The Autism Podcast

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The Autism Podcast, delivered by the London Autism Group Charity, is the definitive autism related podcast. The podcast aims to improve our understanding of autism, boost acceptance, reduce autism stigma, and generate impactful, transformative ideas ranging from practical everyday advice to thoughts on policy, practice, and wider socio-cultural challenges.

Episodes

Friday May 24, 2024

Interview with Toni Borneo (on the topics of stigma, discrimination, employment, mental health and more)

Friday May 24, 2024

In this episode of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview Toni Borneo, a late diagnosed autistic woman who produces the amazing 'Autistic at 40' podcast! Toni shares her personal journey from childhood to adulthood, the stigma she experienced along the way and the impact this had on her mental health. The episode delves into many issues include employment discrimination, ableism and key pillars of strength that Toni benefitted from to get through the challenges she experienced.

Find Toni on Apple podcasts by searching: Autistic at 40 Toni Borneo

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Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our small but wonderful Charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

And please consider donating to the London Autism Group Charity if you are enjoying this podcast that we produce and able to (simply go to https://donorbox.org/london-autism-group-charity-donations - thank you!)

Our links:

London Autism Group Charity website: londonautismgroupcharity.org
Facebook page: facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity
London Autism Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272747662886046/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lagcharity
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagcharity

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Saturday Aug 19, 2023

Interview with David Gray-Hammond about addiction, self-medication, autistic community, stigma, discrimination, autistic rights and more!

Saturday Aug 19, 2023

In this episode of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview autistic advocate and author David Gray-Hammond. David shares his personal journey to getting an autism diagnosis as an adult and how finding the autistic community saved his life. He provides insight into his work on autism and addiction, discussing why self-medication and substance use may be more prevalent among autistic people. David emphasises how trauma and lack of support contribute to negative outcomes, advocating that disability rights are fundamentally human rights. Other key topics include societal barriers faced by autistic individuals, the importance of connectedness and empowerment, and David’s efforts to change narratives through his writing, podcasts, and advocacy. Tune in to hear David's inspirational story and perspectives on creating a more accepting world for autistic and neurodivergent people.

If you would like to contact David, then feel free to! His email is david@dghneurodivergentconsultancy.co.uk. You can also access his fantastic blog and gain access to his podcast and details of his fantastic books by going to his website which you can access here: David Gray-Hammond - Emergent Divergence

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Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our small but wonderful Charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

Our links:

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Monday Mar 27, 2023

Interview with Simeon Thompson about self-acceptance as an autistic person, mental health, approaches to social interaction and more

Monday Mar 27, 2023

In this episode of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview London Autism Group Charity volunteer Simeon Thompson, a British Jamaican autistic man living in London who has been working in the IT industry for many years. Simeon was diagnosed as autistic in 2007 when he was 14 years old, however he denied his diagnosis until 2015 which led to many internal conflicts that impacted upon his uncertainty on how he could fit into society.

Today Simeon, who has many interests especially music (rock, rap, R&B, video game music, jazz and more), is passionate about sharing his experiences of learning to self-accept his autistic identity which has been crucial for his mental health. In this episode, Simeon talks about his difficult journey of isolation through school life, how his friends advised him to access counselling which helped him get to a place of self-acceptance and embracing his autistic identity and diagnosis. Simeon also shares some fantastic advice from his own experiences on how to leverage your special interests to practice and sharpen your social interaction skills which in turn can yield more rewards.

If you would like to contact Simeon for any advice, then feel free to! His email is simeonthompson214@hotmail.co.uk. He also has a podcast called 'The Inner Link' (Inner Link Podcast (@innerlinkpodcast) • Instagram photos and videos) where he and his friends discuss interesting topics such as society, spirituality, politics, etc.

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Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our small but wonderful Charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

Our links:

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Monday Dec 19, 2022

Interview with Tess Eagle Swan about service assistance animals (and much more!)

Monday Dec 19, 2022

In this episode of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview Tess Eagle Swan, an autistic expert in assistance/service animals and also the proud owner of the world famous rescue dog, Kratu, the star of the 'Incredible Kratu' book.

Tess opens about her 'autism journey' including her childhood experiences, her connection with animals (particularly Kratu), her struggles with relationships, mental health and substances, and provides her advice on how to think about service animals and what to do if you are in need of one.

Tess is very happy for anyone to contact her if you have any questions after listening to this. You can contact her through her LinkedIn page which is https://www.linkedin.com/in/tess-e-22b94a1a2/.

Tess recommends the following organisations and people if you are interested in exploring whether a service animal is right for you and your family:

- Dogs For Autism | UK's first charity exclusively providing Autism Assistance dogs

-Dogs for Good - Who we are - Assistance Dogs - Charity - UK

- UK Owner Trained Assistance Dogs Campaign for Change | Facebook

- Animal Behaviourist & Canine Specialist | About | Kirsten Dillon

- ASSISTANCE DOG SUPPORT GROUP | Facebook

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Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our small but wonderful Charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

Our links:

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Tuesday Apr 05, 2022

Interview with Jenny Teuten about being a sibling and carer to her autistic brother with learning difficulties

Tuesday Apr 05, 2022

In Season 2, episode 20 of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview Jenny Teuten about her experiences as a sibling and carer to her autistic brother with learning difficulties. Jenny opens up about the challenges she's faced over the years including how social stigma and misconceptions have impacted her and her family's life, how her childhood made her a more resilient and empathic person, the type of relationship she has with her brother now and her hopes for the future. She also outlines her main advice for other siblings in similar circumstances including the importance of challenging opinions that don't sit right with you and accessing support such as she has found with the London Autism Group Charity's monthly siblings support group.

Jenny is very happy for anyone to contact her if you have any questions after listening to this. Her email address is hello@teutenhealing.com.

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Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our small but wonderful Charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

And please consider donating to the London Autism Group Charity if you are enjoying this podcast that we produce and able to (simply go to facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity and click on the blue donate button - thank you!)

Our links:

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Thursday Dec 09, 2021

Interview with Emily from @21andsensory (exploring the negative and positive experiences of Emily‘s journey towards diagnosis)

Thursday Dec 09, 2021

In Season 2, episode 19 of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview Emily from @21andsensory! Emily is an autistic adult who several years ago developed the @21andsensory blog (https://21andsensory.wordpress.com/) with the aim of educating and supporting people (and adults in particular) with sensory processing difficulties. Today, she runs a fantastic and very influential set of social media accounts (https://www.instagram.com/21andsensory/ , https://twitter.com/21andsensory, https://www.youtube.com/c/21andsensory) which focus on sensory related issues. She also produces her own podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/76SifuR4fKLPldkaOcH693) which we are also excited to be featured within during at upcoming episode!

During the podcast, we discuss her journey towards diagnosis, and explore the many challenges and successes that she experienced along the way. This includes the challenges of schooling including the lack of support and understanding she received, the lasting toll this has had on her mental health, the misunderstanding as well as positive support from different professionals she has encountered, and the need for appropriate autistic-led mental health services. We also discuss her views on sensory processing issues including its stigma and misunderstanding, the need for normalisation and the challenges but importance of building sensory spaces (the latter of which is the focus of a research project called 'Sensory Street' that Emily is involved with: https://twitter.com/sensory_street).

Our links:

Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Tuesday Jun 22, 2021

Interview with Ginny Grant (on the topics of late diagnosis, mental health and eating disorders)

Tuesday Jun 22, 2021

In Season 2, episode 18 of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview Ginny Grant, an autistic advocate who is writer, editor and communications manager at Reframing Autism, an Australian based organisation run by and for Autistic people and their families and allies, who celebrate and nurture autistic identity.

We discuss Ginny's journey towards her late autism diagnosis, the mission of Reframing Autism, her challenges and experiences with mental health including post-natal depression, OCD and eating disorders (and how the latter two inter-connected), and her views about why autistic people might be more vulnerable to eating disorders.

Links

Ginny's Twitter: https://twitter.com/virginialgrant

Reframing Autism Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReframingAutism

Ginny's article title "Atypical anorexia: Facing an eating disorder, Autistically" - https://www.reframingautism.org.au/atypical-anorexia-facing-an-eating-disorder-autistically/

Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Thursday Apr 15, 2021

Interview with Alan Morrison (on the topic of education and schooling for neurodivergent people, and the power of validation, diversity and kindness)

Thursday Apr 15, 2021

In Season 2, episode 17 of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview Alan Morrison, an autistic man with rich insight and experience of the challenges and problems of the schooling and educational system for neurodivergent people. Alan talks about his childhood, the difficulties of school before he found teachers that inspired him, like the sociologist Michael Haralambos, who were rare and invaluable voices in the promotion of individuality, difference and diversity. Alan also talks about the story of his younger autistic brother and his educational transformation, how current curriculum and approaches still stifle individuality, and ideas and philosophies that could better promote diversity in today's schooling environments. We also talk about the unconscious moral mind, internal autistic honesty and the challenges of being assertive when integrity is being questioned.

Please note that Alan also sent us a powerful story about an autistic boy he worked with during his teacher training. You can find a recording of this story, which is just a few minutes long and well worth also listening to, here: The Maze Story

Links

Alan's email address (he'd love to hear from you!): aj3morrison@yahoo.co.uk

Alan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/aj3morrison

Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Tuesday Dec 15, 2020

Interview with Kirsty Pellow on parenting children with different support needs, the battles for SEND provision and its toll on mental health

Tuesday Dec 15, 2020

In Season 2, Episode 16 of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Tigger Pritchard (our special guest podcast interviewer!) interview Kirsty Pellow, who is herself neurodivergent, a carer to two boys with different needs, a SEND support worker and advocate.

We hear from Kirsty Pellow, and follow the steps of her own personal experiences learning about autism. She tells us about her journey as a carer, and how she learnt to trust her own instincts as a parent over the dismissal and denial of others. Searching for knowledge to help her son, this led to her pushing to get her son a referral for autism diagnosis, based upon the fascinating differences that he displayed and his various care needs.

Kirsty also describes her battles with the Local Authority to have her son’s educational needs met, her hard won successes, and the resulting high cost to her mental health. Kirsty explains her decision to Home Educate her son for a time, in order to address his co-occurring needs, and the way this better prepared him for school education in the long run. Also discussed is the sense of duty she felt to support other parents in winning SEND provision for their autistic children, and taking on an official role as a support worker. Finally Kirsty reflects upon learning about her own neurodivergence, the value of self-love and self-care.

Links

Kirsty's twitter: https://twitter.com/kirstypellow87

Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us! It makes a big difference to our charity.

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon.

Friday Oct 02, 2020

Interview with Julie Caitlin Brown (on the topics of autistic sci-fi fandom, stigma, inclusion, self-acceptance and compassion)

Friday Oct 02, 2020

In this episode, Chris and James speak with American TV, film and stage actress and producer Julie Caitlin Brown. Julie, who is also a musician and coach, is very well known for her role as Na'Toth in the first and fifth season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5, and for various guest star appearances in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She has also worked on many other shows including Becker, JAG, Raven, Sliders, and Beverly Hills 90201, among others.

We speak with Julie about her own experiences of autism, adversity, why hopeful sci-fi often resonates with autistic and neurodivergent people, the stigma of autism and difference more broadly, and the importance of inclusion, self-acceptance and compassion to oneself and others.

Links

Julie's website: https://juliecaitlinbrown.com/about-julie/

Julie's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliecaitlinbrown/

Julie's facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieCaitlinBrown

Julie's twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieCaitlinB

Interview with autistic author Cameron Straughan (employment discrimination, misconceptions around autistic humour and more)

Wednesday Sep 02, 2020

Chris and James interview Cameron Straughan, an autistic Canadian author, photographer, film-maker and teacher.

Cameron, who resided in many years in the UK, talks through his autism journey including his youth and diagnosis later in later, experiences and views regarding the challenges of employment, and discuss some of the main challenges and discrimination issues faced by the autistic population and what needs to change for progress to occur. He also talks through his love of surreal and absurd comedy and humour, how he uses humour as a key coping mechanism for his own wellbeing, the offensive misconception of autistic people not understanding humour, his latest novel, 'The Surreal Adventures of Anthony Zen', and much more!

Links:

Website: https://cameronstraughan.com/
Goodreads.com: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8417641.Cameron_A_Straughan
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cameron-Straughan/e/B00E5YA688/
London Autism Group Charity website: londonautismgroupcharity.org
Facebook page: facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity
London Autism Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272747662886046/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lagcharity
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagcharity

Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us!

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.

Monday Jul 20, 2020

Interview with Katya Balen and Miranda Prag (founders of Mainspring Arts!)

Monday Jul 20, 2020

In Season 2, Episode 13 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James interview the two founders of Mainspring Arts, Katya Balen and Miranda Prag!

Mainspring Arts is an innovative organisation that works across artistic disciplines and have over the years since it was founded in 2015 supported and provided many opportunities to many neurodivergent people (some of whom you will be hearing directly from in upcoming episodes!). They do this by facilitating workshops to develop participants' skills, providing mentoring by industry leaders, and producing publications, performances and showcases. They aim to promote our participants' work to all audiences, with the ultimate aim of mainstream representation of neurodivergence in the arts. They strongly believe that neurodivergent people should have the opportunity to represent their own voices and experiences.

During the episode, Katya and Miranda explain what led to the organisation being founded, the misconceptions and lack of representation that they wanted to help push back on, the work that the organisation has done to date, future plans and more!

Links:

Website: http://www.mainspringarts.org.uk/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/mainspring_arts

Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/mainspringarts

London Autism Group Charity website: londonautismgroupcharity.org

Facebook page: facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity

London Autism Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/272747662886046/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lagcharity

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagcharity

Please like, follow and subscribe to our social media channels to support us!

Please also leave us a review (hopefully positive ;) ) on Apple Podcasts - this is a huge help for us.