The Yellow Ladybugs Podcast

Yellow Ladybugs•www.yellowladybugs.com.au

The Yellow Ladybugs Podcast invites #actuallyautistic people to talk about their journey, to help you with yours. Join in the conversation, as we explore the world of autistic girls, women and gender diverse individuals, and the often misunderstood and ignored internalised autistic experience. There will be plenty of ‘aha’ and ‘me too’ moments as we break down the stereotypes, lean into owning our strengths and supporting you through those challenging moments.

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Episodes

Advocacy

This episode describes what advocacy really means—especially when it’s led by autistic people with lived experience. Advocacy can take many forms, from speaking up in a classroom to challenging systems that exclude or harm. For autistic girls and gender-diverse young people, advocacy is not just about raising awareness—it’s about being heard, believed, and respected. We explore how advocacy can be empowering, how it can create change, and how to support young people in finding their voice....

Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 8

First Nations Perspective

This episode describes the unique experiences of First Nations autistic girls and gender-diverse young people, and the importance of listening deeply to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices in the autism space. Cultural identity, community connection, and intergenerational knowledge are powerful strengths—but systemic barriers, racism, and a lack of culturally safe support continue to impact too many families. This conversation centres the lived experience of First Nations people, and hi...

Mar 11, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 7

Youth Perspective

This episode describes what life feels like through the eyes of autistic girls and gender-diverse young people. Too often, decisions are made about young people without hearing directly from them. In this conversation, we centre their voices—sharing firsthand experiences, insights, and reflections that challenge assumptions and deepen understanding. Our youth panellists speak openly about what helps, what hurts, and what they wish adults really knew.

Mar 11, 2025•33 min•Season 5Ep. 6

Burnout & Self Care

Welcome to Episode 5 of Season 5 of the Yellow Ladybugs Podcast series. This episode describes how autistic burnout is different from everyday exhaustion—and how it often goes unrecognised in autistic girls and gender-diverse young people. Burnout can build slowly over time, especially when young people are constantly masking, trying to meet expectations, or pushing through overwhelm. We talk about what burnout really looks like, why it happens, and how we can support recovery and prevention thr...

Mar 11, 2025•45 min•Season 5Ep. 5

Pride and Wellbeing

Welcome to Episode 4 of Season 5 of the Yellow Ladybugs Podcast series. This episode describes how autistic pride and emotional wellbeing are closely linked—especially for autistic girls and gender-diverse young people, who often grow up feeling different, misunderstood, or unseen. Without the right support, this can lead to shame, isolation, and poor mental health. But when young people feel affirmed in their identity and connected to community, everything changes.

Mar 11, 2025•39 min•Season 5Ep. 4

Interoception

Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 5 of the Yellow Ladybugs Podcast series. This episode describes how interoception—the sense that helps us understand what’s happening inside our body—plays a key role in the wellbeing of autistic girls and gender-diverse young people. When interoception is underdeveloped or misunderstood, it can impact everything from recognising hunger and pain to managing emotions and setting boundaries. We explore why interoception is often overlooked, how it connects to emotion...

Mar 11, 2025•50 min•Season 5Ep. 3

Behaviour/Co-regulation

Welcome to Episode 2 of Season 5 of the Yellow Ladybugs Podcast series. This episode describes how behaviour is often misunderstood—especially for autistic girls and gender-diverse young people whose needs may be hidden or internalised. Rather than seeing behaviour as something to manage or fix, we explore how it's actually a form of communication. We unpack why traditional behaviour approaches often fall short, and why co-regulation—meeting young people with calm, connection, and curiosity—is a...

Mar 11, 2025•53 min•Season 5Ep. 2

Masking and Internalising

Welcome to Episode 1 of Season 5 of the Yellow Ladybugs Podcast series. This episode describes how many autistic girls and gender-diverse young people are overlooked because their struggles are hidden behind a well-practised mask. This episode explores what it really means to mask, how internalising distress can lead to burnout, shutdowns, and mental health challenges, and why it’s so often misunderstood by educators, professionals, and even families.

Mar 11, 2025•16 min•Season 5Ep. 1

Supporting parents and children to advocate for themselves

Welcome to Episode 10 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Having difficulty advocating for your rights, or even knowing what your rights are? We chat with three experts who will share their incredible insights on supporting both parents and autistic students in advocating for what they need and deserve! This is a must liste...

Nov 28, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Season 4Ep. 10

Regulations, Ruptures and Repairs: How to Support our Ladybugs when Things Get Tough

Welcome to Episode 9 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. In this episode Katie Koullas CEO of Yellow Ladybugs speaks to renowned child psychiatrist Dr Alberto Veloso and explores Regulations, Ruptures and Repairs: How to Support our Ladybugs when Things Get Tough Dr Alberto Veloso offersCompassionate advice and practical st...

Nov 21, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 4Ep. 9

Understanding school can’t and school trauma

Welcome to Episode 8 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. “Can’t. Not Won’t”. This important panel from our Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse students at school and Beyond Conference will explore the very hot topic of school “refusal,” and reframe this as school can’t. School can’t and school trauma are real issue...

Nov 14, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 8

Neuro-affirming alternatives to behaviourism and compliance-based therapies

Welcome to Episode 7 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Confused about therapy and ‘intervention’ and how to help the young ladybug in your life? This panel will utilise the clinical experience of two insightful autistic psychologists, who will unpack some of the immediate, short-term and life long impacts of commonly reco...

Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 29 min•Season 4Ep. 7

Neuro-affirming ways to support autistic students in the classroom

Welcome to Episode 6 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. In this episode Natasha Staheli will be exploring what does a neuro-affirming classroom look like? Four lived experience experts share their practical advice for teachers on how to be a detective and uncover the hidden or unmet needs of autistic students, and how the ...

Oct 31, 2023•59 min•Season 4Ep. 6

Supporting autistic girls and gender diverse students in early childhood, tweens and in the teen years and beyond

Welcome to Episode 5 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. This podcast is a combination of three popular panels from our Yellow Ladybugs conference 2023 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond ". This hour and a half session takes you through the journey from early childhood, tweens and te...

Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 35 min•Season 4Ep. 5

Supporting parents and carers of autistic young people

Welcome to Episode 4 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training and Yellow Ladybugs and comes from the Yellow Ladybugs conference 2023. This is an honest, compassionate and grounded conversation about supporting parents and carers of autist...

Oct 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 4Ep. 4

Reframing Behaviour

Welcome to Episode 3 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Join us for this fantastic two part conversation hosted by Katie Koullas and Natasha Staheli who speak with two internationally renowned experts- Mona Delahooke and Dr Ross Greene – who are both shifting the lens on this topic. Join us in learning how we can work comp...

Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 3

Welcome to the Introduction of the Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond series

Welcome to Episode 1 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. Katie Koullas CEO of Yellow Ladybugs presents the welcome and Introduction panel for the Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond 2023 Conference. This conversation provides welcome and introduction to the key issues impacting autisti...

Oct 04, 2023•24 min•Season 4Ep. 1

What your autistic students and children want you to know

Welcome to Episode 2 of the Yellow Ladybugs podcast series 4 "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse Students at School and Beyond." This podcast series is brought to you by the Victorian Department of Education and Training. The opening panel of the Yellow Ladybugs 2023 Conference "Supporting Autistic Girls and Gender Diverse students at school and Beyond" explores what your autistic students and children want you to know. Bringing a combination of lived and professional experience, our a...

Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 4Ep. 2

A Collection of Stories From Autistic Adults with Chloé Hayden, Cherie Clonan, & Ebony Birch-Hanger

Thanks so much for tuning in to our ADHD and Autistic Mind Conference Series! For more conference content, you can now access the full Yellow Ladybugs 2023 conference on-demand from anywhere in the world until August 2. For a limited time, you can save 15% off your ticket. Simply enter code ‘AFTERSALE’ at checkout . You can check out our wonderful speakers below - Cherie Clonan ( Website | Instagram ) Chloé Hayden ( Website | Instagram ) Ebony Birch-Hanger ( Website | Linked In ) For more infor...

Jun 05, 2023•48 min•Season 3Ep. 8

Neuro-Affirming Ways to Support Executive Functioning at Home

Thanks so much for tuning in to our ADHD and Autistic Mind Conference Series! For resources, speaker details, and links to further information, check out our resource guide here . You can also register here for the upcoming Yellow Ladybugs Conference 2023 , available on-demand from anywhere in the world. For more information on Yellow Ladybugs, our events, and our advocacy, check out our website or social media below - www.yellowladybugs.com.au Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn...

Apr 25, 2023•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 7

Introduction to Interoception

Apr 23, 2023•47 min•Season 3Ep. 6

Reframing Behaviour

Apr 18, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 5

Neuro-Affirming Ways to Support Executive Functioning at School

Apr 13, 2023•59 min•Season 3Ep. 4

Understanding the ADHD & Autistic Mind (Part 2 - Expert Insight)

Thanks so much for tuning in to our ADHD and Autistic Mind Conference Series! For resources and links to further information, check out our resource guide here . You can also register here for the upcoming Yellow Ladybugs Conference 2023 , available on-demand from anywhere in the world. For more information on Yellow Ladybugs, our events, and our advocacy, check out our website or social media below - www.yellowladybugs.com.au Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn...

Apr 06, 2023•21 min

Understanding the ADHD & Autistic Mind (Part 1 - Lived Experience)

Thanks so much for tuning in to our second episode of the ADHD and Autistic Mind Conference Series! For resources and links to further information, check out our resource guide here . You can also register here for the upcoming Yellow Ladybugs Conference 2023 , available on-demand from anywhere in the world. For more information on Yellow Ladybugs, our events, and our advocacy, check out our website or social media below - www.yellowladybugs.com.au Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn...

Apr 06, 2023•33 min•Season 3Ep. 3

What Your Neurodivergent Students & Children Want You to Know

Mar 30, 2023•57 min•Season 3Ep. 2

Let's talk about ADHD... - Intro to the ADHD & Autistic Minds Conference Series

Thanks so much for listening to our first episode of the ADHD and Autistic Mind Conference Series! For resources and links to further information, check out our resource guide here . You can also register here for the upcoming Yellow Ladybugs Conference 2023 , available on-demand from anywhere in the world. For more information on Yellow Ladybugs, our events, and our advocacy, check out our website or social media below - www.yellowladybugs.com.au Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn...

Mar 23, 2023•32 min•Season 3Ep. 1

Long COVID & The Autistic Community with Annie Crowe & Dr. Mel Houser

Thanks for tuning into this special Yellow Ladybugs Podcast episode with Annie Crowe (she/her) from the Princess and the Pea Podcast . In today's episode, Annie hosts an insightful discussion alongside autistic physician Dr Mel Houser (she/they) about how long COVID is impacting the autistic community and why understanding autistic physiology is key to neuroaccessible and inclusive healthcare. We were able to proudly sponsor Annie's episode with the support of the Victorian Government. GIVEAWAY!...

Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 8

Supporting LGBTQIA+ Autistic Students - A Live Panel Discussion

Yellow Ladybugs CEO Katie Koullas brings together three experts to discuss supporting students who identify as both autistic and LGBTQIA+ to support parents, carers and teachers of autistic girls & gender diverse students.

Nov 11, 2022•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 7

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