This week, Angela and Simon dive into a growing debate about neurodiversity language. Are terms like neurodivergent, neurodiverse and Autistic becoming blurred together — and does that matter? Responding to new research questioning how broadly neurodiversity terminology is used, they explore why umbrella terms can be incredibly useful, where specificity still matters, and what we lose when very different neurotypes and experiences are treated as interchangeable.

For our second excavation into the Autistic Culture Archive, Simon is taking Angela to Arrakis. Using the Ten Pillars of Autistic Culture as their guide, they dig into Frank Herbert’s Dune, uncovering extraordinary world-building, systems within systems, pattern-matching, passionate superfanning and a fictional universe that rewards you for wanting to know absolutely everything about it. By the end, there’s only one question left: is Dune Autistic culture?

And if our trip to Arrakis leaves you wanting to dig even deeper, you can explore the full Dune Field Report in the Autistic Culture Archive, where Simon brings together the research, evidence, rabbit holes and connections to the Ten Pillars that couldn’t fit into the show — and, as always, you can add your own field notes, because the archive is never finished!

As always, we’ll take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week!

🌐 Subscribe to our newsletter and read our Autistic Culture Archive Field Reports: www.autisticculturepodcast.com

🎧 Listen: This Week in Autistic Culture is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

🌈 Become a Culture Builder: Get early access, ad-free listening and our full podcast archive at AutisticCulturePlus

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

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This week, Angela and Simon dive into new research about Autistic traits and romantic relationships — and find themselves questioning some of the assumptions behind it.

From attachment styles and relationship maintenance to masking, regulation and the need for connection, they explore what happens when Autistic experiences are measured against expectations that may not have been designed with Autistic people in mind.

It’s time to open the vaults for our brand-new segment: The Autistic Culture Archive!

Each week, Angela and Simon will become cultural archaeologists, excavating a film, book, musician, fandom, hobby or cultural figure and using the Ten Pillars of Autistic Culture to uncover the Autistic fingerprints hiding in plain sight.

First into the archive is The Rocky Horror Picture Show

And if our first excavation leaves you wanting to dig deeper, every entry in the Autistic Culture Archive will have its own Field Report, bringing together the research, evidence, rabbit holes and connections we couldn’t squeeze into the show — and inviting you to add your own field notes to an archive that is never truly finished

As always, we’ll take you through everything coming up across the Autistic Culture Podcast Network this week!

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror:

• Prime Video UK listing
• Apple TV UK listing
• JustWatch UK
• Prime Video US listing

🌐 Subscribe to our newsletter and read our Autistic Culture Archive Field Reports: www.autisticculturepodcast.com

🎧 Listen: This Week in Autistic Culture is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.

🌈 Become a Culture Builder: Get early access, ad-free listening and our full podcast archive at AutisticCulturePlus

📲 Follow us on Instagram: @autisticculturepodcast

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.