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 sense

• Building a business around monotropic focus (yes, plastic horses) and accidentally creating Autistic community space

• Why Autistic conversations “maze” instead of staying linear—and why that’s not a problem to fix

• The deep (and very real) Autistic roots of toy culture—from model horses to My Little Pony lore

• Intrinsic motivation, PDA, and why “just try harder” doesn’t work for Autistic people

• Self-directed learning, reward systems, and a nonprofit using play to support neurodivergent kids

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.

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.