The Other Autism

The number one question I receive from listeners is some version of, "I was just diagnosed as autistic. Now what?" What are some common experiences that people have after autism diagnosis in adulthood? Late autism diagnosis is often defined as diagnosis received after one's 18th birthday. 

Topics discussed also include:

• Positive and negative thoughts and emotions following late autism diagnosis
• My experiences following my own autism diagnosis in my 30s
• Recent research documenting women's experiences of increased self-compassion following autism diagnosis in adulthood
• My suggestions for the time following your autism diagnosis

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

"Autism Diagnosis in the United Kingdom: Perspectives of Autistic Adults, Parents and Professionals" by Laura Crane et al.

"Exploring the Experience of Seeking an Autism Diagnosis as an Adult" by Matthew de Broize et al.

"'Anything But the Phone!': Communication Mode Preferences in the Autism Community" by Philippa Howard and Felicity Sedgewick

"Autistic women’s experiences of self-compassion after receiving their diagnosis in adulthood" by Rosemarie Wilson et al.

Episode intro and outro music: "Time's Passing" by BLUE STEEL, Cushy, and Damma Beatz 

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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. 

Heath Wilder is the Director of Customer Experience at the Sydney Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia, and they were one of the first listeners of The Other Autism podcast — maybe even the first!

Listen as Kristen and Heath aggressively abstain from small talk and dive right in to gender, autigender (aka gendervague), the female autism phenotype or presentation, the double empathy problem, alexithymia, masking, meltdowns, shutdowns, and more.

Check out Heath's website: Heath Wilder — a journey in the performing arts

Episode intro and outro music: "You Set My World On Fire" by Loving Caliber

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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. 

You've probably heard about the rising rates of both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Is there any truth to all the talk about an overlap between the two? You can probably tell by the title that, yes, there is! 

Topics discussed also include:

• The three presentations or subtypes of ADHD
• Differences between ADHD in kids versus ADHD in adults
• Some of the main differences and similarities between "ADHDers" and autistic folks
• Why some experts think that ADHD is a form of autism

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

"Heritability of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults" by Isabell Brikell et al.

"Overlap Between Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Searching for Distinctive/Common Clinical Features" by Francesco Craig et al.

"The Impact of the Comorbidity of ASD and ADHD on Social Impairment" by Christina Harkins et al.

"Co-occurrence of ASD and ADHD Traits in an Adult Population" by Maria Panagiotidi et al.

"Trait-Based Dimensions Discriminating Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Co-occurring ADHD/ASD" by Artemios Pehlivanidis et al.

Episode intro and outro music: "Sigma" by Crystal Shards

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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. 

Recent research indicates that many autistic people might have co-occurring substance use disorder. Let's talk about what this entails and reasons for autistic folks turning to substances in the first place. 

Topics discussed also include:

• Substance use disorder according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
• How those with ADHD + autism may be at an even greater risk for developing substance use disorder (SUD)
• The problem with current SUD treatment options
• Other risk factors unique to autistic individuals that put them at greater risk for developing substance misuse and/or substance use disorder

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

"Autism and Co-occurring Substance Use" by Espen Ajo Arnevik and Sissel Berge Helverschou

"Systematic Review of Risk and Protective Factors Associated With Substance Use and Abuse in Individuals With Autism" by Madelaine Ressel et al.

Episode intro and outro music: "What Goes Around Comes Back Around" by NIGHTCAP

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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 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)

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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) 

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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 Shaolin Dub (no changes or modifications were made)

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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)

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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)

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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)

All episodes written and produced by Kristen Hovet.

Send in your questions to [email protected]

Buy me a coffee!

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.