On Neurotypical and Neurodivergent Relationships, with Dr. Cindy Ariel.
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What is the purpose of the episode and who are the hosts and guest?
The primary purpose of Uniquely Human the Podcast is to educate and inform. The views expressed during all episodes are solely those of the individuals involved and do not constitute educational or medical advice. Listeners should consult with professionals familiar with each individual or family for specific guidance.
Uniquely Human, the podcast, is produced by Elevated Studio. Music is graciously provided by Matt Savage of Savage Records.
Hi, I'm Dr. Barry Prazant, clinical scholar, researcher, and consultant on autism and neurodiversity, and a Brooklyn boy raised in the big city. And
I'm Dave. I'm none of those things, and I grew up on a farm in Illinois. But being on the spectrum myself, I have plenty of personal insight to lend.
And
this is
Uniquely human the podcast, a show that illuminates and celebrates autism and neurodiversity.
Today on Uniquely Human the Podcast, uh Dave and I are very excited to have a conversation with Dr. Cindy Ariel um on a topic that many of you have requested and that Dave has requested. So uh we're going to go ahead with that in a minute. So welcome Cindy.
Thank you. That's exciting. I didn't know it was requested.
Yes. Yeah, we five people Uh through that in our lineup of future podcasts. And um the other thing let me say before we uh share a little bit more about you is that you are in practice with a dear friend and a former guest of ours, Dr. Robert Nassif. Um, so uh that that makes us part of the same family in a way. So Dr. Cindy Ariel has practiced as a psych psychologist for over 20 years, starting out working a night shift on a crisis hotline. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and worked with developmentally delayed children and adults in both. Outpatient community mental health and private inpatient facilities. Cindy received her Master of Science degree from the graduate school at Hahneman Medical College, which is now Drexel.
And earned her doctorate from Temple University in nineteen ninety two. She became co-founder and CEO of an independent psychology practice in Center City, Philadelphia. Cindy is co-editor of the book Voices from the Spectrum and also author of Loving Someone with Asperger Syndrome, Understanding and Connecting with Your Partner. That really resonates here 'cause I really, really love Dave, so Uh uh and that book is a self help book for partners of somebody on the autism spectrum. But the new book about to come out. is called Autism and the Two of Us to be published very soon by Guildford Press. Uh and uh as I alluded to, this of course is an area of Dave's interest and experience and writing as well.
So Cindy, if you could just uh tell us a little bit uh about your journey that led you to your current focus on on relationships, um, and especially your choice to continue on in your writing a new book now on this topic.
Sure, all that's related. Um So I was always kind of shy and misunderstood therefore. Um and a very introspective kind of person who then wanted to understand other people. So that's really important to me understanding All kinds of people. So I wanted to Uh, be in private practice and work with all kinds of people, but I specifically um geared myself to people I called uh living in alternative. relationships, which is like a lot of LGBTQ, maybe step family relationships. And also within that is a lot of neurodivergent people. And so first I was Working with individuals, but individuals always come in and talk about their other people or looking for people or you know, that right.
Sure yes.
Yeah, so then I to started writing stuff about that. And that's when I was asked to write, um The first book was Loving someone with Asberger syndrome. Which uh was always a very pro actually problematic Um, because it was written only for the neurotypical
partner,
I never liked that. But that is what The publisher asked me to do. So Hey, somebody asked me to write a book. I knew I could do it, so I did, but I always felt a little Wrong about it? And I also got questions about it, like, Hey, what about me? What am I supposed to do?
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Chapters
5 chapters
1
What is the purpose of the episode and who are the hosts and guest?
0:00–9:33
2
How does Dr. Cindy Ariel describe her professional background and why did she start writing about relationships?
9:33–20:28
3
What are the main communication challenges in neurotypical‑neurodivergent relationships?
20:28–31:04
4
How do sensory differences and the need for predictability affect daily life for couples?
31:04–42:44
5
What role do intimacy and sexual expectations play in these relationships?
42:44–47:02
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Uniquely Human: The Podcast
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