The Autisphere Unmasked

We’re back for the 14th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast, where two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) share our experiences as autistic adults. In this episode we discuss autism and masking.

In this episode we begin by exploring how autistic people mask through a variety of ways. In particular, we focus on how we have hidden stims and become different people in different situations as ways to cope and blend in during social situations. We then move onto asking why autistic people mask. With our personal experiences detailing the need to avoid stigma, being desperate to fit in, and (sadly) to get ahead in work and school. 

Finally, we discuss autistic masking and the effects that the mask has upon us. We both detail an autism masking burnout and drastic consequences for our mental health. Autism and loss of identity is also talked about. Also in this section Emma talks about masking in girls and the gender divide in masking more generally.     

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ Autism 101: What is autsitic masking:  

Autism 101: What is autistic masking? - The Autisphere

○ Stim levels- How I understand my stimming: 

Stim levels- How I understand my stimming - The Autisphere

Sign up to our newsletter to receive a monthly round-up of content from The Autisphere: https://mailchi.mp/dfc147e209d3/sign-up 

OUR OTHER CONTENT:

Arron's kalimba channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsMrPitchy 

Arron’s twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/mrpitchy 

Emma’s business, Plan Inspire Create:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planinspirecreate 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/planinspirecreate 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planinspirecreate

Shop: https://planinspirecreate.com/

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the 13th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast, where two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) share our experiences as autistic adults. In this episode we discuss autism and emotions.

We explore how to identify your emotions when autistic, how to understand your feelings and describe them, and how body sensations and emotions relate to each other. We then move onto discussing how to process feelings and emotions when you are autistic. Finally we talk about support for emotions from others who understand autism to varying degrees. 

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ Alexithymia- How I engage with my emotions:  

Alexithymia- How I engage with my emotions - The Autisphere

○ Autism 101: What is stimming: 

Autism 101: What is stimming? An introduction - The Autisphere

Sign up to our newsletter to receive a monthly round-up of content from The Autisphere: https://mailchi.mp/dfc147e209d3/sign-up 

OUR OTHER CONTENT:

Arron's kalimba channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsMrPitchy 

Arron’s twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/mrpitchy 

Emma’s business, Plan Inspire Create:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planinspirecreate 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/planinspirecreate 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planinspirecreate

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/planinspirecreate

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the 12th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast, where two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) share our experiences as autistic adults. In this episode we discuss autism and shutdowns.

We explore what a shutdown is, what it looks and feels like, and why autistic people experience shutdowns. We think about what might prevent shutdowns, how to cope when overwhelmed, and how we look after ourselves during and after an autistic shutdown.

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ Autism 101: what are autistic shutdowns:  

https://theautisphere.com/what-are-autistic-shutdowns/ 

○ Voice hearing and autism - sensory differences: 

https://theautisphere.com/voice-hearing-and-autism-sensory-differences/ 

Sign up to our newsletter to receive a monthly round-up of content from The Autisphere: https://mailchi.mp/dfc147e209d3/sign-up 

OUR OTHER CONTENT:

Arron's kalimba channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsMrPitchy 

Arron’s twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/mrpitchy 

Emma’s business, Plan Inspire Create:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planinspirecreate 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/planinspirecreate 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planinspirecreate

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/planinspirecreate

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the 11th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast featuring two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) discussing life as an autistic adult. New Year’s is a time where fresh starts and goal setting are talked about frequently. However, the autisitc experience during this time characterised by change is rarely talked about! Therefore, in this episode we talk about the negative and positive experiences of autism and New Year’s resolutions! But also changes and goal setting more generally.

We begin by talking about the negative experiences of New Year’s and autism, with a focus on how annual goals and autism do not always coincide well. This is often due to the neurotypical expectations for too many changes at once, the assumption that we were previously not trying ‘hard enough’, and the difficulties with judgement from others. We then move on to discussing how New Year’s and autism can be a more positive experience. For us this is done through the chance for reflection and space with like-minded people, where change can be approached in a more paced manner which accounts for autism and routine. 

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ An autistic January- 

An autistic January - The Autisphere

○ Diagnosis change- an autistic experience- 

Diagnosis change- an autistic experience - The Autisphere

Sign up to our newsletter to receive a monthly round-up of content from The Autisphere: https://mailchi.mp/dfc147e209d3/sign-up

OUR OTHER CONTENT:

Arron's kalimba channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsMrPitchy 

Arron’s twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/mrpitchy 

Emma’s business, Plan Inspire Create:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planinspirecreate 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/planinspirecreate 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planinspirecreate

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/planinspirecreate

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the 10th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast featuring two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) discussing life as an autistic adult. Though we both work on The Autisphere and other projects, we wanted to talk about the difficulties with working while autistic. Work and autism is a topic that both of us have faced hardship with so we wanted to share our autistic experiences of work.

We start the podcast by discussing autism and work expectations. With our focus mainly being on work being a stressful but necessary part of life. We then talk about how our expectations informed our early experiences of work with autism as we reached adulthood. This part of the podcast is centred around our autistic work experience of traditional work. We also discuss autism and work discrimination that we faced during our lives. However we end on a positive note by talking about autism and leaving work. Then moving the discussion to our post-traditional work experiences. How we have found greater balance and satisfaction outside of autistic employment in traditional jobs. 

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

Weighted blanket -

 https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/624741245/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ How to challenge discrimination in conversation- 

How to challenge discrimination in conversation - The Autisphere

○ Don’t call me lazy! Why being autsitc can be exhausting- 

Alexithymia- An emotional story of difference - The Autisphere

Sign up to our newsletter to receive a monthly round-up of content from The Autisphere: https://mailchi.mp/dfc147e209d3/sign-up

OUR OTHER CONTENT:

Arron's kalimba channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsMrPitchy 

Arron’s twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/mrpitchy 

Emma’s business, Plan Inspire Create:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planinspirecreate 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/planinspirecreate 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planinspirecreate

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/planinspirecreate

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the 9th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast featuring two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) discussing life as an autistic adult. We might be best friends with autism, but making friends with autism is something we have always struggled with. So in this episode we wanted to talk about how to make friends when you are autistic. 

As well as talking about making friends, we also discuss how to keep friends when you are autistic. We share experiences of finding autism communities online, and the dynamics of autism and neurotypical friendships. We also talk about telling people you are autistic and how to unmask with friends. The ending of the podcast is centred around difficulties both of us have had with autism and boundaries. Despite these difficulties, we give tips on how to set boundaries with autism that have helped us.  

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ 10 tips for coping with change as an autistic person- 

10 tips for coping with change as an autistic person - The Autisphere

○ Alexithymia- An emotional story of difference - 

Alexithymia- An emotional story of difference - The Autisphere


Sign up to our newsletter to receive a monthly round-up of content from The Autisphere: https://mailchi.mp/dfc147e209d3/sign-up


OUR OTHER CONTENT:

Arron's kalimba channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsMrPitchy 

Arron’s twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/mrpitchy 

Emma’s business, Plan Inspire Create:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planinspirecreate 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/planinspirecreate 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planinspirecreate

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/planinspirecreate

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the 8th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast featuring two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) discussing life as an autistic adult. People seemed to really like the last episode where we interviewed Emma’s mum, and so this time we interviewed Arron’s sister Lyndsey all about growing up with an autistic sibling.

We were interested to hear Lyndsey’s views on finding out your brother is autistic as an adult. What was it like growing up with an autistic brother, and what was it like for Arron being the only autistic person in the family? We discuss late autism diagnosis from a sibling’s perspective, and whether their relationship has changed as a result. The episode also features discussion around autistic mental health, and the challenges of managing autism and mental health difficulties together.

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ When self-care fails - an autistic experience - https://theautisphere.com/when-self-care-fails-an-autistic-experience/ 

○ Askign Emma’s mom about autism - https://theautisphereunmasked.buzzsprout.com/1438996/9054363-asking-my-mom-about-autism-finding-out-your-adult-child-is-autistic-the-autisphere-unmasked-ep-7 

OUR OTHER CONTENT:

Arron's kalimba channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/ItsMrPitchy 

Arron’s twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/mrpitchy 

Emma’s business, Plan Inspire Create:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/planinspirecreate 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/planinspirecreate 

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/planinspirecreate

Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/planinspirecreate

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the 7th episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast featuring two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) discussing life as an autistic adult. This episode features an interview with Emma’s mum Allison as we ask her about finding out your adult child is autistic.

We were interested to hear Allison’s views on being the parent of an autistic adult. What is it like to find out your child thinks they might be autistic and to have this conversation after 30 years of being a parent? We discuss supporting a relative with an adult assessment and late autism diagnosis from a parent’s perspective. An autism mom answers questions and considers whether she may actually be an autistic parent. Are they actually a mother and daughter with autism, and how has this impacted on their relationship?

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ Emma’s diagnosis journey - https://theautisphere.com/my-autism-diagnosis-journey-introduction/

○ What is autistic masking - https://theautisphere.com/autism-101-what-is-autistic-masking/ 

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the sixth episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast featuring two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) discussing life as an autistic adult. This episode focuses on how we’ve made positive changes since autism diagnosis.

We discuss life after an autism diagnosis which started with accepting autism diagnosis. We first talk about changes to our general outlook and approach which included autistic self-acceptance, learning to unmask and considering autism positives. We explore how to create a balanced life with autism and autism and work. Then, we talk about the social aspects such as attending autistic groups, making autistic friendships and exploring special interests.

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ Autism 101: what is autistic masking - https://theautisphere.com/autism-101-what-is-autistic-masking/ 

○ Autism, hypersensitivity and (quiet) music) - https://theautisphere.com/autism-hypersensitivity-and-quiet-music/ 

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.

We’re back for the fifth episode of The Autisphere Unmasked Podcast featuring two autistic friends (Emma and Arron) discussing life as an autistic adult. This episode focuses on autistic experiences of sound.

We discuss pleasant reassuring sounds versus sounds that can be disruptive and distressing. We then talk about how to manage distressing sounds to avoid sensory overload. Finally, Arron touches on his personal  experience of voice hearing as an autistic person, including how his usual techniques for managing distressing sounds do not necessarily work in this instance.

As always, we share our autistic life experience and we’d love to hear from you whether your experiences have been similar or different.

(A quick warning that there are some loud breathing sounds in this podcast. Arron recently fell and injured his ribs, so it is quite difficult to breathe smoothly and quietly at the moment. We have done our best to remove them) 

AUTISM GLOSSARY:

https://theautisphere.com/autism-glossary/

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE TO READ: 

○ Autism 101: sensory differences with autism - https://theautisphere.com/sensory-differences-with-autism/ 

○ Autism, hypersensitivity and (quiet) music) - https://theautisphere.com/autism-hypersensitivity-and-quiet-music/ 

COME SAY HI! 

Blog: http://www.theautisphere.com 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisphere 

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/theautisphere 

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/autisphere 

And don’t forget to subscribe so that you don’t miss future episodes of the podcast as we talk about seeing and experiencing the world differently.