Taking Authority Over Autism

The Minnesota Department of Human Services is making sure providers of high-risk Medicaid services have the right paperwork, training, and insurance on file. Over 5,500 Medicaid providers are required to go through revalidation by the end of May. If you’re one of these providers, Sheletta tells you how to follow the steps to ensure compliance and avoid missing out on funding on the latest episode...

Is your adult child with autism aging out of school-based services and needs help landing a job? Sheletta chats with Mindshift Works, a Minnesota-based organization that helps employers find wonderful workers on the spectrum.  https://mindshift.works/

If your family lives in Forest Lake, Hastings, or Stillwater and you're having a hard time finding transportation to help your autistic adult child get to work, Sheletta's found an easy solution: Transit Link! She chats with Charles Carlson about the pre-scheduled curb-to-curb on-demand rideshare service that costs only $3.50. Link: https://metrocouncil.org/Transportation/Services/Transit-Link.asp...

Did you know that you can help prevent autism fraud? Sheletta chats with Minnesota Department of Human Services Inspector General James Clark who talks about ways to guard against it, how to protect your personal information from scammers and what to look out for when choosing an autism service provider. If your child is getting services from someone and something seems off, trust your gut and rep...

 Looking for something fun for your high-functioning autistic child to do this summer? The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources offers many outdoor skills programs for beginners. From overnight camping trips to fishing lessons, there's bound to be something fun and exciting for your children to enjoy. https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/ican/index.html

If you're looking for an opportunity to help victims of sexual violence, Ramsey County is training volunteers to staff its crisis line. Sheletta chats with Liz De La Torre to find out more about the program.

With the trauma that the Hispanic community is experiencing with Operation Metro Surge, one organization is working to address mental health, protective factors, and opioid education in a culturally responsive way. Sheletta chats with Karina Kelton of Raices Latinas Minnesota about the programs and services they provide to Washington County residents.  

Sheletta chats with Shelley Neilsen Gatti at the University of St Thomas and Annette Lee from St. Paul Public Schools about a really unique program that provides a non traditional program that creates a pathway to get more diverse teachers in the classrooms.

When Sheletta's father-in-law moved into their home, he felt alone and isolated from his friends. She wishes she had known about Friends & Co. to help him find a phone buddy to chat with to lift his spirits. Featuring Emma Lucchesi from Friends & Co., discussing the ‘Coffee Talk’ program, which connects older adults through meaningful conversation and community. 

Moms with autism oftentimes go without eating. The long days and even longer nights don't lend themselves to a sit down breakfast with the kids. Dinners can be daunting. So how do you get a nutritious, quick meal?  Sheletta found a sweet surprise in the frozen food section at her local Hy-Vee grocery store that allows busy moms to have a tasty treat!

Cannabis is legal in Minnesota, but that doesn't mean you should be lax about where you store it. Kids with autism are inquisitive and will reach for things they're not supposed to have. Sheletta talks with her friends in Minneapolis about a program that will give you a bag to lock up your goodies, free of charge, so you can keep your kiddos safe.

Sheletta chats with her friends at Steve Rummler's Hope Network about how folks in Washington County can help provide naloxone to people in need to prevent opioid overdose deaths. 

 For families in St. Louis Park who need help upgrading their homes but can't afford it, Sheletta tells you about some funding you can tap into to get it done on the latest episode of her autism podcast.

Now, 1 in 34 children in Minnesota has autism, and many school-based programs exist to help meet their needs. But at some point, they'll grow up. What happens when it's 1 in 34 elderly people on the spectrum? What's available for them then? One Minnesota-based organization, Hammer and N.E.R., has a new campaign and hopes to provide the long-term care many parents will be looking for in the future.

Sheletta chats with her friend Dee Torgerson from the Vocational Rehabilitation Office at Minnesota's Department of Employment and Economic Development about how the program helps people with autism prepare for, find and keep a job. https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/disabilities/

As Sheletta's oldest autistic son, Brandon, gets to the age where he can find a job, her biggest challenge is getting him there. She called her friend Barbara Bursack, a mobility manager at GoWashingtonMN.com, to explore safe transportation options and training for him.

Sheletta is so excited that her autistic kids are getting active in after school programs like theater and debate team. She's encouraging other parents to take a leap of faith and sign up their high functioning children on the spectrum for extra curricular activities. Up first: The Civics Bee! www.ymcanorth.org/locations/center_for_youth_voice/programs/national_civics_bee

There are billboards popping up all over town that say Mississippi students have better reading test scores than children in Minnesota. What in the world? If Mississippi, known for being dead last in education every year, is better than us, what is that saying about our schools? Sheletta's talking to the brilliant brain behind these viral billboards and what conversation he hopes parents will spar...

Sheletta chats with her friends at Dakota County Technical College and Inver Hills about the two college communities and their upcoming merger, and how it's a win-win situation for neurodivergent students on the latest episode of her autism podcast .**Please note** The merge between the colleges is still pending approval by the Higher Learning Commission and the Minnesota State Board of Trustees.

Start the new year right by breaking some bad habits that you picked up during COVID like smoking. On this week's episode of Taking Authority over Autism, Sheletta shows you how to put down the cigarette and pick up the phone to call  Quit Partner at 1-800-QUIT-NOW. They have programs, medication and one-on-one coaching to help you break free from your nicotine addiction.  https://www.quitpartnerm...

Sheletta is trying to figure out how to get her 7th grader to theater camp and her 8th grader to debate practice while picking up her 5th grader from school all at the same time. Being a divorced parent of three kids with autism, she's got to be careful about how they get to their appointments and after-school activities. She was excited to find out about HopSkipDrive, a supplemental student trans...

Sheletta introduces her listeners to the Minnesota Autism Center Midwest, a trusted autism therapy center that serves children on the spectrum. She chats with MAC Midwest's CEO Christine Bent who has been a leader in healthcare for three decades.

 Holiday stress is hard, but you don't have to struggle alone. Sheletta chats with Jihan Ali from Hennepin County who shares information about a vital resource that offers help for you to COPE if you're in crisis mode so you can get back to living your best and healthiest life.

Black moms share their experience of fighting for fairness for their autistic children both inside and outside of their homes. Sheletta chats with Vinyarie, a fellow African American autism mom who says a library story time with her son crushed her spirit then made her a crusader for equity for neurodiverse children. 

Sheletta chats with Andrea Lawson Founder and Chief Principal Consultant of HealthEQ Solutions, where she partners with organizations to design inclusive systems, about what it looks like to provide culturally competent care to Black neurodiverse children.