Motherness: Julie M. Green on Parenting & Autism

Today, we're speaking with a very exciting guest - author Julie M. Green!Julie M. Green is the author of Motherness, a memoir of generational autism, parenthood, and radical acceptance (ECW Press, 2025). In 2024, she was a finalist for the CBC Nonfiction Prize. Her writing has appeared in the Washington Post, Globe and Mail, HuffPost, Parents, Chatelaine, CBC, Today's Parent, and more. She also writes The Autistic Mom on Substack.Throughout our conversation with Julie, we discuss her parenting journey to her autistic son and as a late-diagnosed autistic adult. We peel-back the complexities of parenting and the emotional rollercoaster it brings, especially when navigating both autism and motherhood. Learn all about her memoir "Motherness" - available now! - where she shares her candid reflections on the messy, often overwhelming realities of raising a neurodivergent child while wrestling with her own late diagnosis. There’s a ton of relatable wisdom packed in here, from the struggles of societal expectations to the brutal honesty of mental load that many parents carry. So, whether you’re a parent, a professional, or just someone trying to figure out this wild ride called life, buckle up - this one is for you!Timestamps:(01:34) - Welcome(03:16) - Welcome Julie!(07:35) - The Journey of Writing Motherness(16:54) - The Complexity of Parenting a Neurodivergent Child(24:21) - Navigating the Challenges of Autism Diagnosis and Acceptance(28:33) - Challenges of Caregiving for Neurodivergent Children(37:42) - Education and Support for Children with Disabilities(44:07) - Understanding Developmental Differences in Children(51:54) - Navigating Parental Guilt and Growth(56:31) - Neurodiversity in Parenting(01:06:45) - Community for Neurodivergent Teens(01:17:41) - Parenthood During Tough TimesMentioned In This Episode:Where To Find Julie:IG: @juliem.greenSubstack: The Autistic MomWebsite: juliemgreen.caJulie's Book: Motherness: a Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood, and Radical Acceptance*Disclaimer: At the time of recording this episode, Julie's son Carson used he/him pronouns. The Spoon Theory:The Spoon Theory is a metaphor for managing limited energy, particularly for people with chronic illness, neurodivergence, or caregiving responsibilities. Each “spoon” represents a unit of energy or capacity for the day, and once your spoons are used up, you need to rest before you have more to give. The concept helps explain why individuals sometimes have to prioritize tasks, activities, or social interactions, and why energy can feel finite or quickly depleted.Brief History of Asperger’s Syndrome:Asperger’s syndrome was a diagnostic term used to describe individuals with persistent differences in social communication and restricted or repetitive patterns of behavior, without significant delays in language or cognitive development. It was named after Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, who described a group of children with these characteristics in the 1940s.Asperger’s syndrome was formally introduced into the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) in 1994 as a diagnosis distinct from autistic disorder.In 2013, Asperger’s syndrome was removed as a separate diagnosis with the publication of the DSM-5. The diagnostic criteria were consolidated under a single diagnosis: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This change reflected research showing that Asperger’s syndrome and other autism-related diagnoses shared overlapping features and did not consistently differ in ways that were reliable or clinically distinct.Under the current diagnostic framework, individuals who would previously have received a diagnosis of Asperger’s are now diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, with specifiers used to describe support needs, language ability, and other relevant characteristics.References:Green, J. M. (2025). Motherness: A memoir of generational autism, parenthood, and radical acceptance. ECW Press.****Visit The Sensory Supply for the best in sensory products to soothe, stimulate, and inspire.Learn about our clinic Elemenoe where we work to reach milestones together through speech, language, behaviour & learning.Visit neurodiversallyspeaking.com for all podcast & show info:Follow us:InstagramFacebookXYouTubeTikTokContact:Have a question or a topic that you'd love to hear on the show? Get in touch with us at [email protected]