Autistic Culture Presents...

Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine that brings together the stories, conversations, and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.As Angela is away this week, James Hepworth, host of Collecting Fish and Hyperfocus FC, joins Simon as a guest co-host.We begin with a look back at Collecting Fish, reflecting on the first season and sharing an update on how James’ marine tank is developing. Then we turn to the FIFA World Cup Final, where Spain lifted the trophy while Argentina’s tournament ended in controversy, before looking back at the competition as a whole and what made this year’s tournament so memorable.As always, we’ll also take you through everything coming up this week across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, with new episodes exploring Hamilton, masking and burnout, therapy, genetics, humour, ARFID, basketball, and much more. Let’s dive in.🎧 Start Here: Autistic Culture Radio: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0yJ56B3GcrqrlOMS537ve1?si=JxKnd3u_QS6andwrN8yHOA📻 On Air This Week:Monday 27th July:Theatrically Authentic – Episode 6: Built like A System - HamiltonSarah Atherton-Knight and Simon Scott dive deep into Hamilton — the cultural phenomenon that transformed modern musical theatre and became a hyperfixation for an entire generation of neurodivergent fans.Mindful Mondays with Ashley DupuyAshley returns with another mindful reflection and guided meditation to help neurodivergent listeners begin the week with intention and regulation.Tuesday 28th July:Drinking to Mask and Unmask - Episode 4: When the Mask Stops MaskingWhat happens when the strategies that once helped you survive stop working?Ebony Nash joins Chelsey Flood on Drinking to Mask and Unmask for a conversation about alcohol, neurodivergence, burnout, and identity. Together they explore the limits of coping strategies, the impact of masking over time, and what it means to build a life that no longer depends on survival mechanisms.Regulation Station – Episode 6: Navigating Life as an AuDHD TherapistIn this week's episode of Regulation Station, Becca Engle is joined by psychotherapist and Clinically Awkward host Alyssa Zimmerman for a conversation about therapy, neurodivergence, relationships, and what it means to build a life that works with your brain rather than against it.Wednesday 29th July:Clinical Misfits - Episode 4: Collagen Changes EverythingIn the final episode of Clinical Misfits, Dr Mary discusses some genetic conditions that account for a lot of the physical, mental, psychological and behavioural characteristics present in varying degrees in the majority of neurodivergent people. These are largely due to defects in collagen!Two Mics No Masking - Episode 3: Humour as Kryptonite to HierarchyKatie Scott and Jenna Goldstein explore the power of humour as more than entertainment. For many neurodivergent people, laughter can challenge assumptions, expose contradictions, and create connection in ways that words alone often can't.Thursday 30th July:NEW SHOW - Autism Help– Episode 1: ARFID and AutismHeather McKay talks about ARFID in autistic people, and how the current treatments for ARFID actually make our ARFID worse, and cause us to drop safe foods.The Neurodivergent Experience - Episode 121Jordan James and Simon Scott return for a conversation about the Neurodivergent Experience!Friday 31st July:Hot Topic FridayA new discussion from The Neurodivergent Experience team, tackling a fresh topic from the world of neurodivergence.Under The Lights - Episode 2: Top 10 NBA Playoff SeriesTurrell Burgess counts down the greatest NBA Playoff series from a lifetime of watching basketball.📚 From the Archive - Saturday 1st AugustAutistic Culture Podcast Rewind – Sherlock is AutisticRewind with an Autistic Culture Podcast classic, as we investigate Sherlock Holmes as an Autistic-coded cultural icon.Please rate, share and review our shows, as it helps them grow and reach more people! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast, hosts Dr. Angela Kingdon and Matt Lowry, LPP reframe Hans Christian Andersen—not as the “awkward, difficult” writer he’s often portrayed to be, but as a figure whose life and work reflect Autistic culture.🎧 What You’ll Learn:How Andersen’s special interests, social struggles, and speech differences align with Autistic traits.Why stories like The Ugly Duckling, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and the Pea resonate so strongly with Autistic experiences of difference, masking, and sensory sensitivity.How sensory seeking and avoiding show up in both Andersen’s life and his fairytales.Why direct communication, existential loneliness, and intense friendships (like his troubled bond with Charles Dickens) are part of the Autistic lens.Matt’s critique of exposure therapy and why Autistics don’t “habituate” the way allistics do—making sensitivity a trait, not a flaw.Angela’s personal reflection on The Princess and the Pea as a story that validated her own sensitivity and reframed it as special.How Andersen’s work, viewed through Autistic culture, provides representation, validation, and connection across generations.Resources:Complete Works of Hans Christian AndersenHans Christian Andersen CentreA Weird visit to Dickens House: Charles Dickens really, really hated his fanboy Hans Christian Andersen.BLEAK HOUSE GUEST (movie)Dickens Mistress Nelly:Charles Dickens AWESOME Wife CatherineThe Genesis of Artistic Creativity: Asperger's Syndrome and the ArtsWriters on the SpectrumRelated Episodes:Beauty and the Beast is Autistic🌟 Connect With Us📱 Follow us on Instagram🎧 Find us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify🛍️Our Autism-affirming merch shop🌐 Learn more at www.autisticculturepodcast.com

Understanding autism means understanding everything that comes with it.Welcome to Autism Help, a podcast exploring the co-occurring conditions, daily challenges, and practical realities that shape the lives of autistic people and those who support them. Part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.Hosted by Heather McKay (she/they)—a late-diagnosed autistic mother of two, educator, company director, and author of Autism: The Big Book Set of Help—the series provides honest, neuroaffirming conversations about topics that are often overlooked, misunderstood, or poorly explained by mainstream services.Drawing on lived experience, years of facilitating support groups, and extensive research, Heather explores subjects including ARFID, executive dysfunction, sleep disorders, fibromyalgia, incontinence, literacy, and supporting multiply-disabled children. Each episode aims to provide practical knowledge, reduce isolation, and help listeners better understand autistic life beyond the diagnostic criteria.Whether you're autistic yourself, a parent, educator, support worker, or healthcare professional, Autism Help offers accessible, evidence-informed conversations grounded in both expertise and lived experience.🎧 Autism help is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcastnetwork.com📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

In the debut episode of Under the Lights, Turrell Burgess counts down his favourite March Madness moments from a lifetime of watching the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. From unforgettable buzzer-beaters and stunning Cinderella runs to shocking upsets and championship drama, this is a celebration of the games that became part of college basketball history.Whether you've followed the tournament for decades or you're discovering March Madness for the first time, Turrell revisits the moments that captured the imagination of fans and explains why they still stand out today.🏀 Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

Could a simple zinc supplement help with ADHD symptoms?In this Hot Topic, Jordan shares his personal experience after taking zinc for over two months, while Simon explores the latest research into zinc, dopamine and brain health. They discuss what the science says, how zinc may support ADHD alongside medication, and why it's no replacement for medical advice—plus plenty of laughs along the way.Our Sponsors:🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

Regardless of what disability you have, you have a lot to rant about! Especially when it comes to accessibility, whenever you try to go somewhere. The sensory assault autistic folks may experience when trying to have a meal in peace, the gaslighting and infantilization that folks of all disabilities are subjected to,, and of course, just not being able to get there because your mobility aid can’t go up stairs, and more! These make it difficult to visit places, whether they are essential for our survival or “just” for our ability to take part in society. For this episode, I was joined by Tal(y) Wozner (pronouns: she/her), filmmaker and queer and disability activist. Together, we tried to build a bridge across disabilities and found out we needed to all have each other’s backs. Content and Language notes: Sexuality and drug use are briefly mentioned using the words porn, semen, flirt and high. The words bitch, bitchy, butt, shit, bullshit and fuck are being used occasionally.You can support Aut2Aut on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. This will help prepped.to go on providing a platform for autistic folks to share locations’ sensory info and service instructions. Mentioned in this episode:Lacey Artemis from beyondquietrooms.com and the findings from her survey about sensory issues folks have in venues, by neurotype. Also, I met her at Autscape online.Aut2Aut, the nonprofit I founded, providing free platforms and content by and for autistic peopleprepped.to is the website I created where autistic folks can upload and consult sensory info and service instructions about places, so folks can prep and script before going thereHow to support my nonprofitTheme music composed and produced by Lir Lutau Shahar (pronouns: he/fae/sea): YouTube, Soundcloud. For collaborations: lutaoshzh@gmail.com Follow Dr. Gal Schkolnik on LinkedIn, Mastodon or Tumblr📢 Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan and Simon explore three real-life neurodivergent dilemmas inspired by online community discussions. This week they discuss feeling like you don't belong, why ADHD can make friendships and messaging so difficult, and whether coffee really affects ADHD medication. Honest conversations, lived experience, and plenty of laughs along the way.Our Sponsors:🧘‍♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy🤝 Sophie James - Neurodivergent Mentoring: sophiejamesndmentoring.com🔗 Stay ConnectedInstagram: @theneurodivergentexperiencepodFacebook: The Neurodivergent Experience & Jordan's Facebook pageYouTube: @TheNeurodivergentExperienceTikTok: @neurodivergentexperience🎧 The Neurodivergent Experience is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.⭐ Leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify🔔 Turn on notifications for new weekly episodes🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Visit www.autisticculturepodcast.com

In this episode, Vicki sits down with her longtime friend and collaborator TJ Berden — filmmaker, producer, and one of her people — for a conversation twenty years in the making.They talk about finding your people in Hollywood, what it means to have big dreams and a big heart in a town that wants to know if it's sellable, and what it looks like to stay true to your values across two decades of an industry that keeps changing the rules. They also talk about neurodivergent creatives — what TJ calls pearl divers — and what it means to make work that goes to the depths of human experience.This is a conversation about traumedy, friendship, identity, and why the stories that are hardest to tell are usually the ones most worth making.ABOUT TJTJ Berden is a filmmaker and producer based in Michigan. He has produced films distributed by major studios and made documentaries on subjects ranging from prison reform to education reform to faith. His current project is Cinderella Nun — a documentary about Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the 106-year-old nun and New York Times bestselling author who became one of the most beloved figures in college basketball.Cinderella Nun: https://www.cinderellanun.com/SUPPORT THE SHOWIf this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who might need it.Hat on a Hat on a Hat (Substack): https://ahatonahatonahat.substack.com/Donations are gratefully accepted and help keep this show going at whatever pace is sustainable.Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/vickipeterson✍️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com

In this episode of Two Mics, No Masking, Katie Scott and Jenna Goldstein unpack the hidden assumptions behind behaviorism and ask what happens when society decides there's only one "right" way to think, behave, and exist.Together they explore why expecting neurodivergent people to conform can be deeply harmful, particularly for children, and challenge the belief that outward behaviour tells the whole story. Through personal reflection and honest conversation, Katie and Jenna examine what changes when we move beyond compliance and begin valuing different ways of experiencing the world.🎙️ Subscribe now to hear future episodes.🌈 Celebrate autistic voices with early access, ad-free listening, and our full archive at AutisticCulturePlus.com🌐 Learn more about the network at AutisticCulturePodcastNetwork.com