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This Week on ACPN #3 | Introducing the Autistic Culture Mixtape
Ep. 3
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Welcome to the third edition of This Week on ACPN!
This week marks an exciting milestone for the Autistic Culture Podcast Network as we launch the very first Autistic Culture Mixtape - a new way to experience ACPN through a curated blend of music and podcast programming. Alongside the Mixtape, we’ve got another packed week of new episodes exploring theatre, education, creativity, football, neurodivergent life, fishkeeping, healthcare and more. Whether you’re catching up on your favourite shows or discovering ACPN for the first time, this newsletter is your guide to everything happening across the network.
Let’s dive in!
🎧 Start Here: The Autistic Culture Mixtape • July 2026
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0yJ56B3GcrqrlOMS537ve1?si=JxKnd3u_QS6andwrN8yHOA
📻 This Week’s Programmes:
Monday 6th July:
Theatrically Authentic – Episode 3: Theatre Kid Energy - Subscribe to Theatrically Authentic
Mindful Mondays with Ashley Dupuy
Ashley returns with another mindful reflection and guided meditation to help neurodivergent listeners begin the week with intention and regulation.
Tuesday 7th July:
Creative Becoming – Episode 3: Sticking With It - Subscribe to Creative becoming
Regulation Station – Episode 3: Holding Space You Don’t Inhabit: Supporting Neurodivergent Students - Subscribe to Regulation Station
Wednesday 8th July:
Hyperfocus FC – Episode 4: The 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup - Subscribe to Hyperfocus FC
The Neurocomplex Creative– Episode 2: Found Family, Big Feelings - Subscribe to The Neurocomplex creative
Thursday 9th July:
Autistic Rant Hour – Episode 4: Mental Health Services - Subscribe to The Autistic Rant Hour
The Neurodivergent Experience - Episode 118 - Subscribe to NDE
Friday 10th July:
Hot Topic Friday - Subscribe to NDE
Collecting Fish– Episode 3: An Ocean In Your Living Room - Subscribe to Collecting Fish
📚 From the Archive - Saturday 11th July
Autistic Culture Podcast Rewind – Emily Dickinson is Autistic - Subscribe to ACP Rewind
Please rate, share and review our shows, as it helps them grow and reach more people! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🎙️ 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.
🎧 Producers: AJ Knight, Bobby Simon, Da Kovac, Eleanor Collins, Emily Griffiths, Hannah Hughes, Jennifer Kemp, Jonas Fløde, Kate F, Katie N Benitez, Kendra Murphy, Lisa Dennys, Logan Wall, Louise Lomas, Melissa Nance, Nicola Owen, Rebecka Johansson, Sam Morris, Sarah Hannah Morris.
More episodes
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4. The Autistic Rant Hour: Mental Health Services
01:00:36||Season 10, Ep. 4Content warning: mentions of self-harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders and medical gaslightingWhat happens when you go to a mental health professional who has zero information about what it means when you, their patient, may be autistic? For this episode I was joined by Rey Rissanen (pronouns: they/them). Together we will rant and tell you about the horrors of needing help with our mental health, and instead of getting it, getting misdiagnosed, gaslighted and harmed by misinformed mental health professionals, and how great it is to finally realize you’re autistic and to learn to self-advocate in the mental health setting.Rey is an artist who creates beautiful crochet designs, including crochet stim toys and houseplants, and they’re also the one who came up with the idea for prepped.to, a platform for autistic folks to share locations’ sensory info and service instructions, and you can see their beautiful illustrations of their story on our blog. You can support Aut2Aut and its platform prepped.to on Betterplace and Gofundme, or buy our #ActuallyAutistic designs in our print-on-demand shop. Mentioned in this episode:Rey’s crochet designs: @rainbowrey.crafts and their art on InstagramAut2Aut, 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
118. The Neurodivergent Experience: FOMO, Phones & the Neurodivergent Brain
58:20||Season 5, Ep. 118In this episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott begin by chatting about football, late-night World Cup matches, and the challenge of following a special interest that's happening in a completely different time zone. But the conversation quickly evolves into something much bigger: our relationship with our phones. From doom scrolling and revenge bedtime procrastination to fear of missing out (FOMO), they explore why neurodivergent brains can find it so difficult to switch off. A funny, reflective, and surprisingly relatable episode about FOMO, special interests, sleep, and learning to be present in a world that's constantly demanding our attention.Our Sponsors:🧘♀️ Ashley Dupuy – Integrative Coaching, Breathwork & Hypnotherapy→ https://bit.ly/ashleynde🤝 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
4. Hyperfocus FC: The 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup
55:41||Season 13, Ep. 4In the final episode of their World Cup retrospective series, Simon Scott is joined by James Hepworth and Jack Hoban to look back on the two most recent FIFA World Cups: Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022. The trio revisit England's unforgettable run to the semi-finals in Russia, Croatia's remarkable journey to the final, France's emergence as the dominant force of a new generation, and the arrival of stars such as Kylian Mbappé on football's biggest stage. They also discuss Germany's shock group-stage exits, iconic matches including Spain vs Portugal and France vs Argentina, and the atmosphere surrounding the last traditional summer World Cup. The conversation then turns to the unique winter World Cup in Qatar, reflecting on the tournament's unusual feel, Argentina's dramatic path to glory, Saudi Arabia's stunning upset over the eventual champions, and the fiery quarter-final between Argentina and the Netherlands. The episode culminates with a discussion of the extraordinary 2022 World Cup Final between Argentina and France, Lionel Messi's crowning achievement, Kylian Mbappé's hat-trick heroics, and where the tournament ranks among the greatest football spectacles ever seen. The series concludes with predictions for the future and anticipation for the next chapter in World Cup history.⚽ 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
2. The Neurocomplex Creative: Found Family, Big Feelings
41:36||Season 11, Ep. 2In this episode, Vicki sits down with her aunt Sabrina — PhD in Theatre, lifelong arts educator, and the person who first showed her that big feelings weren't a problem to be managed but a gift to be expressed.Sabrina spent her career creating safe containers for young people's big feelings through theater — including a production called SECRETS that addressed the AIDS crisis for teenagers in the 1980s when almost nobody else was willing to. This conversation is about what that work looked like, why it mattered, and what the arts do for people who feel everything.It's also about what it means to have one person in your life who has known you for 45 years and never once told you that you were too much.ABOUT SABRINASabrina holds a PhD in Theatre from UC Berkeley and spent her career as an arts educator and theater director in the San Francisco Bay Area. She created educational theater productions for Kaiser Permanente including SECRETS and Nightmare on Puberty Street — work that used the stage to address the things nobody else was saying to young people. She is Vicki's chosen family.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
3. Creative Becoming: Sticking With It
40:00||Season 12, Ep. 3If you've ever struggled with procrastination, burnout, or simply need a little nudge to get started on a project, Helen and Elizabeth are here to help. In this episode, they explore how consistency, structure, and experimentation can transform creative energy into a sustainable practice, and how to stay engaged when you're feeling uninspired or overwhelmed.Together they discuss productivity techniques, creative routines, narrative writing, and the ways art can help us process emotions and communicate experiences. They also share practical strategies for overcoming perfectionism and reconnecting with creativity when motivation is low.In this episode:Using the Pomodoro Technique to tackle daunting projectsUnderstanding the Zeigarnik Effect and unfinished tasksNarrative writing and emotional processingComics and graphic storytelling as communication toolsMoving from academic understanding to personal experienceCreative exercises to quiet your inner criticResources and LinksHelen's graphic diary archive: https://arted.online/blog/diaries/Graphic diary template: https://arted.online/toolbox/resource-diary-template/The 10 Pillars of Autistic Culture: https://www.autisticculturepodcast.com/p/the-10-pillars-revisited-episodeThe Pomodoro Technique: https://www.pomodorotechnique.com/Contact: creativebecomingpod@gmail.comSupportIf you are experiencing distress, please contact your GP or a relevant support service in your area.DisclaimerCreative Becoming is connected to Helen Shaddock's practice-based PhD, "Welcome to My Messy World": A practice-based, messy auto-ethnographic artistic exploration into multimedia storytelling as an integral method towards creative becoming.🎨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
Trailer: Welcome to Two Mics No Masking
01:14||Season 17Sometimes the best conversations happen when nobody's masking.Welcome to Two Mics, No Masking, a podcast exploring neurodivergence, identity, parenting, work, and everyday life through an autistic cultural lens. Part of the Autistic Culture Podcast Network. First Episodes coming out July 15th.Hosted by Katie Scott, founder of THE COLLECTIVE, and Jenna Goldstein, founder of ND3, the series brings together two best friends, late-identified autistic women, and parents of neurodivergent children for honest, thoughtful, and often humorous conversations about what it really means to navigate a world that doesn't always understand how our brains work.From burnout and relationships to parenting, identity, and the systems we're constantly navigating, each episode digs beneath the surface to name what's really happening—without fixing, performing, or pretending.🎙️ 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
3. Regulation Station | Holding Space You Don’t Inhabit: Supporting Neurodivergent Students
42:22||Season 16, Ep. 3In this episode of Regulation Station, Becca Engle is joined by school principal Anthony Chiles for a conversation about neurodivergent students, school systems, regulation, and what children really need to thrive in educational environments.Together they explore the increasing number of neurodivergent students entering schools, the challenges educators face in supporting diverse needs, and the importance of balancing academic expectations with nervous system regulation. Anthony shares practical examples from his school, including sensory spaces, visual supports, transition planning, and even reintroducing rest time for young learners.The conversation also examines the role of relationships in education, debates around intervention approaches, and how schools can create environments that support both learning and wellbeing.In this episode:Supporting neurodivergent students in mainstream schoolsWhy regulation and learning should work togetherThe impact of transitions on autistic and neurodivergent childrenBuilding flexibility into educational environmentsSensory needs, classroom design, and school cultureTechnology, attention, and modern childhoodThe importance of trusted relationships in educationRethinking traditional approaches to behaviour and supportGuest:Anthony Chiles is a primary school principal with more than 20 years of experience in education. He is passionate about creating flexible, supportive learning environments that meet children where they are and help them succeed.🚂 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
3. Theatrically Authentic: Theatre Kid Energy
52:32||Season 15, Ep. 3In this episode of Theatrically Authentic, Sarah Atherton-Knight and Simon Scott explore the intense, joyful, and sometimes complicated world of theatre fandom.From hyperfixation and lore-sharing to stage door etiquette and parasocial relationships, the episode examines why theatre fandom resonates so deeply with neurodivergent audiences, and how musicals become systems of comfort, identity, and connection.Sarah and Simon discuss everything from Hamilton and Beetlejuice to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Heathers, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and Hazbin Hotel, exploring how fandom creates both a sense of belonging and emotional intensity.📢 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