The Autism Podcast
The Autism Podcast, delivered by the London Autism Group Charity, is a definitive podcast dedicated to autism-related topics. It aims to improve understanding of autism, boost acceptance, and reduce stigma. The show offers practical everyday advice as well as discussions on policy, practice, and wider socio-cultural challenges. Each episode seeks to generate impactful and transformative ideas for the autism community and beyond.
Episodes
Interview with Ryan Parker (on the topics of neurodivergent connections with animals, the Disneyfication of nature, wildlife conservation, being present & more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they return from a brief hiatus to welcome Ryan Parker, a wildlife conservationist, animal behaviourist, safari guide, and the founder of the foundation, Save the Animals, Save the World.
In this episode, Ryan shares his lifelong, innate connection to the natural world. Describing his early years mimicking animal movements and sounds, he expla
Interview with Vijay Panchal (on the topics of neurodivergent art, cultural stigmas, navigating trauma & more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Vijay Panchal, a Watford-based neurodivergent artist, workshop facilitator, and public speaker who specializes in character design and visualizing emotions.
In this engaging episode, Vijay opens up about his journey to an adult diagnosis of AuDHD (Autism and ADHD). He candidly shares the challenges of enduring multi-year waiting l
Interview with Jill Corbyn (on the topics of neurodivergent-led training, late discovery, lived experience leadership, needs-led care & more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Jill Corbyn, founder and director of the neurodivergent-led community interest company, Neurodiverse Connection.
In this insightful episode, Jill shares her journey of being late-discovered autistic, a realization that slowly emerged after working alongside phenomenal autistic colleagues and experiencing a severe period of burnout
Interview with Ellen Cole (on the topics of neurodivergent pregnancy, autistic parenting strategies, AuDHD & Irlen Syndrome, and much more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Ellen Cole, founder of Little Seed Group, public speaker, and hedgehog rescuer :) In this candid and revealing episode, Ellen shares her complex journey of navigating life with multiple neurodivergences, including Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Irlen Syndrome (Scotopic Sensitivity Syndrome).
Ellen recounts her initial resistance to t
Interview with Nic King (on the topics of NeuroBears, understanding autism early, autistic parenting, and building community)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Nic King, founder of Pandas Online and creator of the NeuroBears courses for autistic children and young people.
In this thoughtful and wide-ranging episode, Nic shares their journey of being autistic, ADHD, and dyslexic, and reflects on growing up in a family environment that was intuitively neuro-affirming long before the langua
Interview with Katie Munday (on the topics of intersectionality, ableism, gender identity, research, activism, advocacy & more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Katie Munday, a community researcher, advocate, and the self-proclaimed "permanently exhausted" creator of 'Autistic and Living the Dream'. In this episode, Katie discusses their experiences of navigating the crucial intersections of being trans and autistic, and breaking down the systemic barriers they face in healthcare and acad
Interview with Helen Edgar (on the topics of Monotropism, Autistic Burnout, Reclaiming Rest, Masking & more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Helen Edgar, the creator behind the invaluable online resource, Autistic Realms. In this episode, Helen shares her journey of late AuDHD identification and takes us on a deep dive into the theory of Monotropism, a concept central to her work and a powerful lens for understanding the autistic experience. The conversation explores e
Interview with Jenny Loughran (on the topics of systemic trauma, advocacy, self-identification & autistic parenthood and more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Jenny Loughran, the CEO and Editor in Chief of Autistic Revolution magazine. In this powerful and deeply moving episode, Jenny shares her unflinching story of self-identification, the concept of systemic trauma, and her fierce advocacy for a world that truly embraces neurodiversity.
Jenny opens up about her personal journey, which
Interview with David Devine (Discussing late diagnosis, the double empathy problem, autistic culture & more)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome David Devine, a lead Oliver McGowan trainer at DynamicTraining.org.uk. In this powerful and thought-provoking episode, David shares his journey to a late autism diagnosis and dives deep into the core concepts of autistic culture, communication, and the Double Empathy Problem.
David opens up about his personal history, from being d
Interview with Kirsty Lavender-Newns (on the topics of late diagnosis, self-acceptance, masking, and becoming an autistic therapist)
Join hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Kirsty Lavender-Newns, a dedicated volunteer and lead befriender for the London Autism Group Charity, and a trainee therapist. In this deeply personal and insightful episode, Kirsty shares her journey of late diagnosis, the complexities of self-acceptance, and the power of finding your community.
Kirsty opens up about the experien
Interview with Barry Davies and John Nelson (on the topics of autism acceptance in policing, community support, advocacy within the police force and more!)
Join our host Simeon Thompson as he welcomes Barry Davies, Police Community Support Officer, and Sergeant John Nelson, both from the British Transport Police. Barry brings a personal perspective as a parent of an autistic son and draws on his previous experience working for TFL London Underground in ticket offices, while John shares his journey as an autistic police officer and founder of the Nati
Interview with Brendan Tighe (on the topics of fighting for autistic educational rights, autism advocacy and more!)
Join our hosts Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi as they welcome Brendan Tighe, an autistic college language professor and autism advocate currently living in Mexico after spending most of his life in the US. Brendan shares his personal journey, including receiving an autism diagnosis at age four but only truly understanding its impact much later in life. He delves into the incredible and c
Interview with Aditi Gangrade (on the topics of autism stigma and understanding in India, 'Much Much Media', and more!)
In this episode of The Autism Podcast, Simeon Thompson and Dr Sophia Christophi interview Aditi Gangrade, an autistic advocate from Mumbai, India. Together, they discuss Aditi's journey into the world of autism, how autism is viewed and (mis)understood in India, what needs to change to improve understanding and reduce stigma, and the important advocacy work she is doing with her company, Much Much
Meet your new cohosts, Simeon Thompson and Sophia Christophi!
In this episode of The Autism Podcast, the new co-hosts of the show, Simeon Thompson and Sophia Christophi introduce themselves and explain their respective journeys into their autistic identity including the particular ways each of them responded to their diagnoses. They also discuss their dedicated, interests, issues around masking and much more!
If you're interested in hearing more about Simeo
Interview with Toni Borneo (on the topics of stigma, discrimination, employment, mental health and more)
In this episode of The Autism Podcast, James Gordon and Chris Papadopoulos interview Toni Borneo, a late diagnosed autistic woman who produces the amazing 'Autistic at 40' podcast! Toni shares her personal journey from childhood to adulthood, the stigma she experienced along the way and the impact this had on her mental health. The episode delves into many issues include employment discrimination,
Interview with David Gray-Hammond about addiction, self-medication, autistic community, stigma, discrimination, autistic rights and more!
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 amon
Interview with Simeon Thompson about self-acceptance as an autistic person, mental health, approaches to social interaction and more
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 imp
Interview with Tess Eagle Swan about service assistance animals (and much more!)
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
Interview with Jenny Teuten about being a sibling and carer to her autistic brother with learning difficulties
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 an
Interview with Emily from @21andsensory (exploring the negative and positive experiences of Emily‘s journey towards diagnosis)
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
Interview with Ginny Grant (on the topics of late diagnosis, mental health and eating disorders)
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, t
Interview with Alan Morrison (on the topic of education and schooling for neurodivergent people, and the power of validation, diversity and kindness)
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, w
Interview with Kirsty Pellow on parenting children with different support needs, the battles for SEND provision and its toll on mental health
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 care
Interview with Julie Caitlin Brown (on the topics of autistic sci-fi fandom, stigma, inclusion, self-acceptance and compassion)
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 w
Interview with autistic author Cameron Straughan (employment discrimination, misconceptions around autistic humour and more)
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 populati
Interview with Katya Balen and Miranda Prag (founders of Mainspring Arts!)
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
Interview with Abby Brooke, an autistic advocate based in Kenya and lead of the 'Walking Autism' initiative
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
The Autism Podcast - Livestream interview with Jo Grace & Becky Lyddon on sensory processing (with a focus on toileting & eating related sensory issues & coping during Covid-19)
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 lives
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Joan Pons Laplana on the topic of Neurodiverse Nurses
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 nurs
The Autism Podcast - Livestream interview with Tigger Pritchard on the topic of PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance)
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,
The Autism Podcast - Livestream interview with Kieran Rose (The Autistic Advocate) about mental health during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic
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.
The Autism Podcast - Livestream interview with Lola Alvarez-Romano about mental health during the Coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic
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 i
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Callum Brazzo (on the topics of poetry and performance, autistic advocacy, mental health and more)
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 be
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Christa Holmans (aka Neurodivergent Rebel) on the topic of neurodiversity
In Season 2, episode 5 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James speak with Christa Holmans, also known as Neurodivergent Rebel, about all things neurodiversity. In particular, we talk about her own journey into late autism diagnosis, how her mental health interplayed with her journey and the stigma of mental health, what neurodiversity means, why it is so important and the stigma associated with i
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Lola Alvarez-Romano (on the topic of psychotherapy and mental health support for parents/carers)
In Season 2, Episode 4 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James speak with Lola Alvarez-Romano, an experienced child and adolescent psychotherapist who works to support the mental health of families in a special school based in North London. Lola talks about some of the key mental health issues she has observed during her time supporting families with a child with additional needs, the importance of
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Venessa Bobb (on the topic of autism, ethnicity and culture)
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 A2ndvoic
Season 2, Episode 2: Interview with Rachel Aanstad (on the topic of older autistic adults)
In Season 2, Episode 2 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James speak with Rachel Aanstad, an older autistic adult based in the United States who runs the Actually Autistic Podcast. Rachel talks about her personal experiences with diagnosis, the impact autism stigma and the allistic social world has had on her, the complexities in generating reliable research evidence about older autistic adults, so
Season 2, Episode 1: Interview with Joseph Michael (on the topic of autistic advocacy and campaigning)
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 or
The Autism Podcast - Season 1 finale - Chris and James discuss Season 1
In the final and 10th episode of season 1 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James reflect upon and discuss Season 1 and the podcast's plans for Season 2. They discuss some of the issues highlighted in each episode to date, including SEN and EHCP issues in schools, the importance of how professionals conduct the diagnosis process and communicate with parents/carers, the impact of social media includ
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Joanna Grace (on the topic of the sensory world)
In episode 9 of The Autism Podcast, James speaks with Joanna Grace, the founder of The Sensory Projects, Sensory Engagement & Inclusion Specialist, TEDx speaker, trainer, and author. The Sensory Projects is a national and international project aimed at promoting inclusion through focusing on people whose primary experience of the world, and meaning within it, is sensory.
Joanna also delivers trai
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou (on the topic of sleep)
In episode 8 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and Kiran speak with Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou, an academic working with sleep experts and the autistic community in order to understand sleeping issues among people, autistic sibling well-being, mental health, participatory research approaches and more. Georgia works at University College London in particular at the LiLAS Laboratory which is a lifespan learn
The Autism Podcast - Interview with Dr Emily Lovegrove (on the topic of bullying)
In episode 7 of The Autism Podcast, Chris and James speak with Dr Emily Lovegrove, a well-known anti-bullying expert, consultant and academic. Dr Lovegrove, who was diagnosed later in life as autistic, talks about her approach and philosophy on the issue of bullying including what constitutes bullying, its impact, why it happens, how to manage it, and how our responses to it are influenced by many
The Autism Podcast - Episode 6 - Interview with Anna Kennedy OBE!
In Episode 6, Chris talks with Anna Kennedy OBE, one of the most well known autism campaigners particularly in the UK. Anna talks about her extraordinary personal story and life including how she entered the world of autism. She then explains the various work she and her charity, annakennedyonline.com, are involved with including schools and respite centres she set up, The Give Us A Break campaign
The Autism Podcast - Episode 5 - Interview with Carly Jones MBE (on the topic of autistic women)
In Episode 5, Chris and Kiran talk with Carly Jones MBE, an autistic mother of two autistic girls, autism advocate and campaigner whom, since 2008, has been campaigning for greater acceptance, equality of diagnosis, education and safeguarding of autism women, girls and their families. We talk about her personal story including homelessness and some of the work she does to support the autism commun
The Autism Podcast - Episode 4 - Interview with David Grant (on the topic of the father's experience)
In Episode 4, Chris speaks with David Grant, the husband of Carrie Grant who featured in episode 2! David is a well known singer, television presenter and vocal coach and also happens to be a father of children with different additional needs including two autistic children. In this episode, David opens up about his own personal experiences during his journey of understanding and acceptance, and d
The Autism Podcast - Episode 3 - Interview with Emma Dalmayne (on the topic of autism stigma and quack 'treatments')
In Episode 3, Chris and James interview Emma Dalmayne! Emma is a well known autism rights campaigner in the UK (and internationally) who campaigns against so-called autistic 'treatments', 'cures’ and mistreatment, in particular MMS (chlorine dioxide bleach being used to 'cure' autism). She is autistic herself having been diagnosed at the age of 37. Her youngest son was diagnosed before her which l
The Autism Podcast - Episode 2 - Interview with Dr Carrie Grant (on the topic of SEN, mental health, stigma and social change)
In Episode 2, Chris and Emma interview Dr Carrie Grant! Carrie is perhaps best known for television, music and radio work but also happens to be a tremendous autism advocate and campaigner, and a parent of autistic children too. Carrie tells us her story and her views on the social and cultural issues that intersect with autism stigma and discrimination. She also talks about mental health, SEN and
The Autism Podcast - Episode 1 (An introduction and group interview with the podcast team!)
Episode 1 begins with introducing the show and what are we aiming to achieve with it and providing context about the London Autism Group Charity that is producing the show. We will then hear from the podcast team (Chris, Morgan, James, Kiran and Emma) including a bit about our personal stories with autism and some of our views about attitudes and the stigma towards autism, what needs to change and
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