Autistic Culture Presents...

Welcome to This Week in Autistic CultureWelcome 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.This week we’re exploring the power of shared passions and community, from Simon’s unforgettable experience seeing My Chemical Romance at Wembley to the excitement of the FIFA World Cup as it reaches its dramatic conclusion. We also share opportunities from our Community Noticeboard, celebrate projects happening across the Autistic community, and take a look at another packed week of new programmes from across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.🎧 Start Here: Autistic Culture RadioMonday 20th July:Theatrically Authentic – Episode 5: Coded But Not Confirmed Sarah Atherton-Knight and Simon Scott explore what happens when audiences recognise neurodivergence in a character… but the script never says it out loud in Theatrically Authentic. From beloved fan favourites to controversial portrayals, they discuss why certain characters resonate so deeply with neurodivergent audiences — and where the line exists between meaningful representation and harmful caricature.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 21st July:Creative Becoming – Episode 4: Catalyst For CreativityHelen and Elizabeth explore how life's unexpected disruptions can become catalysts for creativity in EP4 of Creative BecomingRegulation Station – Episode 5: It Starts with One Child: Creating Inclusive ClassroomsIn this week's episode of Regulation Station, Becca Engle is joined by autism care specialist, author, and advocate Carra Dixon to discuss inclusion, education, and the power of early understanding.Wednesday 22nd July:The Neurocomplex Creative– Episode 3: Big Hearts, Hollywood DreamsVicki 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 on EP3 of The Neurocomplex Creative.Two Mics No Masking - Episode 2: Behaviourism as the Ultimate Human HubrisKatie Scott and Jenna Goldstein unpack the hidden assumptions behind behaviourism and ask what happens when society decides there’s only one “right” way to think, behave, and exist, in our new show Two Mics No Masking.Thursday 23rd July:Autistic Rant Hour – Episode 6: Accessibility Across DisabilitiesThis week on Autistic Rant Hour, Dr Gal rants about Accessibility Across Disabilities - with guest Tal(y) Wozner (pronouns: she/her), filmmaker and queer and disability activist.The Neurodivergent Experience - Episode 120Jordan James and Simon Scott return for a conversation about the Neurodivergent Experience!Friday 24th July:Hot Topic FridayA new discussion from The Neurodivergent Experience team, tackling a fresh topic from the world of neurodivergence.NEW SHOW - Under The Lights: March MadnessUnder the lights with Turrell Burgess arrives, counting down the biggest sports moments from the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament, better known as March Madness.📚 From the Archive - Saturday 25th JulyAutistic Culture Podcast Rewind – Apple is AutisticRewind with an Autistic Culture Podcast classic, as we 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.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 explore how Steve Jobs’ Autistic traits shaped Apple’s revolutionary success.🎧 What You’ll Learn:How Jobs’ attention to design details—every bevel, chamfer, and colour shade—reflects Autistic hyperfocus and precision.Why his personal uniform of black turtlenecks and jeans embodies Autistic values of simplicity, comfort, and consistency.How his dislike of buttons and love of clean design align with Autistic sensory preferences.Why Jobs’ direct communication style was often misunderstood as narcissism, when it was actually clarity and problem-solving.How his practice of Zen Buddhism intersected with special interests in technology to spark ground-breaking creativity.The role of Autistic innovation in Apple’s most iconic contributions, from the buttonless mouse to the iPad.Why Apple’s “Think Different” campaign perfectly captures the Autistic spirit of misfits and world-changers.Resources:Steve Jobs by Walter IsaacsonThe Iconic Think Different Apple adWas Steve Jobs Autistic?Steve Jobs’ Commitment to Great Design

In the final episode of this series of Collecting Fish, James Hepworth reflects on the current state of the aquarium hobby and the challenges shaping its future.From online education and captive breeding to social media, consumerism, and sustainability, this episode explores both the strengths and contradictions of modern fishkeeping.James discusses:Aquarium communities and accessible educationFishkeeping as an escape from digital lifeEcosystem-focused aquariums and natural fishkeepingSustainability and responsible stockingThe relationship between science, creativity, and animal care.James also breaks down the darker side of the hobby, including:Impulse buyingStatus-driven aquariumsMisinformation onlineUnsuitable species in home aquariumsEnvironmental and ethical concerns within fishkeeping.Blending personal experience with ethical reflection, this episode explores what it means to be a responsible fishkeeper in the modern world — and why patience, restraint, and understanding nature may matter more than ever.🐠 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 Hot Topic episode of The Neurodivergent Experience, Jordan James and Simon Scott reflect on something many neurodivergent people quietly struggle with: birthdays. From opening presents and being sung to, to processing surprises and responding to gifts "the right way," they explore why birthdays can feel surprisingly overwhelming. They also discuss demand avoidance around replying to birthday messages, the pressure of being the centre of attention, childhood birthday memories, and how expectations around gratitude can create anxiety rather than joy. Along the way, they reflect on why experiences often mean more than possessions, the role of special interests in gift giving, and how understanding someone's neurodivergence can completely change the way we celebrate them.A warm, funny, and surprisingly insightful conversation about birthdays, relationships, and the little social expectations that can feel much bigger when you have a neurodivergent brain.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

Exact Sciences are things folks who consider themselves rational and logical assume can be trusted. And they would be, but scientists are only human, and some of them aren’t even autistic, gasp! I had the privilege of pursuing an academic career in Natural Sciences, and there I found hard-working, dedicated professors, who would base their calculations on values with dubious origins, and reject valid findings to scoop the author’s work and publish it as their own. In this scientific episode I will be joined by Dr. Mary Sims (pronouns: she/her), and together we will spill the tea about science shenanigans, and on the way, you might even learn some random details about atmospheric aerosols, vibrational spectroscopy and self-assambled monolayers. You can find Dr Mary Sims’ podcast, Clinical Misfits on the Autistic Culture Podcast Network here.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.My cat Merlin has a message for you at the end of the episode.Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Mary Sims’ podcast, Clinical Misfits [APCN please insert link here]My paper about the refractive index of Elemental CarbonMy paper about using the Vibrational Stark effect to investigate Self-Assambled MonolayersFafarman et al. 2010 about the effect of hydrogen bonding on the Star tuning rate. Correction: the numbers I’m referring to are not in a table but a chart in their supplementary material section.Where physicists upload their papers without peer review: arXiv.orgAut2Aut, 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 one of the most challenging conversations in parenting: how do we support neurodivergent children without preventing them from becoming independent adults?Drawing on Jordan's experiences raising two now-successful neurodivergent adults, the conversation examines the importance of boundaries, natural consequences, resilience and preparing children for a world that isn't always accommodating. The discussion also looks at the difference between supporting a child and overprotecting them, why gentle parenting can sometimes miss the mark, and how parents can encourage confidence without removing every challenge.The episode also explores how undiagnosed neurodivergence shaped Jordan's own childhood, how parenting changed after understanding autism and ADHD, the role of synaptic pruning during adolescence, and why accountability, repair and healthy communication remain some of the most important parenting tools.As always, this episode reflects personal lived experience and is intended to encourage thoughtful discussion rather than provide one-size-fits-all parenting advice.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

In the first episode of Two Mics, No Masking, Katie Scott and Jenna Goldstein explore one of the most familiar experiences for neurodivergent people: being told you're simultaneously "too much" and "not enough."From being labelled "too sensitive," "too loud," or "too intense" to constantly hearing "try harder" or "calm down," Katie and Jenna reflect on the impossible expectations placed on neurodivergent people. Together they explore how these messages shape identity, relationships, parenting, and the ways we learn to mask ourselves just to fit in.🎙️ 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 Episode Three of Clinical Misfits, Dr Mary explains about how the autonomic nervous system and the immune system provide a protective net over the entire person. As with the endocrine system, discussed in the last episode, coordination of activity has to be very tight to pull this off. If either system is dysregulated, both are and the body is left vulnerable. Worse, the immune system may attack the nervous system causing serious, debilitating disease. Or, the nervous system may trigger exaggerated immune responses to any number of environmental stressors that are not true physical threats to the body. The symptoms are familiar to us Clinical Misfits.Also in this episode, Dr Mary discusses how masking autistic traits undermines the Clinical Misfit's immune system, contributing to the physical illnesses that present in late-stage burnout.🩺 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