Difference was Never Ever Meant to Mean Less

Finding Your Tribe, Finding Your Voice — with Emily McPhillips-SheridanIn this episode of Unlearning Autism, I'm joined by Emily McPhillips-Sheridan, a proud Autistic advocate, third-year Social Care student and passionate voice for neurodivergent inclusion.Emily has been speaking publicly about Autistic experiences since she was 17, including an appearance in the AV Room at Dáil Éireann. More recently, she appeared on The Assembly, opening up new opportunities for her advocacy work.Together, we explore finding your tribe, navigating third-level education and learning to advocate for your own needs.Emily shares her experiences of belonging, building independence and finding the confidence to speak up for herself.It's a conversation about identity, connection and the importance of finding spaces where you can be yourself — without having to change who you are.In this episode, we explore:Finding your people and a sense of belongingNavigating college as an Autistic studentUnderstanding and communicating your needsSelf-advocacy and growing confidenceCreating opportunities for neurodivergent people to thriveConnect with EmilyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilymcps2004/Thank you for listening to Unlearning Autism.

I completely forgot to record this week's podcast. Not because I had nothing to say, but because I was so immersed in something else that the rest of my life almost disappeared!After a wonderful week launching FREE RANGE, my new creative venture, I found myself completely outside my usual routines. And it got me thinking about that very familiar Autistic experience of being all in or all out.In this spontaneous Autistic Musing, I'm reflecting on our need for sameness and structure, the joy of becoming completely immersed in something we love, and the challenges of juggling different parts of our lives.Because even wonderful things can be disruptive. And sometimes making room for something new and exciting means finding new ways to support ourselves.I'd love to know if this resonates with you. Are you an all-in kind of person too?Thanks for listening to Unlearning Autism — even if I am a little late this week!

What happens when raising an Autistic child leads you towards a whole new understanding of yourself?In this episode, I'm joined by Canadian author Julie M. Green, whose memoir Motherness explores generational autism, parenthood, and radical acceptance.We talk about Julie's journey to late identification, the often unseen demands of being an Autistic parent, and what happens when perimenopause makes the things we've spent years managing increasingly difficult.Our conversation takes us through education, nervous system regulation, the misunderstandings that can arise in everyday interactions, and the freedom of allowing family life to look different.It's an honest, thoughtful, and sometimes funny conversation about parenting, identity, self-understanding, and the compassion that becomes possible when we begin to see ourselves differently.A little love from FREE RANGE 💗This episode is brought to you in association with FREE RANGE, my range of products celebrating individuality, self-expression and doing life differently.Our first collection of organic cotton tees features playful words, pops of neon and a little reminder that we're not here for normal!Explore the collection at https://christinedoyle.ie/free-range and enjoy 10% off with code unlearning10.About Julie M. GreenJulie M. Green is a Canadian author whose memoir, Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance, was named a #1 Amazon Bestseller in disability memoir, an Audible Best Audiobook of 2025, and a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award.Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Globe and Mail, and other publications. She also writes about parenting and neurodiversity at The Autistic Mom.Find Julie and her work:Motherness: https://ecwpress.com/products/mothernessThe Autistic Mom: https://theautisticmom.substack.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliem.greenWebsite: https://juliemgreen.ca/Thanks for listening! 💗If you enjoyed this conversation, I'd love you to follow Unlearning Autism and share this episode with someone who might connect with it too.Every listen, follow and share helps these conversations reach more people, and I'm so grateful you're here.

Why do I feel the need to finish absolutely everything before I can begin something new?In this week's Autistic Musing, I'm talking about my complicated relationship with getting things done. How preparing for the Camino left me absolutely exhausted, yet somehow completely unprepared for the trip itself!From endless to-do lists to thoughts I can't quite leave alone, I'm exploring why unfinished things can feel so uncomfortable.And the difference between organising my life because it supports me and doing it because I can't tolerate leaving things undone.Because maybe learning when enough is enough is just as important as getting things done.

In this episode of Unlearning Autism, I'm joined by the wonderful Amy Wrigley for a joyful, funny and refreshingly honest conversation about the Autistic experience.Amy shares her journey from childhood masking, confusion and shame to finding freedom, connection and genuine joy following her late identification.We talk about the hidden experience of shutdowns, the search for answers, unlearning social rules, finding your people and embracing the things that bring you happiness — whether that's birdwatching, reading about your favourite subjects or listening to the same song on repeat!We also explore the power of acceptance, the importance of feeling safe to be yourself and how even the smallest acts of self-advocacy can create ripples of change.A gorgeous reminder that being Autistic isn't only about the challenges. There's so much joy to be found in doing life your own way.This episode is supported by Otavo. Get 10% off with code UNLEARNING10.

What if feeling deeply isn’t only about the difficult stuff?In this musing, Christine reflects on the parts of her Autistic ADHD experience that can get lost in conversations about struggle — the huge appreciation, deep connection, curiosity, creativity, intensity and absolute joy when something lights her up.This isn’t about denying struggle or choosing positivity. It’s about making room for the whole story — including loving lots of your Autistic self.And about what can happen when we spend less time explaining our difference, and more time living in a way that actually fits.Because different does not mean — and was never, ever meant to mean — less.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sarah, a late-identified Autistic woman who was diagnosed at 32.Sarah shares the burnout and overwhelming anxiety that eventually led her towards understanding herself as Autistic.We talk about growing up feeling different, masking, bullying, and being the quiet, academic child whose struggles were easily missed. We explore anxiety through an Autistic lens — including health anxiety, sensory sensitivity and what it can be like to experience your own body so intensely. Sarah also shares her experiences of employment, disclosure and just how inaccessible the traditional job interview can be. And the difference it has made to finally work somewhere that recognises what she can do rather than asking her to prove herself in ways that don't work for her. It's a conversation about being missed, being misunderstood, and gradually replacing “what's wrong with me?” with a much kinder understanding of yourself.Sarah now works in neurodivergent employment and is also a qualified dog trainer with a particular interest in animals and Autistic wellbeing. This episode is supported by Otavo.Get 10% off with code UNLEARNING10.

I miss the old me.I miss her capacity. Her spontaneity. The whirlwind. The version of me who could say yes without first calculating the cost.But I also understand her differently now — the adrenaline, the overriding, the overwhelm, and the crashes that I didn’t yet have language for.In this Autistic Musing, I’m sitting with one of the contradictions of late identification: grieving parts of who I used to be while also loving the slower, quieter, more truthful life I have now.Maybe I don’t want the old me back. But I do miss her. And perhaps both can be true.

What changes when we stop asking Autistic people to fit more comfortably into the world as it is — and start getting curious about what they actually need?In this episode, I’m joined by Autistic and ADHD author and speaker Pete Wharmby for a wide-ranging conversation about Autistic life, relationships, children who find school difficult or impossible to attend, and what happens when we begin to understand and accommodate our own needs.We talk about Pete’s first book, Untypical, and his new book, Different Minds: How We Can Help Our Autistic School Children Thrive, as well as the changes that could make the world safer and easier for Autistic people.And perhaps one of the simplest is also one of the biggest: attitude. What if, instead of being offended or threatened by difference, we could simply become more neutral towards it?Today’s episode is sponsored by Otavo.Unlearning Autism listeners can get 10% off using the code UNLEARNING10.Unlearning Autism is hosted by Christine Doyle.

Welcome back to Unlearning Autism. Season Two is here.In Season One, so much of my focus was on understanding ourselves. This season, my curiosity is widening: what happens when we take what we're learning about ourselves and actually let it change something?There’ll be conversations about both the Autistic and AuDHD experience, burnout, overwhelm and the barriers we face — but those won't be the only stories we tell. I want to make room for joy, possibility, creativity and curiosity too, and for people who are building lives around who they actually are. There are brilliant guests coming, including Pete Wharmby and Julie M Green, conversations with people at different ages and stages of life, and plenty more My Autistic Musings. Maybe Season Two can be about a little less explaining ourselves, and a little more living.Welcome back. I'm really glad you're here.