The Other Autism

Bereavement and Losing the Ability to Mask With Cat

May 12, 2023

After Autism Diagnosis, Autistic Experience, Female Autism Phenotype, Interview With An Autistic Person
Season 2, episode 13 is here: Bereavement and Losing the Ability to Mask with Cat

Cat is an Australia-based, late-identified autistic individual who suddenly lost the ability to mask following the death of her baby.

Kristen and Cat discuss being autistic while undergoing fertility treatments, trauma in midlife, out-of-order loss and bereavement, polyvagal theory, the ways life crises often precede late identification of autism, and more.

If you’d like to know more about this topic, check out:

Strong Female Character by Fern Brady

“Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)” —Cleveland Clinic

The Book of Woe: The DSM and the Unmaking of Psychiatry by Gary Greenberg

“In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)” —Mayo Clinic

“The Polyvagal Theory: New Insights Into Adaptive Reactions of the Autonomic Nervous System” by Stephen W. Porges

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Type your email…
- Bluesky
- Instagram
- YouTube
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Link
Jennifer Dodd, an ‘AuDHDer’ and Therapist

May 12, 2023

Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Autistic Experience, Interview With An Autistic Person, Late-Diagnosed Autism
Season 2, episode 12 is here: Jennifer Dodd, an ‘AuDHDer’ and Therapist

Jennifer Dodd is a Portland-based therapist and owner of the Embodied Life Therapy Center. Jennifer is a late-diagnosed autistic individual who has also been diagnosed with the inattentive type of ADHD.

Kristen and Jennifer discuss the ways that ADHD and autism compete with and complement each other, neurodivergent loathing of CBT (sorry, not sorry, CBT!), best types of therapy for autistic folks, the autistic penchant for bottom-up thinking, the times when “mindful masking” just makes sense, and more.

Check out Jennifer’s website: Embodied Life Therapy Center

And her Instagram accounts:
- Jennifer Dodd
- Embodied Life Therapy Center
Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Type your email…
- Bluesky
- Instagram
- YouTube
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Link
Kim Gallo: Autism Ally, Author, and Former ABA Therapist

April 19, 2023

Autism Interventions, History of Autism Knowledge
Season two, episode 11 is here: Kim Gallo: Autism Ally, Author, and Former ABA Therapist

Kim Gallo is the author of the new book, The Pivot: For Parents and Educators – Looking at Autism and ADHD Through a Different Lens. She is a speech language pathologist in south Florida and has experience as a former applied behaviour analysis (ABA) practitioner.

Kristen and Kim discuss Kim’s changing views on ABA (thanks in large part to TikTok!), the changing landscape of what it means to be autistic in today’s world, stigma experienced by autistic individuals, masking and its impact on identity and sense of self, Kim’s perspectives on having a neurodivergent young adult daughter, and more.

Check out Kim’s website: Kim Gallo SLP: Sensory Smart & Neurodiversity Friendly

Buy The Pivot: For Parents and Educators — Looking at Autism and ADHD Through a Different Lens by Kim Gallo

If you’d like to know more about this topic, check out:

“Individual Differences, ADHD, Adult Pathological Demand Avoidance, and Delinquency” by Vincent Egan et al.

“After Your Child’s Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Quick Start Guide for Ages 6-12” —Government of British Columbia [showing prominence of ABA in British Columbia, Canada]

“Pathological Demand Avoidance: What and Who Are Being Pathologised and in Whose Interests?” by Allison Moore

Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap: NT Is OK! by Clay Morton and Gail Morton

“Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA)” —National Autistic Society

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Type your email…
- Bluesky
- Instagram
- YouTube
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Link
I Was Diagnosed Autistic… Now What?

April 10, 2023

After Autism Diagnosis, Autism Diagnosis, Autistic Experience, Late-Diagnosed Autism
Season two, episode 10 is here: I Was Diagnosed Autistic… Now What?

The number one question I receive from listeners is some version of, “I was just diagnosed as autistic. Now what?” What are some common experiences that people have after autism diagnosis in adulthood? Late autism diagnosis is often defined as diagnosis received after one’s 18th birthday.

Topics discussed also include:
- Positive and negative thoughts and emotions following late autism diagnosis
- My experiences following my own autism diagnosis in my 30s
- Recent research documenting women’s experiences of increased self-compassion following autism diagnosis in adulthood
- My suggestions for the time following your autism diagnosis
If you’d like to know more about this topic, check out:

“Autism Diagnosis in the United Kingdom: Perspectives of Autistic Adults, Parents and Professionals” by Laura Crane et al.

“Exploring the Experience of Seeking an Autism Diagnosis as an Adult” by Matthew de Broize et al.

“‘Anything But the Phone!’: Communication Mode Preferences in the Autism Community” by Philippa Howard and Felicity Sedgewick

“Autistic Women’s Experiences of Self-Compassion After Receiving Their Diagnosis in Adulthood” by Rosemarie Wilson et al.

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Type your email…
- Bluesky
- Instagram
- YouTube
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Link
Heath Wilder, ‘Autigender’, and Autistic Empathy

March 26, 2023

Adult Autism, Autistic Experience, Interview With An Autistic Person, Late-Diagnosed Autism
Pictured: Heath Wilder in San Francisco, blissfully hanging off the side of a cable car, 2022.

Season two, episode nine is here: Heath Wilder, ‘Autigender’, and Autistic Empathy

Heath Wilder is the Director of Customer Experience at the Sydney Theatre Company in Sydney, Australia (Gadigal lands), and they were one of the first listeners of The Other Autism podcast — maybe even the first!

Listen as Kristen and Heath aggressively abstain from small talk and dive right in to gender, autigender (aka gendervague), the female autism phenotype or presentation, the double empathy problem, alexithymia, masking, meltdowns, shutdowns, and more.

Check out Heath’s website: Heath Wilder — a journey in the performing arts

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Type your email…
- Bluesky
- Instagram
- YouTube
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Link
The Intimate Link Between ADHD and Autism

March 18, 2023

Autism and Co-Occurring Conditions, Autism News, Executive Function
Season two, episode eight is here: The Intimate Link Between ADHD and Autism

You’ve probably heard about the rising rates of both autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adults. Is there any truth to all the talk about an overlap between the two? You can probably tell by the title that, yes, there is!

Topics discussed also include:
- The three presentations or subtypes of ADHD
- Differences between ADHD in kids versus ADHD in adults
- Some of the main differences and similarities between “ADHDers” and autistic folks
- Why some experts think that ADHD is a form of autism
If you’d like to know more about this topic, check out:

“Heritability of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Adults” by Isabell Brikell et al.

“Overlap Between Autism Spectrum Disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Searching for Distinctive/Common Clinical Features” by Francesco Craig et al.

“The Impact of the Comorbidity of ASD and ADHD on Social Impairment” by Christina Harkins et al.

“Co-occurrence of ASD and ADHD Traits in an Adult Population” by Maria Panagiotidi et al.

“Trait-Based Dimensions Discriminating Adults With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Co-occurring ADHD/ASD” by Artemios Pehlivanidis et al.

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Type your email…
- Bluesky
- Instagram
- YouTube
- LinkedIn
- Facebook
- Link

Bereavement and Losing the Ability to Mask With Cat

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Jennifer Dodd, an ‘AuDHDer’ and Therapist

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Kim Gallo: Autism Ally, Author, and Former ABA Therapist

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

I Was Diagnosed Autistic… Now What?

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

Heath Wilder, ‘Autigender’, and Autistic Empathy

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published:

The Intimate Link Between ADHD and Autism

Never miss a post. Subscribe to receive an email update every time a new post is published: