The Autism Podcast

In Season 2, episode 7, Chris, James and Lola Alvarez-Romano (a mental health expert and NHS psychotherapist) talk about the threat to mental health for the entire autism community during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic.  Clearly, the Coronavirus pandemic represents a public mental health emergency for all of us but in particular for the autism community who are particularly vulnerable. This is mainly due to the situation threatening routines, structures, access to usual external support and services, and access to support from family and the wider community. Therefore, to support the community, the London Autism Group Charity have begun doing is a series of livestreams with interviews of autistic people and advocates around the topic of mental health and wellbeing. These are happening weekly at our public Facebook page (facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity) with full details about what and when livestreams are taking place listed there (as well as our Twitter: @lagcharity) This podcast episode is the audio from one of these livestreams, in which we talk about how the autism community can support their mental health, self-care and boost resilience. We also took some questions from the audience. We think it was a really useful discussion and therefore decided it was worth uploading as its own standalone podcast episode, so that more people could access it and potentially benefit from the advice and suggestions provided. The video recording is also available from our youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9HnzChJg_9jMaV8NmJuXig) which you can find by going to youtube and searching for London Autism Group Charity. We'll be uploading our other livestreams there also. Please note that the London Autism Group Charity is also looking for volunteers to support us in our work during this difficult period. You don't have to be London or even UK-based, so if you do have time and wish to support us, and are interested in mental health in particular, please get in touch with us via our website (londonautismgroupcharity.org).

In Season 2, episode 6 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James speak with Callum Brazzo, a well-known autistic performance poet based in Lincolnshire, UK.  We talk about Callum's upbringing and the experiences that led him into poetry and performance, including his struggles with poor mental health and finally get diagnosed in his early 20s. He explains his journey towards coming full circle and becoming a leader in his community through supporting other autistic adults via his Autistic Led support group, his Autistic Lincs newspaper column and more. We also talk about language, social media discourse, his Tedx talks and he also performs two of his poems live for us, Nameless and The Energy Bulb.   Episode Timeline: 0 - 9.05: His schooling and upbringing experiences, experiencing poor mental health, expressing himself through his first songs and poems, publishing his first book, coming through circle through supporting others 9.06 - 16.27: Autistic Led support group, forming a community that he didn't have access to when he was younger, social progress and making impact on the next generation, filling the vacuum of autistic support in Lincolnshire 16.28 - 21.01: His experience of being diagnosed, the overwhelming emotional impact it had upon him, his Tedx talk, performing locally 21.02 - 25.59: Setting up the Autistic Led support group, getting funding, main conversational themes and activities 26.00 - 35.13: The impact that role models have had upon his life, the qualities and values that these role models had which worked for Callum, 35.14 - 39.35: Callum's fascination with words, the way his constructs his poetry 39.36 - 40.47: Performance of Nameless 40.48 - 53.43: learning about language and describing autism identity, autism in the news, looking at socio-cultural context behind people's actions, re-directing people's interests to tap into and realise potential, people are worth fussing about, inspirational porn, the need for a healthy social media discourse 53.44 - 58.26: The Autistic Lincs newspaper column Callum writes for, using the column as another method for giving people a voice, poetry writing as an outlet, Callum's book "Movement: Performance Poetry Written Down", what the The Energy Bulb poem is about 58.27 - 1.00.05: Performance of 'The Energy Bulb' ------- Links Callum's website: http://www.callumbrazzo.com/ His twitter: https://twitter.com/CallumBrazzo Autistic Led support group: http://www.tonic-health.co.uk/AutisticLed.asp (and https://www.facebook.com/groups/287694928530440/) Autistic Lincs column in Spalding Today newspaper: https://www.spaldingtoday.co.uk/news/autistic-lincs-the-challenges-we-face-9098067/ Callum's Tedx talk, 'Why we should make mountains out of molehills': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq9vcfOMKHM&t= Callum's Tedx talk, '10 YEARS OF TED TALKS – AUTISTICS IN CONVERSATION': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJJ4j50ufFI  

In Season 2, Episode 3 of The Autism Podcast, Chris speaks with Venessa Bobb about the difficulties that various ethnic minority autistic people and their families face including stigma and when accessing support. Venessa is a well-known UK-based autistic campaigner and advocate of autistic people in particular those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities. She is the founder of A2ndvoice, a small voluntary group run by parents and carers of autistic children and adults, and Branch Officer of the National Autistic Society (NAS) Lambeth Autism Group (see also https://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/amazing-volunteers/venessa.aspx). She is a member of the Advisory Group All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism (APPGA), an advisor on the National Autistic Society's Diverse Perspectives report, the author of Network Autism's Supporting BAME autistic people and their families article, and supports the organisations Cassandra Centre and GroomSafe.   You can contact Venessa through her Twitter handle (https://twitter.com/BobbVenessa) and LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venessabobb/. Timeline: 0 - 2.02: Introduction 2.03 - 9.01: Venessa's experiences of her autistic son when he was young including people's stigmatising and negative reactions across the community, the diagnostic process 9.02 - 15.19: Accessing support after her son's diagnosis and the lack of cultural representation; judgements and stigma towards her parenting, the increase of stigma in the community when her son's diagnosis was revealed, the importance of others accepting the diagnosis, stigma from professionals including judgements from the GP and social services that the underlying issue was parenting skills, the importance of being transparent and communicating with professionals. 15.20 - 21.08: The limitations of the Autism Act 2009 (until the update in 2019) in particular for autistic children, the statutory services not implementing the Act appropriately, lack of representation, the need for the community to come together to support each-other and to hear stories from the BAME autistic community, the need for BAME autistic representation 21.09 - 24.17: The Black community reacting to incidents but not coming together in unity and finding solutions through appropriate representation from the community, the Cassandra Centre, the importance of looking at family dynamics and looking beyond just autism per se to understand the whole picture, the importance of the different communities supporting each-other 24.18 - 27.46: How social services can improve the way they are delivering their support to families, lack of joined up thinking across professionals, the importance of cultural competence, trusting services 27.47 - 30.15: The role of the religious community in supporting autistic people and their families, what led Venessa to set up A2ndVoice and the work the organisation focuses upon, her other roles including the NAS Lambeth Autism Support Group 30.16 - 38.29: How we can reduce autism stigma and discrimination across different communities 38.30 - 40.19: Autistic people in the criminal justice system 40.20 - 51.12 Advice to new carers and parents of recently diagnosed autistic children who are experiencing/vulnerable to stigma

In Season 2, Episode 1 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James speak with Joseph Michael , an autistic adult, campaigner, advocate involved in a range of autistic-led organisations. He talks about his personal experiences and challenges during school and education, finding a sense of belonging and identity with the autism community, and all of the various work he undertakes with the autistic-led organisations he is involved with. He also opens up about his mental health including what has helped and also challenged his mental health, organising autistic pride events, and more! Timeline: 0 - 3:28 - Introduction 3:29 - 15:55 - Joseph's experiences at school including social rejection and bullying, the importance of exploring one's identity and the role school could have with this, and autism stigma more broadly 15:56 - 24:41 - Autscape, conferences, and the importance of autistic-led boards, how to get involved in Autscape and its board 24:42 - 36:57 - Labour Party Autism / Neurodiversity Manifesto, employment discrimination, the crucial importance of social policy, the need for a cultural change and autism stigma 36:58 - 42:50 Autistic pride events, recommendations on how people can get involved or arrange an autistic pride event 42:51 - 1:00:51 - Westminster autism commission, demonstrations and the Mendip House protest organised by Autistic Inclusive Meets, Assessment and Treatment Units (ATUs), Mental Health Inpatient units and discriminatory and harmful sectioning, the negative portrayal of autism in the media, the Oliver McGowan case, antidepressants and side effects, mental health and its links with traumatic experiences  1:00:52 - 1:06.51 - What has helped and hindered Joseph's mental health, and the impact of Joseph's work. To contact Joseph, please email him at obergine@gmail.com. Links to the organisations referred to in the episode are listed below: Autscape - http://www.autscape.org/ labour party autism/neurodiversity manifesto- https://neurodiversitymanifesto.com/2018/09/18/labour-party-autism-neurodiversity-manifesto-final-draft-version-2018/ Westminster Autism Commission - https://westminsterautismcommission.wordpress.com/ The Autism Empire (who produce the customised autism alert cards) - https://www.autisticempire.com Autistic cooperative - https://www.facebook.com/TheAutisticCooperative/ Stripped of Human Rights - https://bringingustogether.org.uk/stripped-of-human-rights/

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   -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. All Rights Reserved.

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.  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. All Rights Reserved.

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 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. All Rights Reserved.

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. ---- 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: 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. All Rights Reserved.

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: 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! 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. 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!) The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon. All Rights Reserved.

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/ 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! 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. 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!) The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon. All Rights Reserved.

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

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

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   Other 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 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. 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!) The Autism Podcast is produced by the London Autism Group Charity. It is hosted by Dr Chris Papadopoulos and Mr James Gordon. All Rights Reserved.

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

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

In Season 2, Episode 12 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James interview Abby Brooke, an autistic advocate based in Kenya and lead of the 'Walking Autism' initiative. During the episode, we hear all about Abby's fascinating journey towards diagnosis and self-acceptance, the aims and importance of her Walking Autism initiative, and some of the key issues and challenges facing the autistic and wider autism community in Kenya, including particular stigma issues and challenges accessing support. If you are enjoying our podcast and have found it useful to you, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or wherever else you get your podcasts as they really help us a lot in expanding our audience. Links: Abby's Walking Autism website: www.walkingautism.co.ke Abby's Walking Autism Facebook page Abby's Walking Autism page on Instagram   To sponsor Abby please visit: https://gogetfunding.com/sponser-a-kilometre-summit-to-sea-a-2000kms-walk-in-kenya-for-autism/   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

In Episode 11 of Season 2, Chris and James interview sensory specialists Jo Grace and Becky Lyddon (founders of the Sensory Projects and Sensory Spectacle respectively), as part of another recent livestream episode that the London Autism Group Charity have been running to support the wellbeing of the autistic and wider autism community during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic.  During the livestream Jo and Becky answered many audience questions which led to an in-depth and fascinating discussion around the sensory world, in particular however on the differences between sensory impairment and sensory difficulties, the connection between toileting issues and sensory processing, including the role of interoception, the connection between eating and sensory processing, and advice on how to cope with sensory issues and boost wellbeing during Covid-19. To watch the full video of this interview, and also all of our other Livestream interviews, please visit Facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity/videos If you are enjoying our podcast and have it useful to you, please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts or whereever else you get your podcasts as they really help us a lot in expanding our audience. Links: Jo Grace's Sensory Projects website: http://www.thesensoryprojects.co.uk/ Jo's Twitter:https://twitter.com/jo3grace Becky Lyddon's Sensory Spectacle website: https://www.sensoryspectacle.co.uk/ Becky's Twitter: https://twitter.com/beckylyddon Sensory Spectacle Twitter: https://twitter.com/SensorySp Sensory Spectacle Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sensoryspectacle/ 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

In Season 2, episode 10, Chris and James interview Joan Pons Laplana, an autistic nurse in the NHS leading a major new initiative called 'Neurodiverse Nurses' which aims to promote the inclusion and acceptance of neurodiverse nurses in the NHS. In this episode, we speak to Joan, about the initiative and its importance, particularly in relation to leveraging the abilities and strengths of such nurses, his own personal experiences of autism, his struggles with mental health, and his work on the front line in fighting Covid-19. Joan, who was named Britain's nurse of the year by the British Journal of Nursing is a true autistic hero, and I'm sure you'll enjoy listening to him. -----  Links: Neurodiverse Nurses Twitter: https://twitter.com/ndnursesuk Neurodiverse Nurses website: ndnursesuk.org Joan's Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoaringNurse More information about the initative: https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/workforce/bid-to-launch-new-support-network-for-neurodiverse-nurses-09-03-2020/ London Autism Group Charity website: londonautismgroupcharity.org London Autism Group Charity public Facebook page: facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity London Autism Group Charity twitter: twitter.com/lagcharity  

In Season 2, episode 9, Chris and James interview Tigger Pritchard, an expert in Pathological Demand Avoidance, as part of another recent livestream episode that the London Autism Group Charity have been running to support the mental health of the autistic and wider autism community during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic.  In this episode, we talk about the work Tigger has been involved with, what PDA means, the importance of understanding what demands are and how avoidance of demands is frequently entirely rationale, reasonable and sensory-based, methods to reduce demands, and how to manage demand reduction and management during Covid-19, and more. To access and participate in future livestream episodes, in which we talk with experts about mental health and coping during covid-19 among the autistic and wider autism community, please visit our public facebook page which is www.facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity. There you will also find the video recordings of past episodes which you can also access at our youtube channel. ----- Tigger is an Autism & Pathological Demand Avoidance Consultant & trainer at Tiggertraining. He is a champion for the National Autistic Society in Cornwall has been running a vital campaign to engage with local businesses and thereby increase the Autism friendly services in Bodmin Cornwall. https://www.linkedin.com/in/tigger-pr... He also created and runs the Autism Coffee Shop Facebook page for interested people to learn and share information, articles on Autism, PDA and related areas. https://www.facebook.com/Autisminfoma... With over 30 years experience, he is a leading expert in the co-occurring condition Pathological Demand Avoidance and has also worked closely with the PDA Society. ----- Links: Charity website: londonautismgroupcharity.org Facebook page: facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity London Autism Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/27274... Twitter: https://twitter.com/lagcharity Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lagcharity

In Season 2, episode 8, Chris and James interview autistic advocate Kieran Rose about the threat to mental health for the autistic and wider autism community during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic.  To support the community, the London Autism Group Charity have begun doing a series of livestreams with interviews of autistic people and advocates around the topic of mental health and wellbeing. These are happening weekly at our public Facebook page (facebook.com/londonautismgroupcharity) with full details about what and when livestreams are taking place listed there (as well as our Twitter: @lagcharity) This podcast episode is the audio from one of these livestreams. We talk about some of the main challenges the community will be experiencing during Covid-19, about how to cope and reduce anxiety, the intersections between these challenges and the wider socio-cultural stigmatising narratives about autism, and the importance of recognising the opportunities for social and cultural learning and change that the current social circumstances provide. We also answered a range of interesting questions from the audience.  We think it was a really useful discussion and worth uploading as its own standalone podcast episode, so that more people could access it and potentially benefit from the advice and suggestions provided. The video recording is also available from our youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69IQ4QZ5uj4) which you can find by going to youtube and searching for London Autism Group Charity. We'll be uploading our other livestreams there also. Please note that the London Autism Group Charity is also looking for volunteers to support us in our work during this difficult period. You don't have to be London or even UK-based, so if you do have time and wish to support us, and are interested in mental health in particular, please get in touch with us via our website (londonautismgroupcharity.org). Thank you. ----------- Kieran Rose is a writer, international Public Speaker and former educationalist whose blog: www.theautisticadvocate.com has been read by over one million people. Kieran delivers his own specialist Autism training and consults for multiple different organisations. He is also Founder and Chair of The Autistic Cooperative, an International network and lobbying group for Autistic Professionals; and is Managing Director of the Social enterprise Infinite Autism, which supports Autistic people and families through funded partnership working. Kieran has recently become an executive board member of SLP Neurodiversity Collective, a US-based non-profit internation network and lobbying organisation of Neurodiverse positive SLTs and OTs. He was diagnosed Autistic in 2003 and is married with three children; two of whom are diagnosed Autistic.