In this compelling episode, we sit down with Dr. Mary Doherty—an anesthesiologist from Ireland who brings both professional expertise and lived experience as an autistic and ADHD-diagnosed individual. A powerful advocate for neurodiversity, Dr. Doherty challenges the disease-based model of autism and instead embraces a strengths-based, identity-affirming approach.

She shares her mission to normalize autism within healthcare and society, highlighting the often-overlooked presence and contributions of autistic physicians. Dr. Doherty emphasizes the importance of raising children to be confidently autistic, free from shame and pressure to conform to neurotypical norms.

We explore her work supporting autistic healthcare professionals, as well as her co-authorship of "Autistic SPACE"—a groundbreaking framework published in the British Medical Journal that equips clinicians to provide more respectful and effective care to autistic patients.

This episode is a call to action: to celebrate neurodiversity, to rethink how we define “normal,” and to create inclusive spaces—both in medicine and beyond.

https://assets.practice365.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/582/2023/10/Autistic-SPACE-a-novel-framework-for-meeting.pdf

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