Autism Knows No Borders

Celebrating One Year, with Our Podcast Community

Discover what’s possible when the audience takes the mic. 

This week, we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of our podcast! It’s been an eye-opening journey that continues to leave us surprised, inspired, and moved. 

We’ve learned so much from self-advocates sharing their experiences, family members talking about accepting their children’s diagnoses, and professionals discussing best practices in the field of autism services. 

We’ve covered a wide range of topics, such as ableism, masking, the neurodiversity movement, intersectionality, disability rights, cultural humility, and international collaboration. A huge thank you to all of our guests for openly sharing your stories and educating us about your perspectives. 

In today’s episode, we’ll be highlighting some of our dedicated listeners who have continuously supported this podcast over the last year. We want to give our community a chance to express what they’ve taken away from listening to the show. You’ll hear from Cameron Burrell, Griffen Wharbolt, Swathi Srinivas, Mary Johnston, Carrin Whitehurst, Nicole Ezcurra, Colleen Dorsey, and Liz Castillo. 

I’d like to give a special shout-out to Liz, who had been working as a Global Autism Project team member until the beginning of this month. She just recently had her second child and is busy embarking on a new chapter, but she’ll always be a part of the team. Liz had been cultivating relationships with our community on social media since we launched the podcast. Not only did she ensure our guests’ messages reached our followers, she also encouraged our audience to listen with an open mind. Liz has played an integral role in reminding us to do with the autistic community and not for them. This compilation episode was actually her idea. She’s been a trusted colleague, a dear friend, and just such a beautiful human all around. We wish you all the best in your new endeavors, Liz! 

Other team members who help make this podcast happen are Trang Tran and Linda Zheng. Trang, thank you for creating our beautiful visuals and audiograms week after week. Linda, thank you for managing guest relations and keeping us organized. And of course, this podcast wouldn’t even be possible without Molly believing in the idea from day one. 

Episodes mentioned:

39. Why the World Needs All Kinds of Minds, with Dr. Temple Grandin 

33. Bullying, Breakthroughs, and Basketball, with Anthony Ianni 

22. Music Therapy and Autism in Australia, with Pamela Fisher 

11. The Ability Beyond Disabilities, with Rachel Barcellona 

49. Special Education and Disability Rights, with Michael Gilberg 

43. Social Media and Intersectional Advocacy, with Tiffany Hammond 

8. Finding Strength in Adversity, with Russell Lehmann 

47. Neurodiversity in Popular Cartoon Characters, with Jeff Snyder 

46. Autism in the Black American Community, with Maria Davis-Pierre 

28. Occupational Therapy and Yoga for the Special Child, with Cheryl Albright 

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A Collectivist Approach to Services, with Mari Cerda

Discover what’s possible when values inform the method. 

Mari Cerda is an Autistic Board Certified Behavior Analyst who consults with teachers and schools to provide professional development training on various neurodiversity-affirming topics. She is also completing her doctoral program at Texas Tech University. 

As a Latina Mestiza, Mari is passionate about supporting displaced migrant families and their children with disabilities who enter the school system. She is the co-founder of The LEAP Institute, a non-profit whose mission is to increase equitable access for marginalized groups entering into the field of applied behavior analysis, or ABA. Through her Instagram account @the.blingual.bcba, Mari hopes to educate and mediate between the worlds of autism and ABA. 

In this conversation, we discuss: 

• Mari’s process of discovering and accepting her late diagnosis
• How autism is understood in Native and Latinx cultures
• The intersectionality of neurodiversity and race
• Her collectivist approach to providing services
• Ideas to bridge the divide between the Autistic community and ABA 

Before we get into the interview, I’d like to clarify a couple of terms that came up in case you’re not familiar with them. The first one is “ableism,” which is discrimination or social prejudice against people with disabilities based on the belief that typical abilities are superior. Ableism can manifest as an attitude, stereotype, or offensive comment or behavior. 

The second term is “extinction-based,” which refers to an ABA strategy used to reduce unwanted behaviors. For example, imagine a child is screaming because they want a piece of chocolate. We could give the child some chocolate so they would stop screaming, but that could actually have the opposite effect, leading the child to scream every time they want chocolate. In contrast, an extinction-based procedure would entail not giving the child any chocolate when they are screaming in order to reduce that behavior. Extinction-based procedures are controversial because they can be traumatic for learners. Side effects may include anger, frustration, and in some cases even depression. 

I truly believe that, when implemented with a compassionate, client-centered approach, the science of ABA can help individuals reach goals that will enable them to live fulfilling lives. We have a lot of unlearning to do as a field, and we need guidance from autistic voices to ensure that our services are in line with neurodivergent values. 

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? Join our Global Autism Community to connect and collaborate with people all over the world. 

We already have a growing number of members with different roles related to autism getting to know each other and engaging in these important conversations.

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

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SkillCorps Alumni Spotlight, with Natalie Odio and Christina Flores

Discover what’s possible when collaboration journeys onward. 

Today we’re featuring two members of our SkillCorps® Alumni community: Natalie Odio and Christina Flores.

Natalie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA, and Christina is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst, or BCaBa. Both from Miami, Natalie and Christina host a podcast called MOnday Morning Coffee, where they aim to ease Monday mornings by discussing topics related to emotional support for other professionals in the field. 

The Global Autism Project provides sustainable clinical, administrative, and leadership training to autism centers seeking guidance. SkillCorps® is an opportunity for self-advocates and professionals to travel to our partner sites around the world and work directly with their local teachers and therapists. 

In today’s conversation, we discuss: 

• Why Natalie and Christina are passionate about working with the autistic population
• The reasons for starting their podcast
• Personal and professional growth from doing SkillCorps®
• Cultural humility
• Fundraising for volunteer trips
• Lessons applied to coping with the pandemic
• Tips for future SkillCorps® travelers 

To learn more about Natalie and Christina, please you can follow them on Instagram @onwardbehavior and check out their podcast MOnday Morning Coffee.

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Channeling My Past into the Light of the Future, with Marcus Boyd

Discover what’s possible when you march to the beat of your own drum. 

Marcus Boyd is an autism self-advocate, musician, professional DJ, and clothing line owner. As a music producer and composer, he has collaborated with artists such as Lil Wayne and Marques Houston. A short documentary about Marcus’ life, titled My First Word, was released in November of 2020. 

In this conversation, Marcus opens up about the different layers of his childhood trauma, including growing up in abusive foster care homes, being admitted into several mental institutions, and not speaking until the age of 13. He talks about how he overcame his many obstacles, his autistic strengths that have helped his music career, and what made him decide to become an autism advocate. 

It’s Marcus’ birthday this upcoming Sunday the 31st. So, from all of us at the Global Autism Project, happy birthday, Marcus! 

For more information about Marcus Boyd, please visit autismactivistmarcusboyd.com. 

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Meet the Global Autism Project Team

Discover what’s possible when a team is built on strong values. 

Happy New Year!

I’d like to kick off 2021 with a special episode featuring our Global Autism Project team. I’m joined by our CEO and Founder, Molly Ola Pinney, as well as five other members of our core staff: Cassie Harden Scott, Mandy Childs, Liz Castillo, Trang Tran, and Aja Davis. 

The seven of us have weathered through 2020 together and supported each other from different corners of the world, especially during a time when the organization was on very unstable ground. I think many people will agree that you learn a lot about someone when you go through a pandemic with them, and certain bonds can even be strengthened when put under pressure. 

One thing I love about this team is our ability to communicate effectively and take action when needed. This has allowed us to shift our work and step into new possibilities with confidence. 

I wanted you to get a sense of our true team culture, so we’ve left some parts unedited for you to hear for yourself how we really treat each other like family. 

In this conversation, you’ll have a chance to meet the staff behind the scenes and learn some fun facts about us. We discuss which values of the organization we most connect with, some obstacles we’ve overcome together, and how the company culture came to be what it is today. We also talk about what we’ve learned from 2020 and what we look forward to in the coming year. 

If you’d like to learn more about the Global Autism Project’s history and mission, please listen to episode 2 with Molly. You can also listen to episode 23 to hear more about Cassie’s role as Director of Outreach. 

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Highlights of 2020, with the Global Autism Community

Discover what's possible when stories from around the world inspire change. 

We made it to episode 41! I know 41 doesn’t sound like a magical number, but this will be the last episode we’ll be releasing this year, so I thought it would be nice to review some of my favorite moments from our first 40 episodes. 

Since we started working on this podcast almost a year ago, we’ve brought on a wide range of guests, including prominent self-advocates like Temple Grandin and Michael John Carley, autism parents like Eileen Lamb and Jamiel Owens, some of our Global Autism Project partners like Yaser Aljaaidi from Saudi Arabia and Sangeeta Jain from India, and other professionals in the field like Dr. Megan Miller and Robert and Nadine Schramm. 

If you’ve been with us for a while, this 2020 recap will bring you back to the heartfelt stories we’ve been hearing from our guests. And if this is your first time listening to us, welcome! This episode will help you get a good idea of what Autism Knows No Borders is all about. Either way, I hope that you’re left feeling inspired to create some change in your own communities. 

As I was reflecting on these past episodes from 2020, I was overcome with immense gratitude for our community. A huge thank you to our guests for sharing your stories, to our listeners for your continued support, and to our team for putting it all together. Special thanks to Linda, our podcast intern, for joining us at just the right moment when we needed you most, to Tarik Davis for lending us your voice for our intros and outros, to Tremayne Ebanks for video production, and to Marc Aliana for music, audio and text editing, and all-around moral support. Of course, none of this would have been possible if Molly hadn’t believed in my little idea last year. 

From all of us at the Global Autism Project, we wish you a happy and safe holiday season and hope you can spend some quality time with your loved ones in some shape or form, even if it happens to be through a screen. We’ll be back on our regular release schedule on January 7th in 2021! 

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From Burnout to Thriving, with Jenny Llorca

Discover what’s possible when a company is led with care. 

Jenny Llorca is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and the Chief Clinical Director of Early Autism Services. EAS is an international company that provides individualized ABA therapy to children with autism in the US, India, and Australia. 

This year, after significant and impressive growth, EAS was facing challenges that are common with large companies that grow rapidly. They were struggling to cultivate company culture across their local branches, and levels of employee satisfaction were dipping. With a determination to shift their company environment, Jenny and the board of executives at EAS took action and hired the Global Autism Project to step in. 

For close to 20 years, the Global Autism Project has been providing coaching and training to autism service providers and organizations worldwide to help them scale, thrive, and realize their visions. This summer, we worked with the EAS directors to make our Leadership Academy program accessible to over 90 members of their staff. We tailored our training to meet their needs and delivered the program as a 6-week online course that included video lessons, worksheets, downloads, live virtual classrooms, and small group coaching. 

We recently released a case study that details the challenges EAS faced, our approach and design of Leadership Academy, and the outcomes measured through pre-and post-surveys. The results have been overwhelmingly positive. 100% of participants reported new skill acquisition in one or more of four key areas: time and task management, decision-making, integrity, and effective communication. Zero participants reported that they were in a state of burnout after Leadership Academy, compared to 24% from before. 94% of participants said that they would recommend Leadership Academy to other professionals in the field. 

You can access the full case study here: EAS Case Study. We’re excited to announce that we’re looking for the right company to participate in our next case study. If you think yours would be a good fit, get in touch with us through the link on the page. 

In this conversation, Jenny describes how attending Global Autism Project’s in-person Leadership Academy earlier this year inspired her to invest in her own team. We discuss some of her personal breakthroughs and the gains she’s noticed in her staff. Jenny explains how Leadership Academy has transformed the company culture at EAS and, most importantly, the services they provide families. 

You’ll hear us mention SkillCorps, which is our volunteer program that has been put on hold due to COVID travel restrictions. For more information about the training we provide our international partners, please listen to episode 2 with our CEO, Molly Ola Pinney. 

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BONUS: Join the Training that Transformed My Life, with Rachel Harmon

Discover what's possible when you uncover your blind spots.

In this bonus episode, I share how attending Global Autism Project's Leadership Academy shifted how I relate to work, relationships, and anything else that happens in my life.

Leadership Academy will empower you to lead with confidence in everything that you do — whether it’s improving staff retention in your business, having hard conversations with supervisees, or empowering others to take ownership of their work. The great news is, Leadership Academy now available for you to access online as a 6-week course! 

Don’t miss out on these opportunities to elevate your leadership to the next level and plan for a successful new year. 

If you’re still not sure if Leadership Academy is for you, take this 2-minute QUIZ to learn where you are in your leadership journey and what steps you need to take next. 

Are you ready to take bold action that will help you improve the way you lead? Are you ready to take charge of your life? 

I hope to see you in our virtual classroom! 

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Live Stream COVID-19 Update, with Our Global Autism Partners

Discover what’s possible when a global community is built on resilience. 

We have a very special episode today, featuring a few of our Global Autism Project staff and partners. Actually, more than a few... There are a total of 13 people in this episode! This conversation offers a glimpse into the deeply rooted relationships of our Global Autism Community. 

Here’s a little bit of context: 

For over 17 years, the Global Autism Project has partnered with international autism centers to provide sustainable clinical, administrative, and leadership training. Three times a year, we’ve sent SkillCorps volunteer teams to our partner sites around the world to work directly with their local teachers and therapists. 

When COVID-19 hit, we were forced to cancel all international travel and innovate new programs to stay afloat as an organization. Throughout this time, we’ve continued to meet with our partners every month over large Zoom calls. It’s always fun to see a mosaic of faces from across the globe on a single screen. 

We recently thought it would be exciting for our followers on social media to join a call with our partners. So, during our meeting last week, we went live on Facebook and our partners shared the impact that the pandemic has had on their centers, the current situation in their respective countries, and some positive takeaways they’ve gained from this crisis. The audience was able to follow along and contribute questions in real-time. 

Our CEO and Founder, Molly Ola Pinney, led the discussion between some of our staff and eight of our partners, many of which you might recognize from previous episodes. They called in from Kenya, India, China, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and Rwanda. 

We had originally scheduled a different episode for this week; however, right after we hung up, we realized that the content of our call was really worth sharing with you as well. As one could expect from a live call with 13 participants from 13 different locations across the world, we had some sound issues, but we have done our best to correct them for this podcast. 

Just a reminder that you can find this conversation and all of our interviews on our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project. 

For more information about our work, please visit globalautismproject.org. 

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Inclusion of Autistic Values, with Joy Johnson

Discover what’s possible when communities are built on dignity, fairness, and respect. 

This episode was originally scheduled to be released later in the month; however, in light of recent events, we have decided to move it forward. 

Today’s guest is Joy Johnson, M.Ed, M.S. Joy is a behavior specialist, inclusion specialist, autism self-advocate, and leader in the black autistic community. As the mother of an individual with autism, and as someone on the spectrum herself, she offers an interesting perspective to individuals, families, and organizations who are looking to improve the lives of those impacted by autism. 

Joy advises parents about the benefits of ABA therapy and the importance of teaching social skills, including how to interact with police officers. She empowers parents and children by promoting preparedness rather than fear. 

In this conversation, Joy explains what services she received growing up, how she related to peers in high school, and why she struggled after having her first child. 

Having lived in Germany for seven years, Joy talks about the country’s education system and attitudes towards autism. 

We also discuss the functions of self-stimulatory behavior, the consequences of masking, and the frustrating lack of support for adults with autism in the US. 

To learn more about Joy and the work she does, please visit: Autism Support Services.

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