We hope you enjoy the Portal Podcast: Linking research and practice for social work. You can listen wherever you get your podcasts. Scroll down for episode information and transcripts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this episode of the Portal Podcast<\/em>, hosts Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon introduce Series 4, which focuses on the intersection of neurodiversity and social work practice. Over the series, they speak to six guests whose research and lived experiences shed light on important and often misunderstood issues facing neurodivergent individuals, their families, and professionals working in the field. Lesley and Sarah outline each upcoming episode, giving listeners a preview of the topics explored. The conversations range from the challenges autistic mothers face within child protection systems, to reframing autism through lived experience, to understanding autistic burnout in social workers themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Books\/ documents\/ resources mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Book by Alice Running. Running, A. (2021) Helping Your Child with PDA Live a Happier Life<\/em>. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H, Deacon, L and Guthrie, J (forthcoming) Neuro-Inclusive Social Work<\/em> . London: Palgrave Macmillam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n References<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Newson, E. (1990). Pathological Demand Avoidance Syndrome: Mapping a New Entity Related to Autism? <\/em>[Inaugural Lecture]. University of Nottingham, UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n PDA Society. (2025). Autism and PDA<\/em>. https:\/\/www.pdasociety.org.uk\/about-pda\/autism-and-pda\/<\/a> (accessed 14 January 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this episode, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with experienced independent social worker Cathie Long about her professional and personal journey in the field of neurodiversity, and her research into the contentious and deeply impactful issue of Fabricated or Induced Illness (FII).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Cathie shares how her work with autistic and ADHD individuals evolved from her early career in child protection and mental health, alongside her own later-life diagnosis of autism and ADHD. The conversation explores the frequent misdiagnosis of autistic women with Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (formerly Borderline Personality Disorder), the stigma that follows such labels, and the critical need for practitioners to challenge assumptions and see the person beyond the diagnosis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This conversation is an important listen for social workers, health professionals, and anyone interested in neurodiversity, safeguarding, and systemic change in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key concepts\/ terms used:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources \/ Publications Mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this episode of The Portal Podcast<\/em>, hosts Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Dr Amy Pearson, a developmental psychologist at Durham University\u2019s Centre for Neurodiversity and Development. Amy shares her research journey from a traditional, deficit-based view of autism to a neurodiversity-affirming perspective, informed by both her professional work and personal experience as a late-diagnosed autistic woman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The conversation explores how autism has historically been defined, critiquing outdated concepts such as the \u201ctriad of impairments\u201d and gendered interpretations like the \u201cextreme male brain\u201d theory. Amy discusses how the deficit model still dominates many services, despite pockets of progress, and emphasises the need for co-designed, up-to-date training led by neurodivergent people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A substantial part of the episode focuses on Amy\u2019s \u201cMate Crime\u201d research, which examines the victimisation of autistic people by those they know, including friends, romantic partners, and family members. She explains how compliance-based interventions can unintentionally teach autistic people to override their own boundaries, increasing vulnerability to abuse. The discussion highlights issues such as poly-victimisation, normalisation of violence, structural barriers to accessing support, and the need for accessible relationship education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other topics covered include the dominance of autism within neurodiversity discourse, broad versus narrow definitions of the term \u201cneurodivergent\u201d, the links between autism and eating disorders, misdiagnosis of conditions such as Borderline Personality Disorder, and the societal challenges facing neurodivergent people today. The episode closes with a vision for a more inclusive society and the importance of small, incremental changes in shifting systems and attitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Concepts \/ Terms Used:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources \/ Documents \/ Publications Mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this episode of the Portal Podcast, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with writer and author Alice Running about the systemic issue of parent-carer blame<\/em> in autism and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) services. Drawing on her lived experience as an autistic mother of neurodivergent children, Alice explains how she has repeatedly encountered damaging narratives from professionals, ranging from assumptions about her parenting to misinterpretations of her children\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alice discusses her research collaboration with parent advocate Danielle Jata-Hall, which surveyed over 1,000 parent carers across the UK, exposing a widespread culture of blame. She highlights how generic, non-individualised interventions, which are often based on neurotypical benchmarks, fail autistic and PDA (Pathological Demand Avoidance\/Pervasive Drive for Autonomy) children, and how inappropriate support can create distress while parents are blamed for “non-compliance.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n The conversation explores the biases faced by lone parents and neurodivergent parents, the harmful conflation of disability provision and safeguarding, and the importance of autistic-informed practice, genuine listening, and professional curiosity. Alice also offers practical suggestions for change, including separating safeguarding from provision, adopting a cultural lens to assess autistic families, improving accountability, and increasing professional training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Concepts \/ Terms Used:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources \/ Publications Mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this episode of The Portal Podcast<\/em>, hosts Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Dr Laura Lennuyeux-Comnene and Professor Rebecca Charlton from Goldsmiths, University of London, about the COAST Project \u2013 Co-designing Autism Social Work Training<\/em>. The project focuses on collaborating with older autistic adults, social workers, and social care providers to create training that supports social workers in working more effectively with autistic people aged 50+.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The discussion covers the researchers\u2019 journeys into this field, the importance of co-production in training design, and the challenges faced by older autistic adults, including late diagnosis, systemic barriers in social care, and the intersection of autism with ageing. The guests reflect on the difficulties in reaching diverse participants, the need for social workers to reframe existing skills with confidence, and the importance of recognising each autistic person\u2019s unique lived experience. The conversation also touches on intersectionality, intergenerational dynamics, and structural changes that could improve service access. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Listeners will gain insights into the realities of ageing and autism, the gaps in current social work practice, and practical steps for creating inclusive, needs-led support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Concepts \/ Terms Used:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources\/ documents mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Paper by Liz O\u2019Nions et al. on diagnosis rates in older adults: O’Nions, E., Petersen, I., Buckman, J. E., Charlton, R., Cooper, C., Corbett, A., … & Stott, J. (2023). Autism in England: assessing underdiagnosis in a population-based cohort study of prospectively collected primary care data. The Lancet Regional Health\u2013Europe<\/em>, 29<\/em>. Available here: https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/37090088\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this episode of The Portal Podcast<\/em>, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Professor Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, a Swedish sociologist and social work professor, activist, and member of the autistic community. Hanna shares her journey from queer studies and community activism into autism research, including her own \u201ccommunity assessment\u201d and self-identification as autistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The discussion explores how lived experience challenges dominant, deficit-based narratives of autism, advocating for a reframing grounded in embodiment, sensory experience, and the development of new, more nuanced language. Key concepts such as the \u201cdouble empathy problem\u201d and \u201ctriple empathy problem\u201d are explained through relatable metaphors. Hanna emphasises the intertwined nature of her activism and research, the importance of recognising neurodivergent professionals in social work, and the value of \u201ctranslators\u201d between neurotypical and neurodivergent communication styles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The conversation also touches on neurodivergent sexuality, the need to move beyond neurotypical and heteronormative frameworks, and how insights from communities such as BDSM can broaden understanding of sensory pleasures and pacing in intimate relationships. Practical recommendations for social workers include recognising neurodivergent people as a language minority<\/em>, allowing for processing time, and creating accessible spaces that work for the individual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Concepts \/ Terms:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources \/ Publications Mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H., Chown, N., & Stenning, A. (2020). Neurodiversity studies<\/em>. Routledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research on \u201cdouble empathy\u201d problem by Damien Milton (2012). Milton D. (2012). On the ontological status of autism: The \u2018double empathy problem\u2019. Disability and Society<\/em>, 27(3), 883\u2013887.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Neuro-Inclusive Social Work book. Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H, Deacon, L and Guthrie, J (forthcoming) Neuro-Inclusive Social Work<\/em> . London: Palgrave Macmillam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H., Day, A., & Krazinski, M. (Eds.). (2024). Exploring autistic sexualities, relationality, and genders: Living under a double rainbow. Taylor & Francis<\/p>\n\n\n\n In this episode of The Portal Podcast<\/em>, Professor Sarah Lonbay and Dr Lesley Deacon speak with Jenni Guthrie about her work exploring the experiences of autistic and neurodivergent social workers and students. Jenni shares insight into the lack of research in this area, the challenges autistic professionals face in social work, and the strengths they bring to the profession.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She discusses her completed collaborative autoethnography project co-created with neurodivergent students and newly qualified social workers, which examined the value of safe, neuro-affirming community spaces. Key findings highlighted the importance of organisational support, neurodivergent facilitators, and recognition of the impact of ableism, racism, and the conflation of both.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The conversation also explores the stigma connecting autism with \u201crisk,\u201d the barriers of diagnosis as privilege, and the compounded challenges of autistic burnout versus social work burnout. Jenni calls for regulators and organisations to actively welcome neurodivergent practitioners and invest in research, training, and safe spaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Key Concepts \/ Terms:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Resources \/ Publications Mentioned:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Collaborative autoethnography research project on community spaces for neurodivergent social workers. In Bertilsdotter Rosqvist, H, Deacon, L and Guthrie, J (forthcoming) Neuro-Inclusive Social Work<\/em> . London: Palgrave Macmillam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n BASW Special Interest Group for Neurodivergent Social Workers. https:\/\/basw.co.uk\/support\/groups-and-networks\/special-interest-groups\/neurodivergent-social-workers-special-interest<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Autistic Parents UK (charity) https:\/\/www.autisticparentsuk.org\/about<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jenni Guthrie\u2019s reflexive account Guthrie, J (2023) Swimming with the Current But against the Tide: Reflections of an Autistic Social Worker, The British Journal of Social Work<\/em>, Volume 53, Issue 3, Pages 1700\u20131710.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blog posts by Jenni Guthrie. https:\/\/www.autisticsocialworker.co.uk\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nEpisode 1: Neurodiversity and Fabricated or Induced Illness: A conversation with Cathie Long<\/strong><\/summary>\n
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Episode 2: Victimisation and mate crime: A conversation with Dr Amy Pearson<\/strong><\/summary>\n
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Episode 3: Parent-carer blame in autism services: A conversation with Alice Running<\/strong><\/summary>\n
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Episode 4: Co-designing Social Work Training for Working with Older Autistic Adults: A Conversation with Dr Laura Lennuyeux-Comnene and Professor Rebecca Charlton<\/strong> <\/strong><\/summary>\n
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Episode 5: Reframing Autism Through Lived Experience and a New Language: A Conversation with Hanna Bertilsdotter Rosqvist<\/strong><\/summary>\n
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Episode 6: Creating Neuro-Inclusive Spaces in Social Work: A Conversation with Jenni Guthrie<\/strong> <\/strong><\/summary>\n
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