In the Wake

Stigmas of Autism with Brianne Leeson

• Whytli Rogers • Episode 93

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Brianne Leeson is an artist and small business owner from Dallas, Texas. She is also the creator of the scripted comedy/fiction podcast Today’s Lucky Winner.

You might have recognized Brianne from Episode 80 where she shared how her ADHD and eating disorder affected one another. In this follow up part two episode, Brianne is continuing her story about how she has also received an autism diagnosis. 

Brianne was diagnosed in her thirties with ADHD and later autism which led her to a whole new realm of self discovery and understanding. She began to realize how both her ADHD  and autism had affected or amplified different things throughout growing up including her relationship with her body and an eating disorder.  After receiving her autism diagnosis, she had to dismantle her own misconceptions and ableism. With the knowledge she has of herself now, she is able to adapt with her differences, look at her life through a new lens, and advocate for her specific needs.

We discuss the following:

  • What led her to pursue an autism diagnosis
  • Things she didn't realize were traits of autism
  • Similarities & differences between ADHD & autism
  • Stigmatized misconceptions around autism
  • What masking and stimming look like
  • Harmful VS. helpful language to use when speaking of autism

Tune in to hear the rest of Brianne's story!!

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Resources:

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Song: Seen & Not Seen by Talking Heads

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Connect with Brianne & her work:

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Follow along with the rest of my journey.

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