Autistic Culture 101: Pillar 1 - Bottom-up Processing

In this episode of The Autistic Culture 101, Dr. Angela Kingdon explores Pillar 1 of Autistic Culture: Bottom-Up Processing.

We begin our deep dive into the 10 Pillars of Autistic Culture with the cognitive foundation that shapes how many autistic people interpret, analyse, and interact with the world—from sensory input to social understanding.

This remastered episode reintroduces the core principles of bottom-up thinking through the lens of one of fiction’s most iconic detail-driven characters: Sherlock Holmes.

🎧 What You’ll Learn

• Why autistic cognition favours detail-first processing over top-down assumptions
• How bottom-up processing supports pattern recognition, innovation, and autonomy
• The role of sensory integration and special interests in cognitive and emotional navigation
• How society pathologizes bottom-up thinkers as insubordinate, difficult, or even “broken”
• How internalized ableism can lead autistic people to distrust their own cognitive strengths
• Why reclaiming and celebrating bottom-up processing can improve mental health and self-trust

Related Episodes:

Chess is Autistic

Broadway is Autistic

Washington DC is Autistic

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