Livia Sara is an eating disorder survivor, mental health coach, autism advocate and author from the Netherlands. Diagnosed autistic at 20, she now helps other neurodivergent people recover from disordered eating through learning to embrace their unique traits. She...
Squarepeg podcast episodes
Season 8
[104] S8 E12: Permission slip: embracing an authentically autistic life with no blueprint
17 Jun, 2023
Gem Kennedy is a Coach and podcaster from Essex in the UK. They are non-binary and queer, and self identified as autistic and ADHD last year, at 35. They are a Transformational Coach, facilitator and advocate, supporting neurodivergent and queer folk, present a...
[103] S8 E11: From feeling ‘deficient’ to self acceptance, research and advocating for autistic colleagues
10 Jun, 2023
Kirstie Pickles is an equine vet, academic, mum and mental health advocate from Derbyshire in the UK. Now 49, she was diagnosed autistic at 47, following her daughter’s diagnosis. She is passionate about sharing her story and raising the awareness of neurodiversity to...
[102] S8 E10: From ABA to understanding an autism diagnosis as a unique pathway to a fulfilling life
3 Jun, 2023
Maisie Soetantyo is the founder of a nonprofit with a mission to improve employment prospects for autistic jobseekers and aspiring business owners. Now an openly autistic advocate and inclusivity trainer, she has been working with neurodivergent people since her...
[101] S8 E9: From psychiatric trauma to autistic joy: a journey of healing and self discovery
27 May, 2023
Laura Richmond is a writer and researcher from Southampton in the UK. Now 35, she was diagnosed autistic last year. She had an extremely difficult road to diagnosis. Social and emotional struggles in childhood led to her being in and out of the psychiatric system for...
[100] S8 E8: A sense of purpose: finding our own path and place in the world as autistic adults
20 May, 2023
Rosie Smith is the owner of a non-profit radical bookshop in Canton in Cardiff, just a couple of miles from where I live. Now 32, she grew up just outside Cardiff with her mum and sister. Leaving school at 16 due to anxiety, eating disorders and mental health issues,...
[99] S8 E7: Finding freedom after autism diagnosis and embodying the spirit of our unmasked selves
13 May, 2023
Kay Louise Aldred is a writer, facilitator, teacher, mentor, and resource creator from North Yorkshire in the UK. Now 49, she was diagnosed autistic quite recently, last November. A former teacher, just like me she suffered burnout, left her career and became self...
[98] S8 E6: The fight for equity in education and work: an inspiring story of autistic self advocacy
6 May, 2023
Rosie Weldon is a Senior Financial Analyst and author whose memoir, ‘My Autistic Fight Song’, tells the story of how she fought to get her accountancy degree and find her place in the world of work, despite her struggles with mental and physical health and the...
[97] S8 E5: Finding logic in chaos, burnout, and reconnecting with our internal compass and autistic joy
29 Apr, 2023
Martine van Bijlert is a writer and researcher from the Netherlands. Now 52, she grew up in Iran and worked in places like Kabul, Grozny and Tehran as an aid worker, diplomat and researcher. She now divides her time between her own creative projects and her work for...
[96] S8 E4: Safety, community and representation for Black and minority ethnic / global majority autistic people
22 Apr, 2023
Naomi Clarke is a freelance writer, community mentor, fundraiser and Human Design reader. She self diagnosed as autistic around two years ago, but due to inequality in the medical system has so far not been able to get a formal diagnosis. She describes herself as an...
[95] S8 E3: Shelving the quest for normal: reframing, regulating, and removing the stigma from autism
15 Apr, 2023
Ebonie Allard is an award-winning International Master Coach, an author, and an artist. Now in her early 40s, she was mostly raised in the UK, but before she was seven years old she had lived in a house truck, on a commune, in France, New Zealand, Ireland, and...
[94] S8 E2: The sensory and social challenges of fitting into a new culture as an autistic adult
8 Apr, 2023
Karawynn Long is an American writer and proofreader living in Mexico. Now 52, she had what she describes as her ‘Autism epiphany’ just over three years ago, a few months before her fiftieth birthday. She is self identified as autistic, partly due to formal assessments...
[93] S8, E1: Sport and fitness the autistic way: from not fitting in to feeling like a superhero
1 Apr, 2023
Mandy Williams is a Volunteer Coordinator with Scottish Women’s Autism and a competitive athlete. Originally from Manchester in the UK, she now lives in Stirling in Scotland. She was diagnosed autistic two years ago, aged 45. She is passionate about exercise, and her...