Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Thursday Jul 18, 2024
Discover what’s possible when disability is viewed as a whole.
Have people ever based their perception of you solely on your deficits? Are your strengths and abilities sometimes overlooked because of your differences?
If so, stay with us for this episode, where Brian Middleton talks about how the biopsychosocial model of disability shifts perspectives from a purely medical approach to a more comprehensive one.
Brian Middleton is an Autistic Self-Advocate, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and the creator of the Bearded Behaviorist, an initiative dedicated to the dissemination of behavior science and the inclusion of trauma-informed care standards in applied behavior analysis and other human services.
This conversation was part of a special event which we hosted for our community of SkillCorps® volunteers. Other participants include Danielle Terrell, Tara Hannan-Bruecken, Shannon Haynes, Marianne Spiotta, Hailee Perez, and Christina Cairoli.
In this conversation, among other things, we discuss:
- How Brian attempts to build bridges across both sides of the ABA divide
- The biopsychosocial model of disability
- Why pathologizing autism can be harmful
- Person-first vs identity-first language
- Transforming the puzzle piece symbol
- How radical behaviorism wasn’t originally developed to “fix” autistic people
Saturday Jul 13, 2024
Saturday Jul 13, 2024
Discover what’s possible when you get the right support.
Have you ever wondered about the overlap between ADHD and autism? Or how being neurodivergent might affect parenting?
If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Sarah Glass and Eliza Cagle. Although they’ve never met in person, Sarah and Eliza have several things in common. They’re both late-diagnosed neurodivergent women, mothers to their respective boys on the spectrum, and Board Certified Behavior Analysts. Sarah has ADHD and Eliza is autistic. They’re also both members of our SkillCorps® Alumni community.
SkillCorps® is a carefully curated 10-day journey that 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.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Sarah and Eliza finding out about their diagnoses as adults
- Support and strategies to reduce sensory overload and improve executive functioning skills
- Strengths related to thinking out of the box and being hyper focused on certain subjects
- Disclosing diagnoses at work and requesting accommodations
- How Sarah and Eliza talk about autism to their kids
- Personal and professional growth from volunteering with SkillCorps®
- Inspiring moments with our Global Autism Partners
- Advice for mothers and other applicants interested in going on a SkillCorps® trip
This episode with Sarah and Eliza was first released on June 24, 2021.
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Sunday Jul 07, 2024
Sunday Jul 07, 2024
Discover what’s possible when awareness spreads one step at a time.
Do you ever wonder about the level of autism awareness around the world? Are you curious about what services are available for families in countries like Indonesia?
If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Maharani Putri Kusuma, or Rani for short, where she shares all about the work she does to spread autism awareness in her country.
Rani is the co-founder and owner of Rumah Tiara, an autism center in Jakarta, Indonesia. A former Global Autism Project Partner, Rani had been receiving training from us since 2013. Over the years, we have sent 13 SkillCorps® volunteer teams to Rumah Tiara to provide sustainable hands-on training.
SkillCorps® is a carefully curated 10-day journey that 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.
For this interview, Rani was joined by Vya Mawarni, a former therapist at Rumah Tiara who interpreted from Bahasa to English for us. I want to give a special thank you to Vya for all of the effort she put into making sure Rani’s important message was understood.
In today’s episode, we discuss:
- The level of autism awareness in Indonesia and the stigma associated with the diagnosis
- Types of services available for Indonesian families
- How Rani began working with children with autism and why she loves her job
- Some of the challenges she’s had to face as a business owner
- How knowing that they’re helping children who might otherwise not have access to therapy helps Rani’s staff stay positive
- Some of Rani’s favorite moments from hosting our SkillCorps® volunteers
- Aspects of Indonesian culture she is most excited to share with them when they visit
This episode with Maharani Putri Kusuma was originally released on July 2, 2020.
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Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Thursday Jun 27, 2024
Discover what’s possible when community deepens understanding.
Do you find social situations difficult to navigate? Have you ever been confused when trying to engage in a conversation?
Whether you’re autistic or not, you’ll want to listen to this episode, which is part 2 of my conversation with Eren Niederhoffer. He talks about how he’s created networking events to help autistic and non-autistic people understand each other better.
Eren Niederhoffer is an Autistic Self-Advocate, community networker, and public speaker.
In this conversation, among other things, we discuss:
- Useful Communication strategies for autistic people
- Some of Eren’s rules for social events
- How learning about friendships can help you learn about romantic relationships
- The need to replicate Eren’s community model with young children
- Tips for autistic and non-autistic people about how they can learn from each other
Do you know anyone else who might benefit from listening to this episode? Maybe an autistic person seeking to expand their social circles? I encourage you to share this episode with them if you’d like to help them out. By doing so, you’ll also be helping us to improve access to autism services around the world.
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Thursday Jun 20, 2024
Thursday Jun 20, 2024
Discover what’s possible when you lift yourself up to help others.
Have you or anyone you know ever been bullied or abused because of being autistic?
If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Eren Niederhoffer, where he talks about how he’s learned to overcome many years of abuse at the hands of his own family.
Eren Niederhoffer is an Autistic Self-Advocate, community networker, and public speaker. He is a Board Member of the Atlanta Autism Consortium and the NeuroDiversity TaskForce, as well as the former President of Atlanta Autism Self-Advocacy Network, where he co-created the Atlanta's All-Women's Autism Panel and African-American Autism Panel.
In this conversation, among other things, we discuss:
- Eren’s tumultuous relationship with his father and siblings
- Common struggles autistic people face in social situations, like reading facial cues and nonverbal language
- When to mask and unmask
- How Eren has helped his colleagues understand his autism
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Saturday Jun 15, 2024
Saturday Jun 15, 2024
Discover what’s possible when financial freedom is in your pocket.
Have you ever struggled with managing money? Do you sometimes feel ashamed because you find it hard to reach your financial goals?
While this can be a very common challenge among autistic people, today’s guest, Andrew Komarow, encourages his clients to acknowledge themselves for their present financial capabilities and maintain a positive attitude. Small and simple steps can go a long way towards bigger goals.
Andrew Komarow is a Certified Financial Planner and Certified Neurodiversity Professional. He’s also the Founder of Planning Across the Spectrum, a company based out of Connecticut that specializes in helping individuals, families, and employers of those with autism and other disabilities to pursue financial independence.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Andrew discovering his own autism as an adult and how it affects his life
- Common struggles with financial planning that autistic individuals face
- Services offered by Andrew’s team at Planning Across the Spectrum
- Alternatives to guardianship
- Benefits of hiring neurodiverse staff
This episode with Andrew Komarow was originally released on May 2, 2021.
Do you know anyone else who might find value in this episode? Maybe you know of an autistic person who might be interested in learning new strategies to stay on top of their finances. You can help them by sharing this episode. By doing so, you’ll also be helping us to improve access to autism services around the world.
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Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Thursday Jun 06, 2024
Discover what’s possible when you know your worth.
Have you ever had a difficult time securing a stable job? Do you find that accommodations just don’t matter if you’re not being treated respectfully?
If you or anyone you know has ever had these experiences, stick around, because today’s episode is a roundtable discussion where we talk about Employment and Career Development, featuring Autistic Self-Advocates Brian Middleton, Corben Havener, Stephanie De Kremer, Bob Schmus, Adrian Sanchez, Amy Smith and Christina Kaspersen, as well as fellow members of our online Global Autism Community, Christina Cairoli, Tj Larum and Danielle Terrell.
Among other things, we discuss:
- Challenges autistic people face when looking for a job
- Masking in the workplace
- The medical vs. the social model of disability
- Utilizing strengths and interests in the workplace
- Assumptions and expectations regarding social norms
- Autism self-advocacy and disclosure
- Tips for Autistic people wanting to prepare for employment
Friday May 31, 2024
Friday May 31, 2024
Discover what’s possible when awareness improves access.
Have you ever wondered about the level of autism awareness in countries like Egypt? Are you curious about what governments are doing for their autistic citizens?
If so, you’ll want to listen to these conversations I had at the 8th International Mental Health Conference in Alexandria, Egypt.
You’ll hear from several people whom I connected with there, including the Conference President and Secretary General of Mental Health and Addiction Treatment, Menan AbdElmaksoud; the Head of Child & Adolescent Administration, Iman Gaber; the President of the Egyptian Autistic Society, Dahlia Soliman; self-advocate Rami Alhadinziden Sayed; as well as several family members and professionals in the field of autism services.
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Friday May 24, 2024
Friday May 24, 2024
Discover what’s possible when a mother’s love transcends her own home.
Do you envision a community where Autistic children have a safe place to learn and Autistic adults are integrated in society? Do you know any parents of autistic individuals who might need some encouragement as they advocate for their children?
If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode where one of our global partners, Jie Bing Zhang talks about empowering other parents by teaching them how to create opportunities for their children to thrive.
Mrs. Zhang is the founder of Huicong Children Rehabilitation Center in Nanchang, China, and the mother of a 24-year-old autistic man.
For this interview with Mrs. Zhang, our podcast intern, Linda Zheng, interpreted from Chinese to English for us. Thank you, Linda, for your effort to ensure Mrs. Zhang’s message is understood.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Autism awareness in China
- What it was like for Mrs. Zhang to receive her son’s diagnosis
- Why she started her own autism center and the types of services they offer
- Their partnership with Global Autism Project
This episode with Jie Bing Zhang was originally released on April 1, 2021.
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Thursday May 16, 2024
Thursday May 16, 2024
Discover what’s possible when you are in charge of your life.
Do you sometimes wish you had a team of supporters to guide you in the right direction? Maybe you already have trusted friends and family in your close circles.
Either way, you’ll want to listen to this episode, which is part 2 of my conversation with Jonathan Gardner. He talks about how supported decision making helped him get through his cancer treatment.
Jonathan Gardner is an Autistic Self-Advocate, cancer survivor, supported decision maker, and motivational speaker.
In this conversation, among other things, we discuss:
- Jonathan being treated as a human being by his medical team
- Supported decision making as an alternative to guardianship
- Overcoming the fear of public speaking
- Tips for other autistic people about not being defined by autism