Autism Central Podcast

In this episode, Catherine talks to Dr Jessica Eccles, a consultant neurodevelopmental psychiatrist, researcher and public communicator whose work explores the connections between the brain and body.
Dr Eccles co-leads the world’s first neurodivergent brain–body clinic and is a leading voice in understanding the overlap between autism, hypermobility, Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, dysautonomia, pain and fatigue.
Together, Catherine and Dr Eccles discuss why many autistic people may also experience physical health differences such as flexible joints, chronic pain, dizziness, fainting, gut problems, allergies, fatigue and difficulties with temperature or standing for long periods.
Dr Eccles explains hypermobility using the image of connective tissue as the body’s ‘cling film’ - something found everywhere in the body, not just in the joints. When connective tissue is different, it can affect the joints, blood vessels, gut, skin and nervous system, which may help explain why some autistic and neurodivergent people experience a cluster of physical and emotional symptoms.
They also talk about the importance of not dismissing pain, fatigue or dizziness as ‘just anxiety’ or ‘just sensory sensitivity’. Instead, Dr Eccles encourages listeners to think about how the brain and body work together - and how better understanding can lead to better support, better self-advocacy and better care.
Key themes Catherine and Dr Eccles discuss:
- What hypermobility is and how it can show up  
- What Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, or EDS, are  
- Why all people with EDS are hypermobile, but not all hypermobile people have EDS  
- The emerging research linking autism, ADHD, hypermobility and brain-body health  
- Why autistic people may be more likely to experience chronic pain and fatigue  
- How dizziness, fainting and feeling strange when standing may relate to autonomic dysfunction  
- What POTS and orthostatic intolerance are  
- Why symptoms can be mistaken for anxiety  
- The role of interoception, alexithymia, sensory processing and masking  
- Why some autistic people may mask physical pain and illness  
- How schools and health professionals can better understand children who struggle with standing, walking, pain or fatigue  
- Practical supports such as hydration, electrolytes, cooling strategies, compression garments and pacing  
- How autistic and hypermobile people can begin to advocate for themselves in healthcare settings  
- Why systemic change is needed in how services understand the overlap between neurodivergence and physical health
What’s on at Autism Central?
Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.
Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Dr Jessica Eccles 
Youtube / Instagram / LinkTree
For further information on the topics discussed in this episode, listeners may want to explore resources from SEDSConnective, POTS UK, the EDS GP Toolkit, StopFainting.com and the Hypermobility Syndromes Association. 
Connect with Catherine 
Email: hellocatherineasta@gmail.com
Website I Instagram I Art 
Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by autistic psychotherapist and registered dietitian Camilla Ferraro to explore autism, ARFID and our relationship with food.
Drawing on her professional expertise, alongside her own lived experience, Camilla explores why autistic eating differences are so often misunderstood and why what can look like "picky eating" from the outside can be something much more complex.
Together they explore ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder) and the differences between food preferences, sensory-based eating differences and eating difficulties that can have a significant impact on someone’s health, wellbeing and everyday life. They discuss the role of sensory processing, distress, executive functioning and the eating environment, as well as the shame and judgement many autistic people experience around what, when and how they eat.
The conversation also looks at how parents, carers and professionals can better support autistic people around food by moving away from pressure, forcing and rigid expectations and towards curiosity, choice and agency. And they explore why feeling safe is so important when it comes to eating, the value of understanding individual sensory preferences and why sometimes seemingly small adjustments to mealtimes can make a meaningful difference.
Camilla reminds us that when we remove judgement and become curious about what someone’s eating differences are communicating, we can begin to build a safer and more positive relationship with food.
What’s on at Autism Central?
Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.
Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠
Connect with Camilla 
⁠Website⁠
⁠Instagram⁠

Connect with Catherine 
Email: hellocatherineasta@gmail.com
Website I Instagram I Art | The Late Discovered Club | Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

Autism, Culture and Breaking the Silence
In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by AuDHD advocate, mother, researcher and founder of Chinese Autism, Hazel Lim, to explore autism, culture and the experiences of families navigating neurodivergence within the Chinese community. Drawing on her own lived experience as an AuDHD mother of three neurodivergent children, Hazel reflects on how her journey led her to create spaces where families can talk openly, find understanding and feel less alone.
Together they explore the cultural stigma and silence that can surround autism within Chinese communities and the additional barriers faced by families from minority and migrant communities. Along with the importance of why language support needs to be combined with cultural understanding and neuroaffirming practice to build genuine trust between families and services.
This is a powerful conversation about intersectionality, advocacy and the courage it takes to break silence. Hazel reminds us how with greater understanding, culturally informed support and communities willing to listen, families can move away from shame and towards acceptance, confidence and the freedom to embrace difference.

What’s on at Autism Central?
Explore the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.
Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠
Connect with Hazel
https://chineseautism.org.uk
Connect with Catherine 
Email: hellocatherineasta@gmail.com
Website I Instagram I Art 
Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode Catherine Asta is joined by writer, birthkeeper and filmmaker Lucy Baena to explore the often-overlooked intersection of autism and epilepsy. Drawing on her lived experience as an autistic and epileptic woman, Lucy shares a deeply personal account of growing up with epilepsy, receiving a late autism diagnosis at 38, and how understanding both has transformed the way she understands herself. 
Together they discuss the hidden realities of living with epilepsy beyond seizures, including stigma, disclosure, trauma and the emotional impact of navigating a world that often misunderstands invisible disabilities. Lucy reflects on the challenges of being dismissed by professionals, the overlap between epilepsy and autistic experiences such as shutdowns, meltdowns and burnout, and why listening to lived experience is essential to providing person-centred care. 
The conversation also explores practical ways families, friends and professionals can offer meaningful support and Lucy reflects on how self-compassion has become life-changing, why disability does not diminish the possibility of a joyful and meaningful life.

What’s on at Autism Central?
Explore the ⁠⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.
Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Lucy
⁠Instagram ⁠

Connect with Catherine 
Email: hellocatherineasta@gmail.com
Website I Instagram I Art 
Books: Rediscovered and Still Living

In this episode of the Autism Central Podcast, Catherine Asta is joined by AuDHD coach, researcher and positive psychology practitioner Dr Rebecca Jackson to explore practical strategies and everyday tools for daily living.
Drawing on both her lived experience and her work supporting neurodivergent adults, she shares why understanding yourself is the foundation for finding tools and approaches that genuinely work. 
Together they explore the power of taking a strengths-based approach to neurodivergence, discussing why recognising what comes naturally can improve wellbeing, reduce burnout and help people build lives that feel more aligned with who they really are. 
The conversation also explores practical tools and technology that can support daily living, from productivity systems and AI to sensory support, energy management and simple planning strategies. They discuss why there is no one-size-fits-all solution, how to experiment with different approaches without judgement, and why the most effective support is the one that works with your brain rather than against it. 
Whether you're autistic, ADHD, AuDHD or supporting someone who is, this episode offers practical ideas emphasizing self-awareness, realistic strategies and the importance of permission and self-compassion.

What’s on at Autism Central?
Explore the ⁠⁠Autism Central website⁠⁠ for FREE NHS-funded 1:1 coaching sessions, events and resources for families of autistic people in England and their support networks.
Subscribe to our ⁠⁠⁠FREE newsletter⁠⁠

Connect with Dr Rebecca Jackson
LinkedIn
Website
Instagram

Connect with Catherine 
Email: hellocatherineasta@gmail.com
Website I Instagram I Art 
Books: Rediscovered and Still Living