Autism Stories

"I wanted to expand it so that people could express themselves in any possible way, whether that's a math formula about how it feels to be engaged with an animal, or a sculpture about being bullied or rejected, or a painting about the great gift of sensory expansiveness that we enjoy. It's been neat to watch that process unfold for people. There's no limit to the way folks can communicate", says D...

"I don't think anyone should assume that they're unlovable or unworthy if they don't have any friends or a job right now. Our worth is much deeper. We're all just temporarily abled, but also temporarily friended, and temporarily employed. Why base our worth on something that will change for all of us throughout life?" , says Amanda Bancroft. Amanda joins this episode to discuss listening to others...

"I would love to live in a world where it doesn't have to be so brave to share your truth. I don't think we would call a neurotypical woman brave for writing an article about her personal life. Women and men are doing that every hour of every day as we speak right now. There are probably  billions of those types of articles or listicles that are being circulated right now. We don't think of t...

"In the high vibrational state, which is where we all want to be (of course some days are better than others), we are emanating this sense of love and peace and compassion. You're kind of growing a higher personal power, but you're also being able to just be yourself, your true authentic self, and allowing others to see you for the confident person you are," says Ariel Cullison. Ariel joins this e...

"First of all, everybody is a person and everybody counts. And it comes down to the idea that we should never give up on any human; we should never leave anyone completely on their own with no hope. Everybody needs somebody in their corner, especially when everybody has left their corner. As a defense lawyer, I am very cognizant that I may be the only person left standing with this individual," sa...

"There's so many talented artists and writers, but they don't get showcased because they are somebody that's disabled, autistic, or ADHD. We saw that barrier and we want to create an avenue for the people that can't get published, whether they can't get published because of the politics of publishing, or because they don't have the energy, mental health, or the ability to go through the steps. We...

"It's mental health care, but it unfortunately doesn't mean that the people who facilitate it understand autism. I know that may be a broad statement here, but in my personal experience, even in grad school I think I was the only person with documented ASD, and I always felt that I had to keep my professors on their toes. Any place I worked, the feeling that they're not really expecting someone li...

"I wanted it to feel even though it takes place in the modern day, it's kind of an unearthed story. Because it's a story of people that have always been there, yet, never been truly acknowledged up until more recent times. Hopefully, we'll be acknowledged. The day that disabled people have opportunities and have opportunities on screen, and I don't have to make it myself, that'll be a happy d...

"Regulation comes in different forms depending on what is dysregulating a person. It could be trying strategies of proprioceptive input, having fidgets or body engagers available, or feeding the brain with high-cognitive materials. My wonderful CRPs vary in their approaches, but all work hard to help me regulate," says Jack Haynes. Jack joins this episode to discuss the importance of regulati...

"Everyone is allowed to have their opinions, but those aren't my responsibility. The only thing I'm committed to is conveying myself the way I intended, and making sure those like me know that too. It also helps a lot that my team believes in me so I don't have to worry about miscommunication because I know they have my back," says Justice Killebrew. Justice joins this episode  discuss his ke...

"You go back as far as 2010 or so, and the idea of having an autistic person on the research team to inform the design of the study was a completely foreign concept. This wasn't happening at all, there were maybe one or two research groups in the world doing this.  Now, it's not uncommon. At least people do it at the level of consultation or having a community advisory board," says Zack Willi...

"It's a hallowed space for me. I see the impact when people are treated with respect and they have consent over their stories, and they have consent over what they want to focus on and what they can focus on that day. It really works more and more momentum to feeling this curiosity to look below these masks," says Tasha Hansen. Tasha joins this episode to discuss being a social worker, strategies...

"With their journey with me, we slowly take down those walls in comfortable steps, little by little, and at the same time we build something that I like to describe as an armor made out of light. That is this powerful thing that carries you through life and makes you feel safe within yourself, makes you feel secure, makes you feel like you can trust yourself. You're capable and it's great to be yo...

"If I was employed by somebody else, and I needed to sleep like right now, that's not gonna happen. I'm probably gonna get fired. I really stress the importance of self-employment because that money that I'm making is going to me. It's not going through multiple channels where I am probably paid the lowest possible amount for labor that really sucks the life out of me," says Margaux Wosk. Margaux...

To check out Doug's birth chart as you watch this episode go to https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQiZqe-U_0YdRM_kGV6S_pNrAayDw0rRaUSdLE88cOqQFkrw3hrUOYSUYfiVrZBH7KtmugL4FwHq0Ax/pub "It's always this weird mix with astrology of like I might see and tell a person, 'You're not doing what makes you happy,' and they're like, 'I know.' I'm never gonna tell anybody to quit your job now, no, yo...

We take a look back at some great moments on the Autism Stories podcast from the last year as we prepare to bring you more stories than ever from autistics in 2023. If you could subscribe to Autism Stories on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coac...

"There are a lot of autistic women that sign up for my class. So introducing them and creating this neurodiverse community in the classroom where they get to work with actual autistic women and see that we are not what they thought; we are not what society pins us as," says Zhara Astra. Zhara joins this episode to discuss teaching a class"Understanding Neurodivergent Women" as well as female autis...

"Being open about where you come from, your difference, gives an opening for others to say the rabbi is modelling this. The rabbi is showing that people of difference are members of this community and are valued. Modeling is the best thing a leader can do, I believe. Look at yourself as a microcosm of your community, live your own," says Rabbi Tzemah Yoreh. Rabbi Yoreh joins this episode to d...

"he big issue is that colleges are mostly for very functional students that can talk right and can control their body. But for individuals like us, options are very less. For me, I feel lucky. My body has to learn how to control and one has to be in the environment to learn how to control, and more colleges should show this path to all," says Akhil Lad. Akhil joins this episode to discuss ways in...

"Autistic people have the ability to decompose the soundscape, to take the sound of the world around them and to focus in on particular aspects of it and to hear that detail. People don't listen in this way on the whole. This is a distinct difference," says Andrew Hugill. Andrew joins this episode to discuss founding the aural diversity project, digital culture, and the importance of being &n...

"Many of us, if we're just provided the proper accommodations, and if we're provided the opportunities to advocate for ourselves and be taken seriously, we would thrive. We would be able to live lives that we shape ourselves as opposed to having society impose on us what we're supposed to be based on how they assume we are from an outsider view," says T Jamaica Rogue. T Jamaica Rogue joins joins t...

“Anytime you have a default, anyone whose brain learns things, processes, communicates differently is going to feel othered. The idea with universal design is not having any defaults, and to have a menu to all people. In healthcare, you're picking your setting, your picking your furniture, your picking your lighting, your picking your sensory and communication supports. We offer this to all the pa...

“Currently, that is the one place where I am entirely unmasked. I don't guard myself when I'm running; it's true self expression. It's the only place I'm really fully authentic and fully able to be in a way that I don't feel self-conscious about, or I'm not wondering if I look weird, or if people are going to notice me in the wrong way. It's the purest form of joy I have access to,” says Jesse Tim...

“I personally am not an eye contact person. So, when I'm working with my clients it's nice that neither of us have that expectation that we have to make eye contact, we have to shake each others' hand, we have to have small talk. Realistically, we don't have to do that. We're both very comfortable with each other, and that alone has made it easier to work in my career because I know I am understoo...

“There's so much work that needs to be done to gain communication for the estimated 31 million human beings who are locked in a silent cage. I want to make sure we focus on the initiatives that will help the greatest number of non-speakers to learn to type, so they may live full lives,” says Elizabeth Bonker. Elizabeth joins this episode to discuss her non profit that is empowering non-speakers to...