Autistic Culture Podcast Network

In this episode of Autistic Advocacy, Matt Lowry LPP and Dr. Angela Kingdon celebrate one of the most joyful and identity-defining aspects of autistic life—special interests (SPINS).

From Frankenstein to Bob Geldof, Crowded House to the early internet, this episode dives into how SPINS offer comfort, connection, and career possibilities—and why they’re an essential part of autistic culture, not a “reward” to be earned.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• How SPINS provide escape, identity, and emotional regulation—especially during challenging childhoods
• The hosts’ personal SPINS and how they’ve evolved over time
• Why autistic people thrive on deep media dives, director’s cuts, and IMDb explorations
• The role the early internet played as a haven for autistic connection and fandom culture
• How ABA’s approach to “earning” special interests is harmful and rooted in deficit thinking
• Ways to build a fulfilling career around your SPINS
• How mutual info-dumping creates powerful, lasting autistic relationships

Resources:

🧠 Angela’s SPIN Study – Exploring Autistic Special Interests in Intimacy🔗 bit.ly/spinstudy

Related Episodes:

The Orville is Autistic

Board games are Autistic

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🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

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🌐 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.

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Matt Lowry LPP and Dr. Angela Kingdon sit down with Susan—aka The Autistic Woman—a retired judge, late-diagnosed autistic adult, and host of Meet My Autistic Brain. Together, they explore the unique challenges and opportunities autistic people encounter in the legal field.

From the appeal of clear rules and logical systems to the harsh realities of burnout and systemic injustice, this conversation examines how autistic minds navigate the courtroom, the office, and the grey areas in between.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Why autistic people are often drawn to law and justice-related work
• How masking in law school and legal careers can lead to severe burnout
• The benefits and drawbacks of black-and-white thinking in a profession full of nuance
• How legal hierarchies and courtroom culture can clash with autistic communication styles
• Why research, strategy, and structured problem-solving are natural autistic strengths
• How disillusionment hits harder when the system doesn’t reflect our sense of fairness
• Representation in media—how autistic-coded lawyers reflect real experiences

Resources:

🎙️ The Neurodivergent Experience – Hosted by our producer, Simon

🎧 Meet My Autistic Brain – Hosted by Susan, The Autistic Woman → Visit theautisticwoman.com

📱 Follow The Autistic Woman: Instagram @anautisticwoman | Twitter/X @anautisticwoman

Related Episodes

Star Trek is Autistic

Apple is Autistic

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📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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

In this episode of Autistic Advocacy, Matt Lowry LPP and Dr. Angela Kingdon are joined by Kate McNulty—autistic sex and relationship therapist—to explore intimacy, dating, and emotional connection from a neurodivergent perspective.

From sensory overwhelm to SPIN-sharing love languages, they unpack how autistic adults can build relationships that are joyful, authentic, and sustainable—without masking away their true selves.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Unique challenges of dating while autistic: sensory issues, communication differences, and masking in relationships
• How masking in romance can lead to emotional burnout and disconnection
• The role of special interests (SPINs) as an autistic love language
• Why autistic voices have been excluded from conversations about intimacy, and how to change that
• How couples therapy can be adapted for autistic or mixed-neurotype relationships
• Autism and asexuality—plus the diversity of intimacy experiences in the LGBTQ+ autistic community
• Practical strategies for making intimacy sensory-friendly and emotionally safe
• Why many autistic people are open to non-traditional relationship structures despite valuing routine
• Celebrating autistic joy in relationships through authenticity and shared passion

Featured Guest: Kate McNulty

Kate McNulty is a proudly autistic licensed clinical social worker specializing in autism-affirming therapy, sex and relationship counselling, and neurodivergent support. She is certified by the Gottman Institute in relationship therapy and by AASECT as a sex therapist. Kate is passionate about helping autistic individuals and couples build meaningful, joyful, and authentic connections.

• 🔗 Therapy Practice – portland-counseling.com
• 🔗 Sex Therapy & Education – sexpositivetherapist.com
• 🔗 Autism-Specific Services – autistictherapist.com
• 📅 Schedule a session

Resources:

• 🧠 Angela’s SPIN Study → bit.ly/spinstudy
• 🖤 Find a Kink Munch – A neurodivergent-friendly way to meet like-minded people → Find a Munch
• 📚 Exhibitionism for the Shy by Carol Queen → Available on Amazon
• 📺 I Love You, Don’t Touch Me: Sex and Sensory Processing – Pink Therapy on YouTube → Watch here

Related Episodes:

Kink 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

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

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Matt and Angela explore the deeply autistic-coded world of Lena Dunham—from her EDS diagnosis to her ground breaking (and often misunderstood) work on Girls.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Autism, EDS, and POTS connections – Why Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and POTS often co-occur with autism, and how Lena Dunham’s chronic illness journey mirrors autistic burnout.
• Neurodivergent storytelling – How Girls functions as an autistic TV show, created by a mind that doesn’t follow neurotypical norms, and why that resonates so strongly.
• On-screen autistic traits – How Lena’s character exhibits markers like rejection-sensitive dysphoria, clothing sensitivities, difficulty with transitions, and social cue misfires.
• The memoir effect – How Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl was misunderstood by neurotypical audiences, and what it reveals about the risks autistic creatives face when being raw and unfiltered.
• Autistic-coded characters in creative spaces – The canonical autism of Girls character Shoshanna, and why neurodivergent-created worlds often feature clusters of autistic-coded characters.
• The burnout arc – How Lena’s autistic traits were pathologized, her career sidelined, and how loss of creative control can trigger health crises for neurodivergent people.
• Neurodivergent connections in music – Lena’s marriage to Jack Antonoff, his song writing for Fun. and Bleachers, and the crossover with Taylor Swift—also widely considered neurodivergent-coded.

Resources:

🧠 Autism, Neurodivergence & Mental Health

• Why Taylor Swift Seems to Be Autistic
• Jack Antonoff Discusses OCD Rituals and Loss – People
• Lena Dunham on OCD, Anxiety, and Mental Health – Wikipedia

🩺 Chronic Illness & EDS

• Lena Dunham Reveals Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Diagnosis – CNN

📚 Writing, Creativity & Public Perception

• Lena Dunham’s Passion for Writing in Girls – Project MUSE
• Lena Dunham’s Communication Style & Public Criticism – Medium
• Lena Dunham on Routine, Structure & Creativity – The New Yorker

🎙️ Related Episodes:

• Taylor Swift is Autistic
• Meat Body Maintenance

🌟 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

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

In this episode of Autistic Advocacy, Matt and Angela tackle one of the most overlooked yet critical topics in autistic life: sleep difficulties. From sensory sensitivities to delayed sleep phases, they explore why rest is often elusive for autistic people—and what can be done to reclaim it.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

The scope of the issue – Why sleep disorders in autistic people are both under-researched and extremely common, including sleep apnea, insomnia, hypersomnia, and delayed sleep phase onset.

Sensory and physical factors – How sensory sensitivities, interoception differences, and muscle tone variations can disrupt sleep quality and contribute to long-term autistic burnout.

Daily life mismatch – Why falling asleep, staying asleep, and waking up are uniquely challenging in a neurotypical-scheduled world with early start times.

Transition trouble – How the autistic difficulty with transitions impacts both bedtime and morning routines.

Sleep as survival – Understanding that sleep isn’t optional—poor rest directly impacts physical health, immune function, and emotional resilience.

Practical strategies – Ways to support autistic sleep needs:

• Embrace a low-demand lifestyle
• Honour your natural sleep-wake cycle
• Reduce night-time sensory overwhelm
• Create autism-friendly routines that invite rest rather than force sleep

Related Episodes:

Autism Affirming Social Skills

Aging and Executive Function

Moving Is An Autistic Hell

🌟 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

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

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Matt and Angela explore why Sonic the Hedgehog is an autism icon—from stimmy visuals and structured gameplay to monotropic flow states and even a surprising connection to Michael Jackson.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• The Michael Jackson connection – How MJ’s uncredited work on the Sonic 3 soundtrack reflects his neurodivergent traits, obsessive creativity, and passion for video games.
• Masking in public personas – Parallels between MJ, Taylor Swift, Walt Disney, and how long-term public image curation can function as autistic masking.
• Autism-Sonic synergy – Bright colours, predictable level structures, justice-driven themes, and deep lore that feed autistic special interests.
• Flow state gameplay – Why Sonic’s fast-paced yet structured world is ideal for hyper-connected autistic brains.
• Fandom and representation – Jim Carrey’s portrayal of Robotnik, the role of uncredited industry work, and how ABA narratives have attempted to co-opt autistic fandoms.

Resources & Links

• The History of Sonic – Mascot Wars – Read on the Delcampe Blog
• The Concept Creation of Sonic – Read on The Boar
• Sonic & Knuckles: Turning a Problem Into Success – . Read on VentureBeat
• What Is It with Autistic People and Sonic the Hedgehog? – Read on Medium by Eccentric Emmie
• Michael Jackson’s Involvement in Sonic 3 – Michael Jackson Songs in Sonic 3 – YouTube

Related Episodes:

Pokémon is Autistic

Animation 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

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

In this episode of Autistic Advocacy, Matt and Angela take a hard look at the “Make America Healthy Again” executive orders—examining how proposed wellness camps and health policies echo dangerous historical patterns and pose real threats to autistic and disabled communities.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• A history we can’t ignore – How fascist regimes have targeted neurodivergent people, including Hans Asperger’s eugenics-linked legacy of labeling autistic people as “worthy” or “unworthy” of survival.
• Autism is not an illness – Why autism can’t and shouldn’t be “cured,” and how it’s an integral, natural part of human diversity.
• Internalized ableism & ABA harm – The impact of internalized ableism among low-support-needs autistics, plus a breakdown of ABA’s behavioral roots and its troubling ties to Lovaas and gay conversion therapy.
• Flawed autism levels – Why “functioning labels” are classist and ableist, more about capitalist performance than true support needs.
• Representation doesn’t equal advocacy – Why Elon Musk’s autism diagnosis doesn’t make him a voice for the autistic community’s values.
• Intersection of rights – The overlap between trans and disabled rights, and how political policies dehumanize both groups.
• Myth-busting vaccines – A reaffirmation that vaccines do not cause autism, and that autistic people have always existed—and always will.

Resources:

Facebook Post – Dr. Angela Kingdon – A personal autistic perspective on the dangers of the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative and its implications for disabled and neurodivergent communities. Read on Facebook

ASAN Statement – Autistic Self Advocacy Network – “ASAN Condemns Announcement of President’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ Commission” outlines how these policies are dangerous to autistic and disabled people and rooted in harmful ideologies. Read the full statement on ASAN’s website

Related Episodes:

Fighting Internalized Ableism

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📱 Follow us on Instagram

🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop

🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

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

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Matt and Angela are joined by Shakespeare scholar Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis to explore how Shakespeare’s plays connect with autistic experiences—from emotional intensity to characters whose traits feel deeply neurodivergent.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Autistic-coded heroes – How characters like Hamlet, Coriolanus, Othello, and King Lear embody autistic themes such as moral intensity, social disconnect, and emotional overload.
• Disability lens on the Bard – Dr. Loftis shares her journey into studying Shakespeare through a disability perspective, and the rise of autism-friendly and relaxed performances at venues like The Globe.
• Bottom-up processing & inertia – Why lines like “To be or not to be” can feel like expressions of autistic inertia, and how Shakespeare’s language structure invites bottom-up processing that resonates with neurodivergent minds.
• Otherness & ableism – How portrayals of “the outsider” in Shakespeare’s works reflect societal treatment of autistic people, and where ableist framing still appears.
• Shakespeare as therapy – From prison programs to elder care, and even modern neurodivergent Shakespeare meetups, his works offer catharsis and connection.
• Was Shakespeare neurodivergent? – Considering his prolific, atypical perspective on language and emotion as possible indicators of neurodivergence.

Featured Guest: Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis

Dr. Sonya Freeman Loftis is a Shakespeare scholar, disability studies researcher, and author whose work explores how literature intersects with neurodivergence and lived experience.

🔗 Explore Dr. Loftis’s Academic Profile on Academia.edu

📖 William Shakespeare Was on the Autism Spectrum (Asperger’s Syndrome) – Read on ResearchGate

Related Episodes:

Questlove is Autistic

Eminem 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.

In this follow-up to our previous discussion on autistic medical needs, Matt and Angela dive deeper into the complex world of healthcare for autistic people. From misunderstood comorbidities to the exhausting reality of medical self-advocacy in a neurotypical system, this conversation shines a light on the urgent need for neurodiversity-affirming care.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Common comorbidities — Exploring POTS, MCAS, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, PMDD, PCOS, PTSD, and how life in a non-autistic world directly impacts our physical health.
• Medical gaslighting — Why autistic patients are often dismissed, especially when they come prepared with research, and how this erodes trust in providers.
• Processing differences — How bottom-up thinking and the need to understand why clash with top-down medical systems built on compliance, not collaboration.
• Masking in medical settings — The ways autistic patients are misread as cold, overly emotional, or aggressive when advocating for themselves.
• Intersectional barriers — How systemic racism and ableism amplify harm for multiply marginalized autistic people in healthcare.
• Moving toward solutions — The role of autistic community support, provider education, and affirming care in creating equitable healthcare experiences.

Related Episodes:

Autistic Medical Needs

Autism Affirming Social Skills

🌟 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

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

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, Matt and Angela explore how Anne Shirley—of Anne of Green Gables fame—embodies a deeply relatable autistic-coded experience. From echolalia and infodumping to emotional intensity and sensory sensitivities, Anne’s world mirrors the challenges, joys, and resilience of neurodivergent life.

🎧 What You’ll Learn:

• Autistic-coded traits in Anne Shirley — How feeling like an outsider, struggling to mask, and being told she’s “too much” reflect autistic realities.
• Historical context — The impact of the Industrial Revolution’s factory-model school system on conformity, internalized ableism, and educational trauma.
• Neurodivergent connection — Examining Anne’s friendships, particularly with Gilbert, as examples of deep, mutual understanding.
• Cultural parallels — Why Japan’s love for Anne aligns with autistic cultural values, and how Lucy Maud Montgomery may have infused her own neurodivergence into the character.

Resources:

• Community discussion on Anne’s creativity, emotional intensity, and unique social interactions as possible indicators of autism. 🔗 Read on Reddit
• Video essay exploring autistic traits in key characters. 🔗 Watch on YouTube
• Autistic-Coded TV and Film Characters – Features Anne Shirley-Cuthbert among other neurodivergent-coded characters. 🔗 Read on The Wyrd Sisters
• Characters That Ping Our NeuroScopes – Looks at fictional characters, including Anne, who resonate with neurodivergent experiences. 🔗Read the Medium piece
• Lucy Maud Montgomery and Anne of Green Gables: An Early Description of ADHD – Explores overlaps between ADHD and autism traits. 🔗 Read the study on PubMed
• Reflecting on Anne with an E through an autistic lens. 🔗 Read on Facebook

Related Episodes:

Dimensions of Autistic Culture

Only Murders is Autistic

Community 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

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