The AuDHD Psych Podcast
Clinical psychologist, PhD student and AuDHDer Aaron Howearth discusses Autism, ADHD, and their combination from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective, drawing on his lived experience and clinical work. The podcast aims to fund independent research into early intervention programs for neurodivergent children, helping them grow into adults who understand their traits as differences rather than deficits.
Episodes
Ep34: AuDHD Experience — Self-Concept and it's Influence on Autistic, AuDHD & ADHD Experience
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 34: AuDHD (& Human) Experience — Self-Concept & It's Influence on Autistic, AuDHD & ADHD Experience"Am I actually broken? Or do I just have these lessons that I've learnt that have informed my understanding of myself?"Summary:This week Aaron unpacks self-concept: what it is, how we develop it as neurodivergent people, and how we can delibe
Ep33: AuDHD Experience — Disclosure and Self-Advocacy for AuDHDers, ADHDers and Autistic Folk.
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 33: AuDHD Experience — Disclosure and Self-Advocacy"Disclose where it serves you, and only where you feel safe doing so. People are not entitled to our information."Summary:Should I tell people I'm neurodivergent, and how do I advocate for what I need? This week Aaron reframes disclosure as something almost everyone gets wrong: it isn't a one-off anno
Ep 32: AuDHD Experience - Understanding Emotions - A Conceptual Working Model
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 31: AuDHD Experience — A Working Model of Emotions"Emotions are our integrated experience of our body's response to our understanding of ourselves in our context."Summary:This week Aaron shares a working model for understanding emotions, developed with alexithymia and interoceptive differences in the neurodivergent community in mind. He defines emotion as
Ep 31: Neurodivergent Experience - Male/Female Vs Internalising/Externalising Presentations & Late Diagnosis
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 31: Neurodivergent Experience - Male/Female Vs Internalising/Externalising Presentations & Late Diagnosis"When we talk about male and female presentations, we're really talking about internalising and externalising presentations."Summary:In this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist and AuDHDer Aaron Howearth asks why more boys and
Ep 30: AuDHD Experience - Autistic Burnout & Recovery
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 30: AuDHD Experience - Autistic Burnout & Recovery"Downtime is a necessity, not a nice to have."Summary:In this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist and AuDHDer Aaron Howearth takes on two questions: what is autistic or neurodivergent burnout, and what can we actually do to protect ourselves from it? He begins by being clear about where
Ep 29: AuDHD Experience - Work, Burnout and Ableism in Autism & ADHD
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 29 — Work, Burnout & Ableism: Why So Many of Us Aren't EmployedEpisode SummaryIf we are different and not defective, why are so many of us unemployed, underemployed, or exhausted at work? In this episode, Aaron Howearth (Clinical Psychologist) works through the employment gap for neurodivergent people — and makes the case that it is structural, not a matter of e
Ep 28: Understanding Neurodivergence - Relationships, Friendships and Intimacy in AuDHD, ADHD and Autism
Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Ep 28 — Relationships: Friendship, Loneliness & Intimacy Across Neurotypes"It's not meeting my needs. It's not meeting your needs. It's meeting our needs in the best balance for us"⚠️ Content note: this episode includes brief discussion of trauma, including sexual trauma.If we're different and not defective, why do so many of us find relationsh
Ep 27: AuDHD Experience - Therapy Adaptations for Neurodivergent Folk (AuDHD, ADHD & Autism) — What's the Point?
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Ep 27: AuDHD Experience - Therapy Adaptations for Neurodivergent Folk (AuDHD, ADHD & Autism) — What's the Point?"Barriers aren't a 'you' problem — they're an 'us' problem to manage together."Hi friends. If neurodivergent people are already showing up to therapy, why do affirming adaptations even matter? In this solo episode I wor
Ep 26: Understanding Neurodivergence (AuDHD, Autism & ADHD) - More Than Diagnosis
Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Episode 26: Understanding Neurodivergence - More Than Diagnosis"I can be autistic without autism spectrum disorder, in the same way that I can have legs without being broken."Summary:In this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist and AuDHDer Aaron Howearth takes on a question sparked by a challenge on social media: can you identify as autistic witho
Ep 25: AuDHD Experience - Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice
Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Episode 25: AuDHD Experience - Neurodiversity-Affirming Practice "Neurodiversity-affirming practice" is now on almost every clinician's website here in Australia and around the world — but what does it actually mean, and what should it look like in the room? In this episode, Aaron Howearth (Clinical Psychologist) unpacks affirming practice not as a marketing labe
Ep 24 AuDHD Experience - Late Diagnosis & Identity reconstruction
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 24: AuDHD Experience - Late Diagnosis and Identity Reconstruction"After a lifetime of feeling wrong, broken, like a weirdo, along comes late diagnosis — but that's the doorway, not the destination."In this episode of AuDHD Psych, Aaron explores late diagnosis and identity reconstruction for autistic, ADHD and AuDHD people — why so many of us are found so l
Ep 23: AuDHD Experience - Joy, Strengths and Quality of Life
Send us Fan Mail🎙 Episode 23: AuDHD Experience - Joy, Strengths and Quality of Life"Strengths-based framings sit alongside, not instead of, our support needs — so keep both ideas in mind."In this episode of AuDHD Psych, Aaron explores joy, strengths, and quality of life for AuDHDers — moving past both the deficit-and-disorder framing and the neurodivergent-superpower narrative to find th
Ep 22: AuDHD Experience – Suicidality & Protective Factors
Send us Fan Mail⚠️ Content note: This episode discusses suicide and suicidal thoughts directly and at length. It is general education, not personal advice. If this feels like a lot, please pause and reach out to a support service (Australian helplines listed at the end).Episode 22: AuDHD Experience – Suicidality & Protective FactorsIn this episode of the AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psycholog
Ep 21: AuDHD Experience - Trauma, CPTSD & Systems Harm
Send us Fan MailEpisode 21 – Trauma, PTSD & Systems HarmWhat if you're not "too much," "too complex," or "treatment resistant"? What if the very systems designed to help neurodivergent people are inadvertently causing harm instead?In this episode, Aaron explores the deep intersection between neurodivergence and trauma — and why so many AuDHDers, autistic folk
Ep20: AuDHD Experience - Misdiagnosis, BPD & Mental Health in Late-Diagnosed Adults
Send us Fan MailEpisode 20: AuDHD Explained — Misdiagnosis, BPD & Mental Health in Late-Diagnosed AdultsIn this episode of the AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist Aaron Howearth and co-host Dan unpack why mental health diagnosis is so complex for AuDHDers, and why so many of us collect a stack of labels — depression, generalised anxiety, borderline personality disorder, bipolar, treatme
Ep 19: AuDHD Explained - More Than the Sum of Its Autism + ADHD Parts - Cognitive Differences, Energy Economy & Late Diagnosis
Send us Fan MailEpisode 19: AuDHD Is More Than the Sum of Its Parts – Cognitive Differences, Energy Economy & Late DiagnosisIn this episode of the AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist Aaron Howearth and co-host Dan explore why AuDHD isn't simply Autism plus ADHD, but a distinct presentation with its own cognitive, emotional, and behavioural fingerprint. Drawing on clinical work, liv
Ep 18: AuDHD Experience - Time Blindness, Planning & Task Initiation
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 18: Understanding AuDHD in the Real World - Time Blindness, Planning & Task InitiationIn this episode of the AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist Aaron Howearth and co‑host Dan explore why getting started on “simple” tasks can feel impossibly hard for AuDHD brains, even when the motivation and desire are absolutely there. Drawing on clinical work and lived expe
Ep 17: AuDHD Experience - Sensory Processing and Overwhelm in ADHD, Autism & AuDHD
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 17: Understanding AuDHD in the Real World - Sensory Processing and Overwhelm in ADHD, Autism & AuDHDEpisode SummaryIn this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron Howearth explores how sensory profiles shape daily life for autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD individuals. Why does a flickering light, a chatty colleague, or a tag in your shirt seem to "set you off" —
Ep 16: AuDHD Experience - Masking, Burnout & Unmasking in ADHD, Autism & AuDHD
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 16: AuDHD in the Real World - Masking, Burnout & UnmaskingEpisode SummaryIn this episode of the AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron Howearth unpacks masking and camouflaging as neurodivergent survival strategies. He explains how autistic and ADHD people learn conscious and unconscious ways of “passing” as typical, such as practised eye contact, softened honesty, and scripted
Ep 15: AuDHD Experience - Rejection Sensitivity & Dysphoria
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 15: Rejection Sensitivity & Dysphoria in ADHD, Autism & AuDHDEpisode SummaryIn this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron Howearth explores rejection sensitivity, emotional intensity, and rejection sensitive dysphoria through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. He explains why some autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD people experience emotions as suddenly overwhelming, es
Ep 14: Understanding AuDHD in the Real World – School, Work, Relationships and Burnout in ADHD, Autism & AuDHD
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 14: AuDHD in the Real World – School, Work, Relationships and BurnoutEpisode SummaryIn this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist Aaron Howearth moves from talking about AuDHD traits in theory to how they actually show up across school, work, relationships, and daily life. He explores what school can look like for autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD kids behind
Ep 13: Understanding AuDHD - Executive Functioning and Daily Life: ADHD, Autism & AuDHD (Part 2)
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 13: Understanding AuDHD – Executive Functioning and Daily Life (Part 2)Episode SummaryIn this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, clinical psychologist Aaron Howearth moves from explaining executive functioning to exploring practical ways autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD people can work with their brains in daily life. He looks at how differences in working memory, processing s
Ep 12: Understanding AuDHD - Executive Functioning and Daily Life: ADHD, Autism & AuDHD (Part 1)
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 13: Executive Functioning in Daily Life: ADHD, Autism & AuDHDEpisode SummaryIn this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron Howearth explores how executive functioning shapes everyday life for autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD individuals. Why do tasks that “should” be simple – studying, working, organising the day, or following through on plans – so often feel overwhelmin
Ep 11: AuDHD Psych Q&A Part 2 - Menopause, Gender & Why You Feel ‘Too Much’ And ‘Not Enough’
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 11: Q&A Part 2Episode SummaryIn this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron Howearth continues the community Q&A, responding to several commonly asked questions about neurodivergent experiences and expanding on themes raised in previous episodes. The conversation covers topics including perimenopause and menopause in neurodivergent people, the relationship bet
Ep 10: AuDHD Psych Q&A Part 1 - Diagnosis, Self-ID & "Different, Not Defective"
Send us Fan Mail“When I'm surrounded by people like me, I don't feel disordered. I feel understood.”🎙️ Ep 10: Your Questions Answered – Diagnosis, Self-ID & “Different, Not Defective”Episode SummaryIn this Q&A episode of the AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron responds to questions and comments from the community about autism, ADHD, diagnosis, and what it really means to be “different, no
Ep 9: Understanding AuDHD: Late Diagnosis and Diagnostic Levels
Send us Fan Mail🎙️ Episode 9: Understanding AuDHD: Late Diagnosis and Diagnostic Levels Episode SummaryIn this episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron Howearth explores one of the most common and emotionally loaded experiences in the neurodivergent community: late diagnosis. Why are so many autistic and ADHD individuals missed in childhood? Why do diagnoses often come after years, or even decade
Ep 8: Understanding AuDHD - The Intersection of Neurodiversity & Gender Diversity
Send us Fan Mail“If the rule doesn’t make sense, it has no value to me.”🎙️ Ep 8: Labels, their Utility & Lack Thereof Episode SummaryIn this episode of the AuDHD Psych Podcast, Aaron and Uma explore the intersection between gender diversity and neurodiversity, unpacking how autistic and neurodivergent ways of thinking can shape experiences of gender, identity, and self-understanding.Aaron refl
Ep 7: Understanding AuDHD - Neurodiversity Affirming Paradigm
Send us Fan Mail“The same traits that create difficulty can also be the ones that help us thrive.”🎙️ Episode 7: Understanding The Neurodiversity Affirming Paradigm - Building Balanced BeliefsEpisode SummaryWelcome to Episode 8 of The AuDHD Psych Podcast — hosted by Aaron Howearth, a clinical psychologist and proudly AuDHD human.In this solo episode, Aaron explores the neurodiversity-affirming para
Ep 6: AuDHD Psych NYE Special - The Quiet Between Years. Reflecting, Resetting & Reimagining
Send us Fan Mail“The new year doesn’t need to fix you — you were already doing your best.”In this reflective New Year’s themed episode of AuDHD Psych, Aaron and Uma explore the quiet space between years — a time often filled with pressure to reset, improve, and reinvent. Through a neurodivergent lens, they unpack why traditional New Year’s resolutions can feel overwhelming or harmful for autistic
Ep 5: AuDHD Psych Neurospicy Holidays - Comfort, Chaos & Connection
Send us Fan Mail“The absence of a reminder doesn’t mean the love isn’t there.” In this festive episode of AuDHD Psych, Aaron and Uma explore how the holiday season can uniquely impact neurodivergent folk. While celebrations are often framed as joyful and meaningful, they can also bring sensory overload, disrupted routines, social pressure, emotional fatigue, and heightened expectations. Drawing on
Ep 4: Understanding AuDHD: Traits, Truths, & Lived Experience
Send us Fan Mail🎙 Episode 4: Understanding AuDHD: Traits, Truths, & Lived Experience “When I’m told I’m lazy or unmotivated, I start to believe it — and that belief becomes part of who I think I am.”In this episode of AuDHD Psych, Aaron and Uma explore what AuDHD can look like beyond stereotypes and diagnostic labels. Aaron shares his lived experience as an AuDHD clinical psychologist, unpacki
Ep 3: Understanding ADHD: Traits, Truths, & Lived Experience
Send us Fan Mail🎙Episode 3: Understanding ADHD: Traits, Truths & Lived Experience“You’re not inherently broken. Your characteristics aren’t disordered — they just don’t always match what the environment demands.”Summary:In this episode, Aaron takes a deep dive into ADHD through a neurodiversity-affirming lens. He explores what ADHD actually looks like in daily life, why inattentive and intern
Ep 2: Understanding Autism: Traits, Truths & Lived Experience
Send us Fan Mail🎙 Episode 2: Understanding Autism: Traits, Truths, and Lived Experience "When viewed through the lens of difference, rather than disorder, we often find that it's expectations that warrant changing, not humans."Summary:In this episode of the AuDHD Psych podcast, Aaron Howearth, a clinical psychologist, discusses the diagnosis of autism, its characteristics, and some
Ep 1: Understanding AuDHD - Lived Experience, Clinical Insight, Different-not-Defective.
Send us Fan MailWhen viewed through the lens of difference, rather than disorder, we often find that it's expectations that warrant changing, not humans.🎙️ Episode 1: Understanding AuDHD - Lived Experience, Clinical Insight, Different-not-Defective.Episode SummaryWelcome to the first episode of The AuDHD Psych Podcast — hosted by Aaron Howearth, a clinical psychologist, queer, non-binary, and
