Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
Friday Nov 03, 2023
Friday Nov 03, 2023
Discover what’s possible when the glass child heals.
Ali Carbone is a Brooklyn-based writer, and the oldest sibling to three autistic brothers. In her most recent book, What Are You Looking At?, she writes about her journey of finding herself and rewiring her own brain.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Ali’s caretaker role from a young age
- Her relationship with her parents
- How being the non-autistic sibling affected her psyche
- The catalyst to understanding her lost identity
- Ali’s breakthroughs in therapy
- Her brothers’ transition into a group home
- Tips for other siblings
To learn more about Ali Carbone you can read her memoir or follow her on IG @aliicarbone.
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Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Thursday Oct 26, 2023
Discover what’s possible when stories shape behavior.
Sivan Hong is the author and illustrator of the best-selling children’s book series Super Fun Day Books, which celebrates the triumphs of neurodiverse children as they face challenges with determination and courage. Her titles include Benny J. and the Horrible Halloween, George J. and the Miserable Monday, Emily D. and the Fearful First Day, and Avery G. and the Scary End of School. Sivan is also the mother of two neurodiverse children, and she herself has ADHD.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Sivan’s discovery of her neurodivergence at age 47
- How audiobooks opened her up to the world of reading
- Neurodivergent traits that help her writing
- The difference between social stories and traditional children’s books
- Why social stories are effective in teaching neurodiverse children to navigate challenging situations
- The benefits of social stories for every student in the classroom, including neurotypicals
- An excerpt from one of Sivan’s books about Halloween
- Why she focuses on strengths with her family
- Tips for other parents
To learn more about Sivan Hong, please visit her website at sivanhong.com.
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Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Thursday Oct 19, 2023
Discover what’s possible when you step outside of your comfort zone and embrace the unknown.
Andrew Bennett, Brittney Paye, and Jessie Sheahan have all traveled with the Global Autism Project over the years on SkillCorps® volunteer trips to our various partner sites, including ABA Centrum in the Czech Republic and SOREM in India.
As our CEO Molly mentioned in episode 2, SkillCorps® is an opportunity for professionals and self-advocates to provide meaningful training to our partners around the world.
We send out teams of up to 15 people twice a year for 10 days at a time. The team members are complete strangers when they meet for orientation in NY, and by the end of their two-week trip, oftentimes they’ve become best friends. I still keep in touch with many of my teammates that I’ve traveled with.
So far, over 1,000 volunteers are part of our Skillcorps® Alumni community, and many are repeat travelers. Time and again, SkillCorps® alumni have expressed to us that their two-week trips have transformed their lives and relationships.
Each SkillCorps® team has a trip leader and sometimes a leader-in-training. Andrew, Brittney, and Jessie have all attended Leadership Academy, which is an intensive multi-day workshop that we offer for future trip leaders to discover their leadership style.
All three guests have different backgrounds related to autism. Andrew is an autism self-advocate and BCaBA, working with children on the spectrum. Brittney is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who implements Applied Behavior Analysis to train dogs. Jessie is a licensed school psychologist and has used ABA strategies in her daily work.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- What Andrew, Brittney, and Jessie have learned about themselves and how they continue to apply these insights to their personal and professional growth
- An inspiring story Andrew shares about his outreach initiatives on a SkillCorps® trip to the Czech Republic
- How Brittney’s leadership skills have empowered her to take a stand in different aspects of her life
- Jessie’s takeaways from collaborating with a diverse team of professionals
- The clinical training model that is implemented on our SkillCorps® trips
- Why it’s important to always prioritize sustainability
- How using the Socratic approach fosters critical thinking skills in the learner
- Cultural humility and how it’s practiced on SkillCorps® trips
- Helpful tips for future SkillCorps® volunteers
This conversation with Andrew Bennett, Brittney Paye, and Jessie Sheahan was originally released on April 28, 2020.
You can find more information about our SkillCorps® program at globalautismproject.org.
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Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Thursday Oct 05, 2023
Discover what’s possible when the person is at the center.
This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events! This roundtable was facilitated by community moderator Korey Taylor, and its topic of discussion was Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices.
The participants were Autistic Self-Advocates Thomas Iland, Brian Middleton, Andrew Bennett, Corben Havener, and Robert Schmus, and community members Rosetta Walker, Danielle Terrell, and Tj Larum.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- What “affirming” means
- The harms of being forced to mask
- Best practices across disciplines
- Client dignity
- Autonomy
- Assent
- How to identify an individual’s values
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 Sep 28, 2023
Thursday Sep 28, 2023
Discover what’s possible when bonds are rebuilt.
Anthony Sevieri is autistic and Alexis, his older sister, is neurotypical. Some of Anthony’s special interests include music and roller coasters.
Alexis is a member of our SkillCorps Alumni community, having traveled with the Global Autism Project to India and Kenya. To learn more about our SkillCorps program, check out episodes 150 & 151.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- How Anthony and Alexis’ parents explained autism to them when they were children
- Their family dynamics growing up
- How Anthony would feel during moments of aggression
- An incident from high school that led Anthony to writing music
- Anthony’s journey of self-awareness and self-acceptance
- Alexis’s experiences as a sibling
- How they came to understand each other’s perspectives as adults
- Fun activities they like to do together
- The risks of using food as a coping mechanism
- Autistic strengths that Anthony uses at his YMCA job
- His recent album, including a teaser of one of his songs
- Alexis’ goals to help families with autistic loved ones
- Tips for autistic and non-autistic siblings
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Thursday Sep 21, 2023
Discover what’s possible when sensory needs are met.
David McIntyre is the Founder and CEO of Cubbie, an immersive personal space of sound and vision that uses Personalized Sensory Regulation (PSR) technology to regulate people with autism and sensory needs. Based in Ireland, David is the father of two autistic girls and also neurodivergent himself, diagnosed with dyslexia.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Autism awareness, acceptance, and services in Ireland
- David’s early fears of being diagnosed and how he came to accept his dyslexia
- How autism presents differently for David’s two daughters
- The potential problem of with using diagnoses as excuses
- David’s inspiration for developing Cubbie
- The four different types of sensory needs the Cubbie team has identified
- How occupational therapists use Cubbie to regulate student sensory-processing systems
- What kinds of audiovisual media come with a Cubbie experience
- Tips for other parents of autistic children
To learn more about David McIntyre and Cubbie, please visit cubbie.ie.
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Monday Sep 11, 2023
Monday Sep 11, 2023
Discover what’s possible when you take the leap.
We’re continuing to highlight our recent SkillCorps® trip to India! 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 on employment initiatives in their communities.
In this week’s episode, you’ll hear from some of our SkillCorps® team members about their personal experiences and takeaways. I led this professionally diverse team of 21 global visionaries who were complete strangers before they met for orientation in New York. During our trip, they formed friendships that will last a lifetime.
The following testimonies are from Abi Chambers, Cheryl Albright, Danielle Terrell, Hailee Perez, Melissa Badertscher, Morgan Ferguson, Natalie Woods, Belen BuenRostro, Kelsey Larsh, TJ Larum, Jennee Niemeijer-Heaton, and Angie Gilmore.
In today’s episode, you’ll hear excerpts about:
- Moments from the trip that surprised, inspired and moved our SkillCorps® volunteers
- Global collaboration
- Sustainability
- The Global Autism Project’s model of Do With Not For
- Personal and professional growth
- Leadership
- Each team member’s post-trip commitment to their own community
- Tips for future SkillCorps® travelers
We’re currently taking SkillCorps® applications for travel in 2024!
Join us today at skillcorps.globalautismproject.org and use the coupon code “AUTISMPODCAST” to waive the application fee.
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Friday Sep 01, 2023
Friday Sep 01, 2023
Discover what's possible when employment is made accessible.
We’ve made it to episode 150! To celebrate this huge milestone, we are dedicating the next two episodes to our SkillCorps® volunteer program.
For almost 20 years, the Global Autism Project has been providing sustainable clinical, administrative, and leadership training to autism centers around the world seeking guidance. 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 on outreach initiatives specific to their communities.
Last July, I led our SkillCorps® team to visit our partners at SOREM in Chandigarh, India. SOREM has been a partner with the Global Autism Project since 2010. For this trip, we focused on employment initiatives for autistic adults.
In today’s episode, you’ll hear from our CEO, Molly Pinney, our partner at SOREM, Sangeeta Jain, and several community members who attended two outreach events we hosted in Delhi. There, we met with Autistic Self-Advocates and their family members, as well as various NGO representatives who are doing incredible work in order to make employment accessible for Autistic adults in India.
Next week, you’ll hear from some of our SkillCorps® team members about their personal experiences and takeaways.
As you probably know if you follow our work closely, we’re sending two teams out in the field this October to collaborate with our partners in Kenya and Rwanda, and we’re currently taking applications for travel in 2024!
Join us today at skillcorps.globalautismproject.org and use the coupon code “AUTISMPODCAST” to waive the application fee.
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Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Thursday Aug 24, 2023
Discover what’s possible when someone fosters motivation by encouraging autonomy.
Today’s guest is Katerina Cizkova. Katerina is a psychologist and a previous Clinical Director at ABA Centrum, an autism center in Prague, Czech Republic.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- The types of services available for individuals with autism in the Czech Republic
- The potential harm of implementing interventions that are not evidence-based
- Some of the ethical considerations to review when designing programs
- How Katerina became involved in the field of ABA
- Why ABA is sometimes misunderstood by parents and professionals
- How she views the changes to the BACB’s international credentialing
- ABA Centrum's transition to online services and how they keep parents engaged from a distance
Here is a link to view the documentary Katerina mentions about autism in the Czech Republic: Children of the Full Moon.
For more information about Katerina Cizkova and ABA Centrum, please visit their website: ABA Centrum.
This conversation with Katerina Cizkova was originally released on June 11, 2020.
Since this recording, Katerina co-founded a therapy center for children with neurodevelopmental disorders in her community. Two years later, she decided to work in a different sphere, but she still collaborates with the therapists occasionally on a supervision level.
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Thursday Aug 17, 2023
Thursday Aug 17, 2023
Discover what’s possible when the shadow of stereotypes is illuminated by humor and art.
Timothy Boykin is an autism self-advocate, author, singer, and influencer. With almost 40K followers on TikTok, Tim uses his platform to promote autism acceptance and bring attention to racial inequality.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- What it was like for Tim to learn about his diagnosis
- How he dealt with bullies throughout school
- Why he wants to shine a positive light on autism
- Strategies Tim’s mother taught him to stay safe during encounters with police officers
- Experiences in which Tim felt he was discriminated against because of his race
This conversation with Timothy Boykin was originally released on June 25, 2020.
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