Welcome to Autistica (Episode 01)

Matt: And, you know, like I say, no one ever got ahead, and no one ever changed the world, by being like everyone else.

In this episode of The Autistic Culture Podcast:

Hosts, Dr. Angela Lauria and Matt Lowry, LPP, introduce the concept of viewing autism through a cultural lens rather than as a disorder. They discuss characteristics of Autistic culture like art, music, language, rituals, and social norms.

A sense of fairness and justice comes from the "intense world" perception—a result of the Autistic hyperconnected brain. Autistic culture generally rejects the idea of social hierarchies and encourages fighting for equity.

“Because of the (Autistic) hyper-connected brain, there's this thing called the ‘intense world theory’. Because we don't have a sensory filter to tune out extraneous data, we process far, far, far more, far much more data than neurotypicals do.” –Matt

Autistic activities, passions, and special interests lead to creating detailed fictional worlds, like in Star Wars, Marvel, and Pokemon. Famous Autistic scientists like Tesla and Einstein contributed technology shaped by Autistic thinking.

The "Autistic accent" refers to speech patterns like monotone, tangents (or mazing), and differences modulating breathing. Autistic accents are often judged by allistics (non-autistics) and can lead to biases. The hosts discuss masking and their goals to live unmasked lives.

“And now I'm going to be more fully expressed and stop spending so many of my resources trying to act like everyone else…I was like, oh, well, now that I know that I'm an eagle and not a chicken, I can stop trying so hard to be a chicken because this shit's exhausting.”
–Angela

Autistic culture values comfort over fashion and personal uniforms are common. Food preferences tend towards bland, beige foods and avoiding spicy options—except for those who are sensory seeking with food.

Listen in each week to learn about: Autistic celebrities, Autistic musicians, Autistic scientists, Autistic actors, Autistic characters, Autistic activities and more! If you’ve been wondering, “Am I Autistic?” Then, this is the podcast for you!

On this culture trips, hosts, Matt and Angela, look forward to celebrating and sharing the many positive aspects of their Autistic culture.

What’s your favorite part of Autistic culture? Share in the comments!

Listen to The Legend of Autistica
Listen to Dimensions of Autistic Culture

Check us out on Instagram

Find us on Apple podcast and Spotify

Learn more about Matt at Matt Lowry, LPP

Matt’s social media: Autistic Connections Facebook Group

Learn more about Angela at AngelaLauria.com and Difference Press

Angela’s social media: Twitter and TikTok

TACP’s Autism-affirming TeePublic merch shop

Find these designs and more in our merch shop!