Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
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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Thursday Sep 14, 2023
Thursday Sep 14, 2023
*THROWBACK EPISODE*
This conversation with Dr. Temple Grandin was originally released on December 10, 2020. We're re-releasing it today to help promote her upcoming conference “The Grandin Papers,” which will be held live and in-person on October 26, 2023 in Beaumont, TX.
Dr. Grandin’s most recent book Autism and Education: The Way I See It: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know was published in April 2023.
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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
*THROWBACK EPISODE*
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.
The Global Autism Project partnered with ABA Centrum from 2016 to 2020 and has sent nine SkillCorps® volunteer teams to provide sustainable hands-on training.
Applications to travel with our SkillCorps® program are still open for March 2024! As a listener of our show, take advantage of the coupon code AUTISMPODCAST (no space and all caps) to waive the application fee.
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Thursday Aug 17, 2023
Thursday Aug 17, 2023
*THROWBACK EPISODE*
This conversation with Timothy Boykin was originally released on June 25, 2020. Follow him on Instagram @blackinfinityking to check out his advocacy videos!
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Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Thursday Aug 10, 2023
Discover what’s possible when students lead the beat.
Stephen Flinn has been teaching music for over three decades. As a master trainer of the Rhythmic Arts Project curriculum, Stephen facilitates percussion-ensemble classes to students of all diagnoses.
He has been featured in many international publications, including the Modern Drummer and DownBeat magazines, and published his first book, Contemporary Urban Percussion, in 2016. Stephen has also appeared on over 40 commercial releases of creative music and has toured extensively throughout Europe, Japan, and the United States.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- The benefits of learning a musical instrument, such as increased focus, listening, communication, confidence, motor strength, stress management, and cognitive development
- Generalizing skills outside music class
- Stephen’s alternative notation system on piano
- How to use drums to communicate with non-speakers
- What Stephen has learned from working with autistic students
- Why he decided to spend 6 months as a monk in Thailand and how that experience influenced his teaching
- The biggest mistake many musicians make
To learn more about Stephen Flinn, please visit specialneedsmusic.com.
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Thursday Aug 03, 2023
Thursday Aug 03, 2023
*THROWBACK EPISODE*
This conversation with Sangeeta Jain was originally released on November 5, 2020. We're re-releasing it today because we're excited to share that our recent SkillCorps® trip to India was a huge success!
Stay tuned for a future episode highlighting some special moments from that trip.
We are currently accepting SkillCorps® applications for travel in March 2024! Begin your journey today at globalautismproject.org/skillcorps. As a listener of our show, take advantage of the coupon code AUTISMPODCAST to waive the application fee.
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Thursday Jul 20, 2023
Thursday Jul 20, 2023
Discover what’s possible when identity is fluid.
This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events! This roundtable was facilitated by community moderator Andrew Bennett, and its topic of discussion was Autistic Identity.
The participants were Autistic Self-Advocates Thomas Iland, Sara Bradford, and Michael Gilberg, and community members Rosetta Walker, Vanya Umenjoh, and Korey Taylor.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- What is identity and what gives us ours
- Person-first vs. identity-first language
- Autistic with a capital “A”
- Why autistics value identity
- What is “normal”
- Respecting someone else’s identity
- Masking
- The difference between fitting in and belonging
- How to encourage society to be more inclusive
- The importance of empowering young autistics to become self-advocates
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 Jul 13, 2023
Thursday Jul 13, 2023
Discover what’s possible when certification is just the beginning.
The CEO of Global Autism Project, Molly Ola Pinney, is joined by the Co-Founder of the International Behavior Analysis Organization, Dr. Michael Mueller. The IBAO certifies practitioners to ensure ethical practices, protect consumers, and maintain appropriate educational standards in the field of ABA around the world.
A board certified behavior analyst, Mike has authored 11 books, including Behavior Analytic Consultation to Schools, and the Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS), a seven-volume series to guide in the assessment of teaching everyday life skills to learners of all ages. He has also published dozens of research articles and served on the editorial board of several prestigious journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the School Psychology Review, and the Journal of Evidence Based Practices for Schools, to name a few.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- What prompted the start of the IBAO
- Former barriers to certification, including cost and accessibility
- How the IBAO makes certification more attainable for practitioners who don’t hold a Master’s degree
- Ethical considerations to addressing cultural differences
- The distinction between certification and licensure
- Collaboration between Global Autism Project and the IBAO
- Tips for ABA practitioners
To learn more about Dr. Michael Mueller and the IBAO, please visit theibao.com.
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