Professor Sue Fletcher Watson joins us on this week’s podcast. Sue was one of the keynote speakers at the Middletown Conference where she was discussing neurodiversity.  We continue that conversation and find out how the neurodiversity paradigm guides her research
 
 

This week on the Middletown podcast we meet Roisin McAnulty. She talks about her experiences growing up & the choices she's made as an autistic parent to autistic
children (including author & naturalist, Dara) 

Roisin will be speaking at the Middletown Conference this month 

The centre is celebrating some of our brilliant autistic community members in the Middletown podcast. In this episode we chat to Brian Irwin, autism advocate and Board Member with AsIAm, about his thoughts on growing up & becoming an advocate 

The Centre is continuing to celebrate our autistic community members in the podcast. In this episode we chat to Zoe McCormack, researcher & founder of the Autistic Art Club. She talks about mental health & the power of art  

Trigger
Warning: mention of suicide  

The Centre is continuing to celebrate our autistic community members in the podcast. In this episode we talk to Elaine McGoldrick, researcher & retired teacher. She talks about her experience growing up undiagnosed & her drive to support autistic students  

Elaine will be speaking at the Middletown Conference next month. Find out more here: https://www.middletownautism.com/social-media/middletown-conference-2023-2-2023 

For Autism Acceptance Month, the Middletown Podcast is celebrating some of our autistic community members. In this episode we learn more about Bobby Trundley, the autism advocate & multi-award winning motorsport driver.

“It is the world that is inept, not us. And when we are put in situations where we do have the ability to thrive, our fairy tales and our happily ever afters are going to be so incredibly magical.”  Powerful words from Chloe Hayden, author, activist and actress.  Listen more to Chloe’s experiences of being neurodivergent in this podcast recorded with Gemma O’Brien at the recent AsIAm conference.  

Continuing our podcast series in the build up to World Autism Accepatance Month, the Centre is delighted to share another insightful podcast recorded at the AsIAm conference last month.  This time Gemma O’Neill interviews Dr Wenn Lawson.  He discusses his passion for research and the importance of co-production, but also the challenges experienced by autistic researchers and the right to access a supportive workplace.  He finishes with some previews into his many and varied current and future projects. 

Pet owners gain a gain a huge amount of joy from their pets. In this  podcast Dr Cat Hughes (Researcher, Middletown Centre for Autism) talks to Dr Ana Maria Barcelos, a researcher at @universityoflincoln. Her research looks at how dog ownership can positively impact wellbeing & even suicidal thoughts in autistic adults. You can find out more about Ana’s study in our upcoming Research Bulletin. 

Please note that this podcast contains discussion on suicide which some listeners may find upsetting.

In this podcast you will hear an open and honest account of the teaching experiences of a newly qualified teacher in Fleming Fulton School.  She discusses the impact on her autistic students of getting the correct visual supports in place and acknowledges the support received by the school from Middletown Centre for Autism.

Acknowledgements: Helen Forde, Tracey McGovern and  Hannah Jordan.