Category: Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions

The Link Between Fibromyalgia and Autism

March 17, 2025

Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Late-Diagnosed Autism, Research
Episode #41 is here: The Link Between Fibromyalgia and Autism.

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Michael Lenz, a physician specializing in pediatrics, internal medicine, lifestyle medicine, and lipidology. Dr. Lenz is the author of Conquering Your Fibromyalgia and host of the podcast by the same name. His passion for lifelong learning and holistic patient care has led him to specialize in chronic pain syndromes — conditions that are often misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and dismissed by the medical community.

Together, we explore:
- The different types of pain — nociceptive, neuropathic, and nociplastic — and why understanding these distinctions is crucial
- How chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia, POTS, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and migraines often intersect with neurodivergence
- Why so many autistic and ADHD individuals experience chronic pain and how sensory processing differences can complicate diagnosis and treatment
- The emotional and psychological impact of being dismissed by medical professionals
- Why outdated medical education and systemic gaps continue to leave neurodivergent patients struggling for validation and relief
Dr. Lenz also shares insights from his clinical experience, including real patient stories that highlight the need for greater awareness, compassion, and interdisciplinary care. If you’ve ever felt unheard or gaslighted by the medical system — or if you want to understand the complex relationship between neurodivergence and chronic pain — this conversation is for you.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Check out Dr. Michael Lenz’s website: Conquering Your Fibromyalgia

Transcript

Kristen Hovet (00:00)
Today I’m speaking with Dr. Michael Lenz, a physician specializing in pediatrics, internal medicine, and lifestyle medicine. Dr. Lenz is based in Wisconsin and is the author of the book titled, Conquering Your Fibromyalgia. And he’s the host of the podcast by the same name. Please say hello to Dr. Michael Lenz.
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Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and Autism

January 31, 2025

Adult Autism, Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Late-Diagnosed Autism

Episode #40 is here: Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and Autism.

In this episode, I dive into rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD) and how it connects to both ADHD and autism. I explore the intense emotional responses that come with RSD, the common triggers, and the ways it can impact relationships and self-worth. I also share some therapeutic approaches that might help and explain why it’s so important to understand RSD — whether you experience it yourself or want to better support someone who does.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Take the Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria test. If your score is 45-60, the website recommends that you “see a trained mental health professional as there is a possibility that you may be experiencing symptoms of rejection sensitive dysphoria.”

If you’d like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

“Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria in ADHD and Autism” by Debra Bercovici

“New Insights Into Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria” by William Dodson

“Rejection Sensitivity Dysphoria in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Case Series” by William W. Dodson et al.

“Associations Between Autistic Traits, Depression, Social Anxiety and Social Rejection in Autistic and Non-autistic Adults” by Emine Gurbuz et al.

“Recognising and Responding to Physical and Mental Health Issues in Neurodivergent Women” by Clive Kelly et al.

“What to Know About Autism and Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria” by Amy Marschall

“Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and Autism Unveiled” by Ralph Moller

“Effects of Rejection Intensity and Rejection Sensitivity on Social Approach Behavior in Women” by Violetta K. Schaan et al.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet
Patient one was a 29 year old single male who was diagnosed with ADHD in the fifth grade and again in his first year of engineering school. Patient one made adequate grades to get into engineering school. His father forbade the use of medications for ADHD because he thought that the problem was that the patient was just lazy and unmotivated. For his entire life, patient one viewed his main problem as his episodic attacks of physical and emotional pain, intense shame, and feeling ostracized anytime he perceived that someone else had withdrawn their love, approval, or respect.
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Helena, Diagnosed As Autistic and Schizophrenic

July 20, 2024

Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Autistic Experience, Interview With An Autistic Person, Late-Diagnosed Autism

Episode #35 is here: Helena, Diagnosed As Autistic and Schizophrenic

Today, I’m speaking with Helena, a retail worker and soon-to-be college student and fiction author. Helena came to Canada as a child, but wasn’t assessed for autism or schizophrenia until her 20s. She talks about who the biggest bullies were in school and shares some activities that have helped her.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Check out Helena’s Instagram.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet: 1:06

Today I’m speaking with Helena, a late-diagnosed autistic and schizophrenic individual. I’d like to thank David for your one-time show of support to The Other Autism podcast. David used the Buy Me a Coffee link not once but twice to send in a donation. Thank you so much, David. If you’d like to do the same, please check out the link in the show notes that says Buy Me a Coffee. I’d also like to thank the patrons over on Patreon who sponsor the show and, in return, get some bonus content. I really appreciate their ongoing support and interest in the show. If you’re curious to see what’s going on over there, head on over to patreon.com/TheOtherAutism all one word. For a few dollars a month, you can become a patron of The Other Autism as well. And with that, please say hello to my guest for today, Helena.
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Is It Autism or Trauma? Or Both?

April 27, 2024

Adult Autism, Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Late-Diagnosed Autism

Episode #34 is here: Is It Autism or Trauma? Or Both?

Don’t miss out on this deep dive into trauma, attachment disorders, and autism! Join me as we explore how these intertwine and differ, with a focus on familial mental health challenges and their impacts.

Send in your questions or thoughts via audio recording for a chance to be featured on the show! Email your audio clips to kristen.hovet@gmail.com through WeTransfer. Your voice matters.

Get clarity on trauma, autism, and PTSD with insights from researchers and therapists working in the field. Understand the overlapping traits and characteristics between these conditions and gain a deeper understanding of attachment disorders like reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED) in children.

Delve into the impact of mental health challenges in families, explore the connection between autism and attachment disorders, and uncover the unique traumas that autistic individuals may face. Learn about the resilience displayed by autistic individuals in the face of adversity.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

If you’d like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

“Autism and Attachment Disorders — How Do We Tell the Difference?” by Claire Davidson et al.

“Parental Psychiatric Disorders and Autism Spectrum Disorders” by Elina Jokiranta et al.

“The Long-Term Impact of Parental Mental Health on Children’s Distress Trajectories in Adulthood” by Christina Kamis

“Exploring Potential Sources of Childhood Trauma: A Qualitative Study With Autistic Adults and Caregivers” by Connor M. Kerns et al.

“Autism and Reactive Attachment/Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorders: Co-occurrence and Differentiation” by Susan Dickerson Mayes et al.

“Genetic Overlap Among Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders” by Yoshiro Morimoto et al.

“PTSD and Autism” by Megan Anna Neff

“Family History of Mental and Neurological Disorders and Risk of Autism” by Sherlly Xie et al.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet: 1:06

Today I’m talking about trauma, attachment disorders, and autism; how they overlap and how they differ; as well as familial mental health challenges or the mental health diagnoses that often run in families where there is autism. I’ve touched on some of these topics before, but mainly as parts of episodes on other topics, so I wanted to do a deeper dive this time around. While you’ll find a lot of content about all of this on YouTube, on podcasts, and in other locations online, there’s always new information coming out and always new ways of synthesizing or putting the information together, so I wanted to try my hand at covering it. Before we get into this topic, you’ll probably notice I don’t have my Other Autism neon sign behind me. I’ve packed it away. I’m getting ready to move in June and I’ve just started doing a lot of packing beforehand in preparation, because I know it’s going to be a really busy time.
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Neural Pruning, Synesthesia, and Autism

January 31, 2024

Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Autism News, Autistic Experience, Deficit Model of Autism

Episode #31 is here: Neural Pruning, Synesthesia, and Autism

What aspects of the brain differ between autistic people and non-autistic people? Do these brain differences lead to things like synesthesia in autistic people? Synesthesia is when your senses or perceptions overlap, like when you think of a number and see waves of red or some other colour. Or when you can feel in your own body the sensations and physical pain of another, just by looking at them!

In this episode, I also talk about ableist perspectives in autism research, secondary autism, neurons, glial cells, early brain development, mirror-touch synesthesia as the basis of deep empathy, and much more!

Watch this episode on YouTube.

If you’d like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

“What Is Synaptic Pruning?” By Jacquelyn Cafasso

“Astroglia in Autism Spectrum Disorder” by Kinga Gzielo and Agnieszka Nikiforuk

“Regional Differences in Synaptogenesis in Human Cerebral Cortex” by Peter Huttenlocher and Arun Dabholkar

“Microglia in the Pathogenesis of Autism Spectrum Disorders” by Ryuta Koyama and Yuji Ikegaya

“Astrocytes and Microglia and Their Potential Link With Autism Spectrum Disorders” by Francesco Petrelli et al.

“Balancing Excitation and Inhibition in the Autistic Brain” by Charlotte Pretzsch and Dorothea Floris

“Synaptic Growth, Synesthesia and Savant Abilities” by Martin Silvertant

“Neuroinflammation, Mast Cells, and Glia: Dangerous Liaisons” by Stephen D. Skaper et al.

“Lack of Neuron ‘Pruning’ May Be Behind Many Brain-Related Conditions” by Clare Wilson

“Microglia and Astrocytes Underlie Neuroinflammation and Synaptic Susceptibility in Autism Spectrum Disorder” by Yue Xiong et al.

“Convergent Evidence for mGluR5 in Synaptic and Neuroinflammatory Pathways Implicated in ASD” by Daniela Zantomio et al.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet: 1:06

Today we’re talking about neural pruning and how it differs in the brains of autistics versus the brains of neurotypicals. I’ll also discuss synesthesia. I don’t know if I’m saying that right. I’m saying it. I think I tried getting Google Translate to help me and I’m still not saying it right. Actually, speaking of Google Translate, I think she’s going to help me in this episode, so I’m going to need her here. One sec, okay, synesthesia. Synesthesia, yeah, where one sensory or cognitive pathway activates a second or maybe even third sensory or cognitive pathway.
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Autistic Burnout, Shutdown, and Social Hangover

September 16, 2023

Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Autistic Experience, Late-Diagnosed Autism

Season 3, episode 7 is here: Autistic Burnout, Shutdown, and Social Hangover

Autistic burnout is very different from the work-related burnout that non-autistics experience. In this episode, I cover the official definition of autistic burnout, how autistic burnout differs from non-autistic burnout, the latest research on this topic, how burnout relates to shutdown and social hangover, and more. I also discuss my own experiences with burnout and some strategies for avoiding it.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

If you’d like to know more about topics discussed in this episode, check out:

“Risk Markers for Suicidality in Autistic Adults” by Sarah Cassidy et al.

“Autistic Burnout Explained” by Sarah Deweerdt

“Defining Autistic Burnout Through Experts by Lived Experience: Grounded Delphi Method Investigating Autistic Burnout” by Julianne M. Higgins et al.

“‘Having All of Your Internal Resources Exhausted Beyond Measure and Being Left With No Clean-Up Crew’: Defining Autistic Burnout” by Dora M. Raymaker et al.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet: 1:06

Today we’re talking about a kind of burnout that many autistic individuals experience and that’s different than non-autistic burnout.
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Category: Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions

The Link Between Fibromyalgia and Autism

Transcript

Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and Autism

Transcript

Helena, Diagnosed As Autistic and Schizophrenic

Transcript

Is It Autism or Trauma? Or Both?

Transcript

Neural Pruning, Synesthesia, and Autism

Transcript

Autistic Burnout, Shutdown, and Social Hangover

Transcript