Episode 20: Executive Dysfunction, Bottom-Up Brains, and Why YouTube Broke Us Before We Even Hit Record
Podcast: The Autistic VOICE ProjectPublished On: Sat Nov 22 2025
Description: Matt and Erin come in hot this week after a 30-minute derailment caused by YouTube’s brand-account labyrinth. Which, of course, turns into a very on-brand deep dive into autistic executive dysfunction, bottom-up processing, and why chaotic systems wreck us more than most people realize.We cover:What executive functions actually are, and why autistic brains struggle when systems make no senseSignposting, scaffolding, and why clear structure helps reduce overwhelmThe Google/YouTube “brand manager” disaster as a real-time case study in autistic frustrationPDA (persistent drive for autonomy), emotional regulation, and the gremlin-with-an-air-horn analogyInvisible disabilities, judgment around “messiness,” and why demand avoidance is not defianceWhen executive dysfunction shows up in daily life: emails, cooking, home tasks, and shutdownsAlso: Godzilla as a non-mouse, ketchup as a sensory buffer, Lego bag numbering, microwave dinners, and Matt’s kid using “Oh, people!” as the ultimate curse word.
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