Thoughty Auti - The Autism Podcast

What is the crossover between Autism and ADHD? What strengths and weaknesses do AuDHD people have? How is mental health different for AuDHD individuals?

Mattia Maurée (they/them) is the host of The Longer Road podcast and creator of the @AuDHDFlourishing Instagram account. Mattia has a bustling professional life within music and art, being a working artist, composer, teacher, and poet. They grew up in Seattle but now reside in Philadelphia, and coaches AuDHD individuals on realising their true potential and managing life with Autism and ADHD.

My Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]// Mattia's Links - https://linktr.ee/mattiam 

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (20% Off with code: THOUGHTYAUTI) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast]

Kicking off the conversation they talk about the difficulties neurodivergent individuals can have with sleep, the issue with high-functioning Autism labels, generalisation when talking about neurodivergencies, and the difficulties of feeling represented with intersectional identities.

Mattia talks on the stigma of Autism when compared to ADHD, highlighting the more intense negative stereotypes around Autism. In their own diagnosis journey they were diagnosed ADHD first, but originally had a misdiagnosis of Bipolar Disorder due to their Cyclical Energy Cycle. Going for an Autism diagnosis, Mattia found out after their Autism diagnosis that some countries can deny immigration due to Autism and that it can impact the rights someone has over the custody of children.

Mattia describes their focus and attention patterns as having an Interest-Based nervous system, whereby they find difficult or interesting tasks much easier to hyper-focus on than easy or uninteresting tasks. They highlight the strange difference between their IQ test results with and without caffeine, which highlighted just how much attention impacted their productivity/skills. With a self-identified spiky profile himself, Thomas speaks on the large variance of skills shown by Autistic and neurodivergent individuals.

Speaking on the crossover between Autism and ADHD, they highlight the issues in transitions, inertia, and ignoring one's needs during hyper-focus. There appears to be an apparent push-pull dynamic to organising life as an AuDHDer, finding a lot of issues with decision fatigue and anxiety-enforced deadlines due to autism. Although routine is a big part of an autistic persons wellbeing, ADHDers also find them to be helpful although they can feel bored or restricted.

Opening up about the SA, Mattia goes into the issues of managing mental health and well-being even as a well read and knowledgeable AuDHDer. The two speak on the different ways of coping with mental illness as a neurodivergent, separating burnout from depression and speaking on the unhelpful information given within therapy.

They converse about the supplements and medications that have been helpful or unhelpful for mental health as Autistic people, underlining the issues inherent with SSRIs on anxiety and interoceptive difficulties with <

What are the RED FLAGS of Autistic Burnout? What are some Autistic Burnout symptoms and signs? How can you better manage your energy and regulation to avoid Autistic Burnout in the future?

Vera is the Founder of @HappyAutisticLady with her sister Ivi, which is a business offering resources, stickers, art, and speaking about Autism and Neurodiversity. Residing in the UK and the Czech Republic, Vera works with the Ambitious About Autism youth network and within Civil Services, where she looks at governmental papers, and trains Mental Health workers to understand Autism alongside the MIND charity.

My Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]// Vera's Insta - https://instagram.com/happyautisticlady?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (20% Off with code: THOUGHTYAUTI) - ⁠⁠⁠https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast⁠⁠⁠ [https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast]

They start off by talking about the concept of accent switching or mirroring in social interactions, as well as sleep chronotypes and hustle culture, before chatting about the difficulties of managing a wide variety of business roles and introducing the topic… Autistic Burnout!

Vera goes through 6 main causes of burnout: Tiredness, Fairness, Control, Insufficient Reward, Lack Of Community, and Values. Thomas highlights some modern-day difficulties like atomisation, Vera mentions how lack of fairness is a difficulty for Autistic people in a neurotypical world.

Diving deeper into the specifics of Autistic burnout, how burnout impacts Autistic people differently, and the unique causes of Autistic burnout. In a larger conversation about Autistic masking, they highlight how masking can impact short-term energy/stress as well as long-term mental health. Sensory difficulties are a big issue for Autistic people in the workplace and out in the world due to our lack of habituation to sensory stimuli; Thomas highlights the importance of environmental adjustments and sensory supports in reducing overall stress.

Thomas adds that concepts like interoception and issues with sleep can also impact Autistic burnout; many individuals don't fulfill their hydration and food intake needs which are important to overall functioning and well-being, but struggling to wake/sleep due to melatonin differences can also impact energy levels and stress long term. It can be easy to think of psychology as a separate thing from our biology, but the brain is an organ, and exposure to cortisol and adrenaline has some real bodily effects. Cortisol impacts autistic people more strongly and takes longer to die down, and in our modern day, this can lead to chronic stress and impaired cognitive function.

Looking into Vera and Thomas' experiences with burnout, they talk about the concept of Spoon Theory and the importance of distinguishing capability from capacity... Vera uses the cupcake analogy to explain this.

Thomas and Vera list some common RED FLAGS for incoming Autistic burnout, some unhelpful coping strategies, and mentalities th

What early signs of Autism did Thomas have in childhood? Why did Michelle choose to diagnose Thomas as Autistic? How does mental health impact Autistic children?

TW: Mental health

Michelle Henley is first and foremost, the host's mother. Starting off in the 90s as a special needs teacher, she worked up to a respectable role of a SEND lead for the Redcar & Cleveland Local Authority. She did a lot of work on educating mainstream teachers about Autism, but also parents through peer awareness.

My Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (20% Off with code: THOUGHTYAUTI) - ⁠⁠https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast⁠⁠ [https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast]

They kick off the conversation by talking about Michelle's diagnosis of Vocal Dysphoria, before taking us through the signs of Autism that Michelle spotted in Thomas throughout the years. She highlighted that she felt exceptional at parenting, as her first child Thomas hardly cried and was very easy to look after… but like many other parents, she started to question whether this was typical for infants. He never communicated his needs and seemed to be utterly fascinated by colourful lights.

After a tough time integrating Thomas socially within the community and in school, and multiple incidents with sensory distress, she decided to take Thomas for an Autism diagnosis at 10 years old. Thomas & Michelle reflect on the moment Thomas was told he was Autistic. Michelle framed the Autism diagnosis as a difference, with both positives and negatives. Thomas appeared notably relieved to her surprise, with the host chipping in on his own feelings of alienation even at that young age.

Thomas experienced extensive bullying, mental illness, isolation and other difficulties in school. In a touching conversation, Michelle gave her thoughts and feelings around these difficult times… despite the affirmations of it all being an adolescent stage from other parents, Thomas started to withdraw from his happy-go-lucky personality. He ceased communication with his family, engaging in harming behaviours and sinking deep into emotional turmoil. 

From his hardships to his success in multiple areas of life, Michelle describes Thomas' life as a rollercoaster of incredible highs and catastrophic lows. They both bond over the joy they felt in his defining experiences and discuss the barriers to supporting Autistic people socially within education.

As a round-up to the eye-opening conversation, Michelle highlights some key difficulties with supporting Autistic children through life. They talk about the differences between behavioural-based parenting and a more holistic relational style of parenting Autistic children. She leaves us with some lessons on how parents should view Autism and their approach to helping Autistic children experience the world.

This has been an emotional and touching episode with both mother and son giving their perspectives on the Autistic experience of one man.

Song Of The Day (Listen Here) - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5UDIyN5TSYN4zMcRoQPrG8?si=9255ed3480d840b5⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5UDIyN5TSYN4zMcRoQPrG8?si=9255ed3480d840b5]

Why is there so much stigma for mental health in Autistic men? Is body dysmorphia an issue for men? What support can Autistic people get at University?

TW: Mental health, ED, SH, and light mentions of SUI

Kieron Lee (@mr.kieronlee [https://www.instagram.com/mr.kieronlee/]) is an Autistic music artist, Autism advocate under Anna Kennedy OBE, JAAQ content creator, and collaborator with Born Anxious. His first single NYN, touched on his experiences of relationships as an Autistic man, and is hopeful for the success of his upcoming album ACRONYMS. Kieron has had a lot of experience with mental health as an Autistic man and seeks to share the more stigmatised sides of men's mental health on the podcast.

My Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK] // Kierons Website - https://www.mrkieronlee.org.uk/

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (20% Off with code: THOUGHTYAUTI) - ⁠https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast⁠ [https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast]

Priory Group did a recent study on mental health in men, which highlighted some concerning statistics:

40% of the polled men have never spoken with anyone about their mental health

40% of the polled men said it would take thoughts of SUI or SH to get them to seek support

With the diagnosis rate of mental health conditions being 19.5%, it could be thought that men are more resilient to mental illness, but with 75% of registered SUI's in the UK in 2020 being from men... we may need to make a greater effort to support men and destigmatise mental illness.

Thomas Henley kicks off the episode by talking to Kieron Lee about his lifelong affinity to music and all the complex elements of sound that bring him joy. Diagnosed at a VERY young age, Kieron talks about the autism stigma carried by the older generations and how his framing of Autism turned from negative to positive in his adult life.

You would think that Universities would be proactively supporting disabled and Autistic students in our modern day, but both Thomas' and Kieron's experiences seek to challenge this assumption. Accommodations are to be identified and fought for by Autistic students, and in Kieron's case getting said support, it's not always followed up on or enforced by the University staff.

Kieron Lee touches on his experiences as an empath and how Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria has impacted his pursuits in the workplace and in love. They speak on the differences in processing trauma as autistic people, and how this process can often be prolonged and intense for us. Addiction and SH played a large role in Kieron's way of coping with mental illness as a young adult but has since made strides in finding positive outlets in the form of creativity.

Opening up about ED, Thomas shares his experience with body dysmorphia and low self-esteem, and how he sought to offset his social difficulties with superficial improvements. Both agree on the heavy stigmatisation, lack of support, or campaigns around both ED and mental illness in men, with Kieron

Why do 6 in 10 Autistic people contemplate taking their life? Why is mental illness so prevalent in Autistic people? What are Thomas' and Hina's experience with mental illness?

TW: Mental health, bullying, ED, SH, and SUI

Hina is a UK-based community support officer who is currently working on a creative SUI prevention project, coproduced with Autistic adults and seeking to shed light on the experiences of Autistic people. Within the episode, she shares her experiences with contamination OCD, mental illness, ED, and SUI.

My Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK] // SUI Prevention Hotlines - https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/327007

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (20% Off with code: THOUGHTYAUTI) - https://dbud.io/thoughtyautipodcast

Thomas Henley (host) kicks off the episode with a heavy disclaimer and an overview of a Nottingham University Study (2017) showing that:

8 in 10 - Almost 8 in 10 autistic adults have a mental health condition

6 in 10 - More than 6 in 10 autistic people have considered SUI

3 in 10 - More than 3 in 10 autistic adults have attempted SUI

Thomas highlights that statistics like these are easily accessible, but the mainstream media are not disseminating this crucial information on the life quality of Autistic people. He theorises that this may be due to the assumption that Autism inherently carries a lower quality of life with it, which may be a barrier to understanding the disability as a consequence of uninclusive systems or negative life experiences.

In the conversation about higher rates of mental illness among Autistic individuals, Hina starts by underscoring the contribution of misdiagnosis, lack of diagnosis, and autistic masking as key contributors to mental illness. Thomas explains how the negative life experiences around such things as bullying and isolation can impact the development of depression through the HPA axis.

Thomas and Hina share their own personal experiences with mental health, isolation, ED, SH, and SUI in an effort to destigmatise speaking out about the tipping points of mental illness. Going from adolescence to adulthood, they spotlight their lowest points in their mental health journey, drawing attention to the impact of an insufficient mental health system on Autistic people's outcomes.

Speaking on the positive effects of support, they highlight the problems and benefits of anti-depressant medication on their mental health, the importance of family and friends in building a strong support network, and how autism education helped them conceptualise and deal with their mental illness much more effectively.

Lastly, they touch on the stigma around SUI being selfish, mental illness being a personality trait, and the stigma of mental illness in men. Thomas speaks on the 'Andrew Tate mentality' that a lot of men have around mental health, and how strength is shown more through acknowledging your feelings rather than hiding them and pretending they don't exist.

Song Of The Day (Listen Here)

Who is Rachel Barcellona? Why did her Christian school try to 'cure her Autism'? How did Rachel Barcellona become Miss Florida?

TW: Bullying and one mention of inappropriate touching of a minor

Rachel Barcellona (@rachelbarcellonaxo), also known as Miss Florida, is a US-based model, singer, stand-up comedian, theatre star, and autism advocate. Her company 'Ability Beyond Disability inc' serves to cement her dream of providing adequate inclusion for all people.

Working closely with the EPIC Players, New York's leading neuro-diverse theatre company, she champions Autism on mainstream media platforms like CNN, NBC, and Forbes. Rachel is also involved with a multitude of different charities, serving as a board member for C.A.R.D. USF, Unicorn Children's Foundation, Els for Autism Center of Excellence, and the Dyspraxia Foundation USA.

Rachel's Insta - ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/rachelbarcellonaxo/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/rachelbarcellonaxo/] // My Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (15% Off) - ⁠⁠⁠https://dbud.io/thomashenley⁠⁠⁠ [https://dbud.io/thomashenley]

Thomas Henley (host) and Rachel Barcellona (guest) start by conversing about the prevalence of Spelling Bees in the USA compared to the UK, but they soon dive into Rachel's backstory with Autism. Professionals diagnosed Rachel Barcellona with Autism at the young age of 3, where she experienced a speech delay until 5; her parents were told that she would never go to college or achieve anything notable in life.

They discuss the issue of manipulation and abuse particularly for autistic women. At her middle school age, Rachel Barcellona spent her time at a Christian school which allegedly manipulated her family into thinking it was the most inclusive place she could be. Unbeknownst to them, the school had an ulterior motive to 'cure' or 'remove' Autism in their students. Rachel was sadly a victim to the principal at the school, where they inappropriately touched her and proceeded to label her as the Devil's Child or Satan's Daughter.

Rachel Barcellona spent many of her school days isolated and bullied due to her differences but decided to post positive notes on her bully's lockers to have a positive impact... which eventually turned into the work she carries out in the modern day. Doesn't sound like the work of the devil to me! Rachel highlights her core value of putting herself and her family first, and how her large extended family supported her throughout the difficult times of her life.

Pivoting to Rachel's pageant, theatre, and singing success, they talk about her work with the neurodiverse theatre company Epic Players and how her failures in middle school had a positive impact on her ability to handle rejection... something commonplace for a budding Broadway prodigy! With her fingers in many pies, she explains her journey through performing arts, from cheerleading to singing, to theatrical performances. Pointing to her autistic gift of perfect pitch, Rachel talks about her love of Opera and how that inspired her to sing the USA National Anthem in Madison Square Gardens.

How do you know if you're Autistic or have ADHD? What are the differences between Autism and ADHD? What similarities do Autism and ADHD have?

Brooke Schnittman (@Coachingwithbrooke) is an entrepreneur and ADHD coach with a team of 8 ADHD coaches; with over 120k Instagram followers, Brooke produces a lot of content raising awareness of ADHD traits and how to work with those traits practically in your own life.

Brooke's Links - ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/coachingwithbrooke⁠ [https://linktr.ee/coachingwithbrooke] // My Links - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (15% Off) - ⁠⁠⁠https://dbud.io/thomashenley⁠⁠⁠ [https://dbud.io/thomashenley]

Thomas Henley kicks off the episode by talking to Brooke about language differences between the USA and the UK, the different spheres of the Autism world, her background in managing the top-rated special education public school in the entire USA, and her experience creating the SuccessFULL With ADHD podcast.

One of the most difficult things with neurodivergencies like Autism and ADHD, is separating them from each other for the purposes of identity, support, teaching methods, and possibly the use of medication. In line with the topic, Brooke and Thomas highlight some common similarities between Autism and ADHD from a diagnostic standpoint: Intense fixations and interests, emotional dysregulation, executive functioning issues, stimming behaviours, sensory differences, problems with socialising, burnout, processing differences and a need for routine.

They speak on the interesting dynamics that occur between Autistic and ADHDers in social relationships and communication, whereby Autistic people are usually led into interesting off-shooting topics by the ADHDer, but the ADHDer finds a lot of use in the directness and blunt communication from the Autistic person in focussing on the topic of conversation or achieving mutual clarity.

Teasing apart differences between Autism and ADHD proved to be very difficult due to the large variance in traits of individuals within each group... but talk around hyper vs hypo awareness of indirect communication, Alexithymia, hyperactivity, impulsivity, transition or focus behaviours, verbal vs internal processing and flat affect came up as some solid ways to differentiate between the two.

Due to the present-day stigmas and stereotypes of Autism compared to ADHD, most find themselves diagnosed with ADHD before Autism. For the purposes of practical application, the two propose different traits that an Autistic or ADHDer can look for to know if they should pursue the other diagnosis:

Autistic people looking into ADHD could look for signs of daydreaming, racing thoughts, switching from task to task quickly, getting sidetracked easily and consistently, oversharing, or restless energy.

ADHDers looking into Autism could look for more issues with Autistic inertia, big issues with transitioning, issues with alexithymia, starting conversations, noticing indirect emotional cues, shutdowns/meltdowns, faux regulation and flat affect.

They end on speaking about the USA to the UK, and Autism to ADHD language differences. Thomas speaks on the Autistic community's aversion to the term Aspe

How do you know if you're Autistic or have ADHD? What are the differences between Autism and ADHD? What similarities do Autism and ADHD have?

Brooke Schnittman (@Coachingwithbrooke) is an entrepreneur and ADHD coach with a team of 8 ADHD coaches; with over 120k Instagram followers, Brooke produces a lot of content raising awareness of ADHD traits and how to work with those traits practically in your own life.

Brooke's Links - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/coachingwithbrooke // My Links - ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds (15% Off) - ⁠⁠https://dbud.io/thomashenley⁠⁠ [https://dbud.io/thomashenley]

Thomas Henley kicks off the episode by talking to Brooke about language differences between the USA and the UK, the different spheres of the Autism world, her background in managing the top-rated special education public school in the entire USA, and her experience creating the SuccessFULL With ADHD podcast.

One of the most difficult things with neurodivergencies like Autism and ADHD, is separating them from each other for the purposes of identity, support, teaching methods, and possibly the use of medication. In line with the topic, Brooke and Thomas highlight some common similarities between Autism and ADHD from a diagnostic standpoint: Intense fixations and interests, emotional dysregulation, executive functioning issues, stimming behaviours, sensory differences, problems with socialising, burnout, processing differences and a need for routine.

They speak on the interesting dynamics that occur between Autistic and ADHDers in social relationships and communication, whereby Autistic people are usually led into interesting off-shooting topics by the ADHDer, but the ADHDer finds a lot of use in the directness and blunt communication from the Autistic person in focussing on the topic of conversation or achieving mutual clarity.

Teasing apart differences between Autism and ADHD proved to be very difficult due to the large variance in traits of individuals within each group... but talk around hyper vs hypo awareness of indirect communication, Alexithymia, hyperactivity, impulsivity, transition or focus behaviours, verbal vs internal processing and flat affect came up as some solid ways to differentiate between the two.

Due to the present-day stigmas and stereotypes of Autism compared to ADHD, most find themselves diagnosed with ADHD before Autism. For the purposes of practical application, the two propose different traits that an Autistic or ADHDer can look for to know if they should pursue the other diagnosis:

Autistic people looking into ADHD could look for signs of daydreaming, racing thoughts, switching from task to task quickly, getting sidetracked easily and consistently, oversharing, or restless energy.

ADHDers looking into Autism could look for more issues with Autistic inertia, big issues with transitioning, issues with alexithymia, starting conversations, noticing indirect emotional cues, shutdowns/meltdowns, faux regulation and flat affect.

They end on speaking about the USA to the UK, and Autism to ADHD language differences. Th

What home sensory adjustments work for Autistic adults and children? What is Neurodiversity-Affirming parenting? What sensory supports can you use at work or school?

Natashia runs the @iwanttotellyoubooks Instagram account, a take on Autism parenting that focuses on Neurodiversity-affirming, Autistic expert informed parenting. Natashia works on encouraging sensory adjustments in school and at home, highlighting the importance of teaching self-advocacy, a strength-based social model of disability approach, and teaching self-regulation.

Natashia's Insta - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/iwanttotellyoubooks/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/iwanttotellyoubooks/] // My Links - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds - ⁠https://dbud.io/thomashenley⁠ [https://dbud.io/thomashenley]

Thomas kicks off the episode by thanking his listeners for making the podcast the World's #1 Autism podcast, and a show in the top 2% of all podcasts!

Natashia and Thomas soon get into the differences between her style of content vs some of the overly-personal content from other Autism parents, highlighting the importance of humility and an open mind when entering into the Autistic adult communities online. Natashia sadly conformed to the 'expert advice' from professionals and OTs, seeing negative consequences in her own son... and seeking to shift the perspectives of other Autism parents going through the same experiences.

They start off by addressing the importance of sensory supports and environmental adjustments in home, work, and school environments; the conversation seemed to highlight the importance of sensory adjustments on well-being and productivity for Autistic adults and children. Experts and teachers seem to be highly adverse to accepting sensory accommodations, often touting 'no adjustments in the real world' as a reason not to accommodate... which we all know is entirely possible in adult life.

Everyone has sensory needs, neurotypical or Autistic, and although sensory differences are highly linked to Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can occur in allistic (non-autistic) individuals. The two list a variety of environmental adjustments anyone can use in the home to make their space less overloading, but also highlight a plethora of sensory support items that both Autistic adults and children can use to mitigate uncontrollable sensory inputs in public:

Therapressure brushes, galaxy projectors, fibre optic lights, water features, chewable jewelry, shades, blue light glasses, earbuds/defenders, acupressure rings, compression clothing, joggers/trainers, soft hoodies/hats, weighted blankets, vibrating massagers, soft blankets, fidget spinners, fidget cubes, fans, white noise machines, wobble cushions, lotions, disco lights, colour changing bulbs, and sensory swings... to name a few!

Thomas talks about his experiences with sensory joy with theme park rides, stimming equipment, and spinning... pointing out the euphoria and relaxation this offers him as an Autistic adult. No episode would conclude without highlighting some adjustments that public spaces and workplaces can make spaces more inclusive to those with sensory differences -

What home sensory adjustments work for Autistic adults and children? What is Neurodiversity-Affirming parenting? What sensory supports can you use at work or school?

Natashia runs the @iwanttotellyoubooks Instagram account, a take on Autism parenting that focuses on Neurodiversity-affirming, Autistic expert informed parenting. Natashia works on encouraging sensory adjustments in school and at home, highlighting the importance of teaching self-advocacy, a strength-based social model of disability approach, and teaching self-regulation.

Natashia's Insta - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/iwanttotellyoubooks/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/iwanttotellyoubooks/] // My Links - ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK⁠⁠ [https://linktr.ee/thomashenleyUK]

Dbud Noise Cancelling Adjustable Ear Buds - ⁠https://dbud.io/thomashenley⁠ [https://dbud.io/thomashenley]

Thomas kicks off the episode by thanking his listeners for making the podcast the World's #1 Autism podcast, and a show in the top 2% of all podcasts!

Natashia and Thomas soon get into the differences between her style of content vs some of the overly-personal content from other Autism parents, highlighting the importance of humility and an open mind when entering into the Autistic adult communities online. Natashia sadly conformed to the 'expert advice' from professionals and OTs, seeing negative consequences in her own son... and seeking to shift the perspectives of other Autism parents going through the same experiences.

They start off by addressing the importance of sensory supports and environmental adjustments in home, work, and school environments; the conversation seemed to highlight the importance of sensory adjustments on well-being and productivity for Autistic adults and children. Experts and teachers seem to be highly adverse to accepting sensory accommodations, often touting 'no adjustments in the real world' as a reason not to accommodate... which we all know is entirely possible in adult life.

Everyone has sensory needs, neurotypical or Autistic, and although sensory differences are highly linked to Autism, Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) can occur in allistic (non-autistic) individuals. The two list a variety of environmental adjustments anyone can use in the home to make their space less overloading, but also highlight a plethora of sensory support items that both Autistic adults and children can use to mitigate uncontrollable sensory inputs in public:

Therapressure brushes, galaxy projectors, fibre optic lights, water features, chewable jewelry, shades, blue light glasses, earbuds/defenders, acupressure rings, compression clothing, joggers/trainers, soft hoodies/hats, weighted blankets, vibrating massagers, soft blankets, fidget spinners, fidget cubes, fans, white noise machines, wobble cushions, lotions, disco lights, colour changing bulbs, and sensory swings... to name a few!

Thomas talks about his experiences with sensory joy with theme park rides, stimming equipment, and spinning... pointing out the euphoria and relaxation this offers him as an Autistic adult. No episode would conclude without highlighting some adjustments that public spaces and workplaces can make spaces more inclusive to those with sensory differences -