Hear Nicola Rowan-Brooks's story about being diagnosed by Sarah Hendrickx at the age of 55. Nicola shares the impact of her autism diagnosis and what life was like growing up undiagnosed in the UK.

Nicola runs an online business restoring teddy bears. Her website is called Ambrosia Bears.

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

"Girls and Women and Autism: What's the Difference?" [YouTube video] by Sarah Hendrickx

Episode intro and outro music: "Relacrux" by CRUXORIUM (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

Ciara Harte is a neurodivergent counsellor based in Victoria, British Columbia. In this episode, Kristen and Ciara chat about Ciara's critical discourse analysis of ABA. Ciara has firsthand experience working with applied behaviour analysis principles and practices, and was heavily involved in ABA for a few years. 

Topics discussed also include:

• A brief history of ABA
• The interactional and discursive view of violence and resistance + response-based practice
• The problem of informed consent and ABA
• The ways autistic children enact resistance during applied behaviour analysis

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

"Reframing Compliance: Exposing Violence Within Applied Behaviour Analysis" by Ciara Harte

Check out Ciara's website: Ciara Harte Counselling

"Autistic Experiences of Applied Behaviour Analysis" by Laura Anderson

"Quiet Hands" by Julia Bascom

Handbook of Applied Behavior Analysis: History, Philosophy, Principles, and Basic Methods by Wayne W. Fisher et al.

"The Line Between Intervention and Abuse: Autism and Applied Behaviour Analysis" by Patrick Kirkham

"Evidence of Increased PTSD Symptoms in Autistics Exposed to Applied Behavior Analysis" by Henny Kupferstein

"Invisible Abuse: ABA and the Things Only Autistic People Can See" by C. L. Lynch

"I Am a Disillusioned BCBA: Autistics Are Right About ABA" by Jo Ram

"Publication Bias in Studies of an Applied Behavior-Analytic Intervention: An Initial Analysis" by Elyssa Sham and Tristram Smith

Episode intro and outro music: "London 2 Catalan" by Independent Music Licensing Collective (IMLC) (no changes or modifications were made) 

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

Hear Leslie's story about stumbling upon autism later in life, and the series of aha moments that ensued.

Leslie previously worked in animation on feature films such as FernGully: The Last Rainforest, The Lion King, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas, and Space Jam. She is now a freelance graphic designer crafting bespoke graphics and brand development for rogues, disruptors, and obsessives in California.

Topics discussed also include:

• Reasons why some people don't pursue formal autism diagnosis
• Intense empathy experienced by many on the spectrum
• Responses of loved ones to news of a potential autism diagnosis
• Some challenges with online autism screening tests

If you'd like to know more about this topic, check out:

Leslie's reading list:

Women and Girls With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Understanding Life Experiences From Early Childhood to Old Age by Sarah Hendrickx and Judith Gould

Odd Girl Out: An Autistic Woman in a Neurotypical World by Laura James

Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum by Jennifer Cook O'Toole

Older Autistic Adults: In Their Own Words — The Lost Generation by Wilma Wake, Eric Endlich, and Robert S. Lagos

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

Autism Psychometric Tests —Embrace Autism website

"Reasons Autism Self-Diagnosis is Valid" by Aly Laube

"A Mixed Methods Study of Barriers to Formal Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adults" by Laura Foran Lewis

"Autism Identity and the 'Lost Generation': Structural Validation of the Autism Spectrum Identity Scale and Comparison of Diagnosed and Self-Diagnosed Adults on the Autism Spectrum" by T. A. M. McDonald

"Biocertification and Neurodiversity: The Role and Implications of Self-Diagnosis in Autistic Communities" by Jennifer C. Sarrett

"How is Psychological Wellbeing Experienced by Autistic Women? Challenges and Protective Factors: A Meta-Synthesis" by Natalie Yau et al.

Episode intro and outro music: "Life Progression" by Sh

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

Have you ever heard that autistic people often have adverse or unexpected reactions (or total lack of response) to prescription and over-the-counter medications? Well, it could be genetics, pharmacogenetics, that is!

Topics discussed also include:

• Ultra-rapid and very slow drug metabolizers
• How medication sensitivity is not hypochondria
• Mast cell activation syndrome and medication fillers
• Autistic folks' reactions to psychotropic drugs

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

"Pharmacogenomics of Autism Spectrum Disorder" by Brown et al.

"Pharmacogenetic Influences on the Response to Pharmacological Treatment in Autism Spectrum Disorders" by Hervas et al.

"Get to Know an Enzyme: CYP2D6" by Horn and Hansten

"What is Pharmacogenomics?" —National Institute of General Medical Sciences

"The Medications Used to Treat Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder" by Regan

"Recognition and Management of Medication Excipient Reactivity in Patients With Mast Cell Activation Syndrome" by Schofield and Afrin

Episode intro and outro music: "Hachimantai Snow" by Maarten Schellekens (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

What's the difference between the medical and social models of autism? And what gave rise to the social model of autism?

Topics discussed also include:

• "Mad pride's" influence on the neurodiversity movement
• How autism may have a similar fate as homosexuality
• The neurodiversity movement's stance towards applied behaviour analysis (ABA)
• The new academic field of Critical Autism Studies

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

"Neurodiversity: An Insider's Perspective" by Den Houting

"Out of DSM: Depathologizing Homosexuality" by Drescher

"Challenging Psychiatric Classification: Healthy Autistic Diversity and the Neurodiversity Movement" by Dyck and Russell

"Understanding and Promoting the Human Rights of Autistic People" by Iyall-Smith

"Autistic Self-Advocacy and the Neurodiversity Movement: Implications for Autism Early Intervention Research and Practice" by Leadbitter et al.

"Privileging Autistics of Color: A Human Rights Approach to Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy" by Rubey

Episode intro and outro music: "Bedroom Eyes" by Audiobinger (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

I discuss the physical and mental health conditions that often exist alongside autism.

Topics discussed also include:

• The overlap between autism and ADHD
• The overlap between autism and being trans
• The reasons why it's important to discuss co-occurring conditions and autism
• Co-occurring conditions in autistic children

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

"Umbrella Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses on Comorbid Physical Conditions in People With Autism Spectrum Disorder" by Rydzewska et al.

"Prevalence of Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders Among People With Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Umbrella Review of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" by Hossain et al.

"Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD: Overlapping Phenomenology, Diagnostic Issues, and Treatment Considerations" by Antshel and Russo

"Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Amongst Individuals With Gender Dysphoria: A Systematic Review" by Thrower et al.

"Autism Medical Comorbidities" by Al-Beltagi

Episode intro and outro music: "Autumn Leaves" by Maarten Schellekens (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

Dr. Elaine Aron and her husband coined the term highly sensitive person (HSP) in the 1990s. Since then, her books and online content on the subject have become widely read and discussed. I'm not the first to see an overlap between the HSP trait and autism, and I won't be the last! 

Topics discussed also include:

• An overview of the HSP checklist
• Getting into some details about Dr. Aron's now-deleted FAQ website content on HSP and autism
• Specific ways that Dr. Aron's work can be helpful to autistic people
• The HSP trait and how much it aligns with the so-called "female autism phenotype"

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You by Elaine N. Aron

"Are You Highly Sensitive" —a checklist by Elaine Aron, 1996

"My Hypersensitivity Is Real: Why Highly Sensitive People Have ADHD" by Zoë Kessler

"Journey to Diagnosis for Women With Autism" by Dori Zener

"Sensory Sensitivity May Share Genetic Roots With Autism" by Nicholette Zeliadt

"An Update on Psychopharmacological Treatment of Autism" by Aishworiya et al.

"Biomedical Interventions - Medications" an ASD fact sheet, from Synapse.

Episode intro and outro music: "Sweet Dreams - Middle-East Remix" by Maarten Schellekens (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

Did you know that most, if not all, autistic people have sensory processing differences and that many have some combination of hyper-reactivity and hypo-reactivity to different types of sensory stimuli? In this episode, I talk about sensory processing differences and how they could be THE core feature of autism.  

Topics discussed also include:

• How sensory differences impact adaptive functioning
• Answering a listener question about my own sensory differences
• An overview of sensory seeking and stimming

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

"The Impact of Atypical Sensory Processing on Adaptive Functioning Within and Beyond Autism" by Neufeld et al.

"Sensory Processing in Autism: A Review of Neurophysiologic Findings" by Marco et al.

Episode intro and outro music: "Outer Space" by Maarten Schellekens (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

In this episode, I answer a listener question about autism's impact on my education and learning experiences. 

Topics discussed include:

• The challenges AND benefits of being autistic in the context of school and learning
• Aspects of my autistic brain that made learning easy, and the subject I struggled with most
• Contributing factors leading to a long interruption during undergrad

Episode intro music: "Walking on Clouds" by Audiobinger (no changes or modifications were made)

Episode outro music: "Love Is Not" by Broke For Free (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.

What are some traits that autistic adults might experience, especially those with late-diagnosed autism? And what does the female autism phenotype have to do with all of this? 

Topics discussed also include:

• Some of my own autistic traits, starting from infancy till now
• The impetus for seeking an adult autism diagnosis
• Looking for a psychologist for adult autism diagnosis

If you'd like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

"The Female Autism Phenotype and Camouflaging: A Narrative Review" by Hull et al.

"The Experiences of Late-Diagnosed Women With Autism Spectrum Conditions: An Investigation of the Female Autism Phenotype" by Bargiela et al.

Episode intro music: "Upbeat" by Jon Luc Hefferman (no changes or modifications were made)

Episode outro music: "Golden Hour" by Broke For Free (no changes or modifications were made)

Theme music: "Everything Feels New" by Evgeny Bardyuzha.

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio or video recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio or video clips to [email protected] through WeTransfer.

Buy me a coffee!

Buy The Other Autism merch. Use code FREESHIP for free shipping on orders over $75 USD!

The views, opinions, and experiences shared by guests on this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host or production team. The content is intended for informational purposes only and should not be taken as medical or professional advice. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making any decisions related to your health, fitness, or wellness.