Autism Knows No Borders

Celebrating Five Years, with Global Autism Community

Discover what’s possible when what you have to say matters.

Would you like to share your experiences with like-minded people who can relate to the same struggles? Are you looking for an easy way to form friendships and not feel isolated?

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 feel support, connection, and a sense of belonging.

This week we are celebrating the 5-year anniversary of this podcast, as well as the 4-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.

Five 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; our administrative associate, Aldjun Medenilla; 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 our community moderators, Danielle Terrell, Hattie-Angelys Fox, Adrian Sanchez, and Bob Schmus. Our moderators monitor 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 and reflect on the podcast’s impact over the years. Today you’ll hear an excerpt from that special event, featuring our CEO Molly Pinney and Autistic Self-Advocates Hattie-Angelys Fox, Amira Collantes, Adrian Sanchez, Mary Johnston, and Corben Havener.

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Stress Management, with the Global Autism Community

Discover what’s possible when you put out the fire before burning out.

Are you looking for tips on how to alleviate stress? Stick around, because today’s episode is a Global Autism Community roundtable about Stress Management, featuring Autistic Self-Advocates Hattie-Angelys Fox, Adrian Sanchez, Mary Johnston, and Corben Havener. The CEO of the Global Autism Project, Molly Pinney, also joined us at the end.

Among other things, we discuss:

• Various stress triggers, including personal responsibilities, societal pressures, and the impact of social media
• Effective strategies for managing stress
• Engaging in self-care practices
• Creativity as a tool for stress relief
• Physical activities to improve mental clarity 
• Shifting your perspective through positive thinking
• The importance of sharing experiences with your community and feeling supported by them

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Defining Love with the Global Autism Community

Discover what’s possible when you love yourself first.

Do you struggle with expressing love for others, whether in friendships or romantic relationships? Do you ever feel pressure to live up to unrealistic ideas of love as represented in the media? How would you describe your own relationship with yourself?

If you’d like to hear about the many facets of love, particularly in the context of autism and neurodiversity, stick around for today’s episode. The following roundtable about Defining Love was facilitated by Global Autism Community moderator Bob Schmus, and it features Autistic Self-Advocates Hattie-Angelys Fox and Adrian Sanchez, as well as community member Danielle Terrell.

Among other things, they discuss:

• Personal definitions of love and its various forms
• Challenges of expressing love 
• The impact of media on perceptions of love
• Self-love as a foundation for healthy relationships
• The complexities of love in neurodivergent communities
• Wanting vs. needing someone
• Respecting differences in relationships
• Accepting one’s own autism
• Love from parents to children

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Encouraging Acceptance in Saudi Arabia, with Nora Alharbi | TBT

Discover what’s possible when a mother learns her child’s language. 

Nora Alharbi is a teacher and a mother to four children in Saudi Arabia. Her second child, Fares, is autistic. Fares receives services at Namaee Center, our partner site in Riyadh. 

In this conversation, we discuss: 

• The level of autism awareness in Saudi Arabia and what services are available for families there
• How Nora came to accept her son’s autism
• Fares’ autistic strengths and relationship with his siblings
• How his communication skills have developed since attending Namaee Center
• Advice for other parents who may be struggling with accepting their child’s diagnosis

Are you a parent wanting to connect with other parents who may be going through similar experiences? You can find support and 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. 

This episode with Nora Alharbi was originally released on May 20, 2021.

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Neurodiversity in Popular Cartoon Characters, with Jeff Snyder | TBT

Discover what’s possible when fiction comes to life. 

Jeff Snyder is an autism self-advocate from Massachusetts. As a public speaker, he is passionate about bringing awareness to special education and employment support. In 2020, Jeff contributed to This is Autism, a book by Jessica Leictweisz and Aidan Allman Cooper in which he gave his account of growing up with autism. Jeff is also a moderator of our Autism Knows No Borders Facebook group. 

Some of the topics we discuss in today’s conversation include neurodiversity in movie characters, dealing with sensory issues, and accommodations during school safety drills. Jeff also offers advice about how to respond to someone experiencing a sensory overload. 

For more information about Jeff Snyder, please visit: 

Jeff Snyder, Disabilities Self-Advocate 

This episode with Jeff Snyder was originally released on February 11, 2021. 

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Sibling Support and Physical Therapy, with Vanessa Lista | TBT

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

This episode with Vanessa Lista was originally released on June 10, 2021. 

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New Year, New Routines, with the Global Autism Community

Discover what’s possible when you stick to healthy habits.

The start of a new year usually motivates people to realign priorities and establish new routines. Some even pick a guiding word for the year to provide focus. What intentions did you set at the beginning of 2025? Are you staying on track to reach your goals?

If you’d like to learn about creating and maintaining habits, stick around for today’s episode. The following roundtable was facilitated by Global Autism Community moderator Danielle Terrell, and it features Autistic Self-Advocates Hattie Angelys-Fox, Bob Schmus and Eren Neiderhoffer.

Among other things, they discuss:

• Strategies to set and achieve goals for the new year, which can actually be applied at any other time
• The importance of community
• Finding accountability partners and support systems
• Setting boundaries for well-being

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Therapeutic Tennis at Love Serving Autism, with Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix | TBT

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. 

This episode with Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix was originally released on August 12, 2021. 

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Extending the Reach of Services in the Netherlands, with Catherine Verhoeff-Schauf, Enesa Muratovic, and Moji Swartjes | TBT

Discover what’s possible when the world says no, but mothers say yes. 

Our guests today are Catherine Verhoeff Shauf, Enesa Muratovic, and Moji Swartjes. These three strong and determined women are mothers of children on the autism spectrum. Another thing they all have in common is that they are ex-pats living in the Netherlands. Catherine is from the US, Enesa is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Moji is originally from Nigeria but has also lived in the US and Scotland. 

Catherine is the founder and owner of Stichting REACH, an autism center in The Hague that applies a multidisciplinary approach based on the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis. Both Enesa’s son and Moji’s receive services there. 

The Global Autism Project partnered with REACH from 2017 to 2019. We sent five SkillCorps volunteer teams to provide hands-on training to their therapists. As the Global Autism Project’s Regional Coordinator in Europe last year, it was exciting for me to witness the center’s growth. 

In today’s conversation, our guests discuss the attitudes around autism in the Netherlands compared to those in their respective home countries, the challenges they have faced in accessing proper services, and their ideas on how to promote autism inclusion within their community. 

Catherine talks about her journey of creating REACH and how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected services at the center. Catherine, Enesa, and Moji also comment on how they dealt with managing stress during the quarantine and offer advice for parents to combat burnout. 

For more information about Stichting REACH, please visit http://stichtingreachholland.nl/ 

This episode with Catherine, Enesa and Moji was originally released on October 10, 2020. 

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The Diverse Butterfly, with Cassidy Hooper | TBT

Discover what’s possible when a butterfly spreads her wings. 

Cassidy Hooper is a 27-year-old autistic self-advocate from Mississippi who also has a rare genetic condition called Turner Syndrome. As the President of The Arc of Northeast Mississippi Autism Now Division, she mentors other autistic people and connects them with resources in their area. Some of her other advocacy work includes volunteering for Autism Grown Up and the Turner Syndrome Foundation. Cassidy also hosts her own podcast called The Diverse Butterfly, in which she spreads awareness about Turner Syndrome and aims to inspire others to follow their goals. 

Sadly, shortly after we recorded this interview, Cassidy’s mother passed away from a sudden heart attack. This episode is in memory of Regina Hooper. 

Mrs. Hooper was a strong advocate for Cassidy throughout her life, always fighting for what she thought was best for her family. She was a sweet and caring mother, wife, grandmother, and teacher’s assistant who loved children. Regina Hooper will be missed by Cassidy and so many others whose lives were touched by her kind and tender spirit. 

In today’s conversation, we discuss: 

• What Turner Syndrome is and how it affects Cassidy’s life
• Receiving her autism diagnosis at 17
• Her learning style and special interests 
• The lack of support for adults with disabilities in rural areas of the US
• Advice for other girls and women with Turner Syndrome 

To learn more about Cassidy Hooper and Turner Syndrome, you can listen to her podcast The Diverse Butterfly. 

This episode with Cassidy Hooper was originally released on May 27, 2021. 

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