Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
Discover what’s possible when certification is just the beginning.
The CEO of Global Autism Project, Molly Ola Pinney, is joined by the Co-Founder of the International Behavior Analysis Organization, Dr. Michael Mueller. The IBAO certifies practitioners to ensure ethical practices, protect consumers, and maintain appropriate educational standards in the field of ABA around the world.
A board certified behavior analyst, Mike has authored 11 books, including Behavior Analytic Consultation to Schools, and the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS), a seven-volume series to guide in the assessment of teaching everyday life skills to learners of all ages. He has also published dozens of research articles and served on the editorial board of several prestigious journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the School Psychology Review, and the Journal of Evidence Based Practices for Schools, to name a few.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- What prompted the start of the IBAO
- Former barriers to certification, including cost and accessibility
- How the IBAO makes certification more attainable for practitioners who don’t hold a Master’s degree
- Ethical considerations to addressing cultural differences
- The distinction between certification and licensure
- Collaboration between Global Autism Project and the IBAO
- Tips for ABA practitioners
To learn more about Dr. Michael Mueller and the IBAO, please visit theibao.com.
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Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Thursday Jul 06, 2023
Discover what’s possible when your life is not defined by a single identity.
Tiffany Hammond is an autism self-advocate, a mother to two boys on the spectrum, and the voice behind the blog Fidgets and Fries. As a Black and autistic woman, Tiffany aims to educate others about autism and intersectional advocacy.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- How Tiffany became aware of her differences
- The guilt she felt after her first son was diagnosed
- How Tiffany finally accepted her own autism
- The journey of her advocacy work
- How she feels about being an Instagram influencer
- Why Tiffany felt conflicted about her sudden social media growth after the death of George Floyd
- The division within the autism community
- The overlap between intersectionality and neurodiversity
To learn more about Tiffany Hammond, please visit:
Instagram: @fidgets.and.fries
Twitter: fidgetsandfries
Website: fidgetsandfries.com
Patreon: patreon.com/tiffanyhammond
This conversation with Tiffany Hammond was originally released on January 14, 2021.
Tiffany's book A Day With No Words was released this last May and has since reached The New York Times #1 Best Seller for Children’s Picture Books. This colorful and engaging picture book for young readers shares what life can look like for families who communicate in a nonverbal way, utilizing tools (like tablets) to embrace their unique method of "speaking."
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Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Thursday Jun 29, 2023
Discover what’s possible when belonging allows us to be who we are.
An Autistic Self-Advocate and BCaBA from Texas, Andrew Bennett has been a dedicated member of our community since 2019, and currently serves as a moderator in our online Global Autism Community. He contributed to our Responsive Skills Training as a committee member, and has traveled on two SkillCorps® volunteer trips, first to the Czech Republic and more recently to Kenya.
Our SkillCorps® volunteer program is an opportunity for self-advocates, family members, and professionals to travel to our international partner sites and collaborate with local stakeholders to ensure that all autistic individuals around the world have access to quality education, services, and employment.
Responsive Skills Training, or RST, is a curriculum co-created with the Autistic community to transform the way in which services are provided across the world. If you’d like to learn more about RST, please listen to episode 139 with co-creator Ann Beirne and our CEO Molly Pinney.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Andrew’s special interests, which include cooking and writing poetry
- Why Andrew decided to join the RST committee
- His definitions of “inclusion” and “affirming,” and how they apply to neurodiversity-affirming practice in ABA
- How to help an autistic person unmask
- Situations in which Andrew has felt “dis-affirmed”
- Andrew’s experience as an autistic SkillCorps® volunteer
- Tips for other self-advocates thinking of going on a SkillCorps® trip
To learn more about our SkillCorps® program, check out episodes 100 and 132, featuring SkillCorps® volunteers that have been to our partner sites in Saudi Arabia and India. Listen to them talk about their transformative experiences and see what SkillCorps® can offer you!
Begin your journey today at globalautismproject.org/skillcorps. As a listener of our show, take advantage of the coupon code AUTISMPODCAST (no space and all caps) to waive the application fee.
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Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Thursday Jun 22, 2023
Discover what’s possible when you seek to understand.
Dr. Gwen Palafox is a licensed psychologist with a focus on helping teens and young adults find their most fulfilled and joyful lives. She has been supporting disabled and neurodivergent individuals for over two decades, and is also the host of the podcast Dr. Gwen Empowered.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Why Gwen is passionate about working with autistic individuals
- Some common challenges autistic adolescents face when forming their identity
- How to find a sense of belonging in the right environments
- How neurotypicals can interact with autistic people from a trauma-informed perspective
- Characteristics of dually-diagnosed autism and ADHD
- Self-acceptance, masking and burnout
- The medical model vs the social model of disability
- Gwen’s podcast Dr. Gwen Empowered
- Her ideas to cultivate a meaningful life, including employment and relationships
To learn more about Dr. Gwen Palafox, please visit meaningfulgrowth.com.
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Thursday Jun 15, 2023
Thursday Jun 15, 2023
Discover what’s possible when a child can fly free.
Bobby Rubio is the writer and director of the Pixar SparkShort Float, which is a short animated film inspired by his relationship with his autistic son, Alex. Float is available for streaming on Disney+.
Bobby is known for his work on Hercules, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and Incredibles 2, which earned him an Annie Awards nomination for Outstanding Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production. Bobby is also the creator and owner of his independent comics and intellectual properties: Alcatraz High, 4 Gun Conclusion, and Neighborhood Legend.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Bobby’s journey of accepting his son’s autism
- The creative process of producing Float
- The stigma of mental health within the Filipino community
- Tips for parents whose children have received an autism diagnosis
To learn more about Bobby Rubio, you can check out his Instagram: @bobbyrubio.
This conversation with Bobby Rubio was originally released on March 11, 2021.
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Thursday Jun 08, 2023
Thursday Jun 08, 2023
Discover what’s possible when family comes first.
This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events! The topic of this roundtable discussion was Family Dynamics.
Participating in this event were Autistic Self-Advocates Mary Johnston and Corben Havener, as well as autism sibling and occupational therapist Cheryl Albright.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Parent-child relationships
- What it’s like to have neurodivergent or neurotypical parents
- Why divorce rates are high among parents of autistic children
- Sibling relationships
- How to support adolescents transitioning into adulthood
- Choosing a life partner
- Starting your own family
- Taking care of aging parents
- The importance of creating plans for elder adulthood
Roundtable discussions like the one you’ll hear today are open exclusively for members of our online Global Autism Community. We select a different theme each month, and our moderators monitor posts daily to ensure that our online space remains safe and respectful.
If you’d like to attend and participate in any of our future events, you can sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org.
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Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Thursday Jun 01, 2023
Discover what’s possible when you listen before you practice.
Both Liz Lefebre and Amy Evans are Board Certified Behavior Analysts with specializations in Precision Teaching, Fluency Based Instruction, Instructional Design, and Assent Based Treatment. They are also the Co-Founders of Octave, an organization dedicated to improving skill sets of behavior analysts, teachers, and instructional designers.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Why Liz and Amy decided to start Octave
- What Octave’s values and mission are
- What Precision Teaching, Instructional Design, and Assent Based Treatment are
- What Liz and Amy have learned from listening to autistic voices and how that has affected their programming
- Why practitioners should move away from “traditional ABA" and undo the training that they might have undergone
- What some of the potential barriers to ethical practices in ABA are
- How to increase a client’s appetite for learning
- Advice for other practitioners
To learn more about Liz Lefebre and Amy Evans, please visit octavetraining.com.
Related episodes:
35. The Do Better Movement, with Dr. Megan Miller
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Thursday May 25, 2023
Thursday May 25, 2023
Discover what’s possible when cultural humility prompts curiosity and understanding.
This week's guests are Brandy Collins and Crystal Thompson.
Brandy is the founder and owner of Guiding Light Concepts, an autism center in Killeen, Texas. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA, and a Certified Brain Injury Specialist with over 12 years of counseling experience. Brandy has dedicated her life to advocating for children and young adults in her community.
Crystal is the founder and owner of Believe Autism in Jacksonville, Florida. Also a BCBA, Crystal combines her passion to help children with autism and their families with her love for dance, as well as provides various opportunities through art classes, tutoring, and support groups.
Brandy and Crystal are members of our SkillCorps® Alumni community, having traveled with the Global Autism Project on SkillCorps volunteer trips to several of our partner sites, including SOREM in India and Rumah Tiara in Indonesia — which you may remember from episodes 6 and 16.
SkillCorps® is an opportunity for self-advocates, professionals, and family members to travel to our partner sites around the world and work directly with local communities on initiatives around outreach, awareness, and employment for autistic adults.
You’ll hear us mention Leadership Academy, which is a workshop our organization provides to prepare future SkillCorps trip leaders. Another term I use in the interview is RBT, which stands for Registered Behavior Technician. This is the direct-care level position that usually works 1:1 with clients.
In today's episode, Brandy and Crystal candidly share their experiences as Black women in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis, In this conversation, we discuss:
- How Brandy and Crystal have grown both personally and professionally from participating in our SkillCorps volunteer trips
- Their takeaways on supervision, teamwork, and cultural humility
- Brandy and Crystal’s experiences as Black women in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis
- Their views on how the stigma around disabilities makes it harder for families in under-resourced areas to access services
- Some of their ideas to make the field more diverse
This conversation with Brandy Collins and Crystal Thompson was originally released on July 9, 2020.
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Thursday May 18, 2023
Thursday May 18, 2023
Discover what’s possible when kindness starts with one.
Our guests today are mother and son, Sandy and Ben Hartranft. An Autistic Self-Advocate and public speaker, Ben visits schools, businesses, and organizations with the message of spreading kindness and inclusion. Sandy's book Swinging From The Chandelier: Finding Joy In The Journey Through Autism was published in 2022.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Ben learning about his autism
- How the right speech therapist opened up doors for communication
- Ben’s special interests
- His experience being a guest on The Ellen Show and participating in The Price is Right
- Challenges autistic people face when looking for a job
- What employers can do to accommodate autistic employees
- Ben’s company Benergy and his takeaway messages for students
- What Ben wishes people understood about him
- His dating experiences
- Why Sandy’s blog is titled “Ben’s Kite String”
- What Sandy wishes she’d learnt sooner about motherhood
To learn more about Ben and Sandy Hartranft, please visit benergy1.com.
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Thursday May 11, 2023
Thursday May 11, 2023
Discover what’s possible when action is the path to acceptance.
This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events!
After a few months of working behind the scenes on various projects, we’re happy to announce that our community events are back up and running. The topic of this roundtable discussion was Shifting From Awareness to Acceptance.
Participating in this event were Autistic Self-Advocates Stephanie De Kremer, Michelle Vinokurov, and Sara Bradford, as well as community members Danielle Terrell, Cheryl Albright, Laura Leonard, and Brenda Canas.
You’ll also hear from our new cohort of moderators, Andrew Bennett, Cassidy Hooper, Stephane Guidon, and Korey Taylor.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- What acceptance means, including self-acceptance
- How to educate the public about autism
- The importance of community outings
- Inclusion in society
Roundtable discussions like the one you’ll hear today are open exclusively for members of our online Global Autism Community. We select a different theme each month, and our moderators monitor posts daily to ensure that our online space remains safe and respectful. If you’d like to attend and participate in any of our future events, you can sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org.
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