The Autistic VOICE Project

Matt, Erin, and guest Nyck Walsh are here this week — and this episode turns into a really good conversation about somatic therapy, autistic processing, nervous systems, sensory joy, and why neutrality can feel radical when your body has spent years stuck in survival mode.
We talk about:
Rocks, Nintendo buttons, foodgasms, hypervigilance, and the very real experience of trying to exist in a world that keeps demanding “normal”
Nyck explains “VAST” (Variable Attention Stimulus Trait) as a more affirming alternative to ADHD language
Why a lot of somatic therapy can accidentally become ableist when interoception differences aren’t considered
The autistic processing pause: looking away, slowing down, and needing time to actually build an accurate response
Using rocks, pets, blankets, textures, fidgets, and sensory anchors to ground in the present moment
The difference between sympathetic overdrive and parasympathetic rest — and why many autistic people rarely get to experience neutrality
How pleasure, sensory joy, and “stopping to smell the roses” can become survival tools instead of luxuries
Cats, Caprese omelets, NES controller fidgets, and the very important concept of the food dance
Nyck’s new book Neurodivergent Somatics and Therapy and the upcoming audiobook narrated by Nyck themself
Also: Erin accidentally inventing “somagic,” Tuck the adventure cat making emotional drive-bys, and a surprisingly deep discussion about how touching a really good rock can help keep your nervous system online. This is a ride. We’re glad you’re here.

This episode gets into perimenopause through an autistic lens—what it actually feels like, why it hits differently in autistic bodies, and how little real guidance exists. Matt, Erin, and Eleda talk through the biology, the lived experience, and the frustration of trying to make sense of something that affects so many people but still isn’t well understood—especially when you add autism into the mix.
We cover:
How sensory differences can amplify menopause symptoms (hot flashes, sweat, fatigue, migraines) into something much more intense
The overlap between hormones, histamines, and autoimmune conditions—and why everything can spike at once
The lack of research, missed diagnoses, and why so many autistic people are left figuring this out on their own
Real, often overlooked symptoms (phantom smells, joint pain, anxiety surges) and what it’s like not knowing what’s happening to your body
What it takes to advocate for care, find informed providers, and experiment with supports like HRT
There’s no clean roadmap here. Just real talk, shared experience, and a starting point for conversations we should’ve been having a long time ago.

Matt, Erin, and Eleda get into special interests, collections, and what it means to have a space where Autistic joy isn’t hidden—it’s the whole point. This one’s about building community through the things we love, and why that matters more than most people realize.
We cover:
Turning a business into a place where people come to connect—not just buy things

Why collections matter (and what happens to them when we’re gone)

The shame people are taught to feel about joy—and why we reject that

Autistic joy, special interests, and being “too much” for other people

Finding your people—whether that’s a shop, a hobby group, or this podcast

Also: unicorn collections, tiny horse economies, estate herds, and the real work of building (and protecting) a personal museum of the things you love.

Matt and Erin are joined by Eleda Towle, an Autistic store owner whose lifelong focus on model horses turned into a business—and a gathering place for other Autistic people. This one moves the way Autistic conversations often do: tangents, deep dives, and a lot of “wait, that connects to this.”
It’s about discovery, community, and what happens when people finally find their thing—and their people.
We cover:
Eleda’s late autism discovery at 52—and the moment everything started to make sense

Building a business around monotropic focus (yes, plastic horses) and accidentally creating Autistic community space

Why Autistic conversations “maze” instead of staying linear—and why that’s not a problem to fix

The deep (and very real) Autistic roots of toy culture—from model horses to My Little Pony lore

Intrinsic motivation, PDA, and why “just try harder” doesn’t work for Autistic people

Self-directed learning, reward systems, and a nonprofit using play to support neurodivergent kids

Side note: yes, we go from horses → Ninja Turtles → Brainspotting → electric towers → taxes → government frustration… and it all makes sense if you’re following the thread. That’s the point.
This is what it sounds like when autistic people talk to each other. A little chaotic. Very real. And honestly, kind of the best way to understand how our brains actually work.

Matt, Erin, and Jamie Roberts are here this week—and we get into identity development for autistic teens, the pressure to turn yourself into something “useful,” and what it actually looks like to figure out who you are when the world keeps handing you scripts that don’t fit. It’s real, a little chaotic, and very recognizable.
We cover:
• Why identity gets tangled up with productivity, money, and “what are you going to do with that?”—and how to separate who you are from what you earn
• The role of interests (yes, even YouTube, gaming, makeup, or “too much time online”) as actual data—not distractions—and how adults can either shut that down or build from it
• Using “experiments” instead of pressure—trying things, gathering information, adjusting, and trying again without making it a pass/fail identity crisis
• The difference between “this is hard because it’s new” and “this is hard because it doesn’t fit me”—and why that distinction matters
• Representation, visibility, and why seeing someone like you (purple hair, special interests, all of it) can shift what feels possible
• Jamie’s book Neurodiversity for Teen Girls and the six “gem” archetypes—how different autistic teens navigate identity, masking, relationships, and self-advocacy
Also: Lord of the Rings name drops, musical theater brain tangents, Lego reward systems for finishing a book (yes, really), and a solid reminder that “sucking at something” is part of learning—not a sign to quit.
Side note:
This one stays with the same core message we keep coming back to—there’s no clean, linear way to figure out who you are. It’s messy. It’s iterative. It’s a lot of “try this, nope, not that.” And yeah, that’s frustrating.
But it’s also how identity actually forms.
This is the way.