Autism, Environment and Outcome with Dr Luke Beardon

In this new episode of The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast I am joined by Dr Luke Beardon, senior lecturer in Autism at Sheffield Hallam University and the mind behind the golden equation:

Autism + Environment = Outcome.

Luke and I explore what happens when we stop blaming Autistic people for their distress and start seeking information from the environments around us instead. We talk about autistic safety, energy and burnout, and why so many of us live in a near-constant state of unsafety long before crisis ever appears on the surface.

Together we unpack:

• How “Autism + Environment = Outcome” shifts responsibility away from the Autistic child or adult and onto systems, settings and relationships.

• Autistic safety, home as a haven, and why predictability and authenticity are non negotiable rather than “nice to have”.

• Autistic energy as more than social energy, and why expecting Autistic children to “bounce back” day after day is both unrealistic and harmful.

• Scrupulous autistic self blame and Luke’s idea of refusing apologies for simply being your authentic Autistic self.

• The autistic constellation and “donut” as richer ways to understand Autistic identity over time, rather than a fixed checklist.

• How to lay the groundwork for talking with children and young people about being Autistic, using neuroaffirmative language and everyday metaphors rather than fear based narratives.

Luke’s work has profoundly shaped my own Autistic life, my parenting and my practice, and his theories are woven through almost every training I deliver. It was a privilege to sit with the person whose books sit on my shelves and whose ideas sit in so many of our classrooms and homes.

Listen now to hear a deeply validating, practical and unapologetically Autistic centred conversation with Dr Luke Beardon on The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast.