Autism Confidential

Jess Ronne , mother of 8, including a teen son with autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders, is the main protagonist of a new documentary film, Unseen: How We're Failing Parent Caregivers . Jill Escher talks with her about the genesis of the film, its goals and reaching new audiences with her important message. Highlights: • As the title suggests, these stories of extreme caregiving tend to...

Lucy Kross Wallace is an accomplished writer and sophomore at Stanford University who has written about her disenchantment with the neurodiversity movement. In conversation with Jill Escher, Lucy tells about how she was diagnosed with Level 1 autism at age 18, after years of severe mental illness and failed treatment (she prefers the term Asperger Syndrome). She found autism a useful framework to...

Matthew Siegel , MD, Director of the Developmental Disorders Program, Maine Behavioral Health, Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Pediatrics of Tufts University and Faculty Scientist, MMC Research Institute His program provides a continuum of care for people with severe autism, including outpatient services providing a range of services, and a 12-bed inpatient unit that serves youth age 20 and...

We speak with Hugo Dwyer , executive director of VOR, or Voice of Reason, a national advocacy organization representing the needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. VOR works to create quality long-term care options and protect choice and quality of life choices for those with I/DD. Highlights from this episode: • How Hugo got involved with VOR • His brother's journey...

Novelist and parent of an autistic child Cammie McGovern spent a year traveling around the country, visiting day and residential programs for autistic adults. She discusses what she found with Amy Lutz. Highlights: • Cammie was inspired to look into the range of adult services as her own autistic son Ethan, now 25, was aging out of his educational entitlement. • Although sheltered workshops have b...

Host Amy Lutz gets philosophical with prominent scholar Eva Feder Kittay, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at Stony Brook University/SUNY. Dr Kittay, the mother of a severely intellectually and physically disabled daughter, discusses what caregiving means as an ethical concept, the importance of caregivers, how parents can't do it alone, and how the labor of caregiving deserves more...

Alycia Halladay, PhD, is Chief Science Officer of Autism Science Foundation and has years of experience working to promote and fund autism research. NCSA President Jill Escher talks with her about progress -- and lack thereof -- in autism research over the past 30 years. Highlights: • 30 years ago scientists assumed they could find singular causes and treatments for autism, but the reality tu...

What are the different types of housing for autistic and I/DD adults? What's an ICF? What are Home and Community-Based Services? Why are waitlists so long? Why do some disability rights advocates attack freedom of choice in housing? Scott Mendel and Ashley Kim of Together for Choice put it in perspective, hosted by Jill Escher. Highlights: • What are ICFs? Is there really an entitlement? Sort of,...

As autism rates have crept upward year after year, it has become common to shrug off the scorching numbers as little more than artifacts of "better awareness" or "diagnostic substitution." But the overwhelming weight of evidence suggests that the increase is real, the result of increasingly common neurodevelopmental disability, and not mere diagnostic shifts. NCSA President Jill Escher discus...

Autism Confidential is the new podcast sponsored by the National Council on Severe Autism. We focus on the topics of importance to those impacted by severe autism, including policy, research, treatment and services. Highlights from this episode: • Autism Confidential is a community effort, hosted by leaders from NCSA. Your introductory hosts are Jill Escher, president, and Amy Lutz, vice president...