Autism Knows No Borders

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 qual...

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 f...

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 pro...

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 f...

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 g...

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: Receiv...

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...

Discover what’s possible when you beard the lion in his den.  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: What i...

Discover what’s possible when obstacles become opportunities.  This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events!  The topic of this roundtable discussion was Overcoming Obstacles. Participating in this event were autism self-advocates Stephanie De Kremer, Cassidy Hooper, Jeff Snyder, and David Sharif, as well as community members Kia Burton and Karen Shapir...

Discover what’s possible when you live a life you don’t need a vacation from.  Diagnosed on the autism spectrum as an adult, Becca Lory Hector is an active autism and neurodiversity advocate, consultant, public speaker, and author. She offers a 3-unit personal development course for autistic adults called Self-Defined Living: A Path to a Quality Autistic Life. Becca also posts weekly live streams...

Discover what’s possible when safety invites honesty.  Ayu Suparman is a mother to two young boys, the eldest being on the autism spectrum. Living in Singapore, she and her husband host a podcast called Parents Made Special, in which they share information and resources for families in their community.  In today’s conversation, Ayu talks about the different levels of autism awareness across Singap...

Discover what’s possible when what you have to say matters. Would you like to share your experiences with like-minded people who can relate to the same struggles? Are you looking for an easy way to form friendships and not feel isolated? If so, you’ll want to listen to this episode, where members of our Global Autism Community talk about how being part of our online space has helped them feel supp...

Discover what’s possible when you put out the fire before burning out. Are you looking for tips on how to alleviate stress? Stick around, because today’s episode is a Global Autism Community roundtable about Stress Management, featuring Autistic Self-Advocates Hattie-Angelys Fox, Adrian Sanchez, Mary Johnston, and Corben Havener. The CEO of the Global Autism Project, Molly Pinney, also joined us a...

Discover what’s possible when you love yourself first. Do you struggle with expressing love for others, whether in friendships or romantic relationships? Do you ever feel pressure to live up to unrealistic ideas of love as represented in the media? How would you describe your own relationship with yourself? If you’d like to hear about the many facets of love, particularly in the context of autism...

Discover what’s possible when a mother learns her child’s language.  Nora Alharbi is a teacher and a mother to four children in Saudi Arabia. Her second child, Fares, is autistic. Fares receives services at Namaee Center, our partner site in Riyadh.  In this conversation, we discuss:  The level of autism awareness in Saudi Arabia and what services are available for families there How Nora came to...

Discover what’s possible when fiction comes to life.  Jeff Snyder is an autism self-advocate from Massachusetts. As a public speaker, he is passionate about bringing awareness to special education and employment support. In 2020, Jeff contributed to This is Autism , a book by Jessica Leictweisz and Aidan Allman Cooper in which he gave his account of growing up with autism. Jeff is also a moderator...

Discover what’s possible when relationships are strengthened by listening.  Vanessa Lista's autistic older brother, Billy, has been her inspiration her whole life. Currently studying kinesiology and psychology in college, Vanessa’s goal is to become a pediatric physical therapist. In this conversation, we discuss: How Vanessa’s relationship with her brother has evolved over the years Why she admir...

Discover what’s possible when you stick to healthy habits. The start of a new year usually motivates people to realign priorities and establish new routines. Some even pick a guiding word for the year to provide focus. What intentions did you set at the beginning of 2025? Are you staying on track to reach your goals? If you’d like to learn about creating and maintaining habits, stick around for to...

Discover what’s possible when skills are transferred off the court.  Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix is a Speech-Language Pathologist, a former collegiate tennis player, and the Founder and CEO of Love Serving Autism , a non-profit organization that provides specialized therapeutic tennis instruction for individuals with autism. Love Serving Autism’s mission is to expand life skills, increase community incl...

Discover what’s possible when the world says no, but mothers say yes.  Our guests today are Catherine Verhoeff Shauf, Enesa Muratovic, and Moji Swartjes. These three strong and determined women are mothers of children on the autism spectrum. Another thing they all have in common is that they are ex-pats living in the Netherlands. Catherine is from the US, Enesa is from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and...

Discover what’s possible when a butterfly spreads her wings.  Cassidy Hooper is a 27-year-old autistic self-advocate from Mississippi who also has a rare genetic condition called Turner Syndrome. As the President of The Arc of Northeast Mississippi Autism Now Division, she mentors other autistic people and connects them with resources in their area. Some of her other advocacy work includes volunte...

Discover what’s possible when every change brings a new opportunity. Do you struggle with social engagements during the holiday season? What boundaries do you set in order to preserve your mental well-being? If you’d like to learn how to navigate the challenges of seasonal shifts, stick around for today’s episode. The following roundtable was facilitated by Global Autism Community moderator Hattie...

Discover what’s possible when everyone has a place they belong.  David Bodanis is a father to three young men, two of which are on the autism spectrum. David and his wife Irene are the founders of Jake’s House , a charitable organization based in Canada whose mission is to support individuals on the spectrum throughout their lifespans. They offer four core initiatives: annual holiday parties, the...

Discover what’s possible when inclusion is animated.  Dani Bowman is an autism self-advocate, animator, illustrator, teacher, and public speaker from California. Dani founded her company, DaniMation Entertainment LLC , at age 11, and has worked professionally in the animation industry since age 14. Her company has produced nine award-winning animated shorts, a PSA for Autism Society of America, an...

Discover what’s possible when social engagement and self-care are balanced. Do you find it challenging to be surrounded by too many people? What do you prefer: spending time alone or with others? Or do you just struggle to make deeper connections?  If any of this resonates with you or anyone you know, stick around for today’s episode. The following roundtable is about Isolation vs Community. It wa...