This episode originally aired on December 20, 2022, under the title “Fairy Tales are Autistic.”

Angela’s all-time favorite episode! #ActuallyAutistic co-hosts discuss how HCA used imaginative stories to reframe common Autistic traits (that we’re frequently bullied for) as treasured gifts.

“We are not defective neurotypicals. We are not ugly ducklings. We are swans. We do swan things. We don't do duck things.”

“They claim that we have no empathy—we are just overwhelmed a lot by emotion because they're so big for us.”

“It's all about the research because, god, we love the research.”

“They did these brain scans, and it turns out that neurotypical people tune out 98% of all sensory data. 98%. And we don't.”

“The world is overwhelming for us. It's chaotic. And this is exemplified in ‘The Princess and the Pea’ because she feels it, whereas other people wouldn't…And that's the reason she's royalty.”

Which fairy tale (or fairy tale character) do you relate to most?

Fan Favorite Game: design #2 (get your “not a duck” design here OR your “HCA was framed” design here)

Play the game! Fan Favorites Game rules

Episode 03: Poetry is Autistic (The Emily Dickinson episode)

Episode 25: The Legend of Autistica

Episode 34: Beauty and the Beast is Autistic

Episode 63: Elsa is Autistic

Ready for a paradigm shift that empowers Autistics? Help spread the news!

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