Autism Knows No Borders

Discover what’s possible when travel is for everyone.  Dina Farmer is a Certified Autism Travel Professional, the Founder of Lily & Magnolia Travel, and the mother of a 10-year-old autistic boy. Her goal is to help parents plan autism-friendly family vacations while avoiding stress and overwhelm.  In today’s conversation, we discuss: Dina’s passion for traveling How traveling with an autistic...

Discover what’s possible when community inspires change.  This week’s episode is part 2 of our 2021 Highlights. Today we’ll be covering some of my favorite moments from episodes 72 to 89. To listen to the highlights from episodes 42 to 71 , you can check out part 1 of this special highlights series. And if you’re curious about episodes 1 to 40, you can also listen to our 2020 Highlights episode fr...

Discover what’s possible when change inspires community.  We made it to the end of 2021! To celebrate, we’ll be reviewing some of my favorite moments from this year’s episodes. This will be a two-parter due to the volume of content. Part 1 will highlight episodes 42 to 71, and next week we’ll review from 72 to 89.  Since we started working on this podcast almost two years ago, we’ve brought on a w...

Discover what’s possible when you’re true to yourself.  This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events.  The topic of this roundtable discussion was Masking and Authenticity. Participating in this event were autism self-advocates Thomas Iland, Michael Gilberg, Terra Vance, Kate Jones, Jeff Snyder, and David Sharif, as well as community members Colleen Dor...

Discover what’s possible when information fuels advocacy.  Camille Proctor is the mother of a 15-year-old autistic boy and the founder of The Color of Autism , a non-profit organization committed to educating and assisting African American families with autistic children.  In this conversation, we discuss: Camille’s son and his interests  Her ideas to reduce the stigma of autism in the Black commu...

Discover what’s possible when you become a better leader.  If you’re a professional in the field of autism services, or interested in leadership in general, this bonus episode is for you.  The Global Autism Project is committed to up-leveling the leadership capacity of those in this field. This is the only way we’re going to make the difference we want to see in the world: all children with autism...

Discover what’s possible when you break the overwhelm cycle.  Today we’re bringing back three special guests: the CEO of the Global Autism Project, Molly Ola Pinney; our partner from Saudi Arabia, Yaser Aljaaidi; and the founder of the DoBetter Movement, Dr. Megan Miller.  For almost 20 years, the Global Autism Project has been providing sustainable clinical, administrative, and leadership trainin...

Discover what’s possible when the right tools are in your box.  This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events! The topic of this roundtable discussion was Coping with Stress and Sensory Overload. Participating in this event were autism self-advocates Thomas Iland, Robert Schmus, Mary Johnston, and David Sharif, as well as community members Colleen Dorsey...

Discover what’s possible when you redesign the approach.  Originally from Australia and currently living in the US, Lois Letchford is the mother of three young men, two of whom are on the autism spectrum. She has also personally struggled with dyslexia her entire life; however, she now uses it to her advantage as a literary spokesperson for learners who have fallen behind in the traditional classr...

Discover what’s possible when your response is in line with your truest intentions.  With over 20 years of experience working with neurodiverse individuals, Lafaya Mitchell is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the creator of The Lafaya Way, a relational approach that helps to build bridges for effective interactions in difficult relationships and social situations. She is also the mothe...

Discover what’s possible when we expand the meaning of independence.  We’ve received great feedback about our previous Global Autism Community episodes, so we’ve decided to release another one!  The topic of this roundtable discussion was Preparing for Adulthood, and its diverse panel included Dani Bowman, Robert Schmus, Cheryl Albright, and Cammie McGovern. Dani is an autism self-advocate, animat...

Discover what’s possible when rehabilitation fits the crime.  Tom Oliver is an autism self-advocate, a TEDx Speaker , and an aspiring lawyer from Australia who has dedicated his career to helping autistic individuals caught up in the justice system.  In this conversation, we discuss:  Autism acceptance in Australia Tom’s finding out about his diagnosis How autism affects his everyday life How Tom...

Discover what’s possible when everyone gets a chance.  This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events. The topic of this roundtable discussion was Navigating Social Situations, and its diverse panel included Anthony Ianni, Sangeeta Jain, and Vanessa Lista. Anthony is an autism self-advocate, a former NCAA Division 1 basketball player, and a motivational s...

Discover what’s possible when connection builds confidence.  Our guests this week are Gary Jesch and Leslie Baldwin. Gary is a live animation performer and the founder of Invirtua, a telehealth learning service that uses animated avatars to interact with autistic children. Leslie is Invirtua’s Senior Partner as well as a member of their Board of Advisors. She was previously a manager and special e...

Discover what’s possible when success is measured in belonging.  Cammie McGovern is the mother of a 25-year-old autistic adult and has recently published a book titled Hard Landings: Looking into the Future of a Child with Autism . She has also authored three novels for adults, including Eye Contact; two books for young adults, Say What You Will and A Step Toward Falling; and two books for middle-...

Discover what’s possible when awareness educates safety.  This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events. The topic of this round table discussion is Safety in Public. The diverse panelists include autism self-advocates Rachel Barcellona and Thomas Iland, autism father and host of The Ausome Show, Jamiel Owens, and our Global Autism Project partner from t...

Discover what’s possible when constraint unlocks opportunity.  Jayashree Ramesh is the Founder and Director of Academy for Severe Handicaps and Autism , ASHA for short, in Bangalore, India. The Global Autism Project partnered with ASHA in 2018 and we’ve since sent three SkillCorps® teams to their center.  Founded by Molly Ola Pinney in 2003, the Global Autism Project provides sustainable clinical,...

Discover what’s possible when a mentor guides by example.  Robert Schmus is an autism self-advocate, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in New Jersey, and a blogger for The Mighty. As a therapist, he currently provides individual and group sessions at a residential home for adolescents with autism and other co-occurring diagnoses.  In today’s conversation, we discuss: How Robert learned about his d...

Discover what’s possible when autism is not viewed as just a broken version of normal.  Jude Morrow. Based in Ireland, Jude is an autism self-advocate, TEDx speaker , and author. He is also the founder of Neurodiversity Training International , an autism mentoring, training, consultancy, and motivational platform. NTI works with non-profit and Fortune 500 companies using a strengths-based approach...

Discover what’s possible when the student’s interests lead the team.  This week’s episode is a recording of a roundtable discussion during one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events. The topic is Individualized Education Programs, or IEPs.  The panelists include Brian Middleton, an autistic Board Certified Behavior Analyst; Colleen Dorsey, a special education teacher; and Michael Gilberg,...

Discover what’s possible when support includes all ages.  Ryan Litchfield is an autism and disabilities self-advocate from Massachusetts. Diagnosed with autism at the age of two, Ryan underwent Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Since his high school days, Ryan has been sharing his life journey with various agencies, communities, and organizations, and he...

Discover what’s possible when the audience takes the mic.  This week, we are celebrating the one-year anniversary of our podcast! It’s been an eye-opening journey that continues to leave us surprised, inspired, and moved.  We’ve learned so much from self-advocates sharing their experiences, family members talking about accepting their children’s diagnoses, and professionals discussing best practic...

Discover what’s possible when values inform the method.  Mari Cerda is an Autistic Board Certified Behavior Analyst who consults with teachers and schools to provide professional development training on various neurodiversity-affirming topics. She is also completing her doctoral program at Texas Tech University.  As a Latina Mestiza, Mari is passionate about supporting displaced migrant families a...

Discover what’s possible when collaboration journeys onward.  Today we’re featuring two members of our SkillCorps® Alumni community: Natalie Odio and Christina Flores. Natalie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, or BCBA, and Christina is a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst, or BCaBa. Both from Miami, Natalie and Christina host a podcast called MOnday Morning Coffee , where they aim to...

Discover what’s possible when you march to the beat of your own drum.  Marcus Boyd is an autism self-advocate, musician, professional DJ, and clothing line owner. As a music producer and composer, he has collaborated with artists such as Lil Wayne and Marques Houston. A short documentary about Marcus’ life, titled My First Word, was released in November of 2020.  In this conversation, Marcus opens...