This Week in Autistic Culture #8 | Heatwaves, Face Blindness & DIRFloortime
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 begins with a conversation that many autistic people will recognise. As summer temperatures continue to climb, Simon and Angela reflect on the hidden social cost of sensory overwhelm, the impossible balance between accommodating yourself and meeting other people’s expectations, and why something as simple as leaving a family barbecue can carry so much guilt. They also explore new research on how Autistic people process faces, leading to a fascinating discussion about everything from face blindness to super-recognisers.
Across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network, another packed week follows those themes of understanding and acceptance. We celebrate Autistic special interests through the latest episode of Info Dump, explore the emotional reality of closing night in theatre, launch an important new series examining alternatives to ABA, and hear conversations about alcohol and masking, inclusive education, reading, regulation, American football, and much more.
Whether you’re discovering a new favourite podcast, catching up with the Autistic community, or simply spending your Sunday immersed in Autistic Culture, we’re delighted you’ve joined us.
🎧 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:
Sunday 9th August
Info Dump – Episode 2: Star Wars
This week on Info Dump, Kelly joins Hannah Brockway to share three of her biggest passions: Star Wars, LEGO and cosplay, exploring how each has become an important part of her life and identity.
Together they discuss favourite characters, collecting and building LEGO sets, creating cosplay costumes, and the welcoming communities that can grow around shared interests. Along the way, Kelly reflects on creativity, belonging, and the joy of finding people who understand why the things you love matter so much.
Monday 10th August
Theatrically Authentic – Episode 8: The Show Must Close — Closing Night Culture & Post-Show Blues
In the final episode of this series of Theatrically Authentic, Sarah Atherton-Knight and Simon Scott explore one of the most emotionally complex parts of working in theatre as a neurodivergent person: closing night.
Together, they unpack why ending a show can feel less like simple nostalgia and more like genuine grief — especially for neurodivergent theatre makers whose routines, relationships, identities, and nervous systems often become deeply intertwined with a production.
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 11th August
Drinking to Mask and Unmask - Episode 5: Understandable Reasons Why Autistic and Neurodivergent People Find Alcohol Useful
On Drinking to Mask and Unmask this week: ‘Why can alcohol feel so useful for autistic and neurodivergent people?’
Chelsey Flood speaks with Associate Professor Dr Felicity Sedgewick about friendship, belonging, and the social challenges that can make alcohol feel helpful, necessary, or even protective. Together they explore loneliness, connection, and the pressures that shape social experiences for many neurodivergent people.
Regulation Station – Episode 8: The Environment Is the Intervention
In this episode of Regulation Station, Becca Engle is joined by psychologist, speaker, author, and neurodiversity advocate Dr Matt Zakreski for a wide-ranging conversation about giftedness, ADHD, neurodivergence, education, and what true regulation actually looks like.
Together, Becca and Dr Matt explore why so many neurodivergent people grow up feeling like “weird horses” before discovering they’re actually zebras, how environments shape success more than most people realise, and why many of the systems designed to support neurodivergent people still miss the mark.
Wednesday 12th August
NEW SHOW - Rethinking Autism Therapy - Episode 1: What is DIRFloortime® and why do so many families and practitioners find it transformative?
In this first episode of Rethinking Autism Therapy, Daria Brown is joined by DIRFloortime® Expert Training Leader, licensed professional counsellor, and autistic adult parent Mike Fields to explore the foundations of the DIR® Model and the practice of Floortime.
Together, they unpack the developmental, individual-differences, and relationship-based principles that make DIRFloortime® unique, while challenging traditional compliance-based approaches to autism support.
Two Mics No Masking - Episode 5: Redefining Inclusion - From Conformity to Belonging
On Two Mics, No Masking, Katie Scott and Jenna Goldstein are joined by dual-certified general and special education educator Katie Deehan to explore what true inclusion really means—and why it often looks very different from the versions many of us have experienced.
Together they challenge compliance-based approaches to inclusion and discuss how classrooms can move beyond expecting children to conform. Instead, they explore what becomes possible when education is built around dignity, accessibility, and a genuine sense of belonging for every student.
Thursday 13th August
Autism Help– Episode 3: Teaching Reading to Children with Multiple Disabilities
In this episode of Autism Help, Heather McKay explores why some autistic children with co-occurring disabilities face additional barriers to learning to read, and why traditional teaching approaches may not always meet their needs.
Heather discusses the disabilities that commonly occur alongside autism, how they can affect literacy development, and practical ways to overcome some of the challenges they create.
The Neurodivergent Experience - Episode 123
Jordan James and Simon Scott return for a conversation about the Neurodivergent Experience!
Friday 14th August
Hot Topic Friday
A new discussion from The Neurodivergent Experience team, tackling a fresh topic from the world of neurodivergence.
Under The Lights - Episode 4: Top 10 Super Bowl Games
Turrell Burgess counts down the greatest Super Bowl games he's ever watched. From unforgettable finishes and championship-defining performances to dramatic comebacks and iconic moments, these are the games that showcase why the Super Bowl remains one of the biggest spectacles in world sport.
📚 From the Archive - Saturday 15th August
Autistic Culture Podcast Rewind – Eminem is Autistic
Rewind with an Autistic Culture Podcast classic, as we explore Eminem’s potential place in Autistic culture
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📌 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.
This Week’s Topics
Books & research
Events
Autistic Mental Health Conference - NeuroHub Community Ltd - Friday, August 14th to Sunday 16th - From £50
Across three inspiring days, the NeuroHub Mental Health Conference explores the theme “Ecosystemic Causes of Mental Health Issues”—examining how environments, systems, and societal structures shape neurodivergent wellbeing.
Creator updates
Autistic Lives, Unmasked is an interview series that looks at what it means to live as an autistic person once the “dust” of diagnosis settles. This month is Devon Price Hosted by Motherness author, Julie M Green, each monthly installment features an in-depth conversation with a prominent autistic voice, including Devon Price, Eliza Fricker, Eric Garcia, Megan Anna Neff, Lyric Rivera (NeuroDivergent Rebel), and others. Subscribe to The Autistic Mom Substack.
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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.