Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
Monday Jun 30, 2025
Monday Jun 30, 2025
Want to prepare your child for an upcoming vacation?
Dawn Barclay, a travel writer, shares travel tips for families with autistic loved ones, some creative vacation ideas, and the importance of building itineraries that include your children’s special interests.
Welcome to Autism Tips & Tools, where we highlight the best practical guidance from previous episodes of Autism Knows No Borders. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a service provider, there’s something here for you!
The following clip is from our conversation with Dawn Barclay, originally released on March 23, 2023.
Would you like to hear Dawn talk about how to create a supportive travel environment for children with sensitivities? Click the link below for the full conversation and be sure to subscribe to hear more from people connected to autism inspiring change and building community.
Traveling Different, with Dawn Barclay
Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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Thursday Jun 26, 2025
Thursday Jun 26, 2025
Discover what’s possible when A is for action.
Dr. Stephen Shore is an autistic professor of special education at Adelphi University. He has written several books, including College for Students with Disabilities, Understanding Autism for Dummies, Ask and Tell, and Beyond the Wall.
Currently, Dr. Shore serves on the boards of Autism Speaks, the Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association, the US Autism and Asperger Association, the Scientific Council of OAR, and other autism-related organizations. He formerly headed the Asperger’s Association of New England and was on the board of the Autism Society of America.
In this conversation, we discuss:
- Stephen’s background and how his parents helped in his development
- How autism affects his everyday life
- His strengths related to autism
- Benefits of music for autistic people
- What Stephen describes as “The 4 A's of Autism”
- The controversies surrounding ABA therapy and Autism Speaks
- Awareness of autism around the world
- Meaningful inclusion strategies
- Disclosure and self-advocacy
For more information about Dr. Shore and his work, please visit drstephenshore.com.
This episode with Dr. Stephen Shore was originally released on August 19, 2021.
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Monday Jun 23, 2025
Monday Jun 23, 2025
Why do some autistic people struggle to find love?
Kaelynn Parlow, an Autistic Self-Advocate and participant on the second season of the Netflix reality series, Love on the Spectrum, shares her ideas on this topic. Kaelynn is also a Registered Behavior Technician, or RBT for short.
Welcome to Autism Tips & Tools, where we highlight the best practical guidance from previous episodes of Autism Knows No Borders. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a service provider, there’s something here for you!
The following clip is from our conversation with Kaelynn Parlow, originally released on January 12, 2023.
Would you like to hear Kaelynn talk about her work in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis and how she teaches her clients impactful social skills? Click the link below for the full conversation and be sure to subscribe to hear more from people connected to autism inspiring change and building community.
’Love on the Spectrum’ and Teaching Social Skills, with Kaelynn Partlow
Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Thursday Jun 19, 2025
Discover what’s possible when we relate through emotions.
A globally recognized thought leader, author, speaker, and social-cognitive therapist, Michelle Garcia Winner is the Founder and CEO of Social Thinking, a company devoted to helping individuals gain stronger social awareness and social functioning skills through the Social Thinking Methodology.
Across her 30-year career, Michelle has created numerous evidence-based strategies, treatment frameworks, and curricula to help interventionists develop social competencies in those they support.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Grouping students based on social needs rather than diagnostic labels
- How to increase social competence through 4 main steps: attend, interpret, problem-solve, and respond
- Complex social concepts, like nuanced perspective taking
- What a typical session at Michelle’s clinic might look like
- Why small talk is embedded in most social situations
- Autistic empathy
- Navigating the dating world
- Maintaining friendships
- Tips for autistic people going into a job interview
To learn more about Michelle and her work, please visit our show notes at socialthinking.com.
This episode with Michelle Garcia Winner was originally released on March 2, 2023.
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Monday Jun 16, 2025
Monday Jun 16, 2025
What are commonly requested accommodations in the workplace? How can employers successfully hire and train neurodiverse staff?
Maxwell Huffman and Jen Goubeaud of Aspiritech, Aspiritech, a quality-assurance company with over 90% of autistic employees, share their insights on these topics.
Maxwell is Autistic himself and oversees operations across Aspiritech’s program lines, including software quality assurance, accessibility, and data services. And Jen, who has ADHD, is the program manager for the company’s accessibility program line.
Welcome to Autism Tips & Tools, where we highlight the best practical guidance from previous episodes of Autism Knows No Borders. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a service provider, there’s something here for you!
The following clip is from our conversation with Maxwell Huffman and Jen Goubeaud, originally released on February 15, 2024.
Would you like to hear Jen and Maxwell talk about accessibility in digital spaces and how to create opportunities for neurodivergent employees to thrive? Click the link below for the full conversation and be sure to subscribe to hear more from people connected to autism inspiring change and building community.
How to Increase Neurodiversity in the Workplace | Part 1 with Maxwell Huffman and Jen Goubeaud
Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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Thursday Jun 12, 2025
Thursday Jun 12, 2025
Discover what’s possible when different brains come together.
Dr. Temple Grandin is well known for both her pioneer work as an autism advocate and her lifelong dedication to animal welfare. Through groundbreaking research aimed at understanding her own autistic mind, Dr. Grandin propelled the awareness of autism during a time when very little was known of it. She is an incredible source of hope for children with autism, their parents, and anyone with a dream.
Dr. Grandin became an internationally recognized leader in animal handling innovations after developing a corral that improved the quality of life of cattle by reducing stress. She has consulted with the USDA and major corporations such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, Whole Foods, and Chipotle. Today, half of the cattle in North America are handled in facilities she designed.
Dr. Grandin is also a prominent author, having written several books on autism and animal behavior. She has been featured on various media outlets and programs, including NPR, BBC, Larry King Live, 2020, Sixty Minutes, and TED, to name a few. In 2010, HBO produced an Emmy Award-winning movie about her life, and later that year, she was highlighted in TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2016, she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. These days, Dr. Grandin continues to write and teaches Animal Science at Colorado State University.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The spectrum of autism needs
- The evolution of diagnostic criteria
- Dr. Grandin’s opinion on the removal of Asperger's syndrome from the DSM-5 and the classification of autism under a single umbrella
- The neurodiversity movement
- ABA therapy
- Teaching autism awareness in schools
- Mental health challenges faced by autistic individuals
- Tips for autistic self-advocates, encouraging targeted advocacy and constructive action to make a difference in their communities
For more information about Dr. Grandin and her work, please visit:
https://www.templegrandin.com/
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Monday Jun 09, 2025
Monday Jun 09, 2025
What are special challenges that older autistic adults face?
Ryan Litchfield, an Autism and Disability Self-Advocate, job developer, and grant and administrator writer, shares his ideas on this topic.
Welcome to Autism Tips & Tools, where we highlight the best practical guidance from previous episodes of Autism Knows No Borders. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a service provider, there’s something here for you!
The following clip is from our conversation with Ryan Litchfield, originally released on May 13, 2021.
Would you like to hear Ryan’s experience receiving ABA therapy and how professionals can provide better support for their clients? Click the link below for the full conversation and be sure to subscribe to hear more from people connected to autism inspiring change and building community.
Receiving ABA and the Need for Research in Older Adults, with Ryan Litchfield
Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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Monday Jun 02, 2025
Monday Jun 02, 2025
What is the #ActuallyAutistic Movement? How can labels change our perspectives about people?
Rachel Barcellona, an Autistic Self-Advocate, model, author, and pageant winner, shares her ideas on these topics, as well as the puzzle piece symbol, person-first or identity-first language, and autism representation in the media.
Welcome to Autism Tips &Tools, where we highlight the best practical guidance from previous episodes of Autism Knows No Borders. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a service provider, there’s something here for you!
The following clip is from our conversation with Rachel Barcellona, originally released on May 28, 2020.
Would you like to hear Rachel talking about how pageantry helped her express herself and build confidence? Click the link below for the full conversation and be sure to subscribe to hear more from people connected to autism inspiring change and building community.
The Ability Beyond Disabilities, with Rachel Barcellona | TBT
Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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Thursday May 29, 2025
Thursday May 29, 2025
Discover what’s possible when you acknowledge your mistakes.
Brian Middleton is an Autistic Self-Advocate, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and the creator of the Bearded Behaviorist, an initiative dedicated to the dissemination of behavior science and the inclusion of trauma-informed care standards in applied behavior analysis and other human services.
In this episode, we talk about:
- Receiving an autism diagnosis as an adult
- Why Brian thinks autism can be seen as both a disorder and a neurotype
- The disagreement between the neurodiversity movement and the field of ABA
- Why stimming and self regulation are important
- The need for trauma-informed care in behavior analysis
- Striving for a more compassionate approach to supporting autistic individuals
This episode is part two of our conversation with Brian Middleton, which was originally released on October 22, 2020.
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Monday May 26, 2025
Monday May 26, 2025
What is ableism? How can someone who means well actually end up harming people with disabilities?
Haley Moss, an autistic attorney, author, and artist, shares her ideas on these topics.
Welcome to Autism Tips & Tools, where we highlight the best practical guidance from previous episodes of Autism Knows No Borders. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a service provider, there’s something here for you!
The following clip is from our conversation with Haley Moss, originally released on July 16, 2020.
Would you like to hear Haley talking about what a sensory overload feels like for her and how her autistic strengths have advanced her career? Click the link below for the full conversation and be sure to subscribe to hear more from people connected to autism inspiring change and building community.
Accessibility at the Forefront, with Haley Moss | TBT
Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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