions, the creativity behind costumes and performance, the friendships formed through theatre, and the hard work that goes into bringing a show to life. Tess also reflects on navigating rehearsals and performances as a neurodivergent performer, and why musical theatre continues to be such an important part of her life.

Find Tess and her work:

🎬 Short film: https://youtube.com/@joshwahl969?si=M8ZcWOvFAqXfcl63

🦥 Awful Sloth Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awfulslothofficial/

🛍️ Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/awfulsloth/?etsrc=sdt&dd_referrer=https://beacons.ai/

Produced for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.

🎧 Info Dump is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine podcast that brings together the stories, conversations and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.

This week, Angela and Simon unpack the ongoing conversation around autism and overdiagnosis following recent comments from Uta Frith, asking why outdated ideas about autism can remain so powerful even when they conflict with the lived experiences of Autistic people.

That leads to a much bigger conversation about who gets to define autism, why greater recognition can be treated as a threat, and the role representation can play in changing how Autistic people are understood.

We also introduce Autistic Menopause, a brand-new ACPN podcast from Sam Galloway, before looking ahead to another packed week across the network, with conversations about musical theatre, fibromyalgia, situational mutism, resilience, safe foods, creativity and much more.

Plus, we head to the Community Notice Board for books, events and opportunities from across the wider Autistic community.

📌 Community Noticeboard:

The Community Noticeboard is your space to share what’s happening across autistic culture. Whether you’re launching a book, hosting an event, releasing a podcast, starting a creative project, celebrating a milestone, or simply have something you’d like the community to know about, we’d love to hear from you.

Send your announcements, links and updates to [email protected], and we’ll feature as many as we can in a future edition of This Week in Autistic Culture.

This Week’s Topics:

• Has autism become too broad to be useful?
• NAS response to Professor Dame Uta Frith’s new paper
• The Jeremy Vine Show on BBC 2 - Discussion on Uta Frith

Books & research:

• Menopause and ADHD: How to navigate hormone flux and neurodivergence by Dr Helen Wall
• Being Eve: A Graphic Novel by Em Hammond

Events:

• Interoception and Autism - Pete Wharmby - Wednesday, August 19th - 8 to 8.40pm - Free. Dive into how sensing your body differently can shape the autistic experience in this short, chilled out meetup. This short, free talk will explore how the internal sense - Interoception - can be experienced differently by autistic people. This can lead to complicated relationships with food, drink, tiredness and more.

• https://www.allthingspractice.com/diverge - Traditional business advice wasn’t built for neurodivergent brains. Join 23+ ND entrepreneurs at the Diverge Summit (Aug 24–Sept 4) to learn how to build on your own terms—no masking or hustle-culture BS required. Free tickets

• Being Me 10-Week Online Group Experience for Autistic 12 to 16-year-olds - GROVE - Starts Monday, October 5th - 5.30 to 6.30pm - From £250

📻 Listen to Autistic Culture Radio

🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com

🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Matt Lowry, LPP and Dr. Angela Kingdon explore Eminem’s potential place in Autistic culture—sparked by a viral meme suggesting the rapper is Autistic.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• How Eminem’s lyrics, including a direct reference to “Asperger’s syndrome,” suggest lived experiences familiar to Autistic people.
• The Autistic traits visible in his life and work—sensory overload, emotional intensity, OCD tendencies, addiction struggles (rooted in ableism), and a monotropic focus on rhyming.
• How his childhood special interests in comic books, dinosaurs, poetry, and rap helped him cope with bullying, school changes, and isolation.
• Why special interests aren’t just “annoying habits” but life-saving passions that provide identity and purpose.
• How Eminem’s focus and creativity allowed him to transform pain into art and become one of the world’s best-selling music artists.
• Personal reflections from Matt and Angela on the role of special interests, survival, and expression within Autistic culture.

Resources:

The Meme that Started it All

Legacy Lyrics

Wicked Ways Lyrics

Heat Lyrics

Related episodes:

Questlove is Autistic

🌟 Connect With Us

📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

🎙️ Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.

🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.