We’ve waited for decades for an autism assessment tool that reflects the experiences of adult women. The older diagnostic tools based on research of autistic boys left many of us misdiagnosed, overlooked, or completely missed.

Dr. Rebecca Evanko set out to change that. After her own diagnosis at age 47, she used her background in cognitive linguistics, clinical practice and research to create an autism screening instrument developed specifically for adult women. It’s based on women’s personal experiences. It’s called WRADIANCE© Instrument and Protocol and is going into Phase III Clinical Trial.

In this episode Rebecca also explains why the words clinicians choose can dramatically change an assessment outcome, how autistic burnout is often mistaken for personality disorders, and why traits like heightened pattern recognition and focused persistence deserve recognition as autistic strengths rather than symptoms to be explained away.

The conversation also turns to identity after diagnosis, the grief many late-diagnosed women experience, and why therapies that include the body—not just the intellect—can play an important role in healing. Rebecca shares how equine-assisted therapy can help autistic women connect thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations in ways that traditional talk therapy often cannot.

In this episode:

• The words a real psych evaluation used to describe an autistic woman and what they actually mean
• Why cognitive linguistics — the study of how thought and language shape each other — explains so much of why women get missed
• What existing autism assessments overlook about adult women
• How autistic pattern recognition can appear as "intuition"
• The women’s autistic strengths that deserve greater recognition
• What horses can reveal about emotional regulation that talk-therapy alone cannot
• And more that would make this list much too long

Dr. Rebecca Evanko’s website

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RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

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June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together

In this episode you’ll hear from Tanya Roberts about Mindfulness Done Differently. For those of us who find meditation and mindfulness difficult Tanya has a solution. She teaches a method that works for autistic people by taking sensory needs into account. She also created a supportive community of other autistics who are learning and practicing these skills.

Next, Tanya answers four unique questions about being an autistic woman. She shares deeply personal insights about her life now and before knowing she is autistic.

Website: Mindfulness Done Differently

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RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

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June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together

The medical system wasn't built for women who ask too many questions, need more time, or leave an exam still wanting answers. As a result many women have learned not to trust their bodies and their needs. Nikki Vinckier, a Physician’s Assistant, spent a decade working in medical care before she decided to write the manual it didn’t come with.

This conversation is not just about what's broken, but about what you can actually do about it before your next appointment.

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How the history of reproductive healthcare still shows up in exam rooms today
• What medical gaslighting is and why autistic women are especially vulnerable
• Why a clinician can’t address your health issues during your annual exam
• How to communicate symptoms when the one-to-ten scale makes no sense for your brain
• The approach that gets you care in an autistic-friendly environment
• What trauma-informed care looks like in practice
• Why you don't have to disclose that you're autistic, and what to say instead
• Grounding techniques for exam rooms and waiting rooms

Nikki's book: We Deserve More: Why Health Care is Broken and What You Can Do About It

The We Deserve More Workbook: A Companion for Navigating Your Reproductive Healthcare

Take Back Trust: Nikki's platform for visit prep, reproductive health information, and combating medical misinformation.

Find Nikki: All social media platforms at @NikkiVinck

Support the show

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

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Email: info@theautisticwoman.com
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June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together

Allie Memery never imagined that a late autism diagnosis at age 57 could be the launching pad for a whole new, satisfying life. In this episode she talks about the thing that became her special interest, the path to self-regulation and the social life that she couldn’t have expected.

She did it all while handling menopause, taking care of her aging mother and facing her own personal challenges.

Alllie talks candidly about:

• How menopause amplified her sensory sensitivities long before she had any framework to understand why
• The physical toll of years of unaccommodated autistic needs — and how the body keeps score
• What it took to actually slow down when you've masked for decades
• The unexpected source of regulation and community she discovered after her diagnosis
• How her life was changed by a nature-inspired special interest
• The peer support she now offers other late-diagnosed adults, and why she built it the way she did

This one is practical, honest, and genuinely warm — exactly what you want from someone who's a few steps ahead on a path you might just be starting.

Support the show

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

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June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together

What does thriving actually look like for a late-diagnosed autistic adult?

Alexis Kruel gives a pretty specific answer from a life of contradictions.

Alexis is a commercial model and actor who was diagnosed autistic at 53 and ADHD shortly after. But this isn't really a diagnosis story. It's a story about what happens when your whole life suddenly plays back differently, and every awkward moment, every friendship that went cold, every dinner party you wanted to escape, finally makes sense.

She's built a life that genuinely fits her brain. In this conversation she talks about how she did it — and what she'd tell anyone who's still figuring that out.

In this episode:

• The video that stopped her cold and started everything
• Sensory life in the 70s — polyester, crinolines, a doomed trip to Stride Rite
• Why she was simultaneously popular yet seen as “different”
• How the fear of being seen inspired her to become a model
• How two autistic people built a marriage that works — and why she thinks that's not an accident
• Her advice for finding your comfort after late diagnosis

Find Alexis:

Instagram & TikTok: @alexiskruel_official

YouTube & Facebook: Alexis Kruel

Alexis Kruel website

Resources mentioned:

• @whileyouwonderau
• theartofautism.com
• Prosper Health — telehealth autism assessments for adults

Support the show

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

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Email: info@theautisticwoman.com
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June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together

Have you ever felt like the world's volume is turned all the way up — and no one else seems to notice?

For autistic people, sound sensitivity isn't just a quirk or an overreaction. It's a daily, exhausting reality. In this episode, you’ll hear what it actually feels like when everyday sounds become unbearable — and learn the science behind why it happens.

In this episode:

• Why between 50–70% of autistic people experience sound sensitivity at some point in their lives
• The elements of sound that can push an autistic brain into overdrive: frequency, duration, quantity, repetition, and volume
• What's happening in your brain when a disturbing noise sends your nervous system into fight-or-flight
• Why the common advice to "just get used to it" can actually make things worse for autistic people
• Practical tools and strategies that can help — from noise-canceling headphones to acoustic wall panels to earplug alternatives

Meet My Autistic Brain is a podcast for late-discovered autistics and anyone who wants to understand what life on the spectrum really looks like — no filters, no sugarcoating.

Listen, subscribe, and share with someone who needs to hear this one.

Support the show

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

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Email: info@theautisticwoman.com
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June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together

Did you know that AuDHD is its own unique experience, not just autism plus ADHD co-existing? In this episode Megan Griffith, author of Welcome to AuDHD: How to Survive and Thrive as an Adult with Autism and ADHD, gives us the inside look at AuDHD from her lived experience. Some of the things Megan talks about:

• Why AuDHD is its own unique experience, not just autism plus ADHD stacked on top of each other
• How autism and ADHD can mask each other, leading to late or missed diagnoses
• Practical advice on employment, salary negotiation, and finding work that fuels rather than drains you
• Why autism and ADHD are often misunderstood as behavioral issues instead of neurodevelopmental disabilities
• Misdiagnosis and what to look for in an autism/ADHD assessment
• Learning to make accommodations instead of trying to “fix” yourself
• Why many autistic and ADHD people struggle with self-trust

There’s so much more!

The book: Welcome to AuDHD: How to Survive and Thrive as an Adult with Autism and ADHD

The Neurocuriousity Club

Megan Griffith website

Support the show

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

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Email: info@theautisticwoman.com
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June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together

Something a little different this week! Natalie Diggins, former guest and author of the Autistic Adults Toolbox, reached out with a guest suggestion for the show — and that guest was me. So we turned the tables, and Natalie took over the hosting chair.

In this episode, Natalie pulls back the curtain and asks the questions I usually ask everyone else. We talk about how and why I started this podcast as a sitting judge — anonymously, and with a lot of hope — and what it was like to finally have an explanation for a lifetime of feeling different. We also dig into the moment that changed everything for me, how my understanding of autism has shifted over the years, and what I've learned from the incredible guests and listeners who have been part of this journey.

We also get into:

• What it's like to keep your autistic identity private when your whole life requires masking
• Why I don't think we can "learn our way out of" autism — and why that's actually okay
• The episodes and topics that have resonated most with listeners
• Navigating jury duty as an autistic person
• What's coming up next for the show

Support the show:

• Leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts
• Comment or ask a question on Spotify
• Support on [Patreon / Ko-Fi / PayPal]
• Share this episode with someone who will benefit

Support the show

RATED IN THE TOP 0.5% GLOBALLY with more than 1.2 million downloads!

If you are an autistic person who has written a book about autism or if you have a guest suggestion email me at info@theautisticwoman.com.

Instagram
Ko-fi, PayPal, Patreon
Linktree
Email: info@theautisticwoman.com
Website

June 24-28, 2026 In Rewilding Together