{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Nimble Youth ","title":"Episode 28: Autism, Then and Now: Patrick’s Story and the Power of Community","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":1201,"description":"Nimble Youth Podcast — Episode 28 Show Notes\nAutism, Then and Now: Patrick’s Story and the Power of Community\n\nHost: Matt Butterman\nGuest: Dr. Gretchen Hoyle, MD — Pediatrician with 25 years of clinical practice\nSeries: Growing Up with Mental Health Conditions\n\n🎧 Episode Overview\n\nIn Episode 28 of Nimble Youth, we launch a new series exploring the lives of people who grew up with mental health or developmental differences — and how family, community, and changing knowledge shaped their journeys.\nWe begin with autism, seen through the life of Patrick, Dr. Gretchen Hoyle’s cousin, who was born in 1972, long before “autism spectrum disorder” entered everyday language.\nPatrick’s story unfolds in a time when:\nAutism was rarely diagnosed\nThere were no IEPs, formal supports, or online communities\nKids who struggled socially were often labeled “odd,” “quirky,” or “in their own world”\n\nThrough this deeply personal narrative, Matt and Dr. Hoyle explore:\nWhat autism looked like in the 1970s and ’80s\nHow family love created an early form of “community” before diagnostic language existed\nHow much more we understand now — and what hasn’t changed\n\n🧩 Patrick’s Story: Autism Before We Had the Words\n\nDr. Hoyle describes growing up in a close-knit family of nine cousins, all within a few years of each other. Patrick, two years younger than her, quickly stood out as:\nExceptionally bright\n\nCarried an almanac everywhere\nMemorized capitals, populations, imports, weather patterns of countries few adults knew\nSocially and physically different\n\nStruggled with coordination in group games\nNeeded accommodations for things like Easter egg hunts (the “Patrick egg” hidden in plain sight)\nTook language literally, missed inside jokes and social nuance\nEven without a label, his cousins created a kind of protective community around him — choosing teams thoughtfully, saving the visible egg, involving him in play.\nYears later, as Dr. Hoyle went through psychology, medical school, and pediatrics, she...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/h--qUaWpX4AVtgW1NGPKvLDD1Xx7NflxElKMX5dzn_8/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82ZDY5/MDgwYjg4N2E4YTFl/ODA2ODdlNjJjOTQ5/MmZjOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}