Discover what’s possible when people connected to autism inspire change and build community
Episodes
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Thursday Apr 27, 2023
Discover what’s possible when you remember your why.
This week we are celebrating the 3-year anniversary of this podcast, as well as the 2-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, as well as controversial topics like person-first vs. identity-first language, the puzzle piece symbol, and ABA therapy.
I recently went back and listened to episode 1. Honestly, I hadn’t listened to it since it was first released back in 2020. What a trip down memory lane! I was brought back to all of the preparation leading up to our launch: the nervousness I felt during my first interviews, the late nights spent editing, the fears of what people would think of the show…
Yet, listening back, I could also hear the optimism in my voice. I was reminded why I decided to start Autism Knows No Borders in the first place, and that why remains the same today. Through shared stories of struggles and breakthroughs, we hope to expand the reach of human connection and remind people that they are not alone.
Three years after launching Autism Knows No Borders, we are more energized than ever to keep going. There are many meaningful stories we still want to share with you. We will continue to elevate autistic voices and do our best to help them be heard. We want their stories to travel across the world, so that more people can join the cause for autism awareness, acceptance, and hope.
A huge thank you to all of our guests for openly sharing and educating us with their perspectives, as well as to our team members who keep making this podcast happen: our visual creator and social media manager, Anh Ngoc; 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. By the way, we’re honored to celebrate 100,000 downloads this month! So again, thank you for that — and cheers to the next 100,000!
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 couple of 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. A huge thank you to our community moderators, who monitor posts daily to ensure that our online space remains safe and respectful.
Today you’ll hear from our new cohort of community moderators: Andrew Bennett, Cassidy Hooper, Stephane Guidon, and Korey Taylor.
Join us today at community.globalautismproject.org! Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.
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Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Thursday Apr 20, 2023
Discover what’s possible when you work kinder, not harder.
Today we’re bringing back the CEO and Founder of the Global Autism Project, Molly Ola Pinney, along with the organization’s Head of University and Training Programs, Ann Beirne.
For the past several months, Ann and I have been working together on a very special project. We’ve developed Responsive Skills Training, a curriculum for entry-level autism service providers that teaches the required skills for the RBT, IBT, and ABAT credentials.
This course was co-created with the Autistic community to transform the way in which services are provided across the world. Our committee of contributors included prominent self-advocates, such as Temple Grandin and Stephen Shore, different family members, like parents and siblings, and a wide range of professionals, including speech therapists, occupational therapists, and transition specialists.
Our purpose with Responsive Skills Training, or RST for short, is to give entry-level service providers a more well-rounded understanding of autism by hearing directly from those with lived experiences.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Why we decided to create RST
- The needs of the international community
- The importance of listening to autistic voices
- Reforming Applied Behavior Analysis to include neurodiversity-affirming practices
- The process of co-creating RST with a committee of contributors
After the conversation with Molly and Ann, you’ll also hear testimonies from several RST contributors about why they decided to join this project. These were recorded in the field during our last SkillCorps volunteer trip to Kenya in March.
Featured RST contributors:
Andrew Bennett, Autistic Self-Advocate, BCaBA (US)
Mafer Chang, Director/Founder of Centro Enigma (Ecuador)
Alexis Sevieri, Sibling Advocate, RBT (US)
Laura Leonard, BCBA (US)
Sangeeta Jain, Vice Principal of SOREM (India)
To learn more about the Global Autism Project’s Responsive Skills Training, please visit globalautismproject.org/rst.
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Thursday Apr 13, 2023
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
*THROWBACK EPISODE*
This conversation with Michael John Carley was originally released on August 6, 2020. We're re-releasing it today to highlight some of Michael’s recent accomplishments.
His latest publication, The Book Of Happy, Positive, And Confident Sex For Adults On The Autism Spectrum And Beyond! was released in 2021 and has since been globally celebrated. This is a book that gives autistic people permission to seek pleasure without shame.
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Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Discover what’s possible when progress starts at home.
Lenora Edwards is a Certified Speech Language Pathologist with over 10 years of experience treating children and adults. She is the Chief Knowledge Officer at Better Speech, a US-based, online service provider with 150 speech therapists working with individuals of all ages.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Benefits and considerations of delivering services online
- What a typical online session looks like
- The various populations Lenora works with
- The difference between a speech delay and a speech disorder
- Common speech difficulties among autistic people
- What Lenora enjoys about working with autistic people
- Common misconceptions about speech therapy
- How to encourage families to use Alternative Augmentative Communication with their autistic loved ones
- Advice for parents who want to improve their children’s language skills at home
To learn more about Lenora Edwards and her work, please visit: betterspeech.com
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Thursday Mar 30, 2023
Thursday Mar 30, 2023
*THROWBACK EPISODE*
This conversation with Dr. Kerry Magro was originally released on March 18, 2021. We're re-releasing it today to highlight some of Kerry’s recent accomplishments.
Kerry's latest book, Autistics on Autism: Stories You Need to Hear About What Helped Them While Growing Up and Pursuing Their Dreams was released last year and has reached the Amazon Best-Seller List for Special Needs Parenting.
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Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Discover what’s possible when travel is made accessible.
Dawn Barclay has dedicated over 30 years to working in different areas of the travel industry. Her recent book, Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodivese, offers helpful tips to soothe children’s travel anxieties. Dawn also writes fiction as D. M. Barr and holds leadership roles in several writer organizations.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Why Dawn thinks everyone should travel
- Common struggles families face when traveling
- Practical tips to create a sense of routine, minimize sensory overload, and make a trip enjoyable for the whole family
- Advice for traveling by plane, cruise ship, or car
- Uncommon vacation ideas that might be suitable for families with autistic loved ones
- The importance of building itineraries that include special interests
- Lessons Dawn learned from traveling with her own children
- The difference between a ‘Certified Autism Center’ and an ‘Autism Friendly’ establishment
- How to introduce the idea of traveling and prepare children for a trip ahead of time
To learn more about Dawn Barclay, please visit dawnbarclayink.com.
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Thursday Mar 16, 2023
Thursday Mar 16, 2023
Discover what’s possible when you share the end goal.
Harald Neerland is the President of Autism Europe, an international association whose main objective is to advance the rights of autistic people and their families and help them improve their quality of life. Originally from Norway, Harald is also a father of a young autistic woman.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Harald’s daughter’s strengths, interests, and living situation
- How Harald assesses her quality of life
- The level of awareness and services available in Norway
- Inclusion vs integration
- Describing autism based on level of need rather than diagnostic criteria
- Autism Europe’s mission, policy work, and research initiatives
- Why researchers and practitioners need to work together
- Bringing mental and somatic health to the forefront of the political discussion
- Objectives Harald wants to complete before the end of his term
To learn more about Harald Neerland and his work, please visit autismeurope.org.
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Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
*THROWBACK EPISODE*
This conversation with Molly and Pooja was originally released on August 26, 2021. We're re-releasing it today because we're excited to share that our recent SkillCorps® pilot trip to Nairobi, Kenya 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 July 2023! 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 Mar 02, 2023
Thursday Mar 02, 2023
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.
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Thursday Feb 23, 2023
Thursday Feb 23, 2023
Discover what’s possible when peers connect.
Originally from France, Stephane Guidon is an Autistic Self-Advocate currently living in the UK. He works for the National Autistic Society as a Senior Branch Engagement officer and Project Lead. The National Autistic Society is the largest autism charity in the UK, dedicated to creating a society that works for autistic people.
In today’s conversation, we discuss:
- Stephane’s journey of self-discovery
- His autistic strengths
- How he relates to his autistic son
- Autism awareness in France
- Stephane’s role at the National Autistic Society
- Key components of a successful peer group
To learn more about Stephane Guidon and his work, please visit our show notes at autism.org.uk.
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