Autistic POV

Barbara Graver

My late-diagnosed autistic (and ADHD) journey with Barbara Graver. barbaragraver.substack.com

  1. May 15

    Perfectionism, Neurodiversity and Writing

    In this episode of the podcast, I talk about my own struggles with perfectionism and how that relates to fiction writing, neurodiversity and trauma. Get new episodes via my newsletter at barbaragraver.substack.com or follow the show wherever you listen! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    14 min

  2. Apr 24

    Autism, ADHD and the Many Layers of Masking

    Autism and ADHD and how a dream and a couple of synchonicities helped me identify another layer of masking. My strong autistic special interests and the way hyperactive present for me, make me different. Every time I think I've got to the bottom of that I haven't! Episodes and Articles Mentioned in the Podcast My publication: https://barbaragraver.substack.com Autism / ADHD overlap: https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/autism-adhd-and-faith Jung and the Age of Aquarius: https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/carl-jung-and-the-age-of-aquarius Dreams, Tarot and the Age of Aquarius https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/dreams-tarot-and-the-age-of-aquarius This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    11 min
  3. Living a Symbolic Life Through Special Interests?

    Feb 27

    Living a Symbolic Life Through Special Interests?

    This morning I met with a Jungian analyst and she interpreted one of my dreams. In this video, I focus on a comment she made about living a symbolic life and how it might intersect my autistic special interests. I’ll be exploring what it means to live a symbolic life more in future posts, so if you have an interest please check back. Here are links to the dream I shared, the Jungian Dream School I attend and my publication: * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/how-one-dream-explained-another * https://thisjungianlife.com/join-dream-school/ * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/ Thanks for reading! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    6 min

  4. Jan 24

    How Autism and ADHD Overlap

    About This Episode In this episode of the podcast I talk about how autism and ADHD overlap and sometimes complicate each other. I focus mostly on what is problematic for me—having my special interests derailed—and realize that other autistic people with ADHD might face completely different issues. If so (or if not) I’d love to hear about how this works in your life. I decided to talk about faith because I am going to see how that might help me. By help I mean, either help me become just a little less obsessive (and a bit more effective) or maybe just help me come to terms with my super annoying AuDHD nature. Or both. Links for Further Reading Some of links promised in the podcast are: * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/ * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/charting-my-autistic-traits * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/getting-diagnosed-with-adhd * https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/autism-and-the-narrative-process ___________ Autistic POV theme music by the Caffeine Creek Band This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    23 min

  5. 12/30/2025

    Neurodivergent Memoir and Self-Acceptance

    Writing our neurodivergent memoir isn’t always easy but it has some very real benefits. For me, it has been a path to insight and self-acceptance. In this episode I talk about some of the reasons why people on the spectrum may not fully understand events as they unfold and how memoir writing can help us understand the past AND cut ourselves some slack. Apologies for the audio on this episode! Other episodes are okay. I’m not sure what happened with this one. The first podcast on the topic can be found at Writing About Difficult Experiences in My Autism Memoir Sign up for my newsletter at barbaragraver.substack.com Thanks for reading Writing on the Spectrum! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. My apologies for the audio quality. I don’t know what I did wrong but most episodes come out okay 🙁 I promise! Autistic POV theme music by the Caffeine Creek Bank. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    16 min

  6. 11/28/2025

    Writing about Difficult Experiences in My Autism Memoir (Podcast + Post)

    What is the difference between memoir and autobiography? What is the actual point of sharing our experience? What happens when that experience is difficult or dark? This episode of the podcast talks about all of these questions but mostly focuses on my experience with difficult material. So I wanted to answer the first couple of questions, below, in text format. Subscribe to my newsletter: barbaragraver.substack.com Memoir vs. Autobiography An autobiography and a memoir are not the same thing. An autobiography focuses on a person’s entire life. Memoir covers a slice of life in a topical way. While that slice can span decades, it should reflect the memoir’s overarching topic or theme. What doesn’t reflect the theme is extraneous. For me, this was the first sticking point (more about that in the podcast), because even though I was writing an autism memoir, I found it impossible to talk about autism in isolation. Knowing what did and didn’t relate to the autism theme was tricky. In some instances (like trauma) the relationship was clear, in others (like supernatural experience) it was not. I had trouble figuring out what was relevant and what wasn’t, so I just decided to write the thing. Then I got stuck again. Sharing Our Experience According to NYT’s journalist and memoirist, Marion Roach, there’s a reason why we share our personal experience in memoir. And that reason isn’t catharsis or getting even with people or even making sense of things. It’s illustrating a point. In memoir our life experience, per Roach, is an anecdote that helps explain the theme. While I’m not sure I agree with that completely, there is no doubt that Roach knows how to make her life experience work that way. Roach’s book The Memoir Project contains some lovely examples of transcendence in writing. There is reason she is successful. It’s worth stressing, however, that Roach isn’t an amateur and while writing examples of the type that she shares in The Memoir Project that can illustrate a point than also make us feel a little outclassed. My writing is sloppy, compared to someone who writes for the NYT, but I do find meaning through doing it. I feel that has worth, even when—or probably especially when—it’s difficult. Whether or not, I can produce a readable memoir remains to be seen. For more on this topic, please check out the podcast! It is a separate thing, not a rehash of what you just read :) Listen to my Sharing Our Story podcast here: https://barbaragraver.substack.com/p/sharing-our-autism-story-ep-6-7fb This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    13 min

  7. 09/22/2025

    Getting Diagnosed with ADHD (Video)

    I got the results of my ADHD evaluation today and wanted to share it. The additional diagnosis will affect my content a bit going forward because I’m going to be focusing on both Autism and ADHD—mostly in regard to writing but I’ll probably talk about how it overlaps some of my other interests as well. I will still be sharing my fiction and nonfiction writing, including book excerpts, creative writing and metaphysical posts. I was told that I have ADHD with high impulsivity which explains a lot. To me, this was interesting because I felt that autism didn’t really explain everything I’ve been dealing with, particularly in regard to my creative projects. More on this in the video! NOTE: I decided to stick with the name Autistic POV for the podcast because I like it. But you can find all episodes on my newly renamed blog: Writing on the Spectrum at barbaragraver.substack.com Thanks for reading Writing on the Spectrum! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    7 min

  8. 08/23/2025

    Exploring Monotropism

    In this episode I’ll be exploring a theory of autism called monotropism from the perspective of an absolute beginner. I found out about the monotropic model of autism a few days ago and have just begun to learn about it. I don’t know a lot as of yet (aside from my own lived experience as a person who definitely is monotropic) but I am intrigued and want to learn more. If you like my content, please follow the podcast @ barbaragraver.substack.com or writingonthespectrum.com Thanks for reading Writing on the Spectrum! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. For more on monotropism, please visit monotropism.org! Autistic POV theme music by the Caffeine Creek Band This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit barbaragraver.substack.com

    11 min
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About

My late-diagnosed autistic (and ADHD) journey with Barbara Graver. barbaragraver.substack.com

Information

  • Creator
    Barbara Graver
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Barbara Graver
  • Show Website
    Autistic POV