The Autistic VOICE Project

Matt and Erin sit in that strange in-between space after Christmas and before New Year’s, where everyone’s supposed to feel hopeful but most of us are just tired. This episode is a grounded, funny, very Autistic conversation about why New Year’s expectations don’t work the way people think they do—and what actually does help.Highlights from the episode:• Why New Year’s resolutions rely on dopamine, not sustainability—and why that backfires for autistic nervous systems• Systems over habits: menus instead of time-blocking, meds placement, and designing life around how your brain actually works• Process complexity, perfectionism, and needing to see the whole plan before starting anything• Preparation as regulation: go bags, multi-tools, and why being ready reduces anxiety about the unknown• Letting go of “fresh start” pressure and focusing on survival, scaffolding, and realistic supportThere are also clocks (a lot of clocks), Daylight Saving Time joy, lightsabers that must be perfectly level, Batman toasts “to survival,” barking dogs, cat food reminders, and a reminder that you don’t need a new personality in January—you need systems that meet you where you are.You made it here. That counts.We’ll see you in the new year.

Matt and Erin are back just before Christmas, talking honestly about why the holidays are often overwhelming instead of joyful for Autistic people. This episode names the stress, the sensory overload, and the impossible expectations—and offers realistic ways to get through it.Highlights of the episode:-Why the holidays are a perfect storm of sensory overload, social pressure, and emotional burnout-Food expectations, texture aversions, and why chicken nuggets, fries, and safe foods count as real holiday meals-PDA, demand overload, and why traditions don’t get easier just because they’re “traditions”-Navigating toxic, racist, or unsafe family dynamics—and when not going is the healthiest option-Practical survival strategies: leaving early, doing dishes to escape conversation, and creating sensory retreat spaces-What to do if you’re alone during the holidays, including online connection, pets, comfort media, and making the day your ownAlong the way: Charlie Brown as autistic canon, green bean casserole slander, potatoes as a reliable food group, Bluetooth meat thermometers, and a reminder that you’re not imagining how hard this season can be. There’s no right way to do the holidays—only what actually works for you.

Matt and Erin are back this week, and we’re taking on the zombie myth that refuses to stay dead: the claim that vaccines cause autism. It’s blunt, it’s necessary, and yeah—we’re not being cute about it. This episode breaks down where the lie came from, why it keeps resurfacing politically, and how it harms autistic people, public trust, and actual human lives.We cover:Where the vaccines-cause-autism myth actually started (Andrew Wakefield, 1998, 13 kids, bad science, revoked license)The difference between misinformation and disinformation—and why intent mattersWhy vaccine injury ≠ autism, and how increased distress gets mislabeled as “more autistic”How this narrative quietly frames autism as worse than death or disability—and why that’s dangerousWhy science revises itself, how retractions work, and why that’s a feature, not a flawHow to find reliable public health information right now, including why Your Local Epidemiologist is worth your timeAlso: dry sarcasm disclaimers, Mexican Coke as the unofficial sponsor, bleach enemas being an absolute hell no, Bob from Tulsa (we love you), and practical ammo for surviving holiday dinners with Uncle Ted and his Facebook medical degree.This one’s direct on purpose. No euphemisms. No soft edges. Vaccines don’t cause autism—and autistic lives are worth defending without apology.Your Local Epidemiologist: Vaccines don’t cause autism. So what does?https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/

Content note: This episode is heavier and much longer than usual. It runs about an hour and a half, and it covers medical trauma, chronic illness, and the grief that follows years of being dismissed. If you don’t have the spoons for that right now, it’s completely OK to skip it entirely or come back when you have more capacity.Matt and Erin are here this week — and we start out thinking ahead toward Christmas traditions and Krampus, but then everything drops into the reality of bodies that are breaking down while everyone else thinks we’re fine.We stay with the medical gaslighting, the fear, and the kind of pain you can’t perform loudly enough for anyone to take seriously.We don’t tidy it up; we tell the stark truth because too many Autistic people are carrying this alone.We get into:Invisible disability as a daily negotiation that no one notices until you collapseMedical dismissal that turns “take some Advil” into decades of preventable harmEstrogen, histamines, MCAS, POTS, and the weird constellation of symptoms no doctor connectsThe difference between “bad cramps” and organs bound together by scar tissueHow pain that looks calm from the outside gets treated as imaginaryThe emotional damage of managing crises alone while coordinating your own careThe quiet grief of losing years of functioning before anyone believes youWe’re steadier now because we pushed, insisted, and found the few people who could actually hear us. If you’re going through anything like this, we hope the episode helps you feel less alone while you fight to be believed.Resources Mentioned: Autistic Connections: The community Facebook group associated with this podcast, offering autistic-led support and connection.https://www.facebook.com/groups/619732285448185Buoy: Electrolyte hydration drops that offer a lifetime chronic illness discount.https://justaddbuoy.com/pages/chronic-illness-supportUCSF Endometriosis Center: The specialty clinic where Erin received expert surgical care.https://www.ucsfhealth.org/clinics/endometriosis-centerNancy’s Nook Endometriosis Education: A Facebook-based learning library with medically vetted information and surgeon listings (not a support group).https://www.facebook.com/groups/NancysNookEndoEd/Disney Disability Access Service (DAS): The accommodation system discussed in the episode and its recent policy changes.https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/disability-access-service/

Matt and Erin are back this week with a Thanksgiving episode that’s… honestly, a lot. Food sensitivities, MCAS, sensory overload, historical truth-telling, and why beige food is basically an autistic love language. We also get into the real history behind the holiday, the weirdness of family gatherings, and how to make eating day actually work for your nervous system.We cover:Why Thanksgiving foods can be a sensory minefield (taste, texture, histamines, executive functioning)Family chaos: noise, politics, racist Uncle Bob, and the pressure to “just suffer through it”Autistic food stories: McNugget platters, stuffing experimentation, bread-only buffets, and the rise of the Soft Taco EraMCAS, histamine responses, estrogen shifts, and why your throat might randomly decide “nope”Environmental overwhelm: hardwood floors, too many people, wrong-size spoons, and bringing your own silverwareAlso: Snoopy’s questionable turkey ethics, preschool plays involving the USS Enterprise, Samwise running through a field of potatoes, Mystery Science Theater 3000 marathons, friendly dogs, biker ninjas (allegedly), and Matt almost getting run over by his own car.Take what you need this eating day. Skip what you can’t. And if all you manage is bread and cookies, you’re doing fine. This is the way.