The Squarepeg Podcast

My guest this week is a 39 year old autistic mum from Cheshire in the UK, who identifies as fitting the PDA profile. She is a certified Forest Bathing Guide and is training to become a Nature Therapy Practitioner.

She believes that nature connection can help Neurodivergent people form a strong personal identity and help combat burnout and overwhelm.

She is also interested in the links between autistic burnout and physical illness, after developing chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and Conversion Disorder, which she herself views through a lens of prolonged autistic catatonia.

She has written for several publications, not just on neurodiversity but also on the environment and climate emergency, and believes that neurodivergents have a key role to play in the protection of humanity and the planet.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Her childhood, and her issues with forming and maintaining friendships

➡ Pathological Demand Avoidance

➡ Autistic women and health, including her own experiences of chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and Conversion Disorder

➡ Our connection to the world, each other and nature

➡ Nature therapy and how being in nature can help neurodivergent people

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

PDA Society website: https://www.pdasociety.org.uk/

Autistic catatonia: https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/professional-practice/catatonia-autism

Transition movement - Rob Hopkins - From What Is to What If: https://www.robhopkins.net/the-book/

Polyvagal theory: https://ct.counseling.org/2016/06/polyvagal-theory-practice/

Johann Hari's TED talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/johann_hari_everything_you_think_you_know_about_addiction_is_wrong?language=en

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Lottie Jones was diagnosed as a result of her son being identified as autistic PDA in 2018, when he was eight. She is a single parent in her late thirties, and lives in Pembrokeshire in Wales, where she home educates her son, makes macrame and sells vintage items.

This conversation came out of a discussion we had on one of my Instagram posts about parenthood and autism, and the particular challenges of being an autistic single parent of an autistic child.

In our conversation we talk about

➡ Her son's difficulties at school, having to advocate for him, and her decision to take him out of the school system

➡ The struggles she faced herself when she was at school

➡ Her recent burnout, and the issues at work that fed into it

➡ Being an autistic single parent of an autistic child

➡ The challenges of home educating her son and how they're navigating it together

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

You can find Lottie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildlingsofwales/

And shop at this week's sponsor, Stimology, here: https://www.stimology.co.uk/discount/SQUARE30

The discount code is SQUARE30

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Victoria Evans is a linguist and liberal politician from London. She received her autism diagnosis shortly after graduating university and now regularly takes part in autism and synaesthesia research studies.

Victoria believes that diversity of thought brings both social and economic benefits and wants to work to ensure that more autistic people have the opportunity to progress in work.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Her experience of being at university as an undiagnosed autistic woman

➡ Some of the research she's taken part in

➡ Our experiences of synaesthesia (a real moment of connection for me!)

➡ The challenges of employment for autistic people, including workplace culture, the interview process, reasonable adjustments and self employment

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

Victoria tweets mostly autism research news/opinion and politics at: https://twitter.com/_londonvictoria

Information about synaesthesia: https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/synesthesia/the-many-types-of-synesthesia-explained/

Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet: http://www.danieltammet.net/blue-day.php

James Wannerton: https://jameswannerton.com/

Information about the autistic employment gap:https://www.autism.org.uk/what-we-do/news/new-data-on-the-autism-employment-gap

https://s3.chorus-mk.thirdlight.com/file/1573224908/63516243370/width=-1/height=-1/format=-1/fit=scale/t=444848/e=never/k=59f99727/TMI%20Employment%20Report%2024pp%20WEB.pdf

https://www.gold.ac.uk/news/comment-autism-spectrum-disorder-and-employment/#:~:text=To%20put%20this%20into%20context,who%20are%20out%20of%20work.

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2009/15/contents

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Corinne Cariad is self diagnosed autistic and currently waiting for her assessment, but already has a diagnosis of ADHD. She's 40 and lives in Pembrokeshire in Wales, where she is a consultant with a focus on third sector, food and education. Food has been a special interest for most of her life, and she's worked in catering, run her own cookery workshops, and been a Food Technology teacher in high schools.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ The overlap of ADHD and autism

➡ Autistic burnout

➡ Her teen years, fitting in and finding herself

➡ Meeting the needs of autistic children in schools

➡ Following her special interest in food to find work that she loves

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

Corinne's website is: https://www.corinnecariad.co.uk/

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

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Samantha Grierson Schwartz is a playwright and businesswoman, born in Yorkshire in the UK. She now splits her time between Glasgow, Rugby and London.

Since being diagnosed autistic at 42, she has written a series of audio plays which deal with late autism diagnosis and motherhood - the first of which, Crocodile, stars LGBT icon Heather Peace, and tells the story of a bisexual woman dealing with her recent Autism and ADHD diagnosis and the start of a new relationship.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ 'Coming out' as autistic in adulthood, and when and how we bring it up

➡ Her take on meltdowns and shutdowns, the causes and coping strategies

➡ Starting a new job and a new relationship as a newly diagnosed autistic woman

➡ Telling authentic autistic stories through drama

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

Sam's website: www.socroc.co.uk

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoCrocodile

Crocodile the audio play: https://open.spotify.com/show/3ZupaxdNPtmrtUwohGeJea

Mole the audio play: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6ZXpFYnMDDFcGPls5nQrTe?si=t1LA0D4cQGyDp68OcdPo8Q&nd=1

(The audio plays are also available on iTunes, Google and Amazon Music)

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

My guest today is in her mid twenties and is currently awaiting her autism assessment after seeking help with her mental health following childbirth and the sensory challenges of parenting a small baby.

She lives in Baglan, Port Talbot in South Wales where she works in a secure children's home for youth offenders and extremely vulnerable young people and is also studying for a psychology degree.

Today I'm delighted to share my conversation with Georgia Davies.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Sensory sensitivity

➡ Friendships at school and in adulthood

➡ The impact of puberty on an undiagnosed autistic girl

➡ Pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood as an autistic woman - and finding strategies to make it easier to cope with parenthood

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

Follow Georgia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/autisticmamma/

Read her interview for Raising Girls on the Spectrum: https://www.raisinggirlsontheautismspectrum.ie/Georgia-Davies.php

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

My guest today was diagnosed autistic very recently. She is originally from the Czech Republic, and now lives in Bristol in the UK. She is a life coach in her 40s, with a background in mathematics and computer science, and describes herself as an extrovert whose special interest is people watching.

Today I'm delighted to share my conversation with Vera.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Being an autistic extrovert

➡ How living in a different country can work out well for autistic people

➡ Autistic fatigue, burnout and managing our energy

➡ Learning and play, and having a rich inner world

➡ How she's turned a fascination with people into a business she loves

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

You can find Vera on her website: https://veracadycoaching.com

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera C.

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

My guest today is Scottish comedian Fern Brady. Fern is in her 30s and was diagnosed autistic in January this year, after a series of meltdowns caused her to seek answers. She has been open about her diagnosis from the start, when a throwaway tweet about it went unexpectedly viral!

** Listen ad-free by joining my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast **

Fern started out as a journalist before moving into stand-up comedy in 2010. As well as touring, she has appeared on shows such as Live at the Apollo and the BBC Radio 4 News Quiz, and her live show, Power and Chaos, is currently available on BBC iPlayer. She also co-hosts the hilarious BBC podcast, Wheel of Misfortune.

We talk about:

• Meltdowns (what they feel like, and finding your triggers)
• Alexithymia, theory of mind and her experiences of counselling
• Food and disordered eating
• Being the 'black sheep' of the family growing up
• Autism and employment
• and how her autism and her stand-up comedy intersect

SQUAREPEG PATRONS! You'll find some additional content from my conversation with Fern on the Patreon platform as a bonus recording. So if you enjoyed my chat with Fern, head over to Patreon now and have a listen.

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

You can find Fern on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fernfrombathgate/

And on Twitter: https://twitter.com/FernBrady

Her show Power and Chaos: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p097tnpb

Her podcast, Wheel of Misfortune: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08m3z73/episodes/downloads

Info about alexithymia: https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/people-alexithymia-emotions-mystery/

Shop with episode sponsor, ND Renegade: https://www.ndrenegade.com/

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

** Listen ad-free by joining my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast **

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Elise, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Pete Burke, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

This special Squarepeg miniseries celebrates the great things that start to happen in our lives when we discover in adulthood that we're autistic.

In a bit of a change from the usual format, in this episode I share some of the things that have changed for the better in my own life since I was diagnosed autistic, including feeling able to give myself permission to live and work the way I want to and need to, without feeling guilty, reframing my past failures and achievements, and finding a group of people I can truly relate to.

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

If you'd like to find out more about my business, you can pop over to my website: https://amyrichards.wales/

You can also find me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyrichardsobm/

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with me at Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast

This special Squarepeg miniseries celebrates the great things that start to happen in our lives when we discover in adulthood that we're autistic. Seven of my previous guests have returned to each share the three most important things that have changed for the better in their lives since they were diagnosed, or realised they were autistic.

My guest today is Sarah Boon, an MA graduate and autism advocate from Surrey in the UK. I first talked with Sarah about her experiences being autistic at work and university in Series 1, Episode 10. In this bonus recording Sarah talks to me about being kinder to herself, setting good social boundaries, and finding a new purpose in life. I hope you'll enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes.

I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences.

I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.

EPISODE LINKS:

You can find Sarah on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Saraheboon

And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Saraheboon/

She also has a blog: https://autisticallysarah.com/

If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/

Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/

THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS!

A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast:

Cat Preston, Corinne Cariad, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Sarah Hardy, Vera Cady

If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast