Autistic Licence

Ok, so this episode may be a bit niche 😉

Leo has been searching for the perfect socks and he believes he has found them ... (time will tell).

Somehow, Siana's autistic brain tendrils manage to link his fervour with evangelical Christian zeal and she goes down and round about that rabbit warren for a while.

We speak about our own experiences of religion as autistic people and wind up reaching quite a profound moment towards the end...

Leo (still) has Covid. Through this conversation we wind up exploring a drive he has to be useful, to serve.

We notice how this shows up between us and reflect on how it may have developed. We also consider how it might change in the future so that it becomes less of a default and more of a mindful choice. 

Along the way you can expect some typical autistic literalism and a discussion about the "Drama Triangle" (roles people play).

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Trigger warning for mention of life threatening scenarios and maternal birthing distress. If you have particular sensitivities around your own experiences of healthcare please consider carefully whether and / or when you might listen to this episode. 

We speak about a wide range of our experiences related to being unwell and / or navigating our healthcare needs.  This ranges from planned hospital stays to emergency admissions, from...

Trigger warning This episode deals with the topics of loneliness and suicide. Please take care of yourself and think about the timing and where your support is if you decide to listen.

We reflect on our experiences and relationships in the past, which led to loneliness, disconnection and feelings of life not being worth living. We also reflect on the distinctions between company, co-regulation and presence.

We recognise that these...

In this episode we talk about sensitivities to physical and sensory stimuli. We focus on challenges around noise, food and physical (dis)comfort.

We speak about the significance of autonomy. We also discuss interpersonal misunderstandings related to us not doing "what's good" for us.  We note the important distinction here between things being seen as preferences rather than (in)tolerances.

Seasonal references provided intermittent...

This episode is a spontaneous Saturday chit chat. 

There's a fair amount of "here and now" energy and interaction, interspersed with memories and reflections.

Siana talks about her experience of ADHD when it fires in multiple directions at once - something which for her does not exclude hyperfocus "flow" states.

Leo reflects on a range of experiences he is now reframing in light of autism, such as the after effects of exhilarating ...

This episode is in many ways a reflection on elements of the last one.

We speak about early narratives and experiences, and the lifelong meaning and impact of these. We apply this to therapeutic contexts and approaches, specifically Transactional Analysis and Internal Family Systems, and we relate this to therapy with autistic people.

We also explore the concept of so called "rigid" thinking and the possible significance of this f...

In this episode we discuss how we, as autistic people, are seen and experienced by others. We then traverse some thorny territory relating to how we see ourselves and influence each other.

These are sensitive ideas and topics, interspersed with distractions, brain glitches and spiralling reasoning which somehow loops together in the end.

 

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Neuroqueer Heresies

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In this episode we begin to circumambulate the intersectionality of autism and queerness.

We begin with Siana's home interior decorating project and finish up discussing Leo's gender identity development. In between we wax lyrical around some relationship models, notably Siana's current QPR (queer platonic relationship).

Comical interlude provided by Leo's beautifully curated ritual around a previous relationship.

Topic to be conti...

This episode is another “in person” recording.  We reflect on our experiences of travelling with and without accommodations.

We specifically speak about the profound benefits for us of wearing a Sunflower lanyard when travelling in busy and often overwhelming airports.

We also talk about the significance of our sense of smell, in particular Leo’s awareness of this in new places.

NOISE WARNING: towards the end of our chat we talk ab...

We recorded this episode while we were together in Siana’s house last weekend.  We explore co-regulation and bring in various ideas and theories from autistic, therapeutic and scientific communities to flavour our discussion.

We end up specifically inviting the non autistic community to join and get to know us and, most importantly, the autistic people around them.

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Trauma and the nervous system...

In this episode we explore the finite nature of personal energy and capacity. We refer to our own experiences and to wider "spoon theory".

The pace of this conversation is slow and relaxed; it's basically two autistic people hanging out together. If that's your vibe, we'd love you to join us 🧡💛

On that note, our Facebook community is growing fast and you would be very welcome there too - see the links below...

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Leo enquires about Jungian Sandplay, a therapeutic modality Siana offers in her therapy practice. We explore Siana's demand avoidance about the prospect of speaking about this and then eventually get there in a perfectly autistic way.

This is a lovely illustration of "Takiwatanga" which we happened to post about on our Facebook feed this week. Takiwatanga is the Maori word...

In this episode we explore the centrality of the core value of justice for many autistic people.

We discuss the impacts on us when things aren't "right" or fair, the tenacity needed to address these and the toll this takes on us.

We then tentatively begin to explore some particular ways in which our social experiences correlate with theory around masking, fawning and appeasement.

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Trauma 101 with Linda Thai - Learning about ...

In today's episode we're gearing up for the new year in our therapy practices.

We reflect on therapeutic relationships and processes, wondering about and exploring those facets which might just be unique to autistic or AuDHD lives. 

And we talk about our hopes and dreams for the podcast in 2024 inviting you to connect with us as we build the Autistic Licence community together.

 

Contact us autisticlicence@gmail.com

Our website aut...

You are very welcome to join us here for Christmas Part 2.

Recorded on Boxing Day 2023, we reflect on our "festive" experiences this year. We then springboard off a seemingly inconsequential moment we shared recently, into a deeply satisfying autistic dive.

We'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences, neurospicy and otherwise.

Contact us autisticlicence@gmail.com

Our website autisticlicence.com

Our socials linktr.ee/autisticlic...

Join us as we explore and reflect on our experiences of Christmases past and the lead up to this year's "festivities".

We sensitively unpack some specific challenges the season poses for us and our neurokin. We share some of our learning from over the years and recognise this is still a work in progress.

In true autistic style this episode jumps around a fair bit and diverts left, right and centre ... yet wondrously (autistically ❤...

Here we talk about loss and retrieval - of a car, a voice and even of the land!

We reflect on the line between being perceived as "annoying" verses being curious, further expanding the pitfalls and the benefits of being #actuallyautistic in social and therapeutic contexts.

Join us for a mix of complexity and so-called "info dumping" within a warm, kind and therapeutic space.

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Linda Thai www.linda-thai.com

Trauma Geek's blog p...