Meet My Autistic Brain

Can being autistic make a person a great detective? According to writer Tim Sullivan the answer is yes. He’s created a main character, Detective Sergeant George Cross, whose sense of justice, attention to detail and systematic approach to crime-solving gives him a distinct advantage. In an authentic portrayal of an autistic character Tim reveals why he writes about George and tells how George has become an endearing character in his books. This Cambridge-educated, screenwriter-turned-novelist demonstrates the importance of acceptance and the qualities that make autistics shine.

Tim Sullivan's Websites: US  UK

Tim's books

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Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

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Email: [email protected]
Website

Have you thought about unmasking, i.e. telling people you’re autistic, by advocating for diversity? Here’s one story about how unmasking played out, including:

• The blank looks, the self-doubt, and the mental replay afterward
• Whether advocacy is worth the emotional cost
• The tension between staying safe behind the mask… or speaking plainly

If you’ve ever left a room and replayed every word, wondering if you revealed too much — this conversation is for you!

Link to the story about Justice Kevin Dougherty of Pennsylvania who advocates for training judges about autism: https://www.pennlive.com/news/2021/03/pa-supreme-court-justice-eyes-reforms-to-serve-those-on-autism-spectrum.html

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

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Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

In this conversation, author, screenwriter and teacher Claire McGowan shares what it’s been like to receive an autism diagnosis at 43 — and how that discovery is reshaping her understanding of her life, identity, and creative work.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Claire’s late autism diagnosis and the path that led to it
• The mix of grief, anger, relief, and curiosity that followed
• Growing up in Northern Ireland in the 80s and why autism wasn’t on the radar
• Sensory overwhelm — from public transport to event spaces
• Hyperfocus, productivity, and writing 28 books in 14 years
• What Claire hopes will change in how society supports autistic adults

Claire also shares about the importance of talking about neurodiversity.

Claire McGowan website https://www.clairemcgowan.co.uk/

Claire’s book The Other Couple  https://www.clairemcgowan.co.uk/books

Claire on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/clairemcgowanwriter

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

Autism affects how autistics experience relationships by definition. Some of the best traits can either lead to problems or support us in succeeding. In this episode you’ll learn about why autistics pick the wrong partner and how you can change it. It’s a thoughtful episode about relationships, compatibility, and learning what to notice.

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

Unmasking is an ongoing process of noticing when we’re performing, deciding what serves us, and making gradual adjustments, according to Essy Knopf therapist and author of “Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back”. Essy shares his autism diagnosis at 25 and later recognition of ADHD, highlighting how masking and non-stereotypical presentations delayed identification. In this conversation Essy shares about:

• Internalized ableism 
• Conditional self-worth 
• Burnout, and 
• The difficulty of forming authentic connections while performing for acceptance. 

This episode offers a grounded discussion of identity, self-advocacy, and living more intentionally as a neurodivergent adult.

Book: Unmasking: What We Lose by Pretending and How to Get It Back 

Website: https://essyknopf.com

Check out Essy's YouTube channel 

Essy on Instagram

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

In this episode I chat with Natalie Diggins, technologist and author of The Autistic Adult's Toolbox. Natalie gives step-by-step strategies and tools that work for autistics. From parties to friendships to doctor’s appointments Natalie shares the toolbox she developed using her systems approach to problem solving. You’ll learn how to have a plan before socializing, how to save energy for what matters and how to recognize your limits. Using checklists, questionnaires, planners and scripts Leslie helps you find out what you really want and how to get there. Get all the details from the ingenious Natalie Diggins.

Some of what you'll learn about:

*How to prepare for a doctor's appointment or medical procedure

*How to comfortably handle social situations

*Three key strategies to make friendships easier 

Natalie's book: The Autistic Adult's Toolbox

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

Every day autistic people face the big question. We can stay hidden or we can be real. There’s no right or wrong answer…except maybe this one time?

When have you been in a situation like this and what did you choose? Write to me at [email protected]

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

Ever notice how nature calms you, music shifts your mood and soft textures make you feel amazing?

Sensory processing plays a role in how autistic adults experience the world—yet it’s often misunderstood. In this episode, Donna Redman and occupational therapist Cindy Duffy unpack what sensory processing really is, how it affects emotional regulation and behavior, and why so many autistic adults spend years masking sensory discomfort.

We talk about:

• What sensory processing is and how it works in the nervous system
• How sensory differences show up in autistic adults
• Masking sensory discomfort and the emotional cost of “looking fine”
• The connection between sensory overload and anxiety, agitation, and burnout
• How environment, nature, and art support sensory well-being
• Why awareness alone can dramatically reduce stress and self-blame

The Secret Genius of Sensory Processing website 

The Secret Genius of Sensory Processing Quick Start Guide  

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

Have you been told you’re “too sensitive?” Do you struggle to complete tasks or projects? Have you given up trying to find out why life seems hard?

In this episode, clinical psychologist Dr. Gilly Kahn reveals why many women with ADHD are stressing themselves to appear normal and how the clinical world’s focus on young boys has left millions of women without answers.

We talk about:

• The "Double Burden" of Success: Why high IQ and degrees often act as a barrier to diagnosis, leaving women to struggle in secret.
• RSD vs. Reality: Understanding Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria—not as a personality trait, but as a neurological response to a lifetime of negative feedback.
• Hormonal Interference: A look at how hormones affect ADHD and ADHD medications
• Creative Survival: Why habits labeled “quirky” might actually be high-level executive function workarounds.

Dr. Gilly Kahn’s website

Book: Allow Me To Interrupt: A Psychologist Reveals the Emotional Truth Behind Women’s ADHD  

Dr Gilly Kahn on Instagram

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website

You’re done and you don’t know why. The brain is turned off and no words come to mind. You might not move. You might cry. You might be desperate to be alone. This is what shutdown feels like. How do you recognize a shutdown and is there anything you can do to prevent it? This episode has some answers.

Support the show

Subscribe to Meet My Autistic Brain for more conversations that go beyond the usual autism explanations and get into the experiences, frustrations and unexpected discoveries of being an autistic adult.

Ranked #1 in FeedSpot's 40 Best Adult Autism Podcasts 

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.3 million downloads!

If you're enjoying the podcast and would like to help me continue making new episodes, you can support the show on Patreon, PayPal or KoFi. You can also give a gift to someone who can benefit from learning more about autism. 

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at [email protected].

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: [email protected]
Website