Stories About Autism

This week I’m joined by Ashley Blaker. Ashley is a dad of 6, that’s right 6 kids. Two of his children are autistic, and he also has an adopted daughter who has Down Syndrome. As well as being a dad, Ashley is a comedian and writer and has been part of numerous TV and radio shows such as Little Britain, V Graham Norton, and Fantasy Football League, as well as two Off-Broadway shows. 

Ashley recorded a BBC Radio 4 show with his family...

This week I’m joined by Stephanie Vavron, who tells us her family’s story about autism. Steph lives in Scotland, is a single mum of two, and her youngest, Max, is autistic and also has Cerebral Palsy.

I first became aware of Steph last year when one of her TikTok videos about the packed lunches she makes for Max went viral. Whereas many autistic kids will only eat what’s often described as beige food, Max is the complete opposite an...

On this week’s episode of the Stories About Autism Podcast , I’m joined by TJ from the social media pages Nigh Functioning Autism. TJ is an autistic adult who was diagnosed in her teens, along with diagnoses of epilepsy, OCD, and ADHD. She is a single mum of 3, and two of her children are autistic.  I’ve been speaking with TJ online for years, and often picking her brain as she is such a font of knowledge, and always happy to help,...

This week I talk with Martin, an autistic adult from Denmark. Martin also has diagnoses of ADHD and Tourettes, and shares stories from his life on his Instagram and TikTok pages A Different Spectrum. Join us as we talk about

• Martin's autism diagnosis as a child
• Masking at school and what it felt like
• Meltdowns and shutdowns
• Special interests
• Stimming and why it's so important
• AAC communication
• Autism and the LGBTQ community
• How bloggin...

This week I talk with Nicola, a mum of three girls, including Hallie who is autistic. Nicola has been sharing her family's story on Instagram and TikTok for the last 18 months on her page Happy Hands With Hallie. 

Join us as we talk about

• Early signs of autism in Hallie
• Fighting for an autism diagnosis
• Autism in girls
• Autism and food
• Sensory challenges
• Sleep
• Hallie's relationship with her sisters
• EHCP's and applying for a school place

Join me as I chat with Jan and Tabitha from Hunrosa Sleep Consultancy, discussing why so many autistic people struggle with sleep, and what we can do to make sleep better for the whole family. 

In this episode we talk about

• Why so many autistic people struggle with sleep
• How our sensory system impacts sleep
• Melatonin - what it is and is it safe?
• Tips to improve the bedtime routine
• What to do when our kids wake up in the night
• Co-sleep...

In this episode, me and Heidi discuss

• Her son Theo's mental health crisis, brought on by his struggles at school as an undiagnosed autistic student
• Realising that Theo was autistic, and what little she knew about autism
• Battling with professionals to recognise her son was autistic and needed support. 
• EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) and how that saved Theo
• Advice for parents of children who are struggling at school
• Heidi's own...

This week I'm mixing it up a bit and telling you more about our story.

I'm answering questions from previous podcast guests, and from some of our followers on Instagram.

I get to talk about

*The early years for Tommy and Jude, and their diagnosis

*Therapies that have helped along the way

*The greatest challenges we've faced

*Worrying about the future

*What made me decide to start blog...

This week I get to talk to my first international guest, Jill Powell, all the way from South Carolina, USA

I've been friends with Jill for a few years now, after getting to know her through her blog Walking With Drake.

Jill is the mum of Drake, who is autistic, and it's their story she shares with me.

We talk about the early years, what led to Drake's diagnosis, and how things differ in America compared to the UK ...

We're back! After a much longer break than intended, we're kicking off season 3 with a very special guest, Carly Jones MBE.

I found Carly on twitter last year and have been an avid follower ever since. Carly is a mum of 3 girls, 2 of whom are autistic. It was during their diagnosis process that she too would later be diagnosed as autistic. We talk all about this time in their lives, what autism means to them as a family, and ho...

This week I'm joined by Miriam Gwynne, mother of autistic twins, Isaac and Naomi. Miriam also who writes the blog Faith Mummy

I've been reading Miriam's blog since before I started my own, and have loved following Isaac and Naomi's progress over the years, so was delighted to get the chance to talk with her about their story. Even though they are twins, autism means very different things for Isaac and Naomi, just like it does f...

This week I'm talking to Caro Greenwood, who is a mum of 4, wife of Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood, and runs the blog Spikey Mama

Caro's daughter Matilda is autistic, but getting a diagnosis has been far from straightforward. Caro shares all that they went through, the numerous specialists and professionals they saw over the years before finally a diagnosis was given

We talk all things autism, what it means for thei...

A couple of years ago, whilst the world was reflecting on Donald Trump being elected as the new US President, another story went viral and was challenging it for most read. That was the story of today's guest, his autistic son Ben, and a little blue cup!

After following that story, I met Marc a few months ago, and knew I had to get him as a guest on the podcast.

Marc introduces us to the story of his family, his three autis...

I've been asked by so many listeners if I can interview a teacher who works with autistic children. Well this week I go one better and speak to Victoria Hatton, who's not only a teacher, but also has an autistic daughter too. Victoria shares so much valuable information, tips and ideas, looking at autism as both a teacher and a parent.

We get to talk about what inspired her to become a teacher, and the strategies she's develope...

Finally we're back! In the first episode of series 2 I talk with Nicole, who writes the blog My Boy Blue, and is mum to Riley, who is autistic.

A few months back Nicole convinced me to join the world of Snapchat so that I could take part in her "Through Their Eyes" campaign, to raise autism awareness during Autism Awareness Week. It went incredibly well and also raised thousands of pounds for a local autism charity in...

Today I get to talk to Steph from the blog Steph's Two Girls. In case you couldn't guess, Steph is the mum of two daughters, and she shares with me her autism story about her youngest daughter Sasha who is autistic. Sasha's diagnosis is a little bit different as she is diagnosed with a distinct profile of autism called Pathological Demand Avoidance or PDA. I knew nothing about PDA until I found Steph's blog a couple of years ago, s...

A few years ago when I stumbled upon the world of autism and social media, one of the first blogs I read by an autistic adult was a blog called Autistic Not Weird written by Chris Bonnello. Since then I've got to know Chris a little bit and was really excited to talk to him on this episode and find out his story about autism.

We get to talk about what life was like for Chris in his younger years, knowing he was different b...

In each episode I get to speak to a parent of a child with autism, an autistic adult, or somebody who works with the autism community, today I get to speak to somebody who ticks all 3 boxes! Ella, of the blog Purple Ella, someone who I met a couple of years ago, shortly after her own diagnosis. We talk about what difference it's made to her life, meltdowns, anxiety, and the strategies she's put in place to help cope. How important ...

Here's a chat with a very good friend of mine, Kevin O'Neill, from the Facebook page, Autism From A Dad's Eye View. Kevin is the dad to 3 children, and 2 of them are autistic. We get to talk about their diagnosis, how autism is so different for them both, schools, their love for their big sister, and regression. We also talk about being non-verbal, pro-Stim, and much much more.

To find out more about Kevin visit his Facebook pa...