Across the Desk

Ep 11 Do you get sick and tired of people treating your autistic kid or your autistic self as someone who's incapable of doing just about anything? It really grates my cheese when people make assumptions about my son's capabilities and Maddy's cheese is equally grated for themselves and their kids. Sometimes it's just about capacity and understanding the expansiveness of it and the reasonable cons...

Ep 10 The word should is one that really grates my cheese. And not in a delicious mac and cheese way but in a ticks me off way. Should implies that what you're doing is wrong and the person who's saying it? Their way is better. Should creates limits when it becomes shouldn't. As the parent of an autistic individual I have banished should and my lovely co-host Maddy has done the same thing for thei...

Ep 9 Have you ever been sick and then spent weeks catching up from that??? Shortly after we recorded this AMAZING episode, Elizabeth got COVID. She got it goooood. And she's been catching up ever since. So while this Holiday glitterati inspired podcast is late, it can be applied to birthday parties, summer gatherings, graduations and more. Because a party isn't a party until Uncle Jerrycan gets lo...

Ep. 8 We all have things we need to work on. For some it's talking to loud or too much (that's a me thing, hence the podcast) for others it's refusing to bathe and for some it's about whether they can rock a tiara. It's all about how we show up in the world and how we communicate our needs around that. Sometimes it's not about not wanting to take a shower - it's that the soap stings our skin. Some...

Meet Whitney Hodgins, an autistic Canadian who is a change maker and policy shaker! Learn more about the inaugural Jim and Jinette Munson Award winner who is absolutely a leader in the autism community and someone I plan to keep an eye for great things ;)

Ep 7 I am a proud Monarchist. I come from a long line of Monarchists. It's not for everybody and I respect that. What caught me unawares was the level of grief I'd feel at the death of Her Majesty. Of course Maddy and I went off on a bit of a tangent instead of our scheduled topic but we both see value in embracing the moment vs strictly adhering to a topic. So here's our chat on grief, the proces...

Ep 6 Have you ever had to work with a school to develop an IEP for your child? Was your child ever given an opportunity to be a part of the discussion? Mine wasn't and it didn't even occur to me to ask him because the school never said it was an option. But who better to influence how an IEP is developed that the person it's most affecting?? Join us as we discuss how the IEP process can help autis...

Ep 5 Did Gene Roddenberry have any idea that when he created Star Trek in 1966 that he'd be influencing technology development, societal relationships, exploration and so much more for generations to come? He definitely boldly went where no one had gone before and has been inspiring people around the world ever since. Today, Maddy and I discuss the creative autistic and how, as the Vulcans say, th...

Episode 4 We don't want to should on you but being an ally is part of being a good human. It doesn't have to be a huge action to count. It can be standing up for someone in a meeting. It can be acting through altruism vs ego. It can be shining a light on tokenism. Or any other ism. Being an ally isn't about you - it's about what you can do to make a difference. And if you choose to wear a cape? We...

Episode 3 As the Queen of Soul once sang: R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Find out what it means to me. We're back with the indomitable Maddy Dever and a chat about the intersectionality between the autism community and the LGBTQ+ community. Maddy, who is non binary, uses the pronouns they / them. This was not an easy choice but one they felt they needed to live as authentically as themselves as possible. Do I do...

Episode 2 What could prompt you to get outside? Is the benefit of getting outside enough to prompt some movement or is there something creating a barrier? Today we chat about the benefits of looking after your mental health and your physical health and hopefully at the same time ;)

So what does a rambler do? Well it can drive you from A to B. It can keep you cool in the hot sun. Or it can chat about all kinds of things under the sun which is what this Rambler does. I'm so tickled to introduce you to Maddy Dever who is one of the kindest, sweetest, perceptive, strong, intelligent and best advocate for others I've ever met. In episode one of the Autistic Rambler, we touch on e...

What are partnership and collaboration such amazing things for a business? Because they open up opportunities that you might not have been able to act on by yourself and they create opportunities that you could never consider. I was fortunate to be introduced to Wayne Lamon from the Work Based Learning Consortium almost 2 years ago. Not only are the staff training programs that WBLC provides for c...

This is a Canadian success story across so many levels. It brings together the importance of pursuing an idea, being open to opportunity and the power of being a part of a mentorship. Meet Amanda Craig and Doug Wallbank and hear their story of how mentorship changed their lives and businesses.

Everyone likes a success story. If you are a parent of an autistic person, success stories are extremely important. Meet Courtney Weaver who is a success story on many levels. A strong autistic self-advocate, Courtney's journey to employment has had many stages and phases that all driven people can relate to.

Have you ever had the chance to learn from or be a mentor? It's an amazing opportunity that MentorAbility Ontario is helping to make happen for folks with a disability. Why is that important? When you've already got some barriers up against you for successful employment, support is a very important thing. Meet Brittany Williston from Performance Plus Rehabilitative Care and Kim Cooper from Youth C...

There is nothing worse than a situation where a group elects itself the voice of another group. Why? Because how then do we really know whose voice we're listening to? This is what makes the 200th episode on the Across the Desk podcast extra special. It's what the podcast is all about - giving folks a voice who might not otherwise have one. It's my honor to introduce you to some of the editorial t...

I think we can all agree that COVID has put our mental health to the test. Imagine being in a situation where you are not only dealing with the stress of COVID but suddenly all supports for yourself or someone you care for who is autistic disappear. No warning. No other plan. Just gone. Dr. Carly McMorris and self advocate and parent Rebekah Kintzinger join us today to discuss what that looks like...

I was fortunate to welcome Debbie Irish and Kim Ward to the CASDA podcast and learn more about how the Canadian Autism Leadership Summit got started and the steps in growth its taken to become more diverse and inclusive.

Join Dr. Stephen Gentles, Maddy Dever and Corey Walker as we discuss how the lack of data standardization and linking precludes the necessary complex analyses that could lead to significantly more efficient targeted care, and innovative environmental and policy modifications. As a result, Canada is far from achieving the improvements to quality of life for Autistic individuals and their families,...

Most parents plan for the day when their children will grow up and leave the "nest". Their kids will find their own way in the world, get an apartment or house and live independently and successfully. But what if your plan has to include finding a group home situation for your child to age in to? What if your adult child requires support for the rest of their lives in one form or another? And what...

It is my great honor to welcome Deputy Grand Chief Walter Naveau of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation to Across the Desk and the CASDA podcast series. Deputy Grand Chief joins us to discuss the growing concern about autism in the First Nations communities. We discuss how families need access to autism services which not only provide existing non-Indigenous learnings but to also incorporate traditional Nis...

On April 6th the Canadian Journal of Autism Equity successfully launched its inaugural issue! Bringing together the voices of autistic Canadians from across the country, this journal is being created to amplify the voices of those who have always belonged in the conversation. Learn how you can add your voice to the conversation with the team from CASDA!

MentorAbility is a program which focuses on connecting protégées with mentors in careers. One of the best ways to learn about a career is to talk to someone who is passionate about what they do and will show you the realities of a career choice. Today we meet Tiffany Drummond who is an entrepreneur from Ottawa. Her business, ProCare Family Center, focuses on providing an engaging and safe daycare...

Are you autistic and looking for work? Finding that a bit tricky during COVID? SpectrumWorks is offering a free virtual job fair which will be happening across Canada on April 8th. Visit SpectrumWorks.ca to find out more and register! Is this just for job seekers? No! We need employers for networking and service providers to introduce themselves and their programs. Today you'll meet Neil Forester...