Unlearning Autism Episode 1

https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ZCTqBW7yhzOyQSXGpV6hK?si=hfwiwQ6wQTOiJeKopc1F4w

Transcript:

Hi there and welcome to Unlearning Autism. I’m Christine Doyle, a late identified AuDHD woman, writer, community builder and space holder for women as they navigate their own post-discovery journeys.

After 10 years in private practice as a counsellor and psychotherapist, my work today is about creating spaces of understanding, reflection and reconnection. Thanks for being here.

So, who is this podcast for? Unlearning Autism podcast is for anyone who is curious to learn more about the Autistic and AuDHD experience. Yes, it’s for those of us who are Autistic, newly identified, self-identified, or still exploring what that means.

But it’s also for those who love, live with, work alongside, or support Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people. Maybe your friend, family member, or colleague has recently discovered they’re Autistic or AuDHD. And you’d like to understand what that really means for them.

Or maybe you’re a therapist, educator, or caring professional wanting to bring more nuance and empathy into your work.

Or maybe you’re simply someone who’s deeply interested in all forms of the human experience in the many ways we think, feel, and connect.

However you’ve arrived here, you’re very welcome. This space is for you.

So why, why, am I doing this podcast? As I mentioned, I’m AuDHD and after 10 years in private practice, I now work alongside women as they navigate the post-discovery experience.

Many people speak of grief and relief when they learn they’re Autistic and I felt those too, but for me, the first feelings were shock and then anger. Shock that I had lived this long without recognising something so fundamental about myself, and anger that I live in a society that so deeply misunderstands and others autism that I never saw myself reflected anywhere. That shock and anger mobilised me.

It gave me purpose. To be a voice for change. To challenge the outdated stereotypes of deficit and disorder that still preclude so many from recognising who they truly are.

I have used my voice on Instagram for the past number of years to speak about the under-researched, misunderstood and overlooked female Autistic experience. This has led me to create this podcast – as a space for us to unlearn, unlearn the medicalised lens, unlearn the masks and unlearn the quiet self-doubt that seeps in when you’re misunderstood for too long.

Yes, self-doubt is a common experience for us all.

This is a place for truth telling and re-remembering, for seeing the Autistic experience through the lens of humanity, wholeness and hope.

So what can you expect from ‘Unlearning Autism’? Well, one new episode each week. Some will be guest conversations where I sit down with late identified, Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent adults to talk about identity, masking, burnout, work, relationships, self-understanding and many more issues.

Other weeks will be solo reflections, quieter, more intimate pieces where I share the inner rhythm of my Autistic brain and what it’s teaching me about capacity, rest and authenticity.

My hope is that each episode feels like sitting with a friend who gets it, that it offers language, context or comfort to help you understand yourself or someone that you care about.

I’d love you to support the podcast. If you enjoy what you hear, please follow, rate and share this podcast. It helps others find it, especially those still quietly searching for understanding.

You can also connect with me on Instagram @christinedoyle.ie where I share reflections, updates and community spaces linked to each episode. I’d really love to hear your feedback. What resonated with you? What sparked curiosity? Or what you’d like me to explore next? Sharing an episode with a friend or colleague, or tagging something that spoke to you, are small but meaningful ways to support this work.

Finally, this podcast is not about having all the answers. It’s about asking better questions, holding space for complexity, and honouring the voices of lived experience.

I’ve said it before, and I really believe that the success, my success for this podcast is that I’ll look back in a few years time and marvel at how little I knew, how little we all know about the Autistic experience as we continue to ask questions and open conversations to deeply understand what it really means.

It’s about creating language and community around the parts of ourselves that have always been there. So whether you’re here to feel less alone, to understand the Autistic experience in a more human way, or to unlearn what you thought you knew, you’re very welcome.

I can’t wait to share these conversations with you.