Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
Thursday Aug 12, 2021
Thursday Aug 12, 2021
Discover what’s possible when skills are transferred off the court.
Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix is a Speech-Language Pathologist, a former collegiate tennis player, and the Founder and CEO of Love Serving Autism, a non-profit organization that provides specialized therapeutic tennis instruction for individuals with autism. Love Serving Autism’s mission is to expand life skills, increase community inclusion, and promote independence for individuals on the spectrum.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- How Lisa fuses tennis and speech therapy
- Benefits of playing tennis for autistic individuals
- Strategies and accommodations to help her students succeed
- What she’s learned about the autistic population from teaching tennis
- Adapting services online due to the pandemic
- Advice for parents interested in tennis for their autistic children
For more information about Lisa and her work, please visit loveservingautism.org.
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Thursday Aug 05, 2021
Thursday Aug 05, 2021
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.
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Thursday Jul 29, 2021
Thursday Jul 29, 2021
Discover what’s possible when constraint unlocks opportunity.
Jayashree Ramesh is the Founder and Director of Academy for Severe Handicaps and Autism, ASHA for short, in Bangalore, India. The Global Autism Project partnered with ASHA in 2018 and we’ve since sent three SkillCorps® teams to their center.
Founded by Molly Ola Pinney in 2003, the Global Autism Project provides sustainable clinical, administrative, and leadership training to autism centers seeking guidance. SkillCorps® is a volunteer opportunity for self-advocates and professionals to travel to our partner sites around the world and work directly with their local teachers and therapists.
We are currently accepting SkillCorps® applications for travel in 2022. 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.
In this conversation, Jayashree and I discuss:
- The varying perspectives of autism across India
- How Indian mothers and fathers accept autism differently
- What Jayashree loves about working with the autistic population
- Barriers she’s had to overcome when developing ASHA
- Leadership and encouraging teamwork among staff
- Effects of the pandemic on services at her center
- The partnership between the Global Autism Project and ASHA
- What she likes to share about Indian culture with our SkillCorps® teams
- Advice for other professionals interested in starting their own center
You’ll also hear us talk about Global Summit, which was our first annual conference held in Bali in 2019. It was a beautiful and inspiring week for all of our partners from around the world to connect and share ideas, stories, and resources. Global Summit was open for our SkillCorps® alumni to attend and receive continuing education credit as well. Watch our 2019 Global Summit video here.
To learn more about Jayashree and ASHA, please visit ashaforautism.com.
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Thursday Jul 22, 2021
Thursday Jul 22, 2021
Discover what’s possible when a mentor guides by example.
Robert Schmus is an autism self-advocate, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey, and a blogger for The Mighty. As a therapist, he currently provides individual and group sessions at a residential home for adolescents with autism and other co-occurring diagnoses.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- How Robert learned about his diagnosis
- His strengths related to autism
- Dealing with anxiety and covid uncertainty
- Dating on the spectrum
- His responsibilities as a social worker
- Ideas to help adolescents transition into adulthood and find a job
- Disclosing his diagnosis to employers
To learn more about Robert and his work, you can contact him via email at schmus898@gmail.com.
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Thursday Jul 15, 2021
Thursday Jul 15, 2021
Discover what’s possible when inclusion is animated.
Dani Bowman is an autism self-advocate, animator, illustrator, teacher, and public speaker from California. Dani founded her company, DaniMation Entertainment LLC, at age 11, and has worked professionally in the animation industry since age 14. Her company has produced nine award-winning animated shorts, a PSA for Autism Society of America, and a music video that premiered at San Diego Comic-Con. DaniMation Entertainment has also illustrated six children’s books and numerous commercial works. Dani teaches animation to teens and young adults with autism and other disabilities at summer camps around the world, in-person and online.
As part of her advocacy work, Dani speaks at autism and neurodiversity conferences about inclusion in the workforce. She has been a keynote speaker at events such as OCALICON (by the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence) in Columbus, OH, the Oklahoma Statewide Autism Conference, Temple Grandin and Friends in Los Angeles, CA, and the Alaska Autism Resource Center Speaker Series (AARC), among others.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- How autism affects Dani’s everyday life
- What she loves about her autism
- Some of the ways in which she feels misunderstood
- What inspires her as an animator
- DaniAcademy workshops and camps
- The skills needed to succeed as an animator
- Advice for other autistics entering the animation industry
To learn more about Dani Bowman and her work, please visit danibowman.com.
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Thursday Jul 08, 2021
Thursday Jul 08, 2021
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
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 Jul 01, 2021
Thursday Jul 01, 2021
Discover what’s possible when you live a life you don’t need a vacation from.
Diagnosed on the autism spectrum as an adult, Becca Lory Hector is an active autism and neurodiversity advocate, consultant, public speaker, and author. She offers a 3-unit personal development course for autistic adults called Self-Defined Living: A Path to a Quality Autistic Life. Becca also posts weekly live streams on her YouTube channel to encourage others to share both their challenges and what they’re grateful for.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Becca’s emotional roller coaster of finding out about her autism
- Growing up misdiagnosed and heavily medicated
- Unmasking and prioritizing self-care
- The evolutionary benefit of difference
- What society can do to make life easier for autistic people
- Building on autistic strengths
- Why she decided to develop her course
- How to get out of autistic inertia
- Advice for newly diagnosed autistic adults
To learn more about Becca Lory Hector and her work, please visit beccalory.com.
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Thursday Jun 17, 2021
Thursday Jun 17, 2021
Discover what’s possible when autism is not viewed as just a broken version of normal.
Jude Morrow. Based in Ireland, Jude is an autism self-advocate, TEDx speaker, and author. He is also the founder of Neurodiversity Training International, an autism mentoring, training, consultancy, and motivational platform. NTI works with non-profit and Fortune 500 companies using a strengths-based approach to change perceptions and attitudes. Jude’s first book, Why Does Daddy Always Look So Sad?, was published in 2020, and his second book, Loving Your Place on the Spectrum, is scheduled to be released in September of 2021.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Autism awareness and acceptance in Ireland
- What it was like for Jude to grow up feeling that something was wrong with him
- Why society should move away from the medical model and embrace the neurodiversity movement
- The problem with labels of disorders and disabilities
- Consultation services offered at NTI
- Advice for anyone interested in being an ally of the neurodiversity movement
To learn more about Jude Morrow and his work, please visit https://neurodiversity-training.net/.
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Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Thursday Jun 10, 2021
Discover what’s possible when relationships are strengthened by listening.
Vanessa Lista's autistic older brother, Billy, has been her inspiration her whole life. Currently studying kinesiology and psychology in college, Vanessa’s goal is to become a pediatric physical therapist.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- How Vanessa’s relationship with her brother has evolved over the years
- Why she admires Billy
- How she’s been advocating for him from a young age
- Her experiences as a behavior therapist
- What physical therapy is and example goals that can be targeted
- Advice to other siblings of autistic individuals
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Thursday Jun 03, 2021
Thursday Jun 03, 2021
Discover what’s possible when the student’s interests lead the team.
This week’s episode is a recording of a roundtable discussion during one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events. The topic is Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs.
The panelists include Brian Middleton, an autistic Board Certified Behavior Analyst; Colleen Dorsey, a special education teacher; and Michael Gilberg, an autistic special education and disability rights attorney.
Other community members present at the event and part of the discussion are Jeff Snyder, Mary Johnston, Ryan Litchfield, Jessie Sheahan, and Morgan Ferguson.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- The different roles on an IEP team
- How to reduce combativeness between professionals at IEP meetings
- Finding the sweet spot when writing goals and encouraging independence
- How to best support families throughout the IEP process
- Helpful accommodations suggested by self-advocates in the audience
Some acronyms mentioned in the conversation are IDEA, BCBA, and ABA. IDEA is the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is an American piece of legislation that ensures eligible students with a disability are provided with Free Appropriate Public Education that is tailored to their individual needs. BCBA stands for Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and ABA is Applied Behavior Analysis.
These monthly roundtable discussions are open exclusively to members of our Global Autism Community. A new topic is selected based on each month’s theme. If you’d like to attend and participate in any of our future events, you can sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org.
To learn more about the panelists in this discussion, you can visit:
Brian Middleton: https://beardedbehaviorist.com/
Colleen Dorsey: @autismausome
Michael Gilberg: https://www.michaelgilbergesq.com/
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