Autism Knows No Borders

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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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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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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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

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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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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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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

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Discover what’s possible when you find joy in every day. 

Have you ever had to pull through something you thought would be impossible to overcome? Or let go of control in an overwhelming situation? 

If you can relate, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Jonathan Gardner, where he shares the lessons that helped him through his cancer journey.

Jonathan Gardner is an Autistic Self-Advocate, cancer survivor, supported decision maker, and motivational speaker.

In this conversation we discuss:

• Jonathan’s strengths and special interests
• How bullying pushed him to homeschooling
• What it was like to diagnosed with a rare cancer at only 18 years old
• Jonathan’s emotional journey of receiving treatment
• His road to recovery

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Discover what’s possible when motivation leads to positive relationships. 

Are you struggling with finding ways to motivate your child or client? Do you want to build and maintain positive relationships while making learning fun? 

If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode with Robert and Nadine Schramm where they discuss how to work with autistic individuals while keeping their dignity at the forefront. 

Robert Schramm is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, a former special education instructor, and a published author. Nadine Schramm is an Applied Behavior Analysis and Verbal Behavior Consultant and leads their Knospe-ABA office in Germany. Robert and Nadine offer consultation, education, and workshop services to families.

In this conversation, among other things, we discuss:

• Autism services currently available for families in Germany
• How the attitudes towards autism in Germany have changed over the years
• Key takeaways from Robert’s books Motivation and Reinforcement: Turning the Tables on Autism and The 7 Steps to Earning Instructional Control
• Why the principles behind the 7 steps are useful for anyone interested in creating a strong learning environment

This episode with Robert and Nadine Schramm was originally released on November 19, 2020.

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Discover what’s possible when humans connect. 

Do you want to feel a sense of belonging and express yourself freely and without judgment? Are you looking for a safe space where people accept you for who you are and support you on your journey of advocacy? 

If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode, where members of our Global Autism Community talk about how being part of our online space has helped them grow.

This week we are celebrating the 4-year anniversary of this podcast, as well as the 3-year anniversary of our online Global Autism Community! 

It’s been an eye-opening journey that continues to surprise, inspire, and move us. We’ve learned so much from self-advocates sharing their experiences, family members talking about acceptance, and professionals discussing best practices in the field of autism services. 

We’ve covered a wide range of topics, such as ableism, bullying, masking, the neurodiversity movement, intersectionality, disability rights, dating, communication, personal growth, cultural humility, and international collaboration, and even controversial topics like person-first vs. identity-first language, the puzzle-piece symbol, and ABA therapy. 

Four years after launching Autism Knows No Borders, we are more energized than ever to keep going. There are still countless meaningful stories out there, and we want to bring them to you. We will continue to elevate autistic voices. We want their stories to keep traveling across the world, so that more and more people can join us in the cause for autism awareness, acceptance, and hope. 

A huge thank you to all of our guests for educating us with their unique perspectives, as well as to our team members who keep making this podcast happen: our visual creator, social media manager, and community moderator, Danielle Terrell; and our sound designer and editor, Marc Aliana. 

And, of course, many thanks to you, our dedicated listeners, for tuning in each week, sharing your takeaways, and ultimately giving meaning to what we’re doing. 

If you’re a new listener, we’d like to welcome you as well! 

Our online Global Autism Community has been growing over the past few years. This is a space where members have the possibility to share insights, listen to different perspectives, and create real change in their own communities – whether they’re autistic individuals, family members, or service providers. 

Special shout out to another one of our community moderators, Christina Kaspersen who monitors posts daily to ensure that our online space remains safe and respectful. If you’re interested in joining our moderator team, you can send me a direct message in the community. 

Last week, some members of our community got together virtually to celebrate our anniversary. We played games and got to know each other in a more casual setting. Today you’ll hear an excerpt from that special event, featuring Autistic Self-Advocates Sara Bradford, Stephanie De Kremer, Adrian Sanchez, and Christina Kaspersen, as well as fellow community members Cheryl Albright, TJ Larum, and Danielle Terrell. 

Are you a self-advocate willing to share your experiences and educate others? Are you a professional seeking to hear directly from autistic voices and improve your practice? Are you a family member hoping to support and empower your loved one? Whatever your role related to autism is, you can join our online Global Autism Community to connect and collaborate with people all over the world. 

Sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org. Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism. 

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