Leo reflects on watching a Netflix show which brought up a myriad of thoughts and feelings for him around not being understood by loved ones (the double empathy problem). Siana shares some current challenges with work and business planning.  We speak about success and what that means to us as autistic people and specifically as autistic therapists. We relate this also particularly to this time (in the midst of a polycrisis) when arguably people have never been so disconnected and in need of support.   We come to a place of greater acceptance and wider perspective, whilst also acknowledging the pain and disappointment that comes with this. As ever, we are available and keen to hear from you with any comments, reflections or feedback. Contact us at:autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS You Can't Ask That - TV show Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

In this episode we speak about "landing on our feet". In particular, we relate this to the double empathy problem whereby the processes "behind the scenes" are often missed entirely in our interactions with non-autistic people. We share examples of our experiences in the workplace and significant relationships, noting that in some aspects our ways of being can seem to collude with the apparent opacity of the bigger picture. As Siana says, "We prioritise getting shit done rather than going on about how difficult it is!" In this context we are not referring to the often variable amounts of things we get done or the speed or efficiency of this - that's a whole other issue! Instead we are pointing out that we tend to focus what energy we have on tasks rather than ensuring others understand how hard it is.  Although we name feeling uncomfortable with it, we also experiment with taking our capabilities and resourcefulness more seriously by not underplaying our contributions. This is new and the reason we haven't edited it out is an experiment in daring to let it hit the air and stay there! Which feels like a courageous act of resistance when you've spent a lifetime playing yourself down. We believe a version of this might resonate with a great many of our neurokin. As ever, we are available and keen to hear from you with any comments, reflections or feedback. Contact us at: autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡----more----LINKS Book: The Luck Factor Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Welcome to the first "From The Vault" episode. Today we're going almost back to the beginning. We're going to listen to Season 1 Episode 2, which we called "Nothing Just Happens", from two years ago. Listening back to this not only brought back memories of the beginnings of Autistic Licence, but also sparked a conversation between Siana & I about what's changed for us, and what's been reinforced. You'll hear that conversation in our next episode - "The Luck Illusion - Nothing Just Happens Revisited" which we'll release later this week. 🧡💛 Siana goes to a Deacon Blue concert and talks about stimulation and over-stimulation. We compare notes on what that feels like and what we do to recover. This sparks on ongoing conversation about how autistic people spend and recoup energy and why this may be different to the experiences of others, and why processes around managing tasks and time can be such dominant features of our lives. We talk about how "nothing just happens" in our lives. Why "it depends" and "good enough" are such important concepts to us as autistic people. An interruption by Leo's dogs Molly & Woody provides a wonderful illustration of distraction and how this effects AuDHD communication and thought! ----more---- LINKS Deacon Blue Spoon Theory An article on demand avoidance Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Welcome to Season 3 💛 We recorded this a couple of weeks ago. We thought about cutting the bit at the beginning where we speak about Halloween in the interests of "keeping up" with the actual date of release. However, given that the rest of the episode traverses the general theme of our relationship with time, we thought we'd leave it in for context.   We speak about overwhelm and the processes we can go through around "getting things done". Leo introduces some theories around prioritising and task management which can be useful when we find ourselves feeling paralysed with task lists. Siana shares about the cyclical nature of her creative capacity to initiate new projects.   We also discuss the significance of "now" as a portal to memory and to the past ... and of the nature of our processing meaning that this circles around in very non-linear ways.  We're excited to be back for a new season and we look forward to connecting with you - all comments and feedback welcome at autisticlicence@gmail.com 🧡💛 ----more---- LINKS Odd One In group information Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Trigger warning for Christian evangelical culture, mention of suicidal ideation. If you have particular sensitivities around these subjects, please consider carefully whether and / or when you might listen to this episode.    This episode was recorded while Siana was visiting Leo in his new house in August. Most of the conversation ended up being a trip down memory lane, to 1995, with the usual tangents and some niche cultural reference points.    We speak about autonomy and independence, taking into account autistic needs and challenges. Themes such as the significance of justice, burnout and the toll of masking emerge through our discussion. The conversation finishes with a discussion about autistic needs verses wants, within the context of balancing ethical values with the limits of managing daily life and overwhelm as an autistic person. Thank you to our lovely listeners for all your support - we love to hear from you with comments, feedback and reflections: autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡----more----LINKS Odd One In group information Black Books TV show Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This episode was recorded just a couple of days after Leo moved house from London to Suffolk, England. Leo highlights the benefits Leo of his ADHD meds in terms of maintaining focus and maximising efficiency during the move. We note wider factors and accommodations which help in managing setbacks and unexpected changes. We candidly speak about the challenges and limitations of being AuDHD - medicated or not - in western society. We pivot into an exploration of sleep, tiredness and the quite particular economy of energy we seem to share with our neurokin. Siana reflects on recent experience around neglecting special interests and how rapidly this led to exhaustion and struggle with getting things done. We reappraise again the value of detailed-focussed externalising, which while seemingly inconsequential, offers significant value and settling to us as autistic people.   Any thoughts or comments to autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡----more----LINKS Group info Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This episode, on listening back, sounds a bit like a whistle stop tour of everything both of us has ever thought about our relationships with things and particularly about "moving" with them. We speak about moving house and / or office and the significance of replication and familiarity in our new environments. We noted how this can extend to holidays and even simply leaving the house. We differentiate between different types of attachments we have to things, from the sentimental to the practical, even to the existential. As we explore further we begin to notice some distinctive ways in which we relate to things as autistic people. The relationship / attachment autistic people have with inanimate objects has often been misunderstood, dismissed and even pathologised by non-autistic onlookers. We would love to hear from you if our chat resonates with you or if you have further thoughts or comments -  autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡 LINKS Picture of Siana's buttons Group info Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This episode is mostly a light hearted autistic chit chat.  Siana's daughter has finished her GCSEs (national exams taken by 16 year olds in the UK). To celebrate, they have planned a trip to Scotland to see Lana del Rey in concert.   Meanwhile, Leo's parents' 80th birthdays are coming up over the summer. He shares the birthday card and watch he created for his Dad. In true autistic style we manage to explore all of this in minute detail, also touching on themes such as parenting an ND teen and hyperfocus alongside ADHD. As ever we'd love to hear from you with any comments, reflections or feedback at autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Watchmaking second-hand tool Episode photos Group info Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Leo is planning a move to Suffolk, England. This conversation took place when we visited the area as part of his decision making process. We speak about a delightful and symbolic experience we had while we were there. We then explore the value of "story" within therapy, the significance of re-contextualisation, and even the potential of deeper memory reconsolidation and healing processes. Our next discussion traverses echolalia, accents and imperial powers ... moving into culture, heritage, history and gender differences. We then segueway into disturbing political developments affecting our neurokin in the US. Quite a trip! Thank you so much for your ongoing company with us as we chat, connect and explore. We always value your comments and feedback on autisticlicence@gmail.com  💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Episode photos Group info Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Welcome to the second half of our conversation with Meaghan Ray. This one begins with us speaking about the interplay between autism and ADHD, particularly in terms of executive functioning.  Meaghan Ray shares some specific areas of executive functioning which pose challenges for them in relation to parenting. Siana and Meaghan Ray discuss some of their experiences as parents, noting the widespread lack of support for autistic parents caring for autistic children (regardless of whether either parent or child are identified as autistic).  We also talk about navigating different sensory profiles with the family. Finally, Meaghan Ray delights us with their chainmaille and through this illustrates their metaphorical understanding of the melding and integration of the strands of their identity.  Video in the shownotes! Thank-you for joining us for this episode and please do get in touch if you have any comments or feedback you would like to share  - autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS CHAINMAILLE VIDEO CLIP ACCOMPANYING PHOTO'S Meaghan Ray's chest binding support page Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

We're joined for this episode by Meaghan Ray from Edmonton in Canada. Meaghan Ray speaks about their process of coming to know their autistic self. They share the value within this of real time processing with a friend, particularly as it relates to the "doing" of being autistic in daily adult life. Meaghan Ray shares some unique aspects of their childhood which led to the development of self awareness and self efficacy from a young age. They reflect on having found their place within the queer community as a non binary person and how the learning from this has mapped onto their autistic journey also. We speak about masking and in particular about the repression of stimming as a specific area Meaghan Ray has been working on unlearning as an adult. Meaghan Ray also shares some parenting wisdom with us and we return to the topic of stimming, pivoting into a wider conversation about autistic enjoyment and immersion. 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Meaghan Ray's chest binding support page Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

We are delighted to share with you our guest conversation with Nikita. Nikita is a trainee clinical psychologist with a special interest in neuropsychology.   Together we have a fascinating discussion about adult diagnosis and how Nikita has woven this into her self-understanding and relationships. She contrasts how this has been in her personal and in her professional life.  We also speak about dyscalculia and burnout. Oh, and joy and the future. 💛🧡 If you are interested in joining a group, book a chat with us:CLICK HERE. ----more---- LINKS Nikita's book - An Autistic Anthology: Neuro-Narratives of Mental Health Professionals Nikita's LinkedIn Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Join us for another wonderful guest conversation, this time with Dawn. Dawn generously shares with us about her experiences and challenges in relation to work, mental health and being different to others.   We talk about the generational grief and loss associated with late diagnosis. We speak about common expectations around socialising, learning and communication which can zap our energy and lead to struggle. We go on to envision some aspects of autistic community, representation and culture. We have deliberately not edited out the beginning and ending of our recording in case anyone is considering joining us for a conversation as this might help demystify the process.  As ever, we welcome your comments and feedback at autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Dawn's Making Mental Health Positive Facebook page Dawn's Making Mental Health Positive Instagram page Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

There's a bit of silliness at the beginning of this episode. We debated cutting it out, maybe due to the vestiges of internalised ableism but we decided to keep it in the interests of authenticity.It's fully possible to be "silly" and childlike right alongside having the capacity for psychological depth and vulnerable conversations. We move from "here and now" chat into speaking about tears and other emotional expressions such as anger, fear, joy and sadness. We also reflect on the possibility of heightened emotional affect related to times of seasonal transition. We invite further conversation and connection about the possibility of forming groups for autistic people. If you would like to discuss this or if you have any other comments or feedback to share we'd love to hear from you - autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Circles with Siana Disability Empowerment Now podcast Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Trigger warning: This episode includes references to neglect and developmental trauma which some listeners may find upsetting.  It's been a while since we recorded together! In this episode we expand on our discussion about grief. Leo reflects on the loss of Woody, three months on. We then move into exploring other feelings such as disappointment and pride. We speak about the conditional meanings of these feelings in relation to other people. We contrast this with the idea of unconditional love and acceptance and wonder about how this might feel and the significance of it, particularly in light of being autistic. Molly has been at the vet's and joins us for the last 10 minutes. 🐕 We welcome your comments and feedback as always; get in touch at autisticlicence@gmail.com 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Book: On Being An Autistic Therapist Nici Harrison - The Grief Space Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

Trigger warning for mention of death, loss and grief. If you have particular sensitivities around these subjects, please consider carefully whether and / or when you might listen to this episode.  Leo's dog, Woody, died just before Christmas.  This episode was recorded in December and the "previous" episode we mention at the beginning was "Furry Friends & Existentialism". We speak about our experiences of bereavement and grief. We talk about navigating the end of life and expand this to speak about other endings, planned and otherwise.   Leo shares some treasured memories of his unique connection with Woody. We wonder about specific aspects of grief from (our) Autistic perspectives, bringing in differences in attunement, attachment and communication. Your comments and feedback are always most welcome. 💛🧡  ----more---- ----more---- LINKS Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

This is a short chat we had following our guest conversation with Elisabeth. In it we further develop our thoughts and reflections about self compassion. We also contemplate our identities within the queer community, recognising that we have much more personal "work" to do in this area.  Obviously it's vulnerable to put something like this out into the world ... however we do so for two reasons. Firstly, we want to honour how inspirational we found our conversation with Elisabeth and secondly, we wonder whether other people might be thinking in similar ways and feel less alone by hearing us. Your comments and feedback are always most welcome. 💛🧡  ----more---- LINKS Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

We have a treat for you today - our guest conversation with Elisabeth. 💛🧡 Elisabeth shares her story generously and insightfully. We speak about late diagnosis and the idea of a second adolescence. We contrast medicalised perspectives with the neurodiversity paradigm, for example in navigating group contexts.    We explore the intersectionality of queer and neurodivergent communities. We also discuss "coming out" and parallels between the neurodiversity movement and the LGBTQIA+ movement in the 80s and 90s. We speak of difference, stigma and making sense of our lived experiences in an ever changing landscape. We end with discussing the significance of justice for us, on a micro and a macro scale. We loved engaging with Elisabeth and were so intrigued that we continued the conversation after our call ended (to be released soon!) ----more---- LINKS Book: Very Bad People, Patrick Alley Global Witness Autistic Licence - Autscape episode Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

In this episode we meet Catherine, one of our listeners from the USA. Catherine shares with us about her deep dive into autistic identity. We discuss some of our experiences throughout our life spans relating to others in education and group settings. We notice ways in which we adapted that don't feel so necessary any longer. Catherine also comes up with the phrase "social dyspraxia" which we agree is a wonderful descriptor and summary of much of our exploration. The conversation ends with some beautiful autistic "show and tell" between Leo and Catherine. We hope you enjoy and welcome your feedback. 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com

In this episode we speak with Daniel, one of our listeners who responded to our invitation to join us for a guest conversation. We speak about Daniel's ongoing process of coming to know himself as autistic. We then branch into discussing therapy with AuDHD people, including an exploration of the role artificial intelligence (AI) might play in this. Daniel introduces us to his concept of "Grand Cycles" and does a fantastic job of describing aphantasia from the inside out. We absolutely loved meeting Daniel. Daniel is happy to be contacted at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielzp/ We hope you enjoy and welcome your feedback. 💛🧡 ----more---- LINKS Our YouTube channel Our Facebook Our website Podcast home Our socials Get in touch at: autisticlicence@gmail.com