S3 E8: Autism, Advocacy and being Unapologetically Visible with Yenn Purkis

S3 E8: Autism, Advocacy and being Unapologetically Visible with Yenn Purkis

From Autism, ADHD and Us Three by Jenny Lucas

April 5, 2026 · 43 min · Season 3 · Episode 8

About this episode

In this episode, Yenn Purkis discusses their journey into advocacy and the importance of visibility for autistic individuals.

Hello lovely humans, and welcome back to another episode of Autism, ADHD and Us Three. If you’re new here, I’m so glad you’ve found us. And if you’re a regular listener, thank you for being part of this space 💜 If you enjoy the podcast, it would mean the world if you could leave a quick review. It helps more people find these conversations and feel a little less alone. In this episode, I’m joined by Yenn Purkis, an autistic and ADHD advocate, author of 18 books, TEDx speaker and PhD candidate. We talk about how Yenn was unexpectedly pulled into advocacy, and the moment that shifted everything for them. From there, we explore the realities of being visible, the impact of deficit-based narratives around autism, and why so many common assumptions about autistic people are still so harmful. We also dive into gender identity, inclusion, and what it really means to stand up and be seen in a world that doesn’t always feel safe to do so. This conversation is honest, thoughtful and at times challenging, but also incredibly grounding for anyone navigating identity, late diagnosis, advocacy or burnout. ​How Yenn found themselves in advocacy and what changed their direction ​The impact of…

People in this episode

Host: Jenny Lucas

Guest: Yenn Purkis

Topics covered

  • autism
  • advocacy
  • visibility
  • gender identity
  • inclusion
  • burnout

Keywords

  • autism
  • ADHD
  • advocacy
  • visibility
  • gender identity
  • functioning labels
  • burnout
  • representation

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