Unfiltered Autistic - Amanda McGuinness

My Son's Autism Diagnosis - A Birth Story. My son Conor was the youngest child to ever be "diagnosed" as Autistic almost 15 years ago in County Mayo. What lead to that diagnosis are some of the most hard to talk about times of my life. When my gorgeous Conor was born he changed all of our lives irrevocably in an instant, that moment he took his first breath here on earth changed everything for good. He opened my eyes to a world of pain and suffering, to the inhumane way in which people who were different were shunned, mistreated and cast out. We have been on a journey every moment since learning about Autism, discovering my own Autistic identity, and trying to change the world one day at a time to make it a safer more accepting place for my son, and Autistic people just like him. This is a two part episode. This being Episode 1 and Episode 2 to follow next.

Hello and welcome to the unfiltered Autistic Podcast. The Podcast that aims to give an unfiltered account of Autistic lived experiences, created and hosted by me Amanda Mc Guinness, an Autistic Autism and Visual Support Specialist and parent to 4 Neurodivergent children. Having spent a lifetime filtering my true self, to be the person I felt others wanted me to be, I realised at the age of 39 I could no longer be that person. It was time to be my true unfiltered Autistic self. I realised I deserved to have the same compassion and thoughtfulness I put out into the world. I deserved to be me. The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast is for and by Autistic people, safe place to share our stories of self-discovery, our stories of love and lived experience. The Unfiltered Autistic Podcast is also a podcast for those who are not Autistic, those may have a loved one who is Autistic and for those who have the cultural humility to know that to truly understand the Autistic lived experience of the world, they must listen to Autistic voices. Thank you for listening and thank you for being here with me.  

On New Years' Eve 2020, I told the world I had gone forward for an Adult Autism Assessment. In this episode, I talk about that moment and how I told the world.

A short introduction to the Unfiltered Autistic Podcast, and to me the creator and host, Amanda Mc Guinness.

The Autism Educator Podcast launches this March 2021 in celebration of my eldest son Conor's 11th birthday. As County Mayo's Autism Ambassador I am proud to launch The Autism Educator Podcast, where you will hear real life stories of struggles and triumph. From the dark waters of Salthill where one night as a young mother, I contemplated taking my own life, to the woman I am today; an Autistic mother of 4; 3 of whom are autistic.  To follow our family's journey, join us over on Instagram - Facebook - Twitter -  Thank you for joining me on the Autism Road.  Amanda