Embrace Autism Podcast #04: Christine Condo

In our fourth podcast episode, we talk with Christine Condo, who runs the blog This Great Ape, and writes for NeuroClastic.^[1]C. M. Condo | Neuroclastic She is a late-diagnosed autistic woman living with chronic pain, and writes her blog as a way to process her experiences.

Follow Christine:

• Website: ThisGreatApe.com
• Twitter: @ThisGreatApe

Video podcast

Below you can listen to and watch the podcast on YouTube. The topics of discussion can be found in the description on YouTube, or scroll down on this post.

Audio podcast

If you want to listen audio-only, you can find us on most podcast platforms, including Podbean and Spotify.

Topics of discussion:

0:24 Christine’s diagnosis
1:45 Matt’s diagnosis
2:45 Christine’s early career
4:21 Autistic characteristics and school
5:34 Christine and school
6:31 Work experiences and limitation
7:45 Difficulties in school
9:17 Christine can’t remember faces
10:07 Spiky skills profile
12:33 Alexithymia & visual skills
13:36 Autism obscured
15:47 Pathologizing conditions
16:34 Labels
17:19 High & low-functioning autism
18:57 Savant myth & stereotypes
20:42 Masking
22:03 Autistic burnout
24:03 Socially ostracized
25:55 This Great Ape blog excerpt
27:44 Empathy
28:40 Alexithymia & empathy
29:35 Depression, anxiety, PTSD
30:14 Trusting people
32:46 Support from neurodiverse friends
33:09 Trust & manipulation
36:02 Honesty & masking
36:54 Introversion & extraversion
38:16 Neurodiversity movement
39:18 Women on the spectrum
42:30 Americans with Disabilities Act
44:30 Autism & employment
47:10 Double empathy problem
49:44 Parents of autistic children
51:03 Autistics need social connection
52:10 Autistic extravert
53:15 Masking
53:37 Autism paradox
54:38 Accommodations
55:38 High & low-functioning dichotomy
56:58 Sensory sensitivity
58:34 Definitions of intelligence
1:00:06 Labels
1:01:02 Autism experts
1:03:57 Disability model: deficits
1:04:54 Communication and empathy
1:09:29 Direct communication on the job
1:11:38 Dispel stereotypes about autism
1:12:32 Great Ape Blog’s name origins
1:14:47 The autism experience
1:16:51 Where to find Christine
1:18:36 Christine’s Washington Post article