Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
Thursday Dec 26, 2024
Thursday Dec 26, 2024
Discover what’s possible when taking care of yourself lets you take care of others.
This week's guest is Maggie Nunez. Originally from Dominican Republic and currently living in New Jersey, Maggie is a mother of three, two of whom are autistic. Her sons Dariel and Alvin are 16 and 13 years old. As a cancer survivor, Maggie hopes to encourage other parents to prioritize their own health in order to effectively take care of their children.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Maggie's two sons’ autistic strengths
- Challenges her son Dariel has overcome
- Thinking about her children’s future
- What motherhood has taught her about herself
- Autism acceptance in Dominican culture
- Her family’s supportive attitude
- How she takes care of herself
This episode with Maggie Nunez was originally released on July 8, 2021.
If you’re a parent, how do you practice self-care? You can connect with other parents going through experiences similar to yours, as well as find support and self-care resources, in our Global Autism Community.
Just a reminder, our community is open to anyone related to autism. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a professional in the field, you can participate in these important conversations on our platform.
Sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org. Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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Thursday Dec 19, 2024
Thursday Dec 19, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 05, 2024
Thursday Dec 05, 2024
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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Wednesday Nov 27, 2024
Wednesday Nov 27, 2024
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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Thursday Nov 21, 2024
Thursday Nov 21, 2024
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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Thursday Nov 07, 2024
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
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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Thursday Oct 31, 2024
Thursday Oct 31, 2024
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
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
Thursday Oct 24, 2024
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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Thursday Oct 17, 2024
Thursday Oct 17, 2024
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