Dr. Mary Doherty & Elaine McGoldrick | Autistic SPACE in Practice | How Healthcare and Education Can Truly Meet Autistic Needs

A clear, lived-experience guide to the Autistic SPACE framework—how sensory needs, predictability, acceptance, communication, and empathy transform care in clinics, hospitals, and classrooms. Guests Dr. Mary Doherty — Autistic physician and researcher; lead author of the Autistic SPACE framework for healthcare. Elaine McGoldrick — Autistic educator and former special-education teacher; co-author on applying SPACE in schools. Host: Michele Van Valey • Producer: Ian Lawton What we cover What "SPACE" means: Sensory needs • Predictability • Acceptance • Communication • Empathy Plus three supports: Physical space, Processing time, Emotional space. Healthcare realities: Barriers to access, why overhead lights, crowded bays, and unexpected touch derail care; simple fixes that work; adaptations for anaesthesia and other specialties. School realities: Masking, "fine at school, collapse at home," uniform policies as sensory traps; plan B/C for timetable changes; autonomy over compliance. Double empathy: Meeting in the middle by adjusting practitioner/teacher behavior rather than forcing autistic people to mask. Mental health and safeguarding: How normalization pressures damage self-concept and increase risk; why teaching autonomy matters. Implementation tactics: Small pilots, one issue at a time, consistent staff cues, pausing instead of filling silence, validating first. Practical takeaways Flip first response: Lead with "You must have a good reason—tell me," then pause. Turn down the environment: Single rooms or curtained bays, lights off, quiet corners. Build predictability: Visual previews, clear next steps, agreed alternatives when plans change. Protect processing time: Ask once; wait; don't rephrase unless needed. Autonomy over coercion: Choices (red/blue shoes; partial attendance; blended learning). Whole-school/whole-team consistency: Shared one-page SPACE plan that any staff member can follow. Suggested chapters 00:00 Intro & definitions 05:40 Sensory needs and environmental tweaks 07:30 Physical, processing, and emotional space 12:40 Pausing, silence, and communication differences 17:20 School refusal vs. system fit; reducing coercion 23:30 Practical school accommodations and plan B/C 27:20 Acceptance, identity, and mental health outcomes 39:00 Double empathy in action 44:40 Adoption paths: clinics, training, staff culture 49:20 Closing notes and where SPACE is spreading Resources mentioned (for show page) Autistic SPACE framework paper (clinical settings) Adaptations for anaesthesia; social care; snow sports Lancet essay by Dr. Doherty on sensory overload and meltdown Credits Recording: Neuroconvergence Podcast Guests: Dr. Mary Doherty, Elaine McGoldrick • Host: Michele Van Valey • Production: Ian Lawton Content warnings Brief references to coercion in schools, ABA, and abuse risk.