The Other Autism

The Story Behind the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum

December 9, 2024

Autism and Cancer, Autistic Experience, Late-Diagnosed Autism

Episode #39 is here: The Story Behind the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum.

If you’re autistic and you’re diagnosed with cancer, will your care be impacted by your unconscious wish to be the perfect patient? Or will it be impacted by an abusive spouse or partner, the kind so many of us on the spectrum find ourselves with? We explore these questions and much more.

In this episode, we honour the life and legacy of Lindsey Carla Holmes, a late-diagnosed autistic woman, who passed away from metastatic ovarian cancer earlier this year.

Joining me is Dr. Paula Holmes-Rodman — Lindsey’s sister, caregiver, and collaborator — to discuss aspects of Lindsey’s life and the sisters’ co-development of the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum.

We explore Lindsey’s journey of self-discovery, her resilience and sunshiny disposition, advance care planning, and some of the issues that may leave many autistic folks vulnerable to abusive relationships.

Dr. Holmes-Rodman shares stories from The Lindsey Interview Project, the cat- and snack-filled Sunday afternoon chats that sparked the development of the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum — a Guide uniquely positioned to help autistic cancer patients everywhere.

This episode celebrates Lindsey’s hopes for the autistic community, the continued importance of self-advocacy, and the ways listeners can help support Lindsey’s vision for a better future.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Find the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum on Autism Canada.

Watch The Lindsey Interview Project.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet
Hey everyone, welcome back to The Other Autism podcast. I have a bit of a cold today, but I wanted to make sure to get this out as I’ll be away next month. Today I’m speaking with Dr. Paula Holmes-Rodman, an anthropologist, consultant, writer, and practitioner of narrative-based medicine, based in British Columbia, Canada. But before I share our conversation, I’d like to say a huge thank you to Pam and Sanna for each buying me three coffees through the Buy Me a Coffee link. Thank you both so, so much. If you would also like to buy me a coffee, please check out the link in the show notes that says, buy me a coffee. And with that, please say hello to my guest for today, Dr. Paula Holmes-Rodman.
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Are You an Autistic Person Between the Ages of 8 and 25? Do You Live in British Columbia?

October 18, 2024

Autism News, Admin Update, Research
Researchers in British Columbia, Canada are hoping to learn more about experiences of pain in autistic young people. Here’s a message from the team:

Our research team at BC Children’s Hospital and the University of British Columbia is looking to understand the perspectives of autistic children and young people on pain. We are looking for youth who:
1. Have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder
2. Live in British Columbia
3. Are between 8 and 25 years old
to participate in this study. The study contains an online questionnaire and an online check-in survey to be completed 3 times a week, for 2 weeks. Youth can skip any questions in the questionnaire and the survey that they don’t want to answer, and privacy will be protected throughout. In its entirety, participating in this study will take about 5 hours. Youth will receive a $20 gift card for completing the questionnaire, and an additional $20 gift card for each week at least 80% of the check-in questions are completed.

If you or someone you know might be interested in participating, please contact ASD&Pain@bcchr.ca or 604-875-2000 ext. 5445

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Dennis Bourne, Autistic Hispanic Personal Trainer in New York

October 10, 2024

Autistic Experience, Interview With An Autistic Person, Late-Diagnosed Autism

Episode #38 is here: Autistic Hispanic Personal Trainer in New York

Meet Dennis Bourne, a late-diagnosed autistic and ADHD personal trainer and martial arts instructor. Dennis shares his journey growing up undiagnosed in New York with immigrant parents, recounts his experiences as a Hispanic neurodivergent person, and describes how ADHD and autism diagnoses reshaped his worldview.

Dennis also offers fitness and dietary tips for neurodivergent individuals and emphasizes the importance of adaptable routines. Tune in for insights on self-discovery, embracing neurodiversity, and finding strength in both body and mind.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Follow Dennis Bourne on Instagram and on YouTube.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet
Today I’m speaking with Dennis, who is based in New York. Before I share our conversation, just a reminder, if you’re interested in joining the Patreon for The Other Autism, you can head on over to patreon.com/theotherautism. That’s all one word. If you’re listening and watching on YouTube, you’ll notice I changed the background just a little bit. I moved The Other Autism sign. It was kind of bothering me to have it behind me because I would often, my big head would cover part of it and my lights would reflect off the acrylic part of the sign. I’ll leave it for now and see how it goes. And without further ado, please say hello to my guest for today, Dennis.
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Former Teacher Finds the Diagnosis Her Therapists Missed

September 13, 2024

Adult Autism, Autistic Experience, Interview With An Autistic Person, Late-Diagnosed Autism

Episode #37 is here: Former Teacher Finds the Diagnosis Her Therapists Missed

Today, I’m speaking with Sarah, a musician, gardener, and former teacher based in Pennsylvania. Sarah spent much of her life in therapy and struggling with others’ misunderstandings and insensitivities. Now, in her 60s and with a handful of mental health diagnoses behind her, she is finding that autism might explain so many of her experiences.

A series of back-to-back crises set the stage as Sarah wrestles with her newfound autistic identity.

Watch this episode on YouTube.

Transcript

Kristen Hovet
Today I’m speaking with Sarah, a gardener, musician, and former teacher in Pennsylvania. But before I share our conversation, I’d like to thank Roberta for buying me a coffee through the buy me a coffee link. Roberta, I really appreciate it. I’d also like to thank the Patreon patrons who sponsor the show and in return get some bonus content. There’s also a link in the show notes to Patreon. For a few dollars a month or any custom level that you set, you can become a patron of the show. Speaking of a few dollars a month, I have a correction to make from the last episode. When I was promoting The Other Autism’s Patreon, I said for a few dollars a day, you can support the show. Obviously I meant for a few dollars a month, maybe some wishful thinking on my part. And with that, please say hello to my guest for today, Sarah.
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Do Autistic People Lack Empathy?

August 7, 2024

Adult Autism, Autism News, Research

Episode #36 is here: Do Autistic People Lack Empathy?

Many think that autistic people lack empathy, but do they?

Join me as I explore empathy in the context of autism research and the origins of the autistic empathy deficit idea. In this episode, I cover the double empathy problem with help from a friend. How does the double empathy problem explain misunderstandings and communication breakdowns between autistic individuals and neurotypicals?

I also talk about how I personally think of empathy (and how my notions of empathy are surprisingly close to the very first usage of the word!).

Watch this episode on YouTube.

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

“A Reflective Guide on the Meaning of Empathy in Autism Research” by Caroline Bollen

“Autism and Empathy: What Are the Real Links?” By Sue Fletcher-Watson and Geoffrey Bird

“Autism in an Age of Empathy: A Cautionary Critique” by Patrick McDonagh (chapter in Worlds of Autism edited by Joyce Davidson and Michael Orsini)

“On the Ontological Status of Autism: The ‘Double Empathy Problem’” by Damian Milton

“The ‘Double Empathy Problem’: Ten Years On” by Damian Milton et al.

“Object Personification in Autism: This Paper Will Be Very Sad if You Don’t Read it” by Rebekah White and Anna Remington

“A Dual Route Model of Empathy: A Neurobiological Perspective” by Chi-Lin Yu and Tai-Li Chou

Transcript

Kristen Hovet
Today I’m talking about empathy and the double empathy problem in the context of autism. I’m also going to get into the problem of defining empathy and I’ll discuss how the myth of autistic empathy deficits came about.
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Calling All British Columbia-Based Autistic Individuals!

August 2, 2024

Admin Update, Autism News, British Columbia Casting Call
Small Army Entertainment, in collaboration with a leading Canadian broadcaster, is developing an exciting new series inspired by a global hit. The search is on for autistic individuals (aged 18 or older) in British Columbia to join as interviewers.

Imagine this: You’ll receive training and then step into a studio to interview A-list celebrities, bringing a fresh and unique perspective to the conversation. You’ll have the chance to ask insightful questions and explore the lives of famous personalities in ways that no one else has.

If you’re interested in the possibility of interviewing major celebrities and being part of an incredible team of autistic interviewers, we’d love to hear from you!

Reach out at production@smallarmyentertainment.com

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The Story Behind the Self-Advocacy Guide for Cancer Patients on the Autism Spectrum

Transcript

Are You an Autistic Person Between the Ages of 8 and 25? Do You Live in British Columbia?

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Dennis Bourne, Autistic Hispanic Personal Trainer in New York

Transcript

Former Teacher Finds the Diagnosis Her Therapists Missed

Transcript

Do Autistic People Lack Empathy?

Transcript

Calling All British Columbia-Based Autistic Individuals!

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