Tuning in to autismTuning in to autism
All In The Mind
People with autism often have difficulty with social interaction. In a candid and poignant interview, spokesperson John Elder Robison shares his experience of living with autism.
28:58•11 Sept 2016
Tuning In to Autism, Rock Music and Emotional Breakthroughs
Episode Overview
- Undiagnosed autism can lead to lifelong feelings of being unwanted and misunderstood, especially when behaviour is mislabelled as laziness or selfishness.
- A clear diagnosis such as Asperger’s can provide a non‑judgemental explanation and a sense of liberation from beliefs of being "less than".
- Staying away from drugs and alcohol helped John avoid extra confusion and risk in a chaotic rock scene, given his difficulty reading people.
- Deliberately learning social behaviours can help autistic adults improve first impressions and build lasting friendships.
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation may briefly enhance emotional perception, but its effects can be emotionally intense and should be approached cautiously, particularly with children.
“"No, you're not stupid. You're not retarded. You're not defective. You're an ordinary fellow with this thing called Asperger's. And that is really liberating."”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? Here, the focus is on autism rather than substance use, but you'll hear a story that intersects with drugs, rock music and emotional isolation in surprising ways. Autism advocate and author John Elder Robison sits down with host Lynne Malcolm for a frank chat about growing up as "the unwanted child" and later becoming "the weird guy that's into machinery" in the 1970s rock scene.
He talks about working on massive sound systems for bands like Kiss and British touring acts, choosing to stay clear of "wildness, drugs, liquor, guns" because being drunk or high "just made me a drunk or a high fool" on top of his existing social challenges. John explains how undiagnosed autism shaped his early life: teachers called him lazy and stupid, peers rejected him, and he had no idea why.
Everything shifted when a therapist handed him Tony Attwood’s book on Asperger’s. That moment gave him a new, non‑judgemental lens: "No, you're not stupid. You're not defective. You're an ordinary fellow with this thing called Asperger's. And that is really liberating." He shares how he painstakingly taught himself social behaviour, turning failed interactions into learning opportunities so he could make friends for the first time.
The conversation then moves to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a brain stimulation therapy that temporarily changed how he felt emotion, including a vivid experience of hearing music "just so overwhelming... just like magic". John also talks honestly about the cost of suddenly perceiving other people’s emotional pain, the impact on his first marriage and business, and why he’s cautious about using TMS on children.
At the same time, he sees it as a possible life‑saving tool, given the high suicide rates among autistic adults. For anyone dealing with difference, stigma or a sense of being "less than", John’s message is clear: autistic people "aren't smarter, aren't better, we're just different"—and that difference has value. How might that perspective shift the way you see yourself or someone you care about?
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