Hannah Cross is a writer and a student. She is 29 and has resumed her education a little later in life, after experiencing struggles at school and in early adulthood, including substance misuse and being expelled from school.
Squarepeg podcast episodes
Season 1
[11] S1, Ep11: Autism, anxiety and the power of telling our own stories
28 Nov, 2020
Artist and writer Charlotte Amelia Poe says they were diagnosed autistic ‘by complete fluke’ when they were 21, after suffering for years with anxiety. In 2018, they won the inaugural Spectrum Art Award with their video piece, How To Be Autistic, and they went on to...
[10] S1, Ep10: Childhood misdiagnosis and autism and ADHD
21 Nov, 2020
Sarah Boon was diagnosed autistic last year, at the age of 24, and was diagnosed with ADHD this year. She initially self diagnosed, after assessments during her childhood failed to diagnose her. She lives in Surrey in the UK, is a former TEFL teacher, and has recently...
[9] S1, Ep9: Female presentation, autistic counsellors and dealing with depression
14 Nov, 2020
Audrey Mitchell discovered she was autistic while in the process of getting a diagnosis for her teenage daughter. She lives in Idaho, USA, where she works in private practice as a counsellor. She’s also a writer. She’s experienced plenty of adversity in life, and...
[8] S1, Ep8: Is autism a disability? And how does it relate to mental health?
7 Nov, 2020
Rachel Stelmach was diagnosed autistic in her 40s. She works for a disability arts organisation here in Wales, where she works with disabled artists in the fields of Creative Technology and Combined Arts. She’s also a Disability Equality and Mental Health First Aid...
[7] S1, Ep7: Friendships, masking and getting counselling
31 Oct, 2020
Becca Kerl was diagnosed at 38 - after a lifetime of wondering why she didn’t seem to quite fit into the world - and three of her children are on the spectrum too. She has spent years supporting the autistic community and helping others advocate for services. She...
[6] S1, Ep6: Self diagnosis, burnout and mental health
24 Oct, 2020
Stephanie Silvan is self diagnosed. Originally from Germany, she now lives in Finland with her teenage daughter, who is also autistic. She has worked in many different fields: she has run her own business as a dog behaviourist, she is a linguist and biologist, has...
[5] S1, Ep5: Misdiagnosis and being autistic at home and work
17 Oct, 2020
My guest today has insights into life as an autistic person both personally and professionally: she works in a Local Authority Children's Home for autistic young people with high support needs, and received her own diagnosis at the age of 27. She was initially...
[4] S1, Ep4: Finding yourself through diverse communities
10 Oct, 2020
Jack Conley blew me away with their energy and drive to help marginalised communities flourish. Still only 25, they work full time in autism advocacy for an organisation in Washington, USA, and they are a writer, musician and playwright, as well as serving on the...
[3] S1, Ep3: Creating opportunities from your special interests
7 Oct, 2020
Madge Woollard is a musician and teacher from Sheffield in the UK. A Cambridge graduate, she has run her own piano teaching business for the last 25 years, teaching privately and in schools. She was diagnosed autistic at the age of 44, and has since gone on to win an...
[2] S1, Ep2: Building a business that fits around autistic needs and disabilities
3 Oct, 2020
In this conversation I talk with assistance dog trainer Monique Juniper about the inspiration behind Capable K9s, and how she’s been able to build a business that allows her the freedom to work around her own disability and needs, so she’s able to enjoy her work,...
[1] S1, Ep1: Discovering you’re autistic in adulthood – and finding work that fits you, when you don’t fit work
3 Oct, 2020
Welcome to Squarepeg, the podcast in which neurodivergent women, trans and nonbinary people explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. Lis Parsons is an Open University tutor from North Wales who describes herself as...