The Hidden Work of Masking: Understanding What Autistic Children Carry Inside
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the quiet, often unseen effort autistic children use to get through their day. Masking is…
Listen to episodePODCAST SERIES · 47 EPISODES
Understanding Autism.
Autistic experience, identity, sensory life and the environments that help people thrive.
Start listeningWhen School Becomes Too Much: Understanding Autistic Children’s Hidden Struggles
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the often-unseen reality that many autistic children face in school. While classrooms are designed for…
Listen to episodeRecovering From Autistic Burnout: A Slow and Gentle Return to Safety
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the slow and deeply personal journey autistic children go through as they recover from burnout.…
Listen to episodeRebuilding Identity: Who Autistic Children Become After Masking Falls Away
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the tender and often misunderstood process autistic children go through when they begin to unmask…
Listen to episodeEmotional Safety: The Foundation of Autistic Wellbeing
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores why emotional safety is essential for autistic children. Emotional safety is more than comfort. It…
Listen to episodeUnderstanding Autistic Shutdowns: When the World Becomes Too Much
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores autistic shutdowns, a quiet but deeply misunderstood response that many children experience when the world…
Listen to episodeSpecial Interests: Anchors of Joy, Regulation and Identity for Autistic Children
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the powerful role that special interests play in the lives of autistic children. Often misunderstood…
Listen to episodeLow-Demand Living: Why Reducing Pressure Helps Autistic Children Thrive
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the gentle and transformative approach of low-demand living. Many autistic children face a constant stream…
Listen to episodeCo-Regulation and Connection: How Adults Support Autistic Nervous Systems
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the quiet but powerful role co-regulation plays in the lives of autistic children. Co-regulation is…
Listen to episodeUnderstanding Autistic Burnout: A Parent’s Guide to Recognition and Recovery
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the reality of autistic burnout and why it affects so many autistic children without being…
Listen to episodeCreating a Life That Fits: Building Environments Where Autistic Children Thrive
In this final episode of the autism series on The William Gomes Podcast, William explores what it truly means to create a life that fits…
Listen to episodeSensory Life: Understanding the World Through an Autistic Child’s Experience
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores what daily life feels like for autistic children who experience the world with heightened intensity.…
Listen to episodeWhat Autism Really Is – A Whole-System Understanding
In this opening episode of The William Gomes Podcast autism series, William offers a clear and compassionate introduction to autism as a whole-system developmental difference.…
Listen to episodeHow Ideas About Autism Have Changed Over Time
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William takes listeners on a gentle and thoughtful journey through the history of autism. He explores how…
Listen to episodeLooking at Autism Through Behaviour – What We See and What We Miss
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores what autism looks like at the behavioural level. While behaviour is often the first thing…
Listen to episodeWhat Biology Can Tell Us About Autism
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the biological foundations of autism in a clear and compassionate way. While autism cannot be…
Listen to episodeHow Psychologists Build Theories About Autism
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William gently explores how psychologists develop theories to understand autism. Rather than relying on any single explanation,…
Listen to episodeAutism Across the Lifespan – How Development Shapes Experience
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autism unfolds across different stages of life. Rather than appearing suddenly, autism is a…
Listen to episodeStrengths, Differences and the Autistic Mind
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the many strengths and differences observed in autistic thinking. Moving beyond outdated deficit models, this…
Listen to episodeWhy Autism Looks So Different in Every Person
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores why autism varies so widely from person to person. Rather than being a collection of…
Listen to episodeSocial Understanding in Autism – A Different Way of Seeing People
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people understand social situations differently. Rather than framing these differences as deficits, he…
Listen to episodeAutism and Emotion – Why Feelings Can Be Intense or Hard to Name
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people experience emotions in ways that are often misunderstood. He discusses emotional intensity,…
Listen to episodeAutism and Executive Function – Why Everyday Tasks Can Feel Hard
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores executive function in autism — the mental processes involved in planning, organising, switching tasks and…
Listen to episodeDetail-Focused Thinking – How Autistic Minds See the World
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the autistic tendency to focus intensely on details. He explains how this cognitive style creates…
Listen to episodeInformation Processing in Autism – A Different Cognitive Rhythm
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people process information in ways that are often deeper, slower or more detailed…
Listen to episodePredictability and the Autistic Mind – Why Uncertainty Feels Overwhelming
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people experience prediction and uncertainty. He explains why routines create safety, why unexpected…
Listen to episodeEarly Social Attention – How Autistic Development Begins Differently
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic children develop social attention in unique ways. From early eye contact to joint…
Listen to episodeSocial Motivation in Autism – Wanting Connection in a Different Way
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people experience social motivation. He explains why autistic individuals may appear withdrawn, how…
Listen to episodeThe Double Empathy Problem – Why Misunderstanding Goes Both Ways
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explains the double empathy problem — the idea that social difficulties between autistic and non-autistic people…
Listen to episodeThe Sensory World of Autism – Why Everyday Life Feels Different
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people experience the sensory world. He explains hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, sensory seeking, filtering challenges…
Listen to episodeHow Autism Shapes Everyday Life – The Invisible Effort Behind Each Day
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how sensory differences, cognitive styles and emotional rhythms come together to shape daily life for…
Listen to episodeAutism and Anxiety – Understanding the Emotional Load
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores why anxiety is so common in autism. He discusses how unpredictability, sensory overload, communication challenges…
Listen to episodeThe Language of Autism – Words That Shape Identity
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William reflects on how the language used to describe autism influences identity, dignity and public understanding. He…
Listen to episodeAutism and Gender – Why So Many Girls and Women Are Missed
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores why autistic girls, women and non-binary people are so often overlooked. He discusses masking, social…
Listen to episodeEarly Development in Autism – The Foundations of a Different Path
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the earliest developmental patterns in autism, from attention and prediction to communication and sensory processing.…
Listen to episodeAutism and Learning – Why Autistic Minds Grow Differently
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people learn in unique and meaningful ways. He discusses detail-focused thinking, deep interests,…
Listen to episodeUnderstanding Autistic Behaviour – It’s Communication, Not Misconduct
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the deeper meaning behind autistic behaviour. He explains meltdowns, shutdowns, stimming, masking and avoidant behaviour…
Listen to episodeAutism Diagnosis – What It Really Means and Why It Matters
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explains what autism diagnosis truly represents. He explores how assessment has evolved, why diagnosis provides clarity,…
Listen to episodeThe History of Autism – From Misunderstanding to Understanding
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores the evolving history of autism — from early misconceptions and harmful theories to today’s richer,…
Listen to episodeCreating Supportive Environments – What Autistic People Need to Thrive
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how sensory design, predictability, communication and emotional safety shape autistic wellbeing. He explains how small,…
Listen to episodeBuilding Supportive Systems – How Families, Schools and Services Can Work Together
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how coordinated, compassionate systems can transform autistic wellbeing. He discusses collaboration between families, schools and…
Listen to episodeAutistic Identity – Understanding Yourself in a World That Misunderstands You
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic people develop a sense of identity. He discusses the impact of early experiences,…
Listen to episodeAutism in Adolescence – Navigating Change, Identity and Social Pressure
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores how autistic young people experience adolescence. From sensory changes and social complexity to increasing expectations…
Listen to episodeAutism in Adulthood – Strengths, Struggles and Self-Understanding
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores what it means to be autistic in adulthood. He discusses late diagnosis, masking, workplace challenges,…
Listen to episodeAutistic Ageing – Understanding Autism Across the Lifespan
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William explores what it means to grow older as an autistic person. He discusses sensory changes, executive…
Listen to episodeSeeing the Whole Picture – Understanding Autism Beyond the Traits
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William brings together sensory, cognitive, emotional and communication differences to explore autism as a whole-person experience. He…
Listen to episodeThe Future of Autism – Research, Inclusion and a More Compassionate World
In this episode of The William Gomes Podcast, William looks ahead to the future of autism research, education, healthcare, workplace inclusion and community support. He…
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