Coming to know yourself as Autistic person can bring relief, joy, grief, recognition and a lot of questions all at once. Many of us find that the months after identification are a time of looking back over our lives with new eyes, and it helps to have gentle, affirming places to turn to while we do that. The Thriving Autistic Discovery Programme is one of those places, and its resources are now free for anyone to explore.
What it is
The Discovery Programme is a six-module journey of self-discovery for recently identified Autistic adults, created, designed and facilitated by Autistic professionals at Thriving Autistic, an Irish neurodivergent-led social enterprise. The free online collection gathers self-paced videos, guides and practical tools drawn from the live programme, so you can move through them in whatever order and at whatever pace suits you. There is no right way to explore it, and you can come back to a module as often as you need.
Who it is for
The resources are for Autistic adults who have recently come to understand themselves as Autistic, whether that came through a formal identification or through self-identification. Both routes are welcomed as valid. They can also be useful for anyone further along in their journey who wants to revisit a topic, and for family members, friends and professionals who want to understand Autistic experience from Autistic people themselves.
What it covers
Each of the six modules has video guides, downloadable resources and practical tools designed by and for the Autistic community.
- Imposter Phenomenon and Intersectionality: making sense of your identification and the feelings that come with it.
- Masking and Burnout: understanding the cost of masking, recognising Autistic burnout, and finding paths toward safe unmasking and recovery.
- Our Sensory Selves: exploring your sensory world, building practical strategies, and creating environments that support your wellbeing.
- Monotropism and Attention Styles: understanding how Autistic attention works, the power of flow, and working with your natural attention patterns.
- Relationships, Empathy and Communication: reframing empathy, navigating relationships, and finding ways to connect that honour who you are.
- Internalised Ableism and Self-Advocacy: identifying internalised ableism, building self-advocacy skills, and stepping into your Autistic identity with confidence.
Free, and funded by Rethink Ireland
All of the online resources are free. The programme is supported by Rethink Ireland through its Disability Participation and Awareness Fund, which funds places on the live, facilitated programme for people based in Ireland. The live programme runs periodically, subject to funding, and Thriving Autistic offers sliding-scale subsidised rates for people outside Ireland so that it stays as accessible as possible.
My part in it
I co-authored the Discovery Programme with Thriving Autistic and I have also helped facilitate it since 2024. I was also project lead on the two Discovery animations, which you can watch further down this page. Sitting with groups of newly identified Autistic adults as they find words for experiences they have carried for years has been some of the most meaningful work I do. Many of the themes I write about here on Autistic Realms, such as masking, burnout, monotropism and internalised ableism, run through the programme too, and you can read more about them in my post on masking, internalised ableism and imposter syndrome.
The Discovery animations
Alongside the programme, Thriving Autistic made two short animations to share some of its heart with a wider audience, and I was project lead on both. Discovering You’re Autistic follows the journey from confusion to clarity, and from feeling out of place to finding belonging. Lightbulb Moments: Being Autistic gathers the realisations Autistic adults described to us, and celebrates that moment of recognition when you understand that you are not alone. You can watch both below, or find them on the Thriving Autistic animation page.
Discovering You’re Autistic
Lightbulb Moments: Being Autistic
Awards and festival selections, 2026
- National Diversity Awards 2026: Finalist, Celebrating Unity in Society
- iDEAL International Film Festival 2026: Award Winner, and Nominee in the festival’s 5th year
- AIMAFF 2026: Finalist
- Neurocinema Neurodivergent Film Festival 2026: Official Selection
- SkipTown Playhouse International Film Festival 2026: Official Selection
The team
These animations were a real collaboration, and I am so grateful to everyone who brought them to life.
- Project lead: Helen Edgar
- Writers: Helen Edgar, Laura Buckland Mason, Sonny Hallett, Fergus Murray and Jessica K Doyle
- Animator: Iara Abigalil
- Composer and musician: Somebody Someone (Aubrey Hays)
- Vocal treatment and mixing: Paulo Beto
- Producer: Tara O’Donnell-Killen
- Funded by: Rethink Ireland and the Department of Children, Disability and Equality
Find out more and explore
- Explore the free Discovery Programme resources
- Watch the Discovery animations
- Join the private community forum for past participants
- Find Thriving Autistic monthly meet-ups
- See upcoming events or become a member
- Get in touch with the team at hello@thrivingautistic.org
However you arrive and whatever stage you are at, I hope you find something there that helps you feel a little more at home in yourself.
