Leo is planning a move to Suffolk, England. This conversation took place when we visited the area as part of his decision making process. We speak about a delightful and symbolic experience we had while we were there. We then explore the value of "story" within therapy, the significance of re-contextualisation, and even the potential of deeper memory reconsolidation and healing processes. Our next discussion traverses echolalia, accents and imperial powers ... moving into culture, heritage, hist...
Jul 07, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 26
Welcome to the second half of our conversation with Meaghan Ray. This one begins with us speaking about the interplay between autism and ADHD, particularly in terms of executive functioning. Meaghan Ray shares some specific areas of executive functioning which pose challenges for them in relation to parenting. Siana and Meaghan Ray discuss some of their experiences as parents, noting the widespread lack of support for autistic parents caring for autistic children (regardless of whether either pa...
Jun 16, 2025•39 min•Season 2Ep. 25
We're joined for this episode by Meaghan Ray from Edmonton in Canada. Meaghan Ray speaks about their process of coming to know their autistic self. They share the value within this of real time processing with a friend, particularly as it relates to the "doing" of being autistic in daily adult life. Meaghan Ray shares some unique aspects of their childhood which led to the development of self awareness and self efficacy from a young age. They reflect on having found their place within the queer ...
Jun 14, 2025•34 min•Season 2Ep. 24
We are delighted to share with you our guest conversation with Nikita. Nikita is a trainee clinical psychologist with a special interest in neuropsychology. Together we have a fascinating discussion about adult diagnosis and how Nikita has woven this into her self-understanding and relationships. She contrasts how this has been in her personal and in her professional life. We also speak about dyscalculia and burnout. Oh, and joy and the future. 💛🧡 If you are interested in joining a group, book...
May 19, 2025•53 min•Season 2Ep. 23
Join us for another wonderful guest conversation, this time with Dawn. Dawn generously shares with us about her experiences and challenges in relation to work, mental health and being different to others. We talk about the generational grief and loss associated with late diagnosis. We speak about common expectations around socialising, learning and communication which can zap our energy and lead to struggle. We go on to envision some aspects of autistic community, representation and culture. We ...
May 03, 2025•58 min•Season 2Ep. 22
There's a bit of silliness at the beginning of this episode. We debated cutting it out, maybe due to the vestiges of internalised ableism but we decided to keep it in the interests of authenticity. It's fully possible to be "silly" and childlike right alongside having the capacity for psychological depth and vulnerable conversations. We move from "here and now" chat into speaking about tears and other emotional expressions such as anger, fear, joy and sadness. We also reflect on the possibility ...
Apr 05, 2025•40 min•Season 2Ep. 21
Trigger warning: This episode includes references to neglect and developmental trauma which some listeners may find upsetting. It's been a while since we recorded together! In this episode we expand on our discussion about grief. Leo reflects on the loss of Woody, three months on. We then move into exploring other feelings such as disappointment and pride. We speak about the conditional meanings of these feelings in relation to other people. We contrast this with the idea of unconditional love a...
Mar 28, 2025•50 min•Season 2Ep. 20
Trigger warning for mention of death, loss and grief. If you have particular sensitivities around these subjects, please consider carefully whether and / or when you might listen to this episode. Leo's dog, Woody, died just before Christmas. This episode was recorded in December and the "previous" episode we mention at the beginning was "Furry Friends & Existentialism". We speak about our experiences of bereavement and grief. We talk about navigating the end of life and expand this to speak ...
Mar 21, 2025•48 min•Season 2Ep. 19
This is a short chat we had following our guest conversation with Elisabeth. In it we further develop our thoughts and reflections about self compassion. We also contemplate our identities within the queer community, recognising that we have much more personal "work" to do in this area. Obviously it's vulnerable to put something like this out into the world ... however we do so for two reasons. Firstly, we want to honour how inspirational we found our conversation with Elisabeth and secondly, we...
Mar 12, 2025•23 min•Season 2Ep. 18
We have a treat for you today - our guest conversation with Elisabeth. 💛🧡 Elisabeth shares her story generously and insightfully. We speak about late diagnosis and the idea of a second adolescence. We contrast medicalised perspectives with the neurodiversity paradigm, for example in navigating group contexts. We explore the intersectionality of queer and neurodivergent communities. We also discuss "coming out" and parallels between the neurodiversity movement and the LGBTQIA+ movement in the 8...
Mar 09, 2025•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 17
In this episode we meet Catherine, one of our listeners from the USA. Catherine shares with us about her deep dive into autistic identity. We discuss some of our experiences throughout our life spans relating to others in education and group settings. We notice ways in which we adapted that don't feel so necessary any longer. Catherine also comes up with the phrase "social dyspraxia" which we agree is a wonderful descriptor and summary of much of our exploration. The conversation ends with some ...
Feb 22, 2025•56 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In this episode we speak with Daniel, one of our listeners who responded to our invitation to join us for a guest conversation. We speak about Daniel's ongoing process of coming to know himself as autistic. We then branch into discussing therapy with AuDHD people, including an exploration of the role artificial intelligence (AI) might play in this. Daniel introduces us to his concept of "Grand Cycles" and does a fantastic job of describing aphantasia from the inside out. We absolutely loved meet...
Feb 15, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode we reflect on the new calendar year and whether this has significance for us. We then open up a long discussion about the process of "middle age". Leo shares some of his identity shifts and pillars which have become clearer and more robust over the past decade. Siana reflects on the significance of readiness and of having a template of sorts which has enabled her to enter and navigate this stage of life in a different way. We speak about themes of hope, expectation, change and gr...
Jan 06, 2025•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Cadbury has discontinued Festive Friends biscuits 😭 We speak about the effects of product changes for autistic people and return to the topic of sensitivities and allergies. Leo reflects on the complex interplay he's noticing between ADHD meds, eating / appetite, medical history / considerations and sensory sensitivities. We move on to talking about aspects of this time of year which we enjoy. We recognise the diversity of our listeners' cultural contexts and we are also mindful of how challeng...
Dec 24, 2024•48 min•Season 2Ep. 13
TRIGGER WARNING This episode contains discussions about death, which may be triggering for some listeners. Please listen with care and prioritise your well-being. Leo's dogs join us for this episode and we begin by chatting about our pets. Siana then talks a bit about seasonal sensitivities. We move into speaking about aspects of the transition into sleep at night. From here things get a bit deep as we go onto speaking about Leo's childhood anxieties about death and psychological safety. It's a ...
Dec 21, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Some broad themes in this episode are family lineage, reading and the accessibility of group settings for neurodivergent people. Leo's great uncle has died at the grand age of 102. Siana has taken another week's deep dive into her ancestry. Leo has been looking into two Buddhist Sanghas and Siana is training in Circle facilitation. Thank you as ever for listening and for all your support. We'd love to hear your comments and reflections at autisticlicence@gmail.com 🧡 💛 ----more---- LINKS Our Yo...
Dec 11, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Siana has recently become interested in tracing her ancestry. We reflect on aspects of this from an autistic perspective, such as pattern seeking as a way into a deeper search for belonging and connection. We consider spirituality in a broader sense, touching on personality development and synchronicity. We open up many more questions than we answer (actually we don't conclude very much at all) but that's probably very apt given the subject matter 😉 Oh, and Leo has been to the dental hygienist,...
Nov 28, 2024•59 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this episode we begin with Halloween as a springboard into superstition and then, somehow, onto Leo's ADHD meds update. Then we move into an exploration around RSD (rejection sensitive dysphoria) and ADA (autistic demand avoidance). We focus on these two strands within our own relationship dynamic. Leo hopes this might be of use and resonate with people out there, which in turn activates an RSD moment for Siana. Despite the themes discussed in this episode we really really do want to hear you...
Nov 13, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 9
This episode traverses the theme of building autistic community. We recognise the dearth of opportunities for autistic people to connect in real time. We share our ideas around how we might like to play a small part in facilitating aspects of this, for example by having guests on the podcast and running groups. We discuss various elements of this from practical, professional and ethical points of view. We recognise that perhaps the paucity of "out" autistic therapists combined with the lack of e...
Nov 03, 2024•38 min•Season 2Ep. 8
This episode was recorded on the day when we had planned a pilot "Odd One In" group meeting. We cancelled the group with 24 hours notice because only two people had signed up at that point. We reflect on our relationships to change, flexibility, choice and managing our own ways of being alongside considering others with a variety of needs. Siana rants about the logistics of the booking system for her Zumba class ... and somehow Leo manages to segway from this into his history of superstition and...
Oct 27, 2024•56 min•Season 2Ep. 7
In this episode we discuss the concept of Autistic Demand Avoidance. Siana differentiates ADA from PDA and speaks from her own experience of how it shows up across a range of areas in her life. We also check in on Leo's ADHD clinical diagnosis journey. We notice how classic traits of hyperactivity and inattention feature in our lives. We then discuss some aspects of privilege and class related to lifestyle and "choice". We also introduce a few considerations which seem pertinent to therapeutic r...
Oct 19, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 6
This episode is a fairly run-of-the-mill chit chat from a random Thursday in the middle of September. Themes include doing things for the first time, seasonal rhythms, breathing, special interests and the significance of "perspective". We showcase Leo's new drone and Siana would like to apologise for "droning" on a bit about her cough. Bonus SPIN-ny energy at the end 🧡💛 ----more---- LINKS Disability Empowerment Now podcast (DEN) One of Leo's drone videos Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our we...
Oct 12, 2024•38 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Leo is currently on the NHS pathway towards trying out ADHD medication. We discuss his experience of the assessment process so far. We then explore Siana's experience as a parent navigating the system. We speak about common obstacles and concerns within the process. We also reflect on whether medication might have changed outcomes for each of us in education and / or the workplace. We attempt to navigate elements of privilege sensitively and acknowledge that this is an initial conversation which...
Oct 02, 2024•50 min•Season 2Ep. 2
This episode is an excerpt from a follow up conversation we had regarding the gap between season 1 and 2. We reflect on a health situation Leo had to navigate over the summer. We discuss aspects of communication within the health care system and also between us. We also notice our tendency as autistic people to deal with what is in front of us and then to appear to “forget” about it until there is an unconscious reminder. The good news is that Leo is fine and recovered. Thank-you for listening a...
Oct 02, 2024•23 min•Season 2Ep. 4
This episode contains our reflections around beginning a new podcast season. We discuss the gap in recording and wonder about some aspects of this. We explore the concepts of autistic burnout and energy cycles. We also speak about inherent neurodivergence as opposed to the signs of neurodivergent distress or trauma. It will be no surprise that we digress lots. We conclude that we will continue to record for another “season”. 🧡💛 ----more---- LINKS Group booking Our YouTube channel Our Facebook ...
Oct 02, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Welcome to Season 2 💛 🧡 This episode was recorded just after Leo returned from Autscape. We explore his experience and broaden this out to discuss the hallmarks of wider autistic culture. We then reflect on some of the perils and pitfalls inherent in making the transition "back" and between autistic land and neurotypical society. 💛🧡 ----more----LINKS Autscape Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our other socials Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com...
Sep 08, 2024•53 min•Season 2Ep. 1
This episode opens with a discussion of the "Hamilton" theatre production. Leo delights in the complexity of the rapid lyrical genius, enjoying being caught up in the current and looking forward to revisiting it again and again. Siana's experience, in contrast, is one of overwhelm and withdrawal. This is an example of polarities often seen within the autistic community and the significance of context when looking at our capacities and challenges. Siana reflects further on wearing Loop™ earplugs ...
Jul 28, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 32
In this episode we discuss Leo's recent experience of attending a training course. We track many details of this, from the planning to sensory challenges and considerations, to social interactions and disclosure. We notice distinctive aspects of this which we experience differently as autistic people, many of which might not be predictable or discernible to our non autistic peers and training facilitators. Again for this episode we have cut most of the tangential chunks in order to maintain focu...
Jul 16, 2024•51 min•Ep. 31
This episode chronicles some of Siana’s travel experiences on a recent trip to London with her daughter. We speak about navigating public transport systems, accommodation and orientation. We highlight things which we find helpful and comforting as autistic people, such as familiar places and foods and building time buffers into our plans. We also focus on the significance of asking for help – both when that goes well and when it doesn’t. We note the anxiety and vulnerability we can experience wi...
Jul 15, 2024•55 min•Ep. 30
This episode is an exploration of some aspects of empathic communication and connection which may be distinctive for us as autistic people. We notice the significance of this within the contexts of friendship and therapy. This dialogue also demonstrates some elements of a repair process and how - within a safe relational space - interpersonal dynamics can be discussed without defensiveness. As ever, we value any feedback you may have - you can reach us at autisticlicence@gmail.com LINKS Our YouT...
Jun 30, 2024•35 min•Ep. 29
