Perspectives on Neurodiversity

Surj is an autistic self-advocate, musician, and member of the band Space Between Us. Space Between Us is a London band of four friends Surj (lead vocals and guitar), Matthew (lead guitar), Suneel (bass) & Joff (drums). To date they have released three albums and have just released their new album ' how are you really ' This album is a collection of songs about a journey — exploring the challenges...

Kathy Carter is a UK-based online therapist serving a predominantly autistic client case. She trained with the UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy, a leading training provider specializing in cognitive-behavioral theory and practice. Kathy is registered in the UK with the General Hypnotherapy Register, the National Hypnotherapy Council and the Complimentary & Natural Healthcare Council. She's...

When advocates discuss Neurodiversity, we include ADHD alongside autism, and many autistics also have ADHD diagnoses. As this audience knows, my daughters and I all have ADHD diagnoses. Our struggles differ, however, because ADHD takes many forms. On this episode of the podcast, I'm being joined by mental wellness advocate Carolina Gutiérrez. Carolina describes her ADHD as a superpower. She's harn...

The back-to-school season is upon us. For our family, that means preparing paperwork for IEPs or 504 Plans. Yes, it's time again for the alphabet soup of special education jargon. Your student with an ASD, ADHD, SLD, or ID might need an IEP with a BIP to ensure an LRE for the FAPE within a public school. Don't feel too bad if you didn't understand all of that. How bad is the alphabet soup? A guide...

Perspectives on Neurodiversity vary based on our experiences. I am a father, a husband, and an autistic self-advocate. My understanding of Neurodiversity has changed as I keep learning from the experiences that come with those roles. I am Christopher Scott Wyatt, creator of The Autistic Me blog, and for the last five years, I have hosted this podcast. As I began working on season six of the podcas...

I recharge outside. My wife can attest that I buy too many plants and dream of even more. My dream is a personal park with various garden themes: an English rose garden, a Japanese garden with a koi pond, a colorful cottage garden. Podcast Episode 0089, Season 5, Episode 20; 28 June 2022

Joining us for this episode is travel expert Dawn M. Barclay, author of Traveling Different: Vacation Strategies for Parents of the Anxious, the Inflexible, and the Neurodiverse. Dawn M. Barclay has spent a career working in different aspects of the travel industry, starting as an agent with her parents' firms, Barclay Travel Ltd and Barclay International Group Short-Term Apartment Rentals, and th...

George Bailey is a father of five children, two of whom are autistic. He and his wife are also Neurodiverse; George has ADHD and his wife is a self-diagnosed autistic. He earned a Juris Doctor from Washington University in St. Louis, a master of arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and a bachelor's degree in Chinese from Brigham Young University. George is fluent in Man...

Some autistic adults I know take a month-long break social media during April. April is a month of inspiration porn and martyr mothers, autism cures and absurd ABA success anecdotes. Others take the opposite approach, making it their mission to respond to every article, blog post, tweet, or discussion about autism they can find. They set Google alerts and track autism hashtags. Those avoiding Apri...

Children's voices are rarely heard when discussing healthcare experiences. Mayo Clinic Press has brought together Mayo Clinic physicians, young patients, and author-illustrator Hey Gee to collaborate on the new "My Life Beyond" series. Titles in this new series include: My Life Beyond Diabetes My Life Beyond Leukemia My Life Beyond Bullying; and My Life Beyond Autism. My Life Beyond Autism  draws...

Since 2010, there have been at least three dozen significant autistic characters in feature films and four dozen autistic characters in literary fiction. And, of course, we've also seen more autistics on series television. "The Good Doctor," "Atypical," and Amazon's new series "As We See It" are just three quick examples of series with autistic lead characters. Today we will be discussing the new...

Gabi and Mary Angelini of Gabi's Grounds join The Autistic Me for this episode of The Autistic Me. Gabi discusses her quest for fulfilling employment, being bullied, and much more. From Gabi and Mary: Gabi is a 24-year-old active, motivated adult with Down Syndrome. When she wanted to find a job, she searched and applied for many positions but could not get hired. She has big dreams and wants to b...

Samuel Levine is a Professor of Law and Director of the Jewish Law Institute at Touro Law Center, which is part of the Touro College and University System. His work Was Yosef on the Spectrum? Understanding Joseph Through Torah, Midrash, and Classical Jewish Sources offers a unique examination of the life of Joseph (Yosef). Yosef's behaviors, interpersonal relationships, and personal development ar...

The end of 2021 proved difficult, and 2022 isn't off to a good start. Parental responsibilities once again derailed blogging and podcasting efforts. Pandemic parenting compounds the challenges of supporting our daughters. Despite our exhaustion, we have to keep the girls on track. This is yet another podcast episode reflecting on the challenges of these unusual times. Let us hope 2022 eventually t...

Podcast Episode 0080, Season 5, Episode 11; 04 January 2022 Tracee Garner, author of Disability: An Anecdotal Field Guide for the Rest of Us Tracee Garner is a case manager for a nonprofit, a prolific novelist, and a writing coach. She's also a passionate self-advocate for the disabled. Tracee was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of two. While in elementary school, Tracee received her...

Podcast Episode 0079, Season 5, Episode 10; 14 December 2021 From Jude: Loving Your Place on the Spectrum is a guide for living a happy and successful autistic life. Jude combines his own experiences as an autistic man with the stories of others to provide a handbook to help autistic individuals navigate life's major changes, from childhood to college, jobs, and relationships. Each chapter identif...

Podcast Episode 0078, Season 5, Episode 9; 30 November 2021 Scott Frasard discusses Running for Autism, a project of the Ordinary Marathoner Foundation. Dr. Frasard lives in Pflugerville (Austin), TX and is an avid runner/triathlete of almost 10 years. He is a certified Race Director and ran a company that produced virtual running events to raise money for non-profit animal rescue organizations. P...

Allen Wolf describes The Sound of Violet: The Sound of Violet  is about a man who believes he found his perfect soulmate, but his autism keeps him from realizing she's actually a prostitute. The novel allows readers to experience a love story between two people who are unlikely to fall in love. The main character is autistic, and I mainly wrote the novel from his perspective. He's very trusting, s...

Published in September 2021, Navigating Autism: 9 Mindsets for Helping Kids on the Spectrum by Temple Grandin and Debra Moore offers a positive approach to supporting young autistics. I can see my daughters and myself in some of the passages. The research citations appeal to my desire for evidence, too. Like most autistics and parents, I rarely agree with most autism guides and texts. We're too of...

Lois Letchford's dyslexia came to light at the age of 39, when she faced teaching her seven-year-old non-reading son, Nicholas. Examining her reading failure caused her to adapt and change lessons for her son. The results were dramatic. Lois qualified as a reading specialist to use her non-traditional background, multi-continental experience, and passion to assist other failing students. Her teach...

One of the ways bloggers and podcasters build their audiences is through hosting other content creators. We're all in this together, sharing our stories and promoting a sense of community. This episode of The Autistic Me Podcast features Sam Mitchell, host of Autism Rocks and Rolls. Sam's website is autismrocksandrolls.com . Sam's mother, Gina Mitchell, helps with the marketing and networking side...

How do Neurodiverse kiddos feel about homeschooling and virtual learning during the COVID-19 pandemic? For this episode, my daughters Leigh and Anne discuss what it has been like to study at home. They like it, but they also miss being around other children. They get to play with Leigh's cat companion, Rocky. We take nature walks. It's not all bad, studying with Dad.  The Autistic Me: Blog:  https...

Susan and I obtained a third-party neuropsychological evaluation for our oldest daughter, Leigh, to ensure she receives the public education supports mandated by federal law. Many parents don't realize you can obtain and submit an independent evaluation to a school district. What are the benefits of an independent special education evaluation? Should your family consider requesting a "second opini...

A follower wrote: Do your children eat anything other than chicken nuggets? My child won't eat fruits, vegetables, or most meats. It's cereal, chips, and nuggets. Susan and I are fortunate. The girls and I eat mostly healthy foods. Fruits, vegetables, roasted chicken, turkey, and most fish aren't a problem. It might be because we've never been a fast-food family. We prepare most meals at home. Fru...

Stop with the "Spoon Theory" metaphor. Allow me to choose my own metaphor for my lived experiences as an autistic with other disabilities. In this episode of The Autistic Me, I explain why cycling reminds me of life in general. Sharing the road with other people contributes to every cyclist's anxiety. You never know what the cars and trucks around you might do. Too often, I feel like a cyclist sur...