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The Autistic Culture Podcast Network (ACPN)
[Encore] Taylor Swift is Autistic
Episode originally aired: April 9 2024
With the announcement of TS12, Taylor Swifts new album 'The Life of a Showgirl', this episode is more relevant than ever. We're on hiatus, but bringing this powerful conversation back into the feed for any Autistic Swiftie listeners.
š” What Youāll Learn in This Episode
- Autistic-coded traits in Taylor Swift ā From encyclopaedic cat knowledge to embedding riddles, puzzles, and Easter eggs into her music.
- Outsider perspective in her lyrics ā How her songs describe masking, outsider feelings, and belonging in ways deeply resonant with autistic experience.
- Justice sensitivity ā Exploring the intersection of fairness, expectation sensitivity, and creative expression.
- Family tree and neurodivergence ā Why Swiftās relatives may offer hints of autismās genetic component.
- The role of privilege ā How capitalism, public image, and access shape her career and influence.
- Cultural anthems ā Why āShake It Offā feels like a rallying cry for many autistic individuals.
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šļø Executive Producers: Amy Burns, Anamaria B Call, Andrew Banner, Anna Goodson, Ashley Apelzin, Audrea Volker, Ben Coulson, Brian Churcek, Cappy Hamper, Carley Biblin, Charlene Deva, Chloe Cross, Clay Duhigg, Clayton Oliver, Danny Dunn, Daria Brown, David Garrido, Emily Burgess, Eric Crane, Erik Stenerud, Fiona Baker, Grace Norman, Helen Shaddock, Jaimie Collins, Jason Killian, Jen Unruh, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Tretter, Kathie Watson-Gray, Kenneth Knowles, Kira Cotter, Kristine Lang, Kyle Raney, Llew P Williams, Laura Alvarado, Laura De Vito, Laura Provonsha, Lily George, Nelly Darmi, Nigel Rogers, Rachel Miller, Tim Scott, Tyler Kunz, Victoria Steed, Yanina Wood.
š§ Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas FlĆøde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.
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01:12|The Autistic Culture Podcast Network is officially open for new podcast pitches, and weāre calling on Autistic creators to help shape the future of an Autistic-led audio network. This short promo invites storytellers, culture-builders, deep divers, and passionate voices to bring their ideas to life, whether theyāre rooted in special interests, history, art, games, science, sound, or navigating work and school systems.You donāt need fancy gear or a perfect plan, just your perspective, your curiosity, and the topics your brain could talk about forever. If youāve been dreaming of starting a podcast that reflects lived experience, culture, and joy, this is your sign.Pitch deadline: January 31, 2026Apply here or Email: info@autisticculturepodcast.comWe canāt wait to hear what youāre dreaming up!
14. How George Realised They Were Autistic While Studying Autism
50:00||Ep. 14In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes George Watts, a neurodivergent researcher, parent, and PhD candidate whose path into autism research began before realising they were autistic themselves.George first studied autism from the outside, absorbing dominant behavioural frameworks and evidence-based models that promised to āhelpā Autistic people. It wasnāt until they encountered Autistic voices, community, and their own reflection in the literature that their understanding ā and their life ā fundamentally shifted.Together, Angela and George explore late identification, burnout, childbirth, internalised deficit models, the harm of behaviourism, and what becomes possible when Autistic people stop being studied in isolation and start building community together. This episode centres Autistic quality of life ā not as an abstract metric, but as a lived, relational experience grounded in belonging, autonomy, and joy.šŖ AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: George Watts ā Autistic researcher, PhD candidate, and parentYou: The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Childhood signs without diagnosisDiscussion: Burnout, childbirth, late identification, unlearning behaviourism and deficit-based modelsAutistic parenting and education research shaped by lived experienceKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela introduces George as a researcher whose academic path into autism began long before they understood their own neurodivergence. Early training framed autism as a problem to be fixed ā with behavioural intervention positioned as the solution. This episode traces what happens when that framework begins to crack.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Georgeās StoryGeorge returned to university as a mature student, studying autism after years of precarious work, burnout, and unrecognised neurodivergence. As they immersed themselves in autism literature, moments of resonance accumulated ā until self-recognition became unavoidable.Childbirth, sensory overload, and years of misattributed mental health struggles came into focus through a new lens. What had once been framed as personal failure or psychological fragility was re-understood as the cost of navigating a world not built for Autistic nervous systems.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsLate identification: Studying autism before recognising it in yourselfBurnout and childbirth: Sensory overwhelm and unmet support needsCommunity as intervention: Autistic people supporting each otherQuality of life: Shifting research focus from causes and cures to belongingAutistic parenting: Reducing unnecessary demands and honouring regulationResearch from the inside: Autistic-led questions shaping the field4ļøā£ Key LearningsUnderstanding autism can reframe decades of self-blameBehavioural compliance is not the same as well-beingQuality of life looks different for Autistic people ā and should be defined by themCommunity and belonging are not extras; they are foundationalAutistic-led research changes what we ask ā and what mattersš Notice BoardGeorge Watts ā YouTube talkAutism Studies (FutureLearn course)Research paper: A Certain MagicGrove Neurodivergent Mentoring and EducatingAutistic Quality of Life Measure (ASQoL)š£ Club Announcementsš§ The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.š Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast
13. How Julie Understood Herself After Raising an Autistic Child
46:10||Ep. 13In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Julie M. Green, a writer, Autistic mother, and late-identified Autistic woman whose self-recognition unfolded through parenting. Julieās story begins not with her own diagnosis, but with her sonās. As she learned how to support an Autistic child, she slowly began to recognise familiar patterns in herself ā sensory sensitivity, rigidity, perfectionism, chronic illness, and lifelong shyness that had always been framed as personality flaws rather than neurodivergence.Together, Angela and Julie explore maternal guilt, masking across decades, self- and formal diagnosis, and what changes ā and what doesnāt ā when you finally have language for your nervous system.šŖ AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Julie M. Green ā Autistic writer, Author, and motherYou: The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Childhood signs without diagnosisDiscussion: Parenting an autistic child while recognising autism in yourselfMasking, perfectionism, and decades of mislabelingSelf-diagnosis, formal diagnosis, and imposter syndromeKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Julie as a member whose story begins in a paediatricianās office ā not for herself, but for her son. What started as advocacy and research quickly became a mirror, reflecting traits Julie had carried since childhood but never had language for.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Julieās StoryJulie grew up in the 1970s and 80s as a highly anxious, perfectionistic, and extremely shy child. Changes in routine triggered meltdowns, collections were rigidly organised, and sensory sensitivities shaped daily life ā all framed at the time as personality flaws or the result of being an only child.In school, Julie was quiet, compliant, and high-achieving. Anxiety and perfectionism were invisible to teachers, while internal distress went unnamed.Years later, as a first-time mother, Julie struggled with sensory overload, shutdowns, and intense guilt. When her son was diagnosed with autism at age three, Julie immersed herself in research ā first to support him, and eventually to understand herself.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsMasking and mislabeling: Shyness, rigidity, and perfectionism framed as flawsMaternal guilt: Internalising blame for sensory overwhelm and burnoutSelf-recognition: Seeing autistic traits through parenting without immediately claiming identityDiagnosis decisions: Self-diagnosis, formal assessment, and imposter syndromeDisclosure: Navigating silence, validation, and scepticism from othersAutistic parenting: Modelling boundaries, regulation, and self-advocacy4ļøā£ Key LearningsAutism can become visible through caregiving before self-recognitionCompliance and quiet achievement often hide distressFormal diagnosis may change nothing ā and everythingSelf-diagnosis is valid; seeking assessment is a personal choiceModelling boundaries is a powerful form of parentingUnderstanding yourself can reduce shame across generationsš Notice BoardLink for Julieās book: Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical AcceptanceJulieās Substack: https://theautisticmom.substack.com/š£ Club Announcementsš§ The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.š Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast
12. How Becca Reclaimed Her Voice as an Autistic Adult
47:45||Ep. 12In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Becca Engle, an Autistic educator, author, and advocate whose early disability was recognised, but whose autism was not fully named until adulthood.Becca was identified as disabled at age three and was once non-speaking. She was repeatedly told she would never be independent, never succeed academically, and never become a teacher. Instead, she grew up navigating education systems that focused on compliance over understanding ā systems that demanded silence, masking, and endurance rather than support.Together, Angela and Becca explore early childhood diagnosis without clarity, the harm of behaviour-based interventions, masking in higher education, autistic anger as a catalyst for advocacy, and what it means to design learning environments that support regulation rather than control.šŖ AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Becca Engle ā Autistic educator, author, and disability advocateYou: The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Early childhood diagnosis and being āalmost autisticāDiscussion: Masking, compliance, and exclusion in education systemsRegulation, classroom design, and alternatives to seclusionKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Becca as someone whose autism was visible early but never fully acknowledged. Despite being labelled with multiple developmental diagnoses, Beccaās needs were misunderstood, and expectations for her future were set painfully low.What followed was not support, but pressure to conform.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Beccaās StoryBecca was diagnosed at age three with conditions that stopped short of autism and was repeatedly told she would never speak, learn independently, or attend school. Early intervention included speech therapy, occupational therapy, and exposure to behaviour-based systems that relied on control and seclusion.Years later, in college, Becca was told she was ātoo autisticā to teach. She graduated anyway ā and later pursued further credentials outside traditional pathways.Becca formally received an autism diagnosis in adulthood, bringing clarity, legitimacy, and permission to name what had always been true.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsEarly diagnosis without clarity: Being labelled disabled but not autistic shaped expectations and access to supportCompliance over care: Behaviour systems prioritised obedience rather than regulation or understandingMasking in higher education: Silence was rewarded; authenticity was punishedAnger as fuel: Advocacy emerged not from inspiration, but from injusticeRegulation-focused classrooms: Becca describes her three-zone regulation model as an alternative to calm corners, seclusion, and PBISStimming and creativity: Writing, knitting, and movement as regulation ā not distraction4ļøā£ Key LearningsEarly identification without understanding can still cause harmCompliance systems teach masking, not self-regulationSilencing autistic communication is often framed as professionalismAnger can be an appropriate and productive response to injusticeWhen environments change, people donāt have to disappear to succeedš Notice BoardBeccaās Social Media:⢠Instagram: @StitchesStanzas⢠Facebook: Becca Engle / Stitches & StanzasBeccaās Books:⢠Step Into My Shoes: https://a.co/d/hJRVXSG⢠Through Our Lens series: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G3XQZ8KVš£ Club Announcementsš§ The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.š Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast
11. How Monique Realised Survival Mode Was Autistic Masking
53:15||Ep. 11In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Monique Lindner ā a late-identified Autistic woman whose life once revolved around relentless achievement, overwork, and endurance.Monique was a high-performing systems thinker, corporate leader, and entrepreneur who learned early how to push through trauma, chronic pain, sleep deprivation, and sensory overload. What finally cracked the faƧade wasnāt a dramatic breakdown ā it was a slow unravelling, followed by a single, unexpected question from her book editor that sent her down a ten-month path toward understanding her neurodivergence.Together, Angela and Monique explore late identification, masking, Autistic burnout, trauma, friendship loss, unmasking, psychic pattern-matching, and what happens when you stop explaining yourself and start protecting your nervous system.šŖ AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Monique Lindner ā Late-identified Autistic writer, entrepreneur, and systems thinkerYou: The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Moniqueās pre-diagnosis lifeDiscussion: Burnout, trauma, masking, and loss after unmaskingKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Monique as someone whose life looked successful on the outside ā leadership roles, global travel, financial stability ā while quietly exacting a devastating cost on her nervous system. What finally brought clarity wasnāt collapse alone, but permission to question why survival had become the baseline.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Moniqueās StoryMonique spent decades pushing through exhaustion, trauma, and sensory overload without understanding why it cost her so much. Her autism went unrecognised until the pandemic revealed how much relief she felt in solitude. A question from her book editor finally gave her language for her burnout, intuition, and need for boundaries.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsHigh achievement as masking: Leadership, overwork, and perfectionism hid severe sensory and emotional costs.Late identification: A book editorās observation opened a ten-month self-identification process.Unmasking fallout: Friendships ended when Monique began asking for basic accommodations.Autistic burnout: Multiple collapses following trauma, surgery, and prolonged stress.Pattern-matching & intuition: Monique describes deep knowing, heightened perception, and intuitive clarity as Autistic strengths.Boundaries as survival: Learning when to stop explaining and start protecting herself.4ļøā£ Key LearningsSurvival skills can look like success ā until they stop working.Unmasking may cost relationships, but it preserves health.Asking for accommodations often reveals who was benefiting from your silence.Pattern-matching and intuition are forms of Autistic intelligence.Trusting yourself is a radical act after years of dismissal.š Notice BoardMoniqueās Website: moniquelindner.comMoniqueās Substack: moniquelindner.substack.comš£ Club Announcementsš§ The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.š Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast
10. How Sean Realised His Burnout Was Autistic, Not Failure
49:19||Ep. 10In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon sits down with Sean Hawthorne, a late-identifying Autistic adult who is still in the very middle of discovery ā not the end of the journey. Sean spent decades performing a socially acceptable version of himself: the reliable friend, the focused finance professional, the guy who shaped his interests to fit in and kept his sensory overwhelm hidden. But in 2021, a catastrophic burnout forced him to confront a truth he could no longer outrun.Together, Angela and Sean explore autistic burnout, somatic reconnection, cultural and religious messaging, unmasking, identity, self-diagnosis, and the relief of realising you were never broken ā you were misunderstood.šŖ AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Sean Hawthorne ā Self-diagnosed Autistic adult navigating late discoveryYou: The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Seanās early cluesDiscussion: Burnout, masking, religion, culture & re-learning the bodyKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela introduces Sean as someone still in process ā mid-discovery, mid-unmasking, mid-clarity ā reflecting the reality that Autistic identification can take years, even a decade, to understand fully.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Seanās StorySeanās earliest clues were sensory processing difficulties so intense that he sometimes froze, unable to respond to teachers who insisted he ājust answer.ā He excelled academically only when placed in a smaller, more patient classroom ā a sign of undiscovered neurodivergence that went unnoticed.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsSensory overwhelm: Freezing in classrooms, noise sensitivity, overstimulation.Masking: Clubs, alcohol, social rules, performing āacceptableā masculinity.Cultural & religious pressure: Caribbean/Christian frameworks that framed distress as spiritual or disciplinary issues.Burnout: Losing mobility, shutting down, thinking it was āa lack of discipline.āSomatic reconnection: Learning interoception, feeling his bodyās signals for the first time.Self-diagnosis: Valid, grounded, and life-saving.Intersectionality: Autistic burnout in the context of Blackness, surveillance, and systemic injustice.4ļøā£ Key LearningsBeing dismissed doesnāt mean you were wrong ā it means you were unseen.Masking becomes a personality, not a strategy.Burnout often looks like failure until you have the right language.Self-identification can save lives long before formal diagnosis is accessible.Reconnecting with the body is disorienting ā but also a homecoming.Autistic adults arenāt fragile; weāre deprived of support.š£ Club Announcementsš§ The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.š Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast
9. How Georgina Turned Years of Being Dismissed Into Life-Saving Work
44:09||Ep. 9In this weekās meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Georgina Banks - Autistic, ADHD, chronically ill, and the founder & CEO of AuDHD UK, a suicide-prevention charity reshaping access to diagnosis and support across the UK.Georgina spent nearly a decade searching for answers while doctors dismissed her chronic illness, sensory overwhelm, and burnout as āanxiety.ā In todayās conversation, she shares how late discovery helped her finally understand her body, her needs, and her mission ā and how she turned personal pain into a national effort to save neurodivergent lives and to support hundreds of adults still fighting to be believed.This episode includes a discussion of suicide. Please listen with care.šŖ AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Georgina Banks ā Autistic & ADHD founder of AuDHD UKYou: The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Georginaās late identificationDiscussion: chronic illness, dismissal, and Autistic burnoutBuilding AuDHD UK & suicide preventionKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela opens with a truth many late-identified Autistic adults know deeply:We often spend years trying to survive systems that donāt recognise whatās happening to us.Georginaās story shows how dangerous that invisibility can be ā and how powerful clarity becomes once we have it.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Georginaās storyAt 15, Georgina became severely ill while preparing for GCSEs. Doctors insisted it was āstress.āAt 19, a gastroenterologist noted she had āa hint of Aspergerās.ā At 20, she was officially diagnosed Autistic. ADHD would come years later, after burnout and shutdowns became impossible to ignore.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsMisdiagnosed for years: Chronic illness, shutdowns, and sensory collapses dismissed as āanxiety.āAutistic traits overlooked: Literal thinking, tics, clumsiness, non-verbal episodes, sensory pain.Unmasking & regression: After diagnosis, lifelong compensations fell away.Founding AuDHD UK: Building a suicide-prevention charity offering assessments and weekly peer-support groups for undiagnosed adults who cannot afford private pathways.Why diagnosis access matters: Not for a label ā but for safety, language, stability, and belonging.4ļøā£ Key LearningsBeing unseen by the system does not mean you were wrong about yourself.Burnout, shutdown, and sensory overwhelm can masquerade as āanxiety.āIdentification is a turning point, not the end point.Suicide prevention begins with validation, access, and community.Neurodivergent people design better support systems when they lead them.š Notice BoardAuDHD UK ā https://audhduk.orgThe suicide-prevention charity founded by Georgina. AuDHD UK provides subsidised diagnostic assessments, weekly peer-support groups, and advocacy for neurodivergent adults who cannot safely or affordably access traditional diagnosis pathways.š£ Club Announcementsš§ The Late Diagnosis Club is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community at latediagnosis.club.š Check the LDC Notice Board for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast
8. How Mike Spent Five Lost Years Before Realising Heās Autistic
46:20||Ep. 8In this meeting ofĀ The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomesĀ Mike MatthewsĀ ā a late-diagnosed Autistic dad, writer, music obsessive, and dry-witted survivor of misdiagnosis, medical gaslighting, and five years of unanswered burnout.Together, Angela and Mike explore the messy middle between āsomething is wrongā and āoh ā itās autism,ā the years lost to misunderstanding, the grief and relief of late self-discovery, and the unexpected joy of building a life that actually fits.šŖ AttendeesChair:Ā Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest:Ā Mike Matthews ā Autistic dad, writer, punk enthusiast & playlist archivistYou:Ā The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Mikeās misdiagnosis journeyDiscussion: Burnout, sensory life, stigma & spiralsMember spotlight: Autistic creativity, playlists & book writingKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela welcomes listeners into a story many late-diagnosed adults know too well: years of searching for answers, a system that keeps missing us, and the emotional cost of untreated Autistic burnout disguised as ādepression.ā Mikeās path began after becoming a parent ā when suddenly the time he used for emotional regulation evaporated, and everything fell apart.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Mike's storyFrom the very first doctor visit, Mikeās concerns were waved away, misread, or treated with trial-and-error medications that createdĀ new problemsĀ rather than solving the old ones.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsFive years of misdiagnosis:Ā burnout mistaken for depression, sensory issues overlooked, and a formal evaluation that labelled him with the wrong disorder.Medication mishaps:Ā antidepressants causing side effects, withdrawal ābrain zaps,ā and treatments that obscured the real issue ā autistic burnout.Grief and relief:Ā mourning the lost years while embracing clarity, self-knowledge, and a gentler relationship with himself and others.4ļøā£ Key LearningsAutistic burnout is not depressionĀ ā and treating it as such can prolong suffering.Misdiagnosis is common, especially when sensory experiences are ignored.Self-knowledge changes everythingš£ Club Announcementsš§Ā The Late Diagnosis ClubĀ is available onĀ Spotify,Ā Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community atĀ latediagnosis.club.š Check theĀ LDC Notice BoardĀ for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast
7. How Amber Realised āPostpartum Anxietyā Was Autistic Burnout
49:53||Ep. 7In this meeting of The Late Diagnosis Club, Dr Angela Kingdon welcomes Amber Covucci ā a late-diagnosed Autistic attorney, mother of two, and brilliant pattern-matcher who spent decades thinking she was ājust sensitiveā before discovering she was Autistic in her mid-30s.Together, Angela and Amber explore Autistic motherhood, masking, sensory life, high-achieving burnout, and raising neurodivergent kids while still learning how to accommodate their own needs.šŖ AttendeesChair: Dr Angela Kingdon ā Author, community-builder, and Autistic advocateGuest: Amber Covucci ā Autistic attorney, writer, and motherYou: The Listener!šļø Meeting AgendaOpening remarks from the ChairMember introduction: Amberās Autistic childhood & early maskingDiscussion: Pregnancy, postpartum, sensory overwhelm & burnoutKey learningsClub announcementsš§¾ Minutes from the Meeting1ļøā£ Opening RemarksAngela welcomes listeners into a conversation many Autistic mothers rarely hear reflected: what happens when your mask collapses under the sensory, emotional, and logistical weight of early parenthood.2ļøā£ Member Introduction: Amberās storyFrom childhood, Amber felt different: intensely focused (ātoo much attention disorderā), deeply sensitive, academically exceptional, and physically overwhelmed by clothing, noise, and transitions.Despite high achievement ā gifted programs, top grades, law school ā she also experienced chronic burnout, shutdowns, and sensory barriers nobody recognised as Autistic traits.3ļøā£ Discussion HighlightsMissed Signs: Sensory overwhelm, hyperfocus, and lifelong burnout are misunderstood.Pregnancy & Postpartum: What looked like āpostpartum anxietyā was Autistic burnout.Birth & Autonomy: Sensory-safe support and control made labour manageable.Work & Burnout: Deep-focus strengths paired with crash-level recovery needs.Autistic Parenting: New language and compassion for her own and her childrenās needs.4ļøā£ Key LearningsLate diagnosis brings relief, not limitationSensory overwhelm is not weakness ā itās informationAutistic parents can be extraordinary caregiversYou can redesign your life once you understand your brainDiagnosis isnāt necessary for belonging ā self-knowledge isš£ Club Announcementsš§Ā The Late Diagnosis ClubĀ is available onĀ Spotify,Ā Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.š¬ Join our online meetups and community atĀ latediagnosis.club.š Check theĀ LDC Notice BoardĀ for Member Contributionsš There is a small charge ā but no one is turned away for lack of funds.š Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive atĀ AutisticCulturePlus.comš VisitĀ www.autisticculturepodcast.comš² Follow us on Instagram:Ā @autisticculturepodcast