Autism Central Podcast

In this episode, Catherine Asta is joined by Heidi and Theo, a single mother and her only son from Wakefield in West Yorkshire, for a powerful and hopeful conversation about autistic burnout, rebuilding confidence, and the power of self-advocacy.
When Theo was 15, he crashed out of school in what was later understood as significant autistic burnout. What followed were five years of navigating complex systems, challenging decisions, and fighting for his right to an education that truly met his needs. During that time, both Heidi and Theo were diagnosed as autistic and ADHD; a pivotal shift that reframed their past and reshaped their future.
Now studying zoo management at university, Theo shares how he chose where to go based not on course appeal or location, but on the level of support available. Supported by Disabled Students’ Allowance and his assistance dog, Bertie, whom they describe as life-changing and life-saving, Theo reflects on building self-knowledge, independence, and the confidence to advocate for what he needs. 
Theo speaks openly about learning to understand his nervous system, recognising his limits, and communicating them clearly, skills that have become foundational to both his wellbeing and his success.
Heidi speaks candidly about the emotional complexity of sending your neurodivergent child to a university that isn’t close to home, and why trust, safety, and the right support structures matter. Together, they explore transition, sensory worlds, and the importance of asking the right questions when navigating education systems. 
Heidi also shares practical strategies for parents and carers; how to challenge decisions constructively, how to prioritise safety, and how modelling honesty and resilience helps young people develop their own voice.
This episode offers practical insight for families supporting neurodivergent young people, alongside an honest reflection on resilience, overcoming barriers and hope. It’s a conversation about the emotional and practical considerations of transitioning to university, about building self-advocacy skills early, and about choosing the right support over the “right” course, and what can happen when someone is finally given the space and understanding to come back to themselves.
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Listener note: We want to let listeners know that this episode includes discussion of trauma, suicidal ideation, and mental health crisis. Please listen in a way that feels supportive for you.
In this episode, Catherine Asta is joined by Brian Haines for a deeply reflective conversation about the often-unseen mental health crises faced by late-diagnosed autistic adults, accumulated trauma, and the life-changing power of creativity - offering hope for anyone feeling unheard or misunderstood.
Diagnosed as autistic at 61, Brian shares how his NHS diagnosis brought clarity to a lifetime of feeling “peculiar,” marginalised, and out of step with the social world. What followed was not relief, but a period of profound unravelling - burnout, mental health crisis, and standing, as he describes it, at the edge of the abyss.
From that darkness, poetry emerged.
Brian speaks openly about how writing became his emotional scaffolding when formal therapeutic support fell short - a way to structure overwhelming thoughts, process rage and loneliness, and give voice to what had long been hidden behind the mask. For someone who struggles with the spontaneity of social communication, poetry offers rhythm, certainty, and a space where his words can finally be heard, at his pace.
Together they explore masking, marginalisation, suicidal ideation, autistic burnout, and the vulnerability of sharing creative work in a world that has not always felt safe. Brian reflects on isolation and the “crevasse” of autistic loneliness, and how creative expression - through poems such as Behind the Mask - has slowly built belonging, connection, and community.
Brian also shares practical, gentle steps on how to begin your own creative journey, or support someone you care for, and why simply creating for yourself is enough to start. It’s a powerful episode about voice, survival, and the courage to step out from behind the mask - a reminder that creativity can become both scaffold and bridge to belonging.
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Listener note: We want to let listeners know that this episode includes discussion of grief and the loss of a child. Please listen in a way that feels supportive for you.
In this episode, Catherine Asta is joined by Sue Lansbury for a deeply moving and compassionate conversation about late autism discovery, grief, creativity, and aging as an autistic woman in a world that often overlooks older women, especially autistic older women.
Diagnosed as autistic at the age of 68, Sue reflects on a lifetime shaped by confusion, overwhelm, masking, and the huge personal cost of pushing through. She shares how receiving her diagnosis brought both relief and the slow, ongoing work of rediscovering herself - reconnecting with her youngest self through art, making, and a lifelong relationship with the natural world.
Sue speaks powerfully about burnout, invisibility, and the risks faced by autistic people whose needs remain undiscovered later in life. She also reflects with great tenderness on the death of her son Jay - a gifted, fearless artist - and how art, ritual, and the changing seasons have helped her hold grief, love, and memory together.
Throughout the conversation, Sue offers “waves of compassion” -  for herself, for parents and carers navigating guilt around late discovery, and for autistic people and families living within systems that still struggle to understand and support them. She introduces the idea of creating a personal “self-portrait” to capture needs, sensitivities, and ways of being, as a way of protecting dignity and wellbeing as we age.
Their conversation explores:
- Late autism discovery and the emotional cost of masking
- Burnout, aging, and the invisibility of older autistic women
- Grief, loss, and autistic experiences of profound change
- Art as a process for expression and healing when words aren’t enough
- Compassion over guilt for families facing late discovery
- Advocacy, legacy, and why a more diverse society benefits everyone

It’s a wise and hopeful episode about grief and growth, creativity and care, and the importance of meeting ourselves -  and each other -  with compassion at every stage of life.

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TRIGGER WARNING: This podcast episode mentions suicidal ideation.
In this episode, Catherine is joined by Jo Feaster for an honest and deeply reflective conversation about lived experience, identity, and what it can mean to finally make sense of yourself later in life as an autistic and bipolar woman, along with the small, real life supports and accommodations that help power self-acceptance, build stability and live well, and as Jo says, “help to change my world”.
Their conversation explores:
- What finally helped Jo feel seen and understood, and the challenges of living with co-occurring conditions alongside being autistic, and the additional stigma associated with them.
- The importance of community, belonging, role models and peer support.
- The role of writing and advocacy as tools for mental health and challenging societal stigma. 
- Insights into the dynamics of family support and the impact of personal relationships on mental health.
- The transformative power of self-acceptance and the significance of self-care as a parent carer.
It’s a compassionate, hopeful and practical episode for anyone navigating late identification, multiple neurodivergence and mental health, and / or supporting a loved one through crisis and recovery. 
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LinkedIn Newsletter - Autistic & Bipolar Musings - https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/autistic-bipolar-musings-7239130678460649473/ 
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www.catherineasta.com

Welcome to Season 4 of the Autism Central Podcast, hosted by psychotherapist, podcaster, and author Catherine Asta. 
To open the season, we’re doing something special.
In this episode, Catherine is joined by both of her daughters - Caty and Kristina - for a gentle, insightful mother-daughter conversation that sets the tone for the journey ahead. You’ll first hear from Caty, who not only joins on mic, but also works behind the scenes editing the podcast. Together, they reflect on what it means to create a mother-daughter show, nurturing strengths as a mature student at university, their ‘family eco-system,’ and why this podcast matters to the parents, carers, and supporters who need it most.
Then the microphone is handed to Catherine’s youngest daughter, 8-year-old (and three-quarters!) Kristina, stepping into the guest-host role to ask her mum five thoughtful questions about life as an autistic person and parent.
Their conversation explores:
What it feels like to navigate the world with an autistic and multiply neurodivergent brain

Childhood experiences before knowing she was autistic

The strengths autism brings

The emotional clarity of a late autism discovery

What it’s like balancing autistic needs with parenting

It’s warm, honest and deeply human -  a window into a multiply neurodivergent family committed to kindness, compassion, curiosity, and building a life that works for each of them. This episode offers parents and supporters a rare, real-life insight into autistic experience across generations - and why community, understanding, and the right support matter so much.
Connect with Catherine
www.catherineasta.com
Resources Catherine makes reference to in the episode:
Catherine’s book ‘Rediscovered’ and ‘The Late Discovered Club Podcast’
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