Autism, Neurodiversity, and Living Unmasked with Dr. Devon Price and Fern Brady 

I want to listen to Devon and Fern talking for about 2 hours every week. Both heros, thanks so much.

I can't believe I can just listen to this for free! 😳 I've recently purchased audiobooks of the both of them, so hearing them exchanging perspectives is like a dream come true 🙏

This is the crossover I never thought I’d see!!!!

I just got diagnosed two months ago at the age of 36. Trying to understand what this diagnosis means to me, I red "unmasking Autism". The next book I got was "strong female character", because I just had seen a interview with Fern Brady where the book was mentioned. I think those two books might be one of the best ways to get a realistic and accurate picture of what autism actually is. Both books brought me to tears several times.

As someone who has been in an emotionally abusive relationship with someone with highly narcissistic personality traits, it blows my mind that people label autistic people as manipulative. They've clearly never been around someone who is actually manipulative because they're pretty much the complete opposite. My ex would have known exactly how to present herself to get what she wanted from those healthcare professionals. If she was expected to be meek then she would be. Don't get me wrong she could be very nasty and rude. But under normal circumstances she wouldn't have been called manipulative or weird. It's really sad and must be crazy making to be told you're being dishonest when you're simply being yourself.

I loved witnessing this conversation. Feeling connected to other Autistic humans makes my heart happy 🩷✨️🌿

Alexis Quinn has written another really useful book, "Autistic and Expecting". I recommend it to all ny autistic clients (I am an autistic midwife).

Yes on needing to know the objective of a meeting!!! Prior to my diagnosis I would ask what the purpose of a meeting was and would get a room full of angry eyes back at me 😂 so much bureaucracy and word salad meaning nothing in these meetings. If I know the purpose and subject I can align my brain to pay attention to the objective, what to contribute, etc Also I would imagine hanging around comedians would be much easier than a room full of professionals. Honestly, I would find relief sitting in the room with someone who had criticized me and was open and honest than feeling so self conscious trying to act "professional". I've refrained from notifying Doctors I'm autistic for the very reasons you mention. I have been a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" kind of girl my whole life who, like Fern, doesn't want to be seen as difficult or a diva... Anyway great conversation!!

when i met my surgeon i told him i was autistic and he actually rolled his eyes.

Lol why are people hating dr devon price! I loved him very much, both in the book(s) and here. I felt like he was trying very hard and also came prepared to honour and promote fern brady and to also share his experience if asked. his way of speaking feels really professional and aknowledging to me and must propably come a long way to know exacly what to say when. Or at least thats how i feel in my own life, trying to go where he is and knowing what to say in that way if that makes sense (and if not dont tell me idc). Loved fern brady also very much, here as well as in the book. Her book was the first one i lisstened to about autism and i loved it. Also i got all my education on autism from FLINTA people, even the lady in the diagnosis process by chance only (tho im not vibing with her at all). I found dr devon price's book very very well written and informative. I love how he decodes so many intersectionalities and societal layers that shape ones experience. And how he lets other people speak about their experiences with different intersectionalities. Im very grateful for everything you both have shared and brought into the world, thank you so much❤

re: "institutional performances" (38:00) Yes! Late-diagnosed ASD1 here. Our culture is so patriarchically hierarchical that the sort of solipsistic autonomy inherent to autism always seems to be perceived/received with skepticism (at best), as if we couldn't possibly be the authority of our own experience.

Love listening to these two ❤ so validating

Thanks for making this talk possible and available. Finally ordered Mrs. Brady's book from my local bookstore. I've heard so many good things about it and hearing Fern talk is always interesting.

eeee this makes me so happy!!! thank you so deeply for sharing these thoughts in this exchange. i look forward to finally reading both of these books in full!!!! we are so lucky we got to see this convo and i’m so surprised it only has 1k views

One of the best things I ever found on RU-vid. Thank you.

Two people I really admire as a fellow late-diagnosed autistic! Also I went to see Fern live the other night and she was absolutely brilliant. If you get a chance, GO! She’s about to start a US tour, although I think most dates are sold out 🙃

This is such an awesome find, two recently discovered favorite people! Thank you.

Fantastic interview. I could really relate to the part about how we may show pain or emotion differently. When I was in hospital I had terrible pains, and the nurses and doctors all assumed I just wanted drugs they eventually gave me something for the pain, after they checked that I had no background of taking drugs or overdosing pills etc, and also the pain became so bad that they probably started seeing signs, because I was rocking and clutching myself. I never considered that they might be suspicious because I don't react to pain outwardly like they expected a neurotypical person to do. Also, the gender-identity of people with autism is so interesting; I struggled with that a lot. I'm attracted to women, I just don't have a sure feeling of my own sex, and I don't have gender-dysphoria either, and I definately do not feel comfortable in society's definition of being male and the way traditional male group interactions usually are, with all the status-seeking, competition, testing each other for being tough enough, talking about sex, sports, etc.

This is a great interview it’s helping me understand how people with autism feel

Just a note - you can migrate to NZ if you are autistic with low support needs. If you have high support needs or health conditions that are likely to need a lot of medical treatment, then you are more likely to be declined due to increased strain on the public healthcare system/social welfare system. The stipulation is that you must be in general good health, and is not specific to autism itself.

love this so much, I could listen to their banter forever

Thank you!

Great interview!!! Thanks for this.

Best conversation ever!

(Light Sensitivity) I love making connections in real time and that's exactly what is happening with you all discussing light sensitivity because I remember in college it was socially acceptable to string white christmas lights up all semester long which I loved but when I "became an adult" post college - it was viewed as "childish" irl and on shows (especially HGTV - such garbage) so I put them away and HATED it. I don't even like christmas but every year I'd look forward to those few months in the winter (when I'm struggling THE MOST) because it's social acceptable. When I finally started living on my own, it took me forever but thanks to covid I had zero f*cks to give about perception so I put them back up EVERYWHERE and it was such a game changer. I'm grateful that those I live with also have light sensetivity so we have soft low lighting alternatives for everything and my brain hasn't been happier (well...I could ALWAYS use more sunshine but I'm poor and sunshine cost money here in the land of the free). Thanks so much for sharing this great convo! So important! Also - I love stage acting but I find it hilarious that most of my past characters have some how "organically" had hats added to the costume (my me) and now I know why lmao those stage lights are so freaking bright but damn my sneaky audhder brain macgyvered its way around it without me being aware I was doing it or why bahaha and that makes me smile! (also - a hat is a fabulous prop to add a flourish or punctuate your words with and you don't have to worry about losing because it stay on your head. Wait a sec - that's an ADHD hack! bahaha I'm learning so much about me in real time lol) And yes, I have been acting since I was really young which honestly makes sense since "people watching" was a survival tool. It's also likely why I'm a writer too. It DOES explain some of the acting choices I made in rehearsals that in hind sight were totally (and tonally) off bahaha but you better believe come hell or high water, I figured it out :)

Great talk!

Loved this ❤

Love Fern, even when occasionally I disagree. Classism is a massive force in America. It just looks and acts different than in the UK. And it affects us autistic people over here drastically. It plays into the violence and various employment and educational problems, and when combined with racism it becomes deadly.

36.00. Mins . Inappropriate questions, that was what dr Devon price did to me and like fren said , it made me feel alienated from the autistic community for a long time. I think because I’m poor and don’t live in a developed country it bothered me because I paid nearly a weeks wages for his book.

I love Fern! I know her Badger Teacher, and I shared a room at teacher training college ( Catholic obvs) with a woman I now know is a cousin of hers. 3 of my 4 granddaughters are Autistic so am I. 2 of them are bi.1 is non binary and I'm lesbian. Scotland deserves us xxx

My biggest mistake in my early experience of autism was reaching out to dr Devon price , and buying her book and getting it sent to Cambodia, for him to be rude and dismissive and all his fans bullying me of social media. It sent me back years. A very negative experience. I greatly enjoyed fren book. And related to it very much.

41:47 There *is* reason for concern, though, about autistics knowing who we are regarding gender. It's not that we aren't competent to know who we are, it's that, in my experience, if you don't conform to social norms in general, certain neurotypicals *will* gaslight you about your gender and sexuality to make themselves feel superior. If I had a dollar for every time a highschool classmate made a comment like "yOu DoN't hAve a gIRlFriEnD? ArE yOu GaY?", or something else questioning my status as a cishet male, I could have funded my way through a bachelor's degree at an out-of-state school, and has enough money left over to retire at 25. If you have a demographic that constantly gets gaslit about their gender showing up in gender clinics in large numbers, it makes sense to question if questioning the gaslighting might be a healthier way of dealing with the issue than transitioning.

I don’t know why dr price blocked me on Twitter for saying I didn’t understand something.

I’m 53 years old, recently diagnosed. From my perspective, Dr. Price is way too young to really understand any significant fraction of the range of human experience, autistic or not. I hope he remembers to keep learning, and forgets about selling books. Fern talks humbly about her own personal experience, but Price presents himself as some kind of expert and talks for other people, not just himself - listen to how many times she says “I” and he says “we.” Such behavior reeks of ego; some people can, indeed, be both autistic _and_ assholes.

There is no such thing as autism! But if u have no self respect and want to put these ridiculous labels on urself then that's ur fault.

💖