Unpacking Neuroqueerness
Health & Wellness Podcasts
Hello, my name is George Muniz Gund (he/they). I am a young Brazilian American autistic and ADHD actor, disability justice advocate and board member at Autism Career Pathways (501c3).
In this podcast I talk about my lived experience of being an autistic+ADHD person growing up in a world built for neurotypicals. I also host guests to talk about their own personal lived experiences with neurodiversity, as every neurodistinct person is different and experiences neurodiversity in their own unique ways.
New episodes released every week
*I do not speak for all neurodistinct people, I am just one neurodistinct person speaking about Autism and ADHD from my personal lived experiences.
**TRANSCRIPTS AVAILABLE on RSS website from Episode 140 and up (I am in the process of adding older episodes) at https://rss.com/podcasts/unpackingneurodiversity/
Check out my website https://www.georgemunizgund.com/
Location:
United States
Genres:
Health & Wellness Podcasts
Description:
Hello, my name is George Muniz Gund (he/they). I am a young Brazilian American autistic and ADHD actor, disability justice advocate and board member at Autism Career Pathways (501c3). In this podcast I talk about my lived experience of being an autistic+ADHD person growing up in a world built for neurotypicals. I also host guests to talk about their own personal lived experiences with neurodiversity, as every neurodistinct person is different and experiences neurodiversity in their own unique ways. New episodes released every week *I do not speak for all neurodistinct people, I am just one neurodistinct person speaking about Autism and ADHD from my personal lived experiences. **TRANSCRIPTS AVAILABLE on RSS website from Episode 140 and up (I am in the process of adding older episodes) at https://rss.com/podcasts/unpackingneurodiversity/ Check out my website https://www.georgemunizgund.com/
Language:
English
Episodes
Episode 156- Calling out ableism in Netflix's "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of your Gut"
5/12/2024
In this episode I discuss the deeply ableist, irresponsible, problematic and offensive narrative around Autism propagated by Netflix's new documentary and the response from the autistic community and organizations such as the UK National Autistic Society.
*Also check out my brand new website: https://www.georgemunizgund.com/
Duration:00:12:56
Episode 155- Why many autistics struggle with friendships
5/1/2024
In this episode I talk about some of the difficulties many autistics like me experience when it comes to navigating friendships, such as being able too tell who is a friend or not, as well as understanding non-verbal communication, which can be very challenging for autistic people to read and understand because it is not how we typically communicate.
Duration:00:08:34
Episode 154- Why certain tasks can require a lot of energy for autistics and ADHDers
4/24/2024
In this episode I explain how even simple tasks can be very exhausting for neurodivergent people, even if they are physically able to complete the task.
Duration:00:09:22
Episode 153- Why autistic empathy is often misunderstood
4/17/2024
In this episode I give a refresher on emotional empathy vs cognitive empathy and explain how sensory overload and mental shutdowns can play a role in autistics being perceived as not having empathy. This is largely due to the medical community refusing to learn from listening to the internal experiences of autistic people.
Duration:00:09:45
Episode 152- Why autistic communication is often misunderstood
4/6/2024
In this episode I discuss the main differences in between autistic and non-autistic communication styles, as well as the main reasons autistics are often misunderstood.
Duration:00:07:33
Episode 151- How to support your autistic friends and/or family members this April and beyond
3/29/2024
For this episode, as we approach Autism Acceptance Month, I give a brief history "Autism awareness month" and explain why many autistics (including myself) prefer to say "Awareness and Acceptance" and how non-autistic people can be good allies and help make the world more accommodating to autistic folks, instead of pushing "cures" and "treatments", which are rooted in the old ableist eugenics narrative of Hans Asperger and the hate group "Autism Speaks" (tune in to Episode 14 of this podcast if you'd like to learn more about why you shouldn't support this organization and who to support instead).
Duration:00:15:28
Episode 150- A talk with Jim Jarrett (he/him)
3/23/2024
In this episode I host my acting teacher Jim Jarrett. Jim is Sanford Meisner's last teaching protégé and founder and director of The Meisner Technique Studio in San Francisco (where I completed my acting training just over two years ago). I firmly believe that studying with Jim played a huge role in my unmasking journey and in starting this podcast. Jim talks about the craft of not trying to "be good" and not giving in to what people think. We also discuss developing strategies to get things done, and how many high masking people end up becoming actors or even artists in general.
Duration:00:42:36
Episode 149- A talk with autistic senior Jeff Fried (he/him)
3/18/2024
In this episode I host fellow queer autistic ADHD senior Jeff Fried. I ask Jeff about his experiences with Autism and ADHD throughout life, what masking looked like for him, and how the narrative around Autism has been slowly changing over the past few decades.
Duration:01:05:48
Episode 148- A co-review of "Girls" with Ashra Piterman (she/her) @autisticthrifter
3/8/2024
In this episode my friend Ashra and I talk about the HBO show "Girls", by Leena Dunham. We discuss the unfair perceptions towards the main character, Hannah, and the possibility of some characters being neurodivergent coded.
Duration:01:30:10
Episode 147- A talk about Ehlers Danlos syndrome with X Rakov (she/they)
3/1/2024
In this episode my friend X talks about their experiences with Ehlers Danlos syndrome and how it affects them in conjunction with ADHD. Shared below are resources recommended by X during the episode:
Ehlers Danlos Support UK https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/
Neurodivergence and EDS https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27377649/
EDS UK Webinar (2022) https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/information/webinar-hypermobility-and-neurodiversity/
Duration:00:46:27
Episode 146- The link in between Autism and eating disorders [ft. Livia Sara (she/her) from "Liv Label Free"]
2/21/2024
In this episode I host Livia Sara from the "Liv Label Free" podcast to talk about her experiences battling a severe eating disorder and the strong link in between autism and eating disorders that doesn't get enough recognition. Livia also talks about how typical ED recovery strategies can be unhelpful for many autistic people and a lot of times different approaches are needed.
Check out Livia's podcast "Liv Label Free": https://open.spotify.com/show/1eGGdf4UB8K22mBxzrohuk
Check out Livia's books, "Nourishing Neurodiversity" and "Rainbow Girl": https://livlabelfreebooks.com/
Duration:01:05:31
Episode 145- Calling out the SF Chronicle and UCSF for continuing to push the eugenics narrative
2/14/2024
In this episode I passionately break down a recent article published by the SF Chronicle which highlights a study by UCSF which pushes the ableist narrative of trying to "fix" or "treat" autistic folks instead of listening to their experiences and making society more accommodating. I give specific examples on certain accommodations that can be made in terms of autistic experiences such as sensory sensitivities and social communication differences, rather than spending so much money and effort on "treatments".
(Link to the mentioned article: https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/autism-ucsf-ai-study-18520353.php)
Duration:00:18:28
Episode 145- Calling out the SF Chronicle and UCSF for continuing to push the eugenics narrative
2/14/2024
In this episode I passionately break down a recent article published by the SF Chronicle which highlights a study by UCSF which pushes the ableist narrative of trying to "fix" or "treat" autistic folks instead of listening to their experiences and making society more accommodating. I give specific examples on certain accommodations that can be made in terms of autistic experiences such as sensory sensitivities and social communication differences, rather than spending so much money and effort on "treatments".
(Link to the mentioned article: https://www.sfchronicle.com/science/article/autism-ucsf-ai-study-18520353.php)
Duration:00:18:28
Episode 144- Ableism in immigration laws
2/8/2024
In this episode I talk about how ableism is still strongly tied in to immigration laws and give examples of two countries in particular, including a case involving a Korean family with an autistic child in Australia.
Duration:00:09:51
Episode 143- Autistic sensory and auditory processing differences
1/31/2024
In this episode I talk a little bit about auditory processing delays in autistic individuals and a recent study from Case Western Reserve University and the University of Toronto that revealed that autistic brains process substantially higher amounts of information at rest compared to neurotypical brains.
I also talk about why listening to and considering the lived experiences of autistic people is so crucial for everyone to have a better understanding of autism and neurodiversity.
Duration:00:10:12
Episode 142- The division amongst the autistic community
1/20/2024
In this episode I talk about the division I have been noticing amongst the autistic community and why we shouldn't assume someone's support needs if we don't know them personally and have no idea of what they have been through in life. High maskers are really good at hiding their struggles and support needs can also fluctuate many times throughout a single week or in some cases even throughout a single day.
Duration:00:18:33
Episode 141- A talk about psychology and support groups for autistic adults [ft. Ashra Piterman (she/her)]
1/3/2024
In this episode I bring my friend Ashra (also known as @autisticthrifter on Instagram) back on the podcast to talk about her experiences studying psychology as an autistic student, working as a TA at Harvard, and filling a huge gap in the neurodistinct community by hosting support groups for autistic adults.
Check out Ashra's website for more information regarding support groups: https://autisticthrifter.org/
*Feel free to check out my first episode with Ashra (Episode 127) as well if you'd like
Duration:00:48:49
Episode 141- A talk about psychology and support groups for autistic adults [ft. Ashra Piterman (she/her)]
1/3/2024
In this episode I bring my friend Ashra (also known as @autisticthrifter on Instagram) back on the podcast to talk about her experiences studying psychology as an autistic student, working as a TA at Harvard, and filling a huge gap in the neurodistinct community by hosting support groups for autistic adults.
Check out Ashra's website for more information regarding support groups: https://autisticthrifter.org/
*Feel free to check out my first episode with Ashra (Episode 127) as well if you'd like
Duration:00:48:49
Episode 140- Navigating the holidays as neurodivergent individuals [ft. X Rakov (she/they)]
12/30/2023
In this episode my friend X and I talk about our perspectives on the holidays and mention a few tips for navigating them as neurodivergent folks.
Duration:00:42:03
Episode 139- A talk about homeschooling with Manisha Snoyer (she/her) from the "Teach Your Kids" podcast
12/26/2023
In this episode I talk with Manisha Snoyer, host of the "Teach your Kids" podcast and founder of MasteryHour and Cottage Class.
Manisha has been a homeschooling expert and advocate for many years and has built unique curriculum planners for 200 different archetypes of students
Manisha talks about the benefits of a homeschooling environment, particularly when it comes to accommodating kids that are neurodivergent or have learning disabilities
Learn more here about the nine learning profiles for kids with learning disabilities and differences: https://teachyourkids.substack.com/p/cognitive-diversity-and-homeschooling
Duration:00:56:54