The AutSide Podcast

Today’s episode explores the necessity of defining autistic liberation outside the restrictive framework of economic value. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that current societal structures only view neurodivergent individuals as financial burdens, projects in need of fixing, or specialised tools for productivity. By moving beyond this “market imagination,” the writing seeks to establish a worldview where human personhood is not tied to a ledger. Instead of merely criticising existing harms, Dr. Hoerricks advocates for creating new social spaces rooted in authentic connection and self-defined meaning. Ultimately, she challenges readers to envision a life where dignity is inherent rather than something that must be earned through utility.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/priced-out-of-personhood-beyond-the
Let me know what you think.
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This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode critiques the modern support industry for neurodivergent individuals, arguing that many services prioritise institutional conformity over genuine well-being. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, suggests that programs labeled as therapy or education often function as tools for norm enforcement, masking their demand for compliance behind a veneer of care. By using gentle language like “skills” and “readiness,” these systems can obscure their true goal of making autistic people more tolerable to society rather than helping them flourish. Whilst acknowledging that some practitioners do authentic and humane work, Dr. Hoerricks warns that much of the available assistance is actually a mechanism of control. This perspective highlights the dangerous disconnect between superficial clinical goals and the actual needs of the person receiving help.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/priced-out-of-personhood-the-industry
Let me know what you think.
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode critiques how the phrase “no evidence” is weaponised within institutional systems to silence marginalised perspectives and maintain the status quo. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that scientific or academic absence is rarely a neutral discovery, but rather a result of deliberate choices regarding what receives funding and which metrics are valued. By prioritising specific hierarchies of knowledge, these systems effectively manufacture a lack of data to dismiss lived experiences as mere anecdote. Ultimately, Dr. Hoerricks suggests that what is labeled as rigorous truth is often just the byproduct of organised omission. This process serves to protect existing structures by ignoring realities that the current methodologies are not designed to see.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/priced-out-of-personhood-no-evidence
Let me know what you think.
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode explores how modern institutions and markets struggle to accommodate individuals who process information through gestalt or holistic thinking. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that systems like education and healthcare are designed to segment human development into measurable parts, small tasks, and billable interventions. This structural preference favours minds that follow a linear, predictable path, effectively marginalising those who perceive the world as a unified whole rather than a collection of fragments. Consequently, people whose cognitive styles prioritise integration and circular learning are often labeled as inconsistent because they cannot be easily quantified or invoiced. Ultimately, Dr. Hoerricks critiques a society that values mechanical progress over the complex reality of diverse neurological experiences.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/priced-out-of-personhood-the-minds
Let me know what you think.
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe

Today’s episode marks a return to the NotebookLM summaries. It explores how economic logic often supersedes the human experience of autism. The author of the source article, Dr. Jaime Hoerricks, argues that society tends to view autistic individuals through the lens of financial cost and social burden rather than seeking to understand their true identity. This perspective shifts the focus toward measuring potential expenses and the labour required for management instead of fostering genuine connection. By prioritising market-driven metrics, the current system treats neurodivergence as a disruption to efficiency that must be optimised or mitigated. Ultimately, Dr. Hoerricks highlights how the dehumanising process of pricing a person’s existence replaces the recognition of their inherent personhood.
Here’s the link to the source article: https://open.substack.com/pub/autside/p/priced-out-of-personhood-opening
Let me know what you think.
The AutSide is a reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.



This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit autside.substack.com/subscribe