The Autism Wellbeing Podcast

The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC
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Tired of podcasts that don’t sound like real life?Welcome to The Autism Wellbeing Podcast — where real people sit on the sofa and talk honestly about life, autism, relationships, work, mess-ups, wins, and everything in between.Expect laughter, straight-talking, powerful stories, and the kind of conversations you don’t usually hear out loud. No scripts. No pretending. Just community, connection, and proper human moments.Made by the community members of The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC — this is your space, your voices, your stories.Pull up a seat. You’re among friends.” On 19 April, Jon and a few comrades are running the Manchester Marathon—not because he enjoys suffering (debatable), but to help raise awareness and quietly cause good trouble with Autism Wellbeing Project CIC. It’s his preferred method of advocacy: put the work in, start conversations, and push for a more humane, inclusive autism world—one mile at a time.   

  1. Oct 12

    Episode 25: From Coping to Belonging: Sarah's Story of How Training as a Teacher Uncovered Her Neurodivergence

    As part of ADHD Awareness Month 2026, we've got two of our podcast team members that have a combined ADHD diagnosis on the sofa for our 25th episode of the podcast! Joining us on her debut as co-host of the podcast, Ellie turns the tables by sitting on the sofa chatting to one of the podcast's co-hosts & editor as well as AWP community member, Sarah.  During her teacher training, Sarah was learning about special educational needs and disability as part of her course when she was diagnosed with dyslexia a couple months into her studies. After realising that she had a lot of signs of having ADHD, she put a referral into her GP not ever having it in her mind that she was also autistic. After receiving her diagnosis of combined ADHD in 2022, an autism diagnosis followed in 2023. Noting this as a relief, Sarah then decided she wanted to find groups for autistic adults and that's when she found the Autism Wellbeing Project and eased herself in with joining their Wellbeing Teams calls on a Tuesday night, where she found a new community that made her feel welcome from the start. From being too nervous to attend the activities in person to being trained as an Oliver McGowan autistic co-trainer and coming to the AWP for the first time for the development and creation of the Autism Wellbeing Podcast, Sarah has come a long way!  Sarah talks about her love of Taylor Swift & her lyrics, how a small act of kindness from a member of the disability community changed her outlook on life and how finding community with AWP has been life-changing for her. Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

  2. Sep 28

    Episode 24 - Accidental Side Quest Turned Award-Winning Sensory-Friendly Safe Space: Sam's Story

    Joining Sarah on the show, we welcome the incredible clothing business owner, Sam, to the Autism Wellbeing Project podcast room!  As someone who has felt a strong sense of justice from a young age, it wasn't until her own children were getting diagnoses of Autism and ADHD that she realised how much this resonated with how she's felt her entire life. Working alongside her husband's photography business from home, it was only after getting a Cricut as a gift, a new hyperfocus was born: making clothes that were neurodivergent-friendly and that gave a strong message of inclusion for minority groups that often feel the most stigma including the disabled, neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ communities. Being a mum that was always on the lookout for sensory-friendly clothing suitable for her children, Sam knew that she wanted to carry this forward into her business which then developed into a special interest in fabrics and textures.  Dolly's Daydreams was born from a impulsive decision, which has taken Sam to many festivals and venues including multiple LQBTQIA+ pride festivals across the North West including Manchester Pride and Sparkle weekend as well as the Tattoo Tea Party in Manchester. Sam & amazing her team also run stalls at alternative markets in the UK; in 2025, Dolly's Daydreams was named first runner up in the Birmingham Bizaare Bazaar Favourite Trader of the Year award showcasing clothing at one of the monthly stalls at an alternative lifestyle market in Birmingham. Sam is very humble when speaking about winning a recent award for being the Best Wearable Brand at the Alternative Awards 2026 and being nominated for National Diversity Awards in Entrepreneur of Excellence award in the past. Sam has stated how grateful she is to have such an incredible team of supportive staff around her; without this, Dolly's Daydreams couldn't be displayed at the variety of markets on their calendar or make the impact that it does to the communities that they serve. Living as her unapologetic neurodivergent self within a household with a neurodivergent husband and children with complex needs, Sam speaks about her natural sense of justice, how the assumption of neurodivergent people liking the same things is a complete myth especially at meal times and how being late diagnosed AuDHD made a massive impact on her life! Through sheer determination and strength, Sam has really turned her life into the ultimate space: for herself, her husband and kids, her staff that work alongside her and for anyone that needs that peace. Having a fully neurodivergent staff at Dolly's, Sam has created something that her younger self really needed.  Sam opens up about her childhood experiences that shaped her life, how unpredictable it can be living with chronic illnesses as well as being neurodivergent and how her husband helped her change her life by encouraging her to go to therapy & his endless support. Check out Dolly's Daydreams on Etsy and on their website. Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

  3. Sep 14

    Episode 23 - Caring, Adapting & Masking: The Invisible Cost of Being An Autistic Parent Carer

    Joining Sarah on the show, we welcome Emma Eager, one of the Autism Wellbeing Project co-founders and our fellow AWP community member and member of the podcast team, Kath to discuss a very important topic that we feel needs more awareness and attention drawn to it. These incredible women have something in common: both Kath and Emma are parent carers to their autistic children but Kath and Emma are also neurodivergent themselves! With both Kath & Emma being late-diagnosed autistic and realising their neurodivergence through their children's diagnoses, they talk frankly about how their different needs are often put to the side so they can help their children complete day-to-day tasks like cleaning their teeth, help them to regulate their nervous system and make sure that they are doing what they need to safely. With Kath and Emma's children having different support needs, they both bring a unique glimpse into what it is really like to be autistic as well as a carer for their autistic child. They both share their own personal experiences about what it means to them to be a parent carer, the hidden extra costs from cooking three different meals a night to having to spend more money on a haircut because their child needs to be in a quieter space and different misconceptions about being a parent carer.  Throughout the chat, Kath & Emma speak from the heart about this subject that has such a personal importance to them. Kath opens up about the isolation she has felt over the years as an autistic parent carer, how much of a lifeline that The Autism Wellbeing Project has been welcoming her and her adult son, Jake with open arms and about how Jake helped her feel the deepest bond beyond words that she shares with her son. Emma talks about wanting to change the world not her children's neurodivergence, how happy she is that her teenagers still speak all the time compared to her neurotypical friends and how her children are the reason for The Autism Wellbeing Project existing today. Link for the Parent Carers Forum Link for SENDIAS Link for the Carers' Centre Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

  4. Aug 31

    Episode 22 - Kaleidoscope Festival 2026: Living Out Loud: Kirstie's Story of Being Neurodivergent & Childless

    Welcome to the first EVER podcast pop-up special! Our podcast was invited by Nicola Haigh, Community Manager at the Storyhouse in Chester to be a part of the incredible Kaleidoscope Festival that is held annually celebrating people with learning disabilities, neurodiverse and all kinds of disabilities as part of Disability Pride Month! Sarah had the mammoth challenge of doing FOUR different interviews in ONE day, with guests with so many different stories to tell. Joining Sarah on this podcast special episode filmed in The Den in the Children's Library at the Storyhouse for Kaleidoscope Festival, we welcome to the guest spinney chairs (rather than the usual sofa) the first time onto the podcast, Kirstie, a member of the Token Comedy Collective and one of the initial instigators of the next big event at the Storyhouse - the Storyhouse Childless Festival. Running now for its sixth year this September, Storyhouse Childless is one of first of its kind: a unique event held to explore the diverse experiences of those on the spectrum of non-parenthood whatever their circumstance may be. Creating a community for those that are often hidden in society through this festival with talks, panel discussions and creative workshops, Storyhouse is creating a safe space for honest conversations and giving empowerment to those that are childless, childfree and their loved ones. Being one of the people that inspired the festival's creation, Kirstie wanted others like herself to not feel alone and to create a bigger community locally for those that are childless. After initial talks alongside her local childless group with Nicola Haigh the Communities Manager, Storyhouse Childless Festival was created with its first festival occurring in 2019. It now has international reach with the weekend passes for this event already sold out. However, there are still tickets available for the first two panels one of which Kirstie is hosting called Neurodiversity: Childless and Childfree Perspectives. Being neurodivergent herself, Kirstie talks about her experiences of how she became involved in the Childless community, how the research shows  correlations & intersections between being neurodiverse and being a part of this community and about the impact that this festival has had on her making her feel visible in not just the Childless community but in the neurodivergent community too! Kirstie brings her warm and funny personality through talking about how being a part of the Token Comedy Collective has helped her, a unique tie to the comedy star Miranda Hart that she has with our host and how important community and belonging is to her! Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

  5. Aug 31

    Episode 21: Kaleidoscope Festival 2026: Learning to Unmask: Sami’s Story About Living Life by Her Own Terms

    Welcome to the first EVER podcast pop-up special! Our podcast was invited by Nicola Haigh, Community Manager at the Storyhouse in Chester to be a part of the incredible Kaleidoscope Festival that is held annually celebrating people with learning disabilities, neurodiverse and all kinds of disabilities as part of Disability Pride Month! Sarah had the mammoth challenge of doing FOUR different interviews in ONE day, with guests with so many different stories to tell. Joining Sarah on this podcast special episode filmed in The Den in the Children's Library at the Storyhouse for Kaleidoscope Festival, we welcome to the guest spinney chair (rather than the usual sofa) the first time onto the podcast, Sami, a member of the Token Comedy Collective and it's her first time at the Kaleidoscope Festival like us! As Sami grew up, she always felt different but couldn't pinpoint what it was. When she was at nursery, staff thought she may have hearing issues because when in a group setting, she didn't always respond to her name so she had to have her hearing checked - no issues were found. As a teenager, she started to struggle with her mental health and after years of trying various treatments and medications nothing really seemed to be helping, which left her burnt-out by her 40s. Sami's life changed forever after she attended some autism training, where she felt such a synergy with what was being talked about on the course that she decided to explore this further. With Sami's only real reference to autism being two members of her family that are non-verbal, this changed Sami's perspective and made her see how much of a spectrum there is when it comes to be autistic. After getting diagnosed as autistic three years ago, it wasn't a surprise to Sami that she was then diagnosed with ADHD a year later. Sami emphasises during this episode about how incredibly exhausting masking is, the importance of being able to recharge and the irony of trying to recharge as someone with both ADHD & Autism! With her want for people to increase their acceptance of neurodiversity, Sami talks about how important it was for her to find somewhere like the Storyhouse when she first moved to Chester: having somewhere that felt welcoming and inclusive in a supportive space with people that are understanding of her with an added bonus of finding a new hobby in comedy writing! Sami talks with such brilliant detail about how someone described to her what it feels to be autistic and have ADHD with imagery of a car speed dial; starting at a higher point on the rev scale and then very easily being over-revved into overstimulation.  Sami talks straight from the heart with such passion about how it's ok if your life doesn't look like a social media feed filled with group holidays & nights out pictures, the care she has put into her extensive collection of vinyl records and how important she feels groups like the Autism Wellbeing Project are for building connection with other people. Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

  6. Aug 17

    Episode 20 - Kaleidoscope Festival 2026: Everyone Has Their Own Story: Rick and Joe Talk About Live Cheshire's Our Chatter Matters and The Importance of Speaking Up

    Welcome to the first EVER podcast pop-up special! Our podcast was invited by Nicola Haigh, Community Manager at the Storyhouse in Chester to be a part of the incredible Kaleidoscope Festival that is held annually celebrating people with learning disabilities, neurodiverse and all kinds of disabilities as part of Disability Pride Month! Sarah had the mammoth challenge of doing FOUR different interviews in ONE day, with guests with so many different stories to tell. Joining Sarah on this podcast special episode filmed in The Den in the Children's Library at the Storyhouse for Kaleidoscope Festival, we welcome to the guest spinney chairs (rather than the usual sofa) the first time onto the podcast, Rick and Joe are the deputy chair and of Our Chatter Matters, a social action group that comes from Live Cheshire based in Chester. Rick and Joe are a dynamic, multi-talented duo that are a part of the focus group that brings the Kaleidoscope Festival to life! It's all thanks to Joe that the Autism Wellbeing Project's podcast has been a part of this festival when he brought the idea to the table as he wanted to be able to give disabled people a platform to share their voices and stories alongside them. Rick talks with such passion and pride especially when it comes to subjects close to his heart including how he wants to change community transport where he lives, about his love of podcasts and about he represents North West Care Co-Operative, a care company that provides PAs for his needs; Out Chatter Matters and the Kaleidoscope Festival focus group (yes, Rick is a very busy guy!). With his love of performing in a choir that recently performed on the main stage at Deva Fest in Chester and performing with the drama group Patchwork as part of Live Cheshire, Rick shares how when he first sat down to record the podcast that he felt nervous  but now he feels "amazing". We are sure he is already planning his next episode with us for the podcast with Joe, which we sincerely welcome! Joe talks about his biggest achievement that has led to an event occurring in September this year at the Garrett Theatre, Storyhouse; his passion for content creating around Pokemon and how important it is to remember that disability doesn't define you. His love for his friends and family really shines through and is really heartwarming to see. Hearing how as the episode goes on his confidence blooms, Joe brings great insight and advice to anyone that has been diagnosed with a disability, how being driven to walk 500 miles like The Proclaimers has become a goal and tools that help him when he is out and about to adapt to the different environments that he is in day to day. Rick & Joe bring up really important talking points about how breaking barriers and communicating well is so important, how we define who we are not our disabilities and that it's ok to be nervous to try something new like being interviewed for a podcast! If you want to attend the event that Live Cheshire is holding at the Storyhouse called "Ask Away", a Question Time-style event for the neurodiverse and disabled community, on the Wednesday 2nd September at 7pm - 9pm, please click on the link here. Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

  7. Aug 17

    Episode 19 - Kaleidoscope Festival 2026: No Other Choice - Vic Talks About Her Experience Being Autistic at Boarding School

    Welcome to the first EVER podcast pop-up special! Our podcast was invited by Nicola Haigh, Community Manager at the Storyhouse in Chester to be a part of the incredible Kaleidoscope Festival that is held annually celebrating people with learning disabilities, neurodiverse and all kinds of disabilities as part of Disability Pride Month! Sarah had the mammoth challenge of doing FOUR different interviews in ONE day, with guests with so many different stories to tell. Joining Sarah on this podcast special episode filmed in The Den in the Children's Library at the Storyhouse for Kaleidoscope Festival, we welcome to the guest spinney chair (rather than the usual sofa) the first time onto the podcast, the amazing Vic. From a young age, Vic thought she was different. She pinpoints primary school being the place that she felt different especially as she was not at the same school as her brothers. Thanks to her mum's incredible advocating for Vic, she was finally told that she was autistic and had a PDA profile when she was a teenager, which she "felt made sense and that it wasn't me it was something I have that I can't control".  Pathological Demand Avoidance is a diagnosis that is often misunderstood by the general public: Vic talks about how her mum figured out what was happening to her and how it made her feel relieved to know "it's not always me". People with PDA experience an anxiety-driven resistance to everyday requests and expectations; even simple tasks can trigger a "fight-or-flight" response if forced. Vic talks about her experiences within the education system: the good times of a primary school feeling like a great fit to having her only one option for high school where they could support "her needs": at a boarding school in Wales! She talks about how there needs to be more options available for SEND education, how her experience of boarding school affected her making the transition from primary to high school even harder and her experience of having to go to Saturday school! Vic is endearing and articulate during the conversation and brings so much natural humour when she talks about her family & how she never wants to leave her family home! As you will hear when you listen to this episode, Vic loves to make people laugh with it being one of her many talents, she also shows a vulnerable side to herself talking about her school experiences and how things need to be better & more options for special educational needs and disabilities education.  Vic talks about wanting to potentially join the Autism Wellbeing Project joining one of the many activities on offer, her love of singing and how she would be lost without the love and support of her parents! Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

  8. Aug 3

    Episode 18 - "Different Brain, Different Feet" - Megan's Story

    Joining Stephen on the show alongside Emma Eager, one of the Autism Wellbeing Project co-founders, we welcome for the first time onto the podcast our fellow AWP community member, Megan. After her mental health worker said that she thought Megan was autistic,  she was officially diagnosed as autistic in 2020 followed by an ADHD diagnosis in 2022. From describing herself as someone that would barely speak to anyone with her hood up and barely leave the house prior to meeting Emma, it's hard to believe that the person being interviewed is the same person.  Megan is such a bright and confident member of our community with such a brilliant sense of humour. You can't help but smile hearing some of her stories from how she now "can't shut up" thanks to meeting Emma five years ago post-diagnosis, all about her favourite food and talking about Megan's ultimate vibe check...talking about her feet! Megan talks about what activities she loves doing at AWP, how much she can't stand spiders and tells our audience about the iconic 12 months of Megan calendar she gives to AWP every year! Get in touch, we'd love to hear your thoughts Want to know about The Autism Wellbeing Project and the amazing activities that are provided for free for autistic adults?  Come and be a part of our inclusive and welcoming community that supports over 300 people across the UK! For more information, please click for the link to our website here

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About

Tired of podcasts that don’t sound like real life?Welcome to The Autism Wellbeing Podcast — where real people sit on the sofa and talk honestly about life, autism, relationships, work, mess-ups, wins, and everything in between.Expect laughter, straight-talking, powerful stories, and the kind of conversations you don’t usually hear out loud. No scripts. No pretending. Just community, connection, and proper human moments.Made by the community members of The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC — this is your space, your voices, your stories.Pull up a seat. You’re among friends.” On 19 April, Jon and a few comrades are running the Manchester Marathon—not because he enjoys suffering (debatable), but to help raise awareness and quietly cause good trouble with Autism Wellbeing Project CIC. It’s his preferred method of advocacy: put the work in, start conversations, and push for a more humane, inclusive autism world—one mile at a time.   

Information

  • Creator
    The Autism Wellbeing Project CIC
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    25
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Autism Wellbeing Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Autism Wellbeing Podcast