This Week in Autistic Culture #5 | My Chemical Romance, the World Cup Final & Neurodivergent Characters
Listen to this weeks offering of podcasts, news and culture from the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.
Welcome to This Week in Autistic Culture
Welcome to another edition of This Week in Autistic Culture, our Sunday magazine that brings together the stories, conversations, and ideas shaping Autistic culture each week.
This week we’re exploring the power of shared passions and community, from Simon’s unforgettable experience seeing My Chemical Romance at Wembley to the excitement of the FIFA World Cup as it reaches its dramatic conclusion. We also share opportunities from our Community Noticeboard, celebrate projects happening across the Autistic community, and take a look at another packed week of new programmes from across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.
From theatre and creativity to disability justice, education, sport and representation in the media, there’s something for everyone this week. Whether you’re here to discover a new favourite podcast, catch up with the community, or simply to spend your Sunday immersed in Autistic culture, we’re delighted you’ve joined us.
Let’s dive in.
🎧 Start Here: Autistic Culture Radio
Looking for a different way to experience ACPN? Autistic Culture Radio is our curated Spotify listening experience, blending music with every programme released across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network.
Updated daily, each episode is paired with carefully chosen songs inspired by its themes, creating a continuous soundtrack to Autistic culture. Save the playlist to your Spotify library and dip in whenever you want to discover new conversations, music and voices from across the network.
📻 On Air This Week:
Monday 20th July
Theatrically Authentic – Episode 5: Coded But Not Confirmed
Sarah Atherton-Knight and Simon Scott explore what happens when audiences recognise neurodivergence in a character… but the script never says it out loud in Theatrically Authentic.
From beloved fan favourites to controversial portrayals, they discuss why certain characters resonate so deeply with neurodivergent audiences — and where the line exists between meaningful representation and harmful caricature.
Mindful Mondays with Ashley Dupuy
Ashley returns with another mindful reflection and guided meditation to help neurodivergent listeners begin the week with intention and regulation.
Tuesday 21st July
Creative Becoming – Episode 4: Catalyst For Creativity
Helen and Elizabeth explore how life's unexpected disruptions can become catalysts for creativity in EP4 of Creative Becoming
Regulation Station – Episode 5: It Starts with One Child: Creating Inclusive Classrooms
In this week's episode of Regulation Station, Becca Engle is joined by autism care specialist, author, and advocate Carra Dixon to discuss inclusion, education, and the power of early understanding.
Wednesday 22nd July
The Neurocomplex Creative– Episode 3: Big Hearts, Hollywood Dreams
Vicki sits down with her longtime friend and collaborator TJ Berden — filmmaker, producer, and one of her people — for a conversation twenty years in the making on EP3 of The Neurocomplex Creative.
Two Mics No Masking - Episode 2: Behaviourism as the Ultimate Human Hubris
Katie Scott and Jenna Goldstein unpack the hidden assumptions behind behaviourism and ask what happens when society decides there’s only one “right” way to think, behave, and exist, in our new show Two Mics No Masking.
Thursday 23rd July
Autistic Rant Hour – Episode 6: Accessibility Across Disabilities
This week on Autistic Rant Hour, Dr Gal rants about Accessibility Across Disabilities - with guest Tal(y) Wozner (pronouns: she/her), filmmaker and queer and disability activist.
The Neurodivergent Experience - Episode 120
Jordan James and Simon Scott return for a conversation about the Neurodivergent Experience!
Friday 24th July
Hot Topic Friday
A new discussion from The Neurodivergent Experience team, tackling a fresh topic from the world of neurodivergence.
NEW SHOW - Under The Lights: March Madness
Under the lights with Turrell Burgess arrives, counting down the biggest sports moments from the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament, better known as March Madness.
📚 From the Archive - Saturday 25th July
Autistic Culture Podcast Rewind – Apple is Autistic
Rewind with an Autistic Culture Podcast classic, as we reframe Hans Christian Andersen—not as the “awkward, difficult” writer he’s often portrayed to be, but as a figure whose life and work reflect Autistic culture.
Please rate, share and review our shows, as it helps them grow and reach more people! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📌 Community Noticeboard
The Community Noticeboard is your space to share what’s happening across autistic culture. Whether you’re launching a book, hosting an event, releasing a podcast, starting a creative project, celebrating a milestone, or simply have something you’d like the community to know about, we’d love to hear from you.
Send your announcements, links and updates to autisticculturepodcast@gmail.com, and we’ll feature as many as we can in a future edition of This Week in Autistic Culture.
The Neurodiverse Entrepreneur Summit® is a free 4-day event to help you stop borrowing someone else’s business plan, and start building a business that actually fits your brain.
July 27-30 - https://neurodiverseentrepreneursummit.com
Bunch of freebies for our listeners
https://acpn--conqueryourcontent.thrivecart.com/affiliate-program/
The 1 in 31 Connection Autism Summit August 31
This two-day virtual summit hosted by Sara Bradford featured 34 presenters,
including experts, advocates, and live podcasters. It aimed to educate
attendees on inclusion and compassion within the autism community, receiving
praise for its broad expertise and inspiring discussions.”This powerful one-day event brings together autistic voices,
parents, educators, and professionals to share experiences,
resources, and solutions that create real connection and change.
With expert-led panels, advocate stories, and practical tools, the 1
in 31 Connection is designed to bridge understanding and build
inclusive communities.
Podcast Movement - Vote for me
Listen Ad-Free with Autistic Culture Plus
Want bonus content, early access, and ad-free listening across the entire network?
Join Autistic Culture Plus to support autistic creators and help us commission even more shows from our community.
Have a Show Idea?
The Autistic Culture Podcast Network is always looking for new voices and new perspectives.
If you have an idea for a podcast grounded in Autistic lived experience, culture, identity, advocacy, creativity, or special interests, we’d love to hear from you.
Hi everyone:
I've seen CODED BUT NOT CONFIRMED [I really loved episode 4 of THEATRICALLY AUTHENTIC and will be commenting in that place].
It is a fine fine line to walk - especially as ever since I created drama in the form of scripts and plays I have met and made those characters.
So to confirm: the Autistic Culture Rewind is about Hans Christian Andersen?
[It will be interesting to think about how our minds and culture have been changing over the past 3 and 4 years].
In a Substack quotes section there were a lot of great discussions about Dickens and Andersen - and another big one about Dickens and his wife Catherine.
Voted for you in PODCAST MOVEMENT