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

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.”It’s about discovery, community, and what happens when people finally find their thing—and their people.We cover:Eleda’s late autism discovery at 52—and the moment everything started to make senseBuilding a business around monotropic focus (yes, plastic horses) and accidentally creating Autistic community spaceWhy Autistic conversations “maze” instead of staying linear—and why that’s not a problem to fixThe deep (and very real) Autistic roots of toy culture—from model horses to My Little Pony loreIntrinsic motivation, PDA, and why “just try harder” doesn’t work for Autistic peopleSelf-directed learning, reward systems, and a nonprofit using play to support neurodivergent kidsSide 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.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.