Sensory Matters

This week on the podcast, we have found the communication revolution that you need to hear about!  We are talking about Nawmal - we know you probably haven't heard of it, but you're about to... Find out all about how Nawmal was created and how it adapted to the Autism market! This is the communication revolution that you need to hear about... SO DON'T MISS OUT!

New Year New Me! But sometimes that can be harder than it sounds... This can lead to struggles in mental health. So this year Chewigem is going to help with the new year's mental health revolution! The 2nd Season of the Sensory Matters podcast is focusing on mental health and this first episode will give you lots of tips on how to maintain your mental health through January and the dreaded "Blue Monday". Listen to find out our tips on how to make New Year Resolutions work for you and how to avoid all the mistakes people usually make surrounding them!

With little over a week until Christmas day, we know that many people find it hard, that's why we've created the ultimate Christmas survival tips! While many people enjoy Christmas, they can often find themselves getting into trouble or being stressed. Some people, like Joel, don't enjoy it at all and pretend it doesn't exist. Find out how Joel deals with the season's parties and expectations when he can't stand Christmas! Also find out all about how to manage Dress Codes, food, expectations and most importantly money!

Christmas is a difficult time for most people. In particular, those people on the spectrum or with SPD challenges. The lights all change and the sounds and smells are different, worst of all... there is no warning, it just happens. That's why the chew crew have created some fantastic tips for surviving the festive season this year! Get your fantastic tips for surviving the festive season now

Chris Bonnello is a novelist, writer & ex-teacher. If you listen to this podcast you have probably read or heard of his fantastic book Underdogs. You might also know him from his fantastic Facebook page: Autistic Not Weird! It’s a story about neurodiverse superhero’s who are the only people left to save Britain. Find the synopsis below: One million cloned soldiers. A nation imprisoned. A group of neurodiverse rebels fighting back. Britain as we know it lies destroyed. In the aftermath of the most daring military coup in history, the surviving population is crammed inside giant Citadels, watched over by an army of cloned soldiers. The hope of a nation lies in a tiny number of freedom fighters hidden in the abandoned countryside – most of whom are teenagers who escaped the attack on their special school. Seen by many as no more than misfits and ‘problem children’, this band of fighters could never have imagined the responsibility that now rests on their shoulders. But perhaps this war needs a different

This week on the sensory matters show we discuss the question "Does Tv do a good job at autism representation?" Atypical is Joel & Lorraine's favourite show! A Netflix show about an autistic teenager navigating a neurotypical world. We started chatting exclusively about the show but the podcast became more about representation as a whole. Join us as we discuss a whole range of television shows about Autism and discuss which shows we love and which we hate. As we try to answer the question "Does TV do a good job at autism representation". Come join us as we discuss everything sensory now

HAPPY SPD MONTH! This week on the podcast, Lorraine and Jenny are breaking down the 8 senses. This is part of our SPD knowledge pack which will give you lots of tips and tricks on dealing with SPD in your everyday life. In this podcast, we go through each sense and tell you what it feels like being hyper and hypo sensitive to each. As well as what you can do to make living with SPD easier! Come join us breaking down the 8 senses now

Meet Jamie Young, well most of you probably already know them as Lorraine's awesome child. It's been a while since we've heard from them, so it's time for a catch-up! Since our last podcast, Jamie has come out as non-binary and has changed school. Their new academy has something different about it, listen to the podcast to find out. Check out this Episode of the sensory matters to find out what it's like just being Jamie in a world of their own!

This week on the podcast Jenny talks to Aspiecomic - Michael McCreary who gives us an Autistic's Guide To Being Funny! Michael McCreary is a successful Canadian comedian, author and runs a fantastic Facebook page - Aspiecomic. In this podcast, Michael tells us all about his life and how he learned to be funny, as well as giving you tips on how you can be funny too! Michael is a great example of an Autistic person following his dreams and passions and turning them into a reality!

This week is Dyspraxia Awareness week and in this podcast, you will find out everything you NEED to know about Dyspraxia! Dyspraxia is a misunderstood and overlooked condition. Despite 1 in 6 people having it, a lot of people don't know much about it. That's why Joel & Lorraine are talking to Jenny about everything you need to know about Dyspraxia! This is a fantastic episode full of knowledge and tips. It will help you understand Dyspraxic people and what we really go through! Don't forget to check out our Dyspraxia Awareness Pack being released on 15/11/19 for more info!

Confused about Dyslexia? Dyslexia can be an often confusing and misunderstood condition with lots of conflicting information and harmful stereotypes surrounding it. Joel is here to help with the top secrets you HAVE to know about Dyslexia. The clouds will disappear and Dyslexia will be clear as day after listening to this podcast!

We all know how helpful service dogs can be to people with disabilities, but due to lax laws and murky guidelines, people are getting away with using FAKE SERVICE DOGS!   Find out all about this epidemic and how to avoid all the scams looking to get the money out of your pocket in this week's podcast!    

This week on the podcast, Lorraine talks about Autism Passports. Autism Passports are the life-changing you probably haven't heard of. This is an essential document for any Autistic Person or anyone with SPD, it will allow your life to become so much easier and remove a lot of the stress you'll find in daily life! Listen to this podcast to find out all about these life-changing documents and how you can benefit from them! As well as this we talk about Joel's podcast on Autism knowledge and the rise of Autism activists. Stress-Busting Apps & The Disney Princess who helped a meltdown!

This week Jenny and Joel discuss how the lack of autism knowledge is harming the autism community. Autism knowledge is an extension of the struggle to get autism awareness. Bitesize knowledge that is easy for people who are not connected to autism to understand is the key! It also looks at how we can bridge the gap between adapting to live in a neurotypical world and focusing on how to help neurotypicals understand the Autism Community and it's intricacies!  A must-listen for anyone in the Autism community!

This week Lorraine and Jenny talk about how to help autistic people being let down by mental health services. This is a serious issue within our community where a lot of autistic people are being let down by mental health services and not getting the help they need. This is leading to a mental health crisis (as Tom said in last weeks episode). Lorraine and Jenny talk about how to deal with this crisis and the whole stigma surrounding mental health!

Is there a mental health crisis in the autism community? Tom Henely thinks there is. He tells us all about what he thinks is causing it and how we can fix it!   Find Out More In This Week's Podcast!

This week on the podcast, Jenny and Lorraine are discussing how to respond to ignorant comments about Autism. We know that it can be really hard not to get your back up when you hear comments like "Well you don't look autistic" or "You MUST be high functioning".  We decided to have a conversation around this topic to see just what the best way to respond would be. Usually, people say this kind of stuff with the best of intentions so it is really important to take a step back before responding. 

This week Katy talks to us about being on the spectrum and off to university. If you haven't heard, our very own Katy has decided to go to university. Jenny talks to her all about her worries and fears in terms of accommodation, scheduling and workload.  Find out all about Katy's hopes and worries when moving into accommodation, joining clubs, and having to settle into different routines while being on the spectrum and off to university. We wish Katy all the best on her university journey. But she won't be gone from Chewigem completely. so don't worry too much!  

This week Jenny, Lorraine and Katy talk about how to get schools to accept sensory aids. In our community this is a common problem, there tend to be two types of schools. Either school think that sensory aids are a fantastic idea. They are completely on board with the idea of them. Or they are completely against and just say no. If your school is in the latter category, you're probably thinking "how do I get the school to accept sensory aids?" You know your child needs them and will benefit but the school just can't see it. This is where our great episode comes in. Lorraine, Katy and Jenny give you really great tips on getting schools accepting these aids. As well as this, find out all about special interests and how they might not be as simple as you think. Lorraine's diagnosis and the new book hunting craze. This is not an episode to be missed

This week on the Podcast, Lorraine talks about what it's like living in a multigenerational autistic family. Lorraine got her autism diagnosis recently. She talks to us about how her life has changed since then and how she knew. Having a child with Autism and working for Chewigem, she tells us how it helped her realise she was Autistic.  At the same time Lorraine got her autism diagnosis, her son Joe also got his. Which means that only her husband Dean is Neurotypical. Lorraine talks about how it is for him living in a multigenerational autistic family. Giving tips on how he deals with its intricacies.