Episode 42: Horses, Hyperfocus, and the Accidental Autistic Gathering Place

<p>Matt and Erin are joined by Eleda Towle, an Autistic store owner whose lifelong focus on model horses turned into a business—and a gathering place for other Autistic people. This one moves the way Autistic conversations often do: tangents, deep dives, and a lot of “wait, that connects to this.”</p><p>It’s about discovery, community, and what happens when people finally find their thing—and their people.</p><p><strong>We cover:</strong></p><ul><li><p>Eleda’s late autism discovery at 52—and the moment everything started to make sense</p></li><li><p>Building a business around monotropic focus (yes, plastic horses) and accidentally creating Autistic community space</p></li><li><p>Why Autistic conversations “maze” instead of staying linear—and why that’s not a problem to fix</p></li><li><p>The deep (and very real) Autistic roots of toy culture—from model horses to My Little Pony lore</p></li><li><p>Intrinsic motivation, PDA, and why “just try harder” doesn’t work for Autistic people</p></li><li><p>Self-directed learning, reward systems, and a nonprofit using play to support neurodivergent kids</p></li></ul><p>Side note: yes, we go from horses → Ninja Turtles → Brainspotting → electric towers → taxes → government frustration… and it all makes sense if you’re following the thread. That’s the point.</p><p>This is what it sounds like when autistic people talk to each other. A little chaotic. Very real. And honestly, kind of the best way to understand how our brains actually work.</p>