The Squarepeg Podcast

Kay Louise Aldred is a writer, facilitator, teacher, mentor, and resource creator from North Yorkshire in the UK. Now 49, she was diagnosed autistic quite recently, last November.

A former teacher, just like me she suffered burnout, left her career and became self employed before discovering her autism. Now she and her husband are co-authoring a book, Embodied Education: Creating Safe Space for Learning, Facilitating and Sharing, which will be available late autumn 2023.

She has worked with children and adults in educational, retreat and wellness settings throughout her career, has taught 11-18 year old neurodiverse students and has parented neurodivergent children of her own.

She is an advocate for safe, nervous-system-friendly structures in education, learning and sharing spaces and is passionate about increasing awareness of the gifts of neurodivergence.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Being undiagnosed autistic teachers

➡ Learning to advocate for herself with her family

➡ Her experience of burnout and recovery, and tools for self-regulation

➡ What autism-informed education looks like

➡ Her thoughts and ideas about autism and trauma, religion and spirituality and masking

CONTENT WARNING: towards the end of our conversation Kay talks briefly about a sexual assault. She doesn't go into detail, but if this is something you'd rather not hear about, you should skip from 50:39 to 52:53.

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:

Kay's website: https://kaylouisealdred.com

Her book: https://www.thegirlgod.com/embodied_education.php

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaylouisealdred

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kay-louise-aldred-ma-pgce-87542716b/

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:

Abi Hunter, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Becky Beasley, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Forrest, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Dana Bradley, Danielle Warby, Dennis McNulty, Elizabeth Williams, Erica Kenworthy, Erin Pineapple, Ewan McNeill, Fiona Connor, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Julie, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Linda Brown, Liz, LQ, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Marjory Webber, Martine, Melissa Shaw, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Paul Harris, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sadie Slater, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Shauna Schramke, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Talia's Nature, Tammie Fabien, Tamsen Staniford, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Rosie Weldon is a Senior Financial Analyst and author whose memoir, 'My Autistic Fight Song', tells the story of how she fought to get her accountancy degree and find her place in the world of work, despite her struggles with mental and physical health and the challenges that come with being autistic. Now 31, she was diagnosed aged 25.

Since graduating from Chester University - where she received some incredibly supportive accommodations - she became an account, finding her first job with Bank of America. But she found herself having to make the decision to leave after developing a neurological disorder due to the demands of a role that wasn't able to meet her autistic needs.

Rosie now lives in Dorset, where she works full time from home as a Senior Financial Analyst, and shares her life online to help raise awareness of daily autistic life.

She says that she "wants to raise awareness of the daily struggles we face as autistic people, but also our ability to thrive in an environment that is suited to us, when support is in place, because a lot of young autistic people think life's doors are closed to them, and they aren't."

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Her difficulties at school and university

➡ The accommodations that helped her achieve her degree and find work she loves

➡ Her challenges being out and about in the world and dealing with change

➡ Why working from home has been a game-changer for her

➡ How employers can best support autistic employees

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:

Rosie's website: www.rosieweldon.com

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

Facebook: www.facebook.com/rosieweldon118

Twitter: www.twitter.com/rosieweldon118

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-weldon-5b728ab5/

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:

Abi Hunter, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Becky Beasley, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Forrest, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Dana Bradley, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Dennis McNulty, Elizabeth Williams, Erica Kenworthy, Erin Pineapple, Fiona Connor, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Julie, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Linda Brown, Liz, LQ, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Marjory Webber, Martine, Melissa Shaw, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Paul Harris, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Talia's Nature, Tammie Fabien, Tamsen Staniford, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Martine van Bijlert is a writer and researcher from the Netherlands. Now 52, she grew up in Iran and worked in places like Kabul, Grozny and Tehran as an aid worker, diplomat and researcher. She now divides her time between her own creative projects and her work for the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a Kabul-based think tank she founded with friends.

She is self-identified autistic and ADHD, and says she feels like she has always been surrounded by neurodivergent people, as a child, during her studies and in her work abroad, and perhaps because of that she thought things were easier for her than for other people, not harder - which is probably one of the reasons it took her a while to unearth her own neurodivergence.

We talk about:

➡ Finding life more difficult as she's got older

➡ Realising that most of her family were probably neurodivergent, including her Bible-smuggling grandfather

➡ Being drawn to foreign countries after spending her early childhood in Iran

➡ How her neurodivergent objectivity, pragmatism and cool-headed logic helped her in dangerous situations

➡ Her experience of burnout after setting up and running an organisation in Kabul - and its links to neurodivergent idealism and how we can lose our internal compass as a result

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:

Martine's website: www.martinevanbijlert.com

Her (beautiful!) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mvbijlert/

AAN website: www.afghanistan-analysts.org

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:

Abi Hunter, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Becky Beasley, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Forrest, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Dana Bradley, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Dennis McNulty, Elizabeth Williams, Erica Kenworthy, Erin Pineapple, Fiona Connor, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Julie, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Linda Brown, Liz, LQ, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Marjory Webber, Martine, Melissa Shaw, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Paul Harris, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Talia's Nature, Tammie Fabien, Tamsen Staniford, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Naomi Clarke is a freelance writer, community mentor, fundraiser and Human Design reader.

She self diagnosed as autistic around two years ago, but due to inequality in the medical system has so far not been able to get a formal diagnosis.

She describes herself as an autistic, queer, mixed race person with two children (one of her sons was diagnosed autistic 5 years ago).

She wears a lot of hats in her life; she writes for work and for personal interest, and is passionate about building lives outside of the system of mainstream schooling. Until very recently she was running a self directed learning community for home educated young people in London. She loves crafts like sewing, crochet, and knitting, and her current main special interests are Human Design and kink and BDSM.

She says that she is still finding her autistic identity and overcoming some internalised ableism, which is often made much worse by struggling to see Black and POC autistic people in spaces of influence.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Finding community as an intersectional autistic person

➡ The issue of safety for unmasked autistic Black and people of colour

➡ The challenges of making self-directed learning communities accessible for neurodivergent children and facilitators

➡ How Human Design has helped her understand herself and other people better

➡ Why the kink and BDSM community can be a safe space for autistic people to explore their sexuality

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:

Naomi's Instagram: www.instagram.com/_naomi.clarke_

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:

Abi Hunter, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Becky Beasley, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Forrest, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Dana Bradley, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Dennis McNulty, Elizabeth Williams, Erica Kenworthy, Erin Pineapple, Fiona Connor, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Julie, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Linda Brown, Liz, LQ, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Marjory Webber, Martine, Melissa Shaw, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Paul Harris, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tamsen Staniford, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Ebonie Allard is an award-winning International Master Coach, an author, and an artist. Now in her early 40s, she was mostly raised in the UK, but before she was seven years old she had lived in a house truck, on a commune, in France, New Zealand, Ireland, and England. She now lives in Spain.

She says that she has never had a 'proper job' - she's been self-employed, a freelancer, a business owner and an entrepreneur all her life.

Ebonie was diagnosed autistic fairly recently, but has always drawn neurodivergent people to her, and her work helps other neurodivergent, creative and spiritual humans to self actualise and enjoy their physical experience.

I enjoyed this conversation so much - Ebonie is such a calming presence and brings a wonderful mix of wisdom and down-to-earthness. In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Reframing our past lives and selves

➡ Replacing unhealthy coping mechanisms with healthier ones

➡ Learning to embrace our demons, process emotions and regulate our nervous systems

➡ Removing stigma around meltdowns, stimming and other natural autistic things

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:

Ebonie's course, Misfit to Maven: the Fundamentals https://www.ebonieallard.com/the-fundamentals

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

This Sacrosanct Life podcast: https://www.ebonieallard.com/podcasts/this-sacrosanct-life

Adulting with Ebonie podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/5BW278BdWdxI4dTuBpc1BY

Her book, Misfit to Maven (that we reference in this episode): https://www.ebonieallard.com/misfit-to-maven-book

Her book 'The Manual of Me®️': https://www.ebonieallard.com/the-manual-of-me

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:

Abi Hunter, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Becky Beasley, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Forrest, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Dana Bradley, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Dennis McNulty, Elizabeth Williams, Erica Kenworthy, Fiona Connor, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Julie, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Linda Brown, Liz, LQ, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Marjory Webber, Martine, Melissa Shaw, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Paul Harris, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tamsen Staniford, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Karawynn Long is an American writer and proofreader living in Mexico.

Now 52, she had what she describes as her 'Autism epiphany' just over three years ago, a few months before her fiftieth birthday. She is self identified as autistic, partly due to formal assessments not being available in the Mexican system, and difficult and expensive to obtain in the American one.

Karawynn moved to Mexico almost 10 years ago for economic reasons, and unlike many autistic people who find living in other cultures freeing and less fraught with social expectations, she has found many aspects of life there a challenge as an autistic person.

She writes short fiction, including writing a nonspeaking autistic character in a short story that will be published this year in a leading fiction magazine, and is currently working on a novel

I had such a lovely time chatting with Karawynn Long (so much so that this episode is a tiny bit longer than usual, as I lost track of time!). I'm delighted to share our conversation with you.

We talk about:

➡ Her experience of living in Mexico

➡ Her evolving relationship with her stepdaughter, who is also late identified autistic

➡ Undoing internalised ableism, and her relationship with stimming since it was suppressed in her as a child

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:

Karawynn's website: https://karawynnlong.com/

Mastodon: https://mastodon.social/@[email protected]

Medium: https://medium.com/re-cognition

Substack: https://karawynn.substack.com/

Diary of a Young Naturalist: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Diary-Young-Naturalist-Dara-McAnulty/dp/1908213795

The Reason I Jump: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Reason-Jump-voice-silence-autism/dp/1444776770

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:

Abi Hunter, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Forrest, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Dennis McNulty, Elizabeth Williams, Erica Kenworthy, Fiona Connor, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Julie, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Linda Brown, Liz, LQ, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Marjory Webber, Martine, Melissa Shaw, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Paul Harris, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tamsen Staniford, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Mandy Williams is a Volunteer Coordinator with Scottish Women's Autism and a competitive athlete. Originally from Manchester in the UK, she now lives in Stirling in Scotland. She was diagnosed autistic two years ago, aged 45.

She is passionate about exercise, and her enthusiasm for this special interest shines out. She has achieved a bronze medal in mountain running, and recently qualified for the World Championship Hyrox event, a global fitness race.

I'm delighted to share my conversation with. I loved this conversation so much - Mandy has such good energy and she was a joy to chat with.

We cover so much in this conversation, but some of the highlights are:

➡ Her journey from working in retail to finding a better fit with an autism organisation, where she's surrounded by autistic people and is fully seen and supported

➡ How she experiences the sensory, self-regulatory and mental health benefits of exercise

➡ Navigating the social aspect of competitive fitness, and coping at big events

➡ Making sport and fitness more accessible for autistic people

EPISODE LINKS:

Mandy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/n_d_athlete/

Find about more about Hyrox racing: https://hyrox.com/

Allie Mason's Squarepeg episode on sport: https://squarepeg.community/69-s6-ep2-finding-the-right-adventure-autism-resilience-sport-and-support/

Gilly McKeown's Squarepeg episode on sport: https://squarepeg.community/59-s5-ep4-getting-an-autism-diagnosis-while-doing-a-phd-in-autism-and-parenting-an-autistic-child/

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.

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:

Abi Hunter, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Forrest, Clare Holmes, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Williams, Erica Kenworthy, Fiona Connor, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Julie, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laura, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Linda Brown, Liz, LQ, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Marjory Webber, Martine, Melissa Shaw, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Paul Harris, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Fern Brady is a comedian and writer born and raised in Bathgate in Scotland. Now in her 30s, she lives in London with her partner.

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

Fern was a guest on the podcast back in the spring of 2021, soon after she was diagnosed autistic. Since then, she taken a deep dive into learning more about autism, toured her standup show Autistic Bikini Queen, been a contestant on Channel 4's TaskMaster… and written a book, Strong Female Character, which comes out in February 2023.

I was lucky enough to get a proof copy to read before the interview. I loved this book! Written in Fern's characteristic down-to-earth and straightforward style, it manages to cover some really quite dark chapters in her life with a lightness of touch and humour that make it effortlessly readable and entertaining, while still exploring important issues around being an autistic woman in our society.

It was great to catch up with Fern and find out how things have changed since she was first diagnosed.

It feels like we talked about everything in this conversation - but some of the highlights are:

➡ Trying to break the burnout cycle

➡ Her struggle with meltdowns - and how she's worked to manage and reduce them

➡ Being female and autistic: sensory issues, hormones, sex, sexuality and fitting into accepted gender expectations

➡ Alexithymia and how underlying, unprocessed emotions can manifest physically

➡ How it felt to unmask in a very visible way on Taskmaster

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:

Fern's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fernfrombathgate/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/FernBrady

Tour dates and mailing list: https://fernbradycomedian.com/

Preorder Strong Female Character (out 16 Feb 2023):

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1914240448/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_D5S44JY3RRRVP7N0F7W4

Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/strong-female-character/fern-brady/9781914240447

Blackwell's (delivers to USA): https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Strong-Female-Character-by-Fern-Brady/9781914240447

Fern's previous SquarePeg episode: https://squarepeg.community/32-s3-ep1-fern-brady-autistic-meltdowns-understanding-emotions-and-being-the-black-sheep/

Fern mentioned the excellent book, Unmasking Autism by Dr Devon Price: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unmasking-Autism-Incredible-Hidden-Neurodiversity/dp/1800960549/

Fern mentioned Alexis Quinn's book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41164820-unbroken

Alexis was on SquarePeg earlier in this season: https://squarepeg.community/86-s7-ep6-narrative-therapy-reflections-on-an-autistic-experience-of-mental-health-inpatient-services/

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:

Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, JE, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Laurencia Saenz Benavides, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Wendy Walker, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Angela Lauria is a CEO and author from Washington DC, USA. Now 49, she was diagnosed autistic 10 years ago, and initially underwent a form of the controversial ABA therapy in an effort to 'fix' the things about her that she had always felt were wrong. One burnout, some autism-positive therapy and ten years of processing later, she was able to fully accept and embrace her own autistic identity, and wider autistic culture.

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

Realising she didn't fit into traditional workplaces, Angela started her own publishing company, providing consulting, editing, design, and book launch marketing for authors who have a message and want to make an impact.

She has also recently started a podcast called The Autistic Culture Podcast.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ How she went from trying to fix herself with ABA and CBT therapies to celebrating her autism

➡ Burnout, meltdowns, stimming and friendship difficulties

➡ How misinterpreting situations and others' expectations, and finding it hard to read the room at school and in the workplace has impacted her

CONTENT WARNING: Angela and I talk about self harm during this episode, so if you don't want to hear about this topic, you might want to give this one a miss.

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:

Company website: https://www.differencepress.com/

The podcast: https://autisticculture.substack.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:

Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Adam Klager, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Galina, Gwyneth, Hannah Breslin, Jackie Allen, JF, Jayne Hutchinson, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, JE, Katarzyna Tomaszewska, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, Meredith L. Freyre, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Wendy Walker, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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

Déa Neile-Hopton is a basketmaker and artist. She is of mixed Jamaican and English heritage and grew up in the 1970s and 80s in York, England. Now 47, she lives in Whitland in Wales, with her partner and three neurodivergent children. She is self diagnosed autistic and was diagnosed ADHD in 2021.

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

She has a passion for arts and crafts, and for teaching circus skills, but has struggled to find a place in the world of work, finding job seeking and workplaces traumatic and experiencing repeated breakdowns, depression and lack of confidence around work, leading to her surviving on disability benefits.

She is now trying to figure out how to approach work in a way that supports her better, focusing on creating and making, and developing her basket making business. Earlier this year she was selected to take part in a BBC TV show about crafters starting businesses.

In our conversation we talk about:

➡ Growing up Black and autistic in a dysfunctional neurodivergent family

➡ Her experience as a teen at boarding school

➡ Finding it hard to recognise autistic traits in herself

➡ Burnouts, breakdowns, anxiety and her struggles around employment

➡ Raising autistic kids and being their advocate

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:

Déa's website: http://styxandstone.co.uk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dea.styx_and_stone.willow/

Facebook business page: https://www.facebook.com/styxandstone.willow

Personal facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/dea.neilehopton

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:

Abi Hunter, Abigail J Moore, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Anika Lacerte, Annette, Ben Davies, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Clare Holmes, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Vezina, Elizabeth Williams, Galina, Gwyneth, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Jen Bartlett, Kate and Kathryn, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Kenneth Knowles, Lea Li, Leo Ricketts, Lilli Simmons, Lyb, Mandy Allen, MN, Pete Burke, Rebecca Biegel, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Cottrell, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Ivinson, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Stephanie Murray, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tammie Fabien, Tegan Bailey, Tessa Valyou, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vic Wiener, Vicki Temple, Victoria Chang, Victoria Routledge, Wendy Walker, Zephyrine Craster and Zoe Lee.

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