Chelsea's Vocation
Chelsea's Vocation
Podcast Description
Chelsea's neurodivergent offspring are the reason her heart and mind have grown year after year for two decades. As a neuromajority human caring for and about autistic humans, she has learned to apply a thing or two about brain wiring and wants to share that learning with other people so they can know better and do better, too. These 20-minute long shows will be released every two weeks (two per month max), feature occasional guests, have a neuroaffirming focus, and highlight autistic experiences.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on neurodiversity, autism, and personal insights from Chelsea's family. Topics include the impact of early diagnosis on identity, the experience of an AuDHDer in education, and the significance of special interests. Specific episodes address autistic masking and ableism, along with the relationship between neurodiversity and gender identity.
Chelsea’s neurodivergent offspring are the reason her heart and mind have grown year after year for two decades. As a neuromajority human caring for and about autistic humans, she has learned to apply a thing or two about brain wiring and wants to share that learning with other people so they can know better and do better, too. These 20-minute long shows will be released every two weeks (two per month max), feature occasional guests, have a neuroaffirming focus, and highlight autistic experiences.
Suicidality is a heavy topic. It deserves a spotlight. I didn’t intend for this episode to be as long as it is (34 minutes of content), but my guest’s voice and perspective are too important to chop it up into smaller bites. That being said, as a listener, you might want to take breaks and really think this through. Give yourself time and support as you consider next steps.
Scott Allen is a mental-health counselor on the autism spectrum working with autistic adults through Madison’s ”I Am Autism” clinic. He’s a board member of the Autism Society of Wisconsin, facilitator of the Madison-area chapter's autistic-adult support and social groups, founder of the AutOberFest celebration of autistic joy, and cofacilitator of the AS WE ARE autistic student-empowerment group at UW-Madison's McBurney Disability Resource Center. He’s also cofounder, team leader, and facilitator of the INTEGRAL Autistic Adults & Allies Conference, Wisconsin's first and only conference aimed at autistic adult issues, with a mission to connect autistic and non-autistic allies for social change.
These previous episodes may provide additional context on this topic:
- Episode 2: Introducing Justus
- Episode 7: Acceptance
- Episode 8: Neuroaffirming Practices
- Episode 13: Puberty
- Episode 20: Masking
- Episode 33: Bullying
Here are topics, terms, and resources, in order of their appearance in the podcast, might evoke some curiosity:
- allistic: someone who is not autistic
- Kirby, Anne V et al. “A 20-year study of suicide death in a statewide autism population.” Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research vol. 12,4 (2019): 658-666. doi:10.1002/aur.2076
- autistic burnout (Embrace Autism)
- The DSM-5 (The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed., 2013) lists the diagnostic criteria for Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- “Carl the Collector” https://www.pbs.org/parents/shows/carlPBS Learning Media https://thinktv.pbslearningmedia.org/collection/carl-the-collector/
- ambivert (Cleveland Clinic)
- warning signs (988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline)
- Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN https://autisticadvocacy.org/)
Resources: Supports
- LOCAL
- Waukesha County Crisis Intervention: daytime hours, 262-548-7666 / nights, weekends, holidays, 262-547-3388
- NAMI Family Support Group near you
- NATIONAL
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (neurodivergent specific)
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- 211 for referral to community-based services
Podcast includes an introduction for episodes 6 and following at the beginning. Transition music, ”Taking a Vocation”, by Noey Budde.
Closing narration for episodes 6 and following.
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