Autism Knows No Borders

Highlights of 2024 Part 1

Discover what’s possible when we build bridges together. 

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Connecting to Nature Through Wildlife Photography, with Alfie Bowen | TBT

Discover what’s possible when you focus your lens beyond the surface. 

Alfie Bowen is an autism self-advocate, wildlife photographer, author, and activist based in Suffolk, England. He uses his art to highlight animal emotion and connect people with the natural world. 

At just 23 years old, Alfie was recently signed by the UK’s biggest art gallery network, Castle Fine Art. His debut collection Call of the Wild was launched earlier this year, and his first book will be released in September. The documentary An Eye for Detail tells the story of how Alfie’s passion for animals and photography helped him cope with childhood bullying. 

In this conversation, we discuss: 

• Alfie growing up feeling like an alien on Earth 
• His attempts at suicide
• Social skills he’s had to teach himself
• Feeling misunderstood
• His inspiration for becoming a photographer
• How nature has positively impacted his mental health
• Autistic strengths related to photography
• Advice for other autistic photographers 

For more information about Alfie and his work, please visit alfiebowen.com. 

This episode with Alfie Bowen was originally released on August 5, 2021. 

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Thanksgiving Special, with the Global Autism Community

Discover what’s possible when you give to transform lives.

This episode is being released a day early in observance of Thanksgiving in the US. 

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Community Outreach and Self-Advocacy, with Cassie Harden Scott and Russell Hornig-Rohan | TBT

Discover what’s possible when community outreach begins with empowerment. 

Our guests today are two members of our Global Autism Project family: Cassie Harden Scott and Russel Hornig-Rohan, or Rusty for short. 

Cassie and Rusty have been involved with the Global Autism Project for over 6 years. Both of them began as volunteers on SkillCorps trips to several of our partner sites – including Centro ACAP in the Dominican Republic, which you may remember from Episode 20. SkillCorps is an opportunity for self-advocates and professionals to visit autism centers around the world, working directly with their local teachers and therapists while providing sustainable training. If you’d like to know more about our SkillCorps volunteer program, please listen to episodes 4 and 17, featuring round table discussions with a few other members of our community. 

Over time, Cassie and Rusty each stepped into roles related to outreach and advocacy. Cassie is currently our Director of Outreach and works closely with our partners to help spread autism awareness and acceptance in their communities. Rusty is an autism self-advocate, as well as a polyglot whose impressive abilities have helped his teams cross language barriers while abroad. 

In today’s conversation, Cassie and Rusty share how they got involved with the organization and why they’re passionate about its mission. They also reminisce about trip highlights and recount fun stories from when they were working together at our office in Brooklyn, New York. 

We discuss some of the different outreach initiatives that can be carried out, from supporting parents and professionals to giving presentations at universities. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear about ways to engage in advocacy work from your own home. 

For more information about our work, please visit globalautismproject.org. 

This episode with Cassie Harden Scott and Russell Hornig-Rohan was originally released on August 20, 2020.

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Music Therapy and Autism in Australia, with Pamela Fisher | TBT

Discover what’s possible when music unlocks hidden strengths. 

Pamela Fisher is a Registered Music Therapist from Sydney, Australia. She is skilled in voice, guitar, piano, improvisation, and clinical supervision. With over 15 years of experience specializing in groups and individuals with autism, Pam provides music therapy services both in-person and online. 

In today’s conversation, Pam gives us a brief history of autism awareness in Australia and explains which services are covered by government funding. She defines what music therapy is and shares how she got involved in the field. We talk about different populations who can benefit from services and discuss some common misconceptions. 

Through simulating various musical interventions, Pam demonstrates different goals she may work on in a session. We also point out the benefits of collaborating with behavior analysts and speech therapists when writing programs. 

Pam has created a musical kit to target different sensory needs a child may have. You can purchase a kit and inquire about her online music therapy services here: The Musical Nest. 

For more information about Pamela Fisher and her work, please visit her website: musicalmonkeys.com.au. 

This episode with Pamela Fisher was originally released on August 13, 2020.

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Late Diagnosis, with the Global Autism Community

Discover what’s possible when you embrace your true identity. 

Are you a late-diagnosed autistic person, or do you know someone who is? If this resonates with you, you’ll want to listen to today’s conversation, where we touch on how acceptance of one’s autism can change over time. 

The following Global Autism Community roundtable was facilitated by community moderator Hattie-Angelys Fox, and it features Autistic Self-Advocates Brian MIddleton, Corben Havener, Mary Johnston, Bob Schmus, Amira Collantes, and Adrian Sanchez, as well as community moderator Danielle Terrell.

Among other things, we discuss:

• Finding out about an autism diagnosis at different stages in life
• How autism presents differently in males and females
• Whether language matters when identifying as autistic
• Common challenges that autistics experience in childhood  –like socialization, anxiety, and depression– and how to deal with them
• Whether masking is ever good
• Disclosing your autism with friends and family
• The Pathology Paradigm

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Leadership Lessons Learned, with our CEO Molly Ola Pinney | TBT

Discover what’s possible when you engage your inner leader. 

Do you want to learn how to communicate and collaborate effectively, identify the root causes of roadblocks in your life, and embrace your role as a leader? 

Everyone has the potential to be a leader in their own lives. If you’re interested in personal and professional growth, stick around for this episode with the CEO and Founder of the Global Autism Project, Molly Ola Pinney where she talks about all things leadership. 

The Global Autism Project accredits autism centers worldwide and provides sustainable clinical, administrative, and leadership training to service providers seeking guidance. Our SkillCorps® volunteer program is an opportunity for self-advocates, family members, and professionals to travel to Global Autism Project’s international partner sites and collaborate with local stakeholders on outreach initiatives in their communities. 

In today’s conversation, among other things, we discuss:

• Why leadership training has always been at the foreground of support provided by the Global Autism Project
• What values are important to Molly as a leader and how her leadership skills have evolved over the years 
• Molly’s fears in the early days of the organization and how she’s learned to overcome them
• What 2020 taught her 
• Why decisive action is only one aspect of strong leadership 

This episode with Molly Ola Pinney was originally released on November 25, 2020. 

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Organizational & Environmental Management, with the Global Autism Community

Discover what’s possible when your environment fits your needs. 

Do you struggle with organizing your physical space? Or have you found systems that work well for your needs? Organization can be a sensitive topic, especially if you feel any shame for not being as organized as you’d want to be. 

If you’re looking for tips on how to design a space that works for you, stick around, because today’s episode is a Global Autism Community roundtable discussion about Organizational and Environmental Management, featuring Autistic Self-Advocates Hattie-Angelys Fox, Amira Collantes, Adrian Sanchez, and Eren Denburg, as well as community member Cheryl Albright.

Among other things, we discuss:

• Decluttering small vs large spaces
• Organizational styles to support executive-functioning skills
• How to find tools and systems that work for your brain
• Sharing spaces with others who have organizational styles different from yours
• Micro- vs macro-organization
• How to let go of things that no longer serve you

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Functional Communication Training in Saudi Arabia, with Yaser Aljaaidi | TBT

Discover what’s possible when every child is given a voice. 

In many countries around the world, autistic students are effectively excluded from the education system, as schools often lack adequate resources to accommodate their needs. 

The work that our Global Autism Project Partners are doing around the world is fundamental to overcoming these challenges. By presuming competence, we can avoid setting unnecessary limits and instead build on each child’s capabilities. 

Today’s guest is Yaser Aljaaidi, the Co-Founder and Clinical Director of Namaee Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and also the first Registered Behavior Technician to become certified in his country. The Global Autism Project partnered with Namaee from 2018 to 2023, and we sent several SkillCorps® volunteer teams to provide sustainable hands-on training. 

Our SkillCorps® volunteer program is an opportunity for self-advocates, family members, and professionals to travel to Global Autism Project’s international partner sites and collaborate with local stakeholders on outreach initiatives in their communities. 

In today’s conversation, among other things, we discuss: 

• How autism is understood in Saudi Arabia and what services are available for families, from diagnosis to adulthood
• How Yaser began working with the autistic population
• Why he created the Give Me A Voice program targeting communication skills
• The challenges Yaser had faced and what he’s learned about leadership
• Advice for other practitioners who are thinking of starting their own centers
• Namaee’s partnership with the Global Autism Project and why Yaser admires our SkillCorps® volunteers

This conversation with Yaser Aljaaidi was originally released on September 3, 2020.

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SkillCorps® Journey, with Team Peru

Discover what’s possible when you show up better for the world. 

In today’s episode, we’re highlighting our recent SkillCorps® trip to Peru. Our SkillCorps® volunteer program is an opportunity for self-advocates, family members, and professionals to travel to Global Autism Project’s international partner sites and collaborate with local stakeholders on outreach initiatives in their communities. 

This carefully curated 10-day journey includes developing culturally-relevant and sustainable training with our partner staff, listening to local Autistic Self-Advocates and family members to learn about their lived experiences, sharing meals with community members to brainstorm ideas and solutions, and executing a high-impact project to build on existing work being done in the country. 

On the ground, this SkillCorps® team worked diligently on a range of tasks for our first ever Latin America Autism Summit, from preparing group presentations to fine-tuning logistical details. We collaborated with our partners at Centro Enigma, from Ecuador, and our local host sponsors at Centro Ann Sullivan del Peru, in order to put together an unforgettable event that forged long-term connections that will last a lifetime. The Latin America Autism Summit is the biggest project a SkillCorps® team has taken on so far. 

We also visited several businesses employing autistic adults in the community, hosted a self-advocate dinner to listen to their needs, and built relationships with our new partners at MADI while laying the groundwork for future collaboration. 

In this week’s episode, you’ll hear some of our SkillCorps® Peru team members’ personal experiences and takeaways. Special shout out to SkillCorps® Alum and leader Adriana Garcia, who helped guide this professionally diverse team of 23 global visionaries on their transformational journey. 

Coming up, you’ll hear about: 

• Memorable moments from the trip
• Global collaboration
• Sustainability
• The Global Autism Project’s model of Do With Not For
• Personal and professional growth

Related episode:

The Latin America Autism Summit in Lima, Peru

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