The Autistic VOICE Project

The Autistic VOICE Project
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VOICE stands for Validating Our Identity, Culture, and Experience. This is a show led by Autistic professionals who talk about Autistic experiences and how to live happier and healthier Autistic lives. We'll be joined by Autistic people from different walks of life in search of finding ways to live more authentically Autistic! Want to reach us? Please email podcast@autisticvoiceproject.com

  1. VOR 2 STD.

    Episode 44: Perimenopause, Medical Gaslighting, and Figuring It Out Without a Map

    This episode gets into perimenopause through an autistic lens—what it actually feels like, why it hits differently in autistic bodies, and how little real guidance exists. Matt, Erin, and Eleda talk through the biology, the lived experience, and the frustration of trying to make sense of something that affects so many people but still isn’t well understood—especially when you add autism into the mix. We cover: How sensory differences can amplify menopause symptoms (hot flashes, sweat, fatigue, migraines) into something much more intenseThe overlap between hormones, histamines, and autoimmune conditions—and why everything can spike at onceThe lack of research, missed diagnoses, and why so many autistic people are left figuring this out on their ownReal, often overlooked symptoms (phantom smells, joint pain, anxiety surges) and what it’s like not knowing what’s happening to your bodyWhat it takes to advocate for care, find informed providers, and experiment with supports like HRTThere’s no clean roadmap here. Just real talk, shared experience, and a starting point for conversations we should’ve been having a long time ago.

    33 Min.

  2. VOR 2 TAGEN

    Episode 43: Special Interests, Safe Spaces, and Saying No to Shame

    Matt, Erin, and Eleda get into special interests, collections, and what it means to have a space where Autistic joy isn’t hidden—it’s the whole point. This one’s about building community through the things we love, and why that matters more than most people realize. We cover: Turning a business into a place where people come to connect—not just buy things Why collections matter (and what happens to them when we’re gone) The shame people are taught to feel about joy—and why we reject that Autistic joy, special interests, and being “too much” for other people Finding your people—whether that’s a shop, a hobby group, or this podcast Also: unicorn collections, tiny horse economies, estate herds, and the real work of building (and protecting) a personal museum of the things you love.

    49 Min.

  3. 17. APR.

    Episode 42: Horses, Hyperfocus, and the Accidental Autistic Gathering Place

    Matt and Erin are joined by Eleda Towle, an Autistic store owner whose lifelong focus on model horses turned into a business—and a gathering place for other Autistic people. This one moves the way Autistic conversations often do: tangents, deep dives, and a lot of “wait, that connects to this.” It’s about discovery, community, and what happens when people finally find their thing—and their people. We cover: Eleda’s late autism discovery at 52—and the moment everything started to make sense Building a business around monotropic focus (yes, plastic horses) and accidentally creating Autistic community space Why Autistic conversations “maze” instead of staying linear—and why that’s not a problem to fix The deep (and very real) Autistic roots of toy culture—from model horses to My Little Pony lore Intrinsic motivation, PDA, and why “just try harder” doesn’t work for Autistic people Self-directed learning, reward systems, and a nonprofit using play to support neurodivergent kids Side note: yes, we go from horses → Ninja Turtles → Brainspotting → electric towers → taxes → government frustration… and it all makes sense if you’re following the thread. That’s the point. This is what it sounds like when autistic people talk to each other. A little chaotic. Very real. And honestly, kind of the best way to understand how our brains actually work.

    35 Min.

  4. 10. APR.

    Episode 41: Crystals, Experiments, and Figuring Out Who You Are (Without Losing Yourself)

    Matt, Erin, and Jamie Roberts are here this week—and we get into identity development for autistic teens, the pressure to turn yourself into something “useful,” and what it actually looks like to figure out who you are when the world keeps handing you scripts that don’t fit. It’s real, a little chaotic, and very recognizable. We cover:• Why identity gets tangled up with productivity, money, and “what are you going to do with that?”—and how to separate who you are from what you earn• The role of interests (yes, even YouTube, gaming, makeup, or “too much time online”) as actual data—not distractions—and how adults can either shut that down or build from it• Using “experiments” instead of pressure—trying things, gathering information, adjusting, and trying again without making it a pass/fail identity crisis• The difference between “this is hard because it’s new” and “this is hard because it doesn’t fit me”—and why that distinction matters• Representation, visibility, and why seeing someone like you (purple hair, special interests, all of it) can shift what feels possible• Jamie’s book Neurodiversity for Teen Girls and the six “gem” archetypes—how different autistic teens navigate identity, masking, relationships, and self-advocacy Also: Lord of the Rings name drops, musical theater brain tangents, Lego reward systems for finishing a book (yes, really), and a solid reminder that “sucking at something” is part of learning—not a sign to quit. Side note:This one stays with the same core message we keep coming back to—there’s no clean, linear way to figure out who you are. It’s messy. It’s iterative. It’s a lot of “try this, nope, not that.” And yeah, that’s frustrating. But it’s also how identity actually forms. This is the way.

    40 Min.

  5. 3. APR.

    Episode 40: Teen Girls, Missed Diagnoses, and the Cost of Just Calling It Anxiety

    Matt, Erin, and guest Jamie Roberts sit down to talk about autistic teen girls—the ones who get missed, mislabeled, and pushed through systems that don’t fit. This is about what’s actually happening underneath the behaviors adults dismiss. Highlights: Why teen girls are overlooked in diagnosis—especially when they’re labeled with anxiety, depression, or “typical teen behavior” instead of being understood as neurodivergentHarm reduction as a real, non-shaming approach to self-harm—what it is, why it works, and how teens use pain to regulate overwhelming or absent emotionsThe pressure to conform during adolescence—and how masking, school systems, and social expectations create impossible standards for autistic teensWe also get into sensory needs, emotional regulation, and why “just deal with it” isn’t a skill—it’s a setup. Plus: tangents on capitalism, school systems, and the quiet ways autonomy gets denied to teens (especially girls).

    41 Min.

  6. 27. MÄRZ

    Episode 39: Chaos, Data Gaps, and Why “Just Wing It” Is Not a Real Strategy

    This week, we’re talking about chaos—the real kind. The kind that shows up in your body, your routines, your relationships, and your nervous system. Matt and Erin break down what it actually means to be a bottom-up processor in a world that expects you to “just wing it,” and why autistic people aren’t overreacting to unpredictability—we’re responding to a lack of usable data. Highlights: Bottom-up vs. top-down processing—and why autistic brains need more data, not fewer expectations How chaos shows up in real life (inventory week, disrupted routines, missed plans) and why it hits so hard The cost of constant calculation—burnout, illness, exhaustion, and why it’s not a personal failure Flow state, interruptions, and transitions—why being “pulled out” can feel like something breaking Predictability, consistency, and safety—from daily routines to why sameness (yes, even food) matters Also: Batman as a chaos-fighting autistic icon, why “winging it” is not a neutral skill, and what it means to build systems that actually support autistic lives. This is a grounded, honest look at why chaos isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a full-body experience.

    44 Min.

  7. 23. MÄRZ

    Episode 38: Gatekeeping, Theory of Mind, and Why Awareness Keeps Missing the Point

    Matt and Erin take this one straight on: why autism “awareness” looks the way it does—and who built it that way. This is about power, bad science, and what happens when non-autistic voices control the narrative. Highlights from this episode:• Why outdated theories (like “lack of theory of mind”) still shape diagnosis, services, and public understanding—and why they don’t actually hold up in real autistic lives• How research built on young, white, cis boys created a distorted definition of autism that leaves most people out• The difference between self-identification and medical diagnosis—and why one is about knowing yourself, while the other is about access and gatekeeping• How capitalism shows up in autism: “functioning levels,” ABA, productivity, and who gets labeled valuable (yeah… we go there)• What gets missed when clinicians only trust what they can observe—and ignore lived experience entirely• Real examples of how autistic joy (like deep interests and repetition) gets mislabeled as a problem instead of understood as regulation and meaning• Why listening to autistic people isn’t optional—it’s the only way this starts to make sense There’s also some real talk about burnout in the field, misdiagnosis, and the quiet harm of “bad reports” written inside broken systems. And yeah—this one gets a little chaotic (on purpose). Because the system is chaotic. And trying to force simple answers onto complex autistic lives? That’s part of the problem.

    52 Min.

  8. 13. MÄRZ

    Episode 37: Shop Titans, Small Talk Scripts, and the Autistic Art of Socializing

    Small talk is weird. Especially when you’re autistic. This week, Matt, Erin, and returning guest Dr. Kade Sharp dig into why neurotypical small talk revolves around scripts like weather and sports, while autistic conversations often jump straight into deeper topics, shared interests, and joyful info-dumps. Highlights from this episode: Why small talk works as “social lubrication” for neurotypicals — and why it often feels pointless or exhausting for autistic people How parallel play and shared activities (like gaming) can be a more natural way for autistic folks to connect The surprising lesson from a game where small talk is literally just a button you push The difference between helpful structure and overwhelming social guesswork Why autistic conversations often center curiosity, depth, and special interests instead of scripts Also in this episode: IKEA instructions as a metaphor for autistic life without clear signposts, guild dynamics in online games, and why an enthusiastic info-dump might actually be the most honest form of connection. Real talk. Autistic joy. And a reminder that connection doesn’t have to look like weather updates and sports scores. This is the way.

    41 Min.
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VOICE stands for Validating Our Identity, Culture, and Experience. This is a show led by Autistic professionals who talk about Autistic experiences and how to live happier and healthier Autistic lives. We'll be joined by Autistic people from different walks of life in search of finding ways to live more authentically Autistic! Want to reach us? Please email podcast@autisticvoiceproject.com

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  • Erstellt von
    The Autistic VOICE Project
  • Jahre aktiv
    2025 - 2026
  • Folgen
    49
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