The Quiet Life Episode 29: Awesome & Autistic with Siena Castellon

This week we welcome 17 year old Siena Castellon, an autistic neurodiversity advocate and anti-bullying activist to discuss her experiences growing up,  and the negative assumptions and ideas that surround autism. A moving conversation that may challenge everything you think you know about life on the spectrum, embracing and celebrating difference, and how we can all show up as kinder, more compassionate humans in our communities. Siena was diagnosed as autistic when she was twelve, her diagnosis came as a welcome relief after years of being rejected by her classmates for being odd, eccentric and weird and always feeling out of place, she felt she finally had an explanation. But, it was only when she started delving deeper into understanding what this really meant for her that she learned many girls continue to fly under the radar, as behaviours  can vary drastically and many textbooks only studied male behaviours. She discovered that there were very few books and resources aimed at autistic girls, and they didn’t address many of the issues she faced as a teen. So, she decided , to write her own book: The Spectrum Girl’s Survival Guide: How to Grow Up Awesome and Autistic, which is now available at all good book stores. To find out more about Siena follow her on Instagram @qlmentoring or visit her website sienacastellon.com This season of the Quiet Life was made possible by our friends at T2. Receive 10% off your first order and heaps of benefits such as rewards, experiences and personalised offers when you join the Tea Society, to start brewing the benefits and redeem your offer visit T2tea.com. This weeks featured tea is New York Breakfast, find out more about this tea here. Guest research for this episode completed by Camilla Besley.