Amplifying Autism Podcast: Sharing Autistic Stories
Host Wendela Whitcomb Marsh interviews autistic authors and professionals to share their wisdom, insights, and words of encouragement for other late-diagnosed, high-masking, or self-identified autistic folk.
Amplifying Autism Podcast: Sharing Autistic Stories
Are You Autistic? Beyond Masking, Labels, and Self-Identification
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this solo, Wendy explores the language, labels, and experiences that shape the autistic community. Whether you are late-diagnosed, self-identified, or just beginning to question if you might be autistic, this episode offers a supportive introduction to understanding autism beyond stereotypes and clinical definitions.
Wendy discusses the limitations of the medical model, which often focuses on deficits rather than lived experience. She explores why functioning labels can be misleading, how masking affects autistic people emotionally and physically, and why many autistic adults prefer identity-first language.
The episode also examines the difference between being “neurotypical” and “neuro-privileged,” reminding listeners that neurodivergence is not wrong — it is simply a different way of experiencing and processing the world. Wendy also validates self-identification, acknowledging that formal diagnosis is not accessible to everyone and that lived experience matters.
Takeaways:
• Autism is not something that needs to be “fixed”
• Functioning labels often oversimplify autistic experiences
• Masking can help people survive socially, but it is exhausting over time
• Neurodivergence is a difference, not a personal failure
• Many autistic adults prefer identity-first language like “autistic person”
• Self-identification is valid, especially when diagnosis is inaccessible
About Your Host:
Wendela Whitcomb Marsh, MA, RSD, is an award-winning author, TEDx speaker, and host of Amplifying Autism. Though not autistic herself, Wendy has dedicated her career to supporting the neurodivergent community. She is the founder of Adulting While Autistic and helps late-diagnosed autistic adults find clarity and community.
Website: wendelawhitcombmarsh.com
Instagram: @wendela.w.marsh
Adulting While Autistic: @adultingwhileautistic
Join the Newsletter: https://forms.aweber.com/form/49/591191449.htm
Thank You for Listening:
If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it. Your support helps us reach more late-diagnosed autistic adults and those who care about them.
YouTube: @AmplifyingAutism
