Autism Weekly Podcast

This week we welcome neurodiverse community self-advocate and author Sam Farmer BACK to the podcast to talk with us about masking and self-awareness. Sam first joined our podcast back on episode 27 where we discussed his path towards autism awareness and acceptance. He has since joined us for episodes # 52 where we discussed bullying and #60 where we discussed workplace success. If you don’t alrea...

This we welcome DR. Petra Kern, a board-certified music therapist with over 28 years of experience to the podcast. Dr. Kern has taught over 400 students, contributed to 84 publications, and has given over 160 presentations. On today’s podcast, we will talk about music therapy and how it might be able to help children on the spectrum. Dr. Kern is passionate about translating and disseminating resea...

This week we welcome Dr. Jerrod Brown back to the podcast to talk with us about autism and Theory of Mind. Theory of mind is a person’s ability to understand that other people’s thoughts and emotions are different from their own. We are going to break down what parents should know to better understand their child on the spectrum. Jerrod’s a professor, trainer and private consultant with extensive...

This week we are republishing a popular podcast episode discussing what "Good ABA" looks like! This episode originally went live in February 2021 and is still incredibly relevant today. Joining us in the discussion is Savannah Sivertson, a BCBA based out of Salt Lake City, Utah. Savannah started at ABS Kids as a behavior technician three years ago and has since gone through a full master's program...

This week we welcome Anna Bullard from the Behavioral Health Center of Excellence back to the podcast to talk with us about government relations on a state and national level as it relates to autism care. We are going to talk about what’s currently going on in the legislature and what you can do to help make change!   Anna is the ideal person to talk about this with us today as she is currently th...

This week we welcome Dr. Lauren Franz to talk with us about the incredible impact early intervention can have on the lives of autistic children. Dr. Franz leads the Dissemination and Outreach Core through Duke’s Autism Center of Excellence. Her research at Duke focuses on improving access to evidence-based services and supports neurodiverse communities. Listen to the latest podcast episode to lear...

This week we welcome Ron Oberleitner to the podcast to talk about the role of telehealth in autism care. Ron is the founder and CEO of an organization called Behavior Imaging Solutions and is passionate about developing technologies to increase access to healthcare and improve behavioral health. When it comes to the future of autism services, we have a lot to talk about. Download the latest episod...

This week we welcome Dr. Karen Pierce to the podcast to talk with us about the importance of early detection and diagnosis of autism. Dr. Pierce is a professor at the University of California San Diego in the department of neurosciences and has focused her career on this subject. She's a pioneer in this area with unmatched experience. Download the podcast to learn more.  Learn More About Dr. Karen...

This week we welcome Jamie Pagliaro from ReThink to the podcast to discuss the impact building a strong team culture has on reducing burnout and turnover among ABA clinicians and families. They say it takes a village to raise a child. This is especially true for children on the spectrum. For some families, it may seem like they have a revolving door of new behavior technicians coming in and out of...

This week we welcome Mishka Sibert to the podcast to talk with us about her journey as an autism advocate and sibling. She runs a business with her brother Samko called Happy Autism where they showcase his art as well as host courses helping other community members. Download the podcast to learn more.  Learn more about happy autism below!  Check out the Happy Autism Website: https://happyautism.co...

This week we welcome Molly Ola Pinney, the founder and CEO of the Global Autism Project to talk with us about the importance of listening to autistic voices. Recently, the organization hosted a round table that welcomed clinicians, families, and autism self-advocates to discuss the future of autism care and how to address the gaps. Download to the latest podcast episode to learn more!  Visit the G...

This week we are excited to welcome Dr. Eric Larsson to the podcast to talk with us about Medical Necessity in the field of ABA. Dr. Larsson is a Licensed Psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds the position of Executive Director of Clinical Services at the Lovaas Institute Midwest. He has been providing intensive early intervention services since 1976 and has supervised such s...

This week we welcome David Geslak or ‘Coach Dave’ to the podcast to talk with us about the benefits of exercise for those on the spectrum, the importance of staying consistent, and how to make exercise more fun!  Coach Dave is the founder and president of Exercise Connection with nearly 20 years of experience helping kiddos with autism exercise. He knows that children on the spectrum learn differe...

This week we welcome the leaders of the ABS Kids Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Sierra King and Kelly Johnson-Martinez to talk with us about the development of our Diversity Statement and the importance of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in ABA. The Diversity Statement represents a clinical, administrative, and executive team that’s dedicated to working together to build a better cult...

This week we welcome psychologist, Dr. Angela Stewart to the podcast to share some strategies parents can utilize to help manage stress. As many of you can imagine, something as simple as getting dressed, getting in the car, then going to the grocery store can be a whole day ordeal with roadblocks, meltdowns, and stressors along the way.  With a few helpful stress management tools, you can be on y...

This week we welcome Dr. Jerrod Brown BACK to the podcast to talk with us about Autism and screen time. Access to technology can change lives. It can also have a dark side. Websites, apps, and games do everything they can to get you hooked and keep you coming back for more! So, how does screen time misuse impact kids and adults on the spectrum, and what can parents do to help? Dr. Jerrod Brown is...

In our latest episode, we welcome back Psychologist, Dr. Natalie Roth to help us break down some Autism Myths and misconceptions. Dr. Natalie Roth is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in childhood neurodevelopment delays like autism spectrum disorder. She is the vice president of clinical psychology services at ABS Kids and oversees the diagnostic assessment process. She has worked wit...

There is so much we don’t know about Autism. We are so thankful that there are organizations out in the world conducting research to help both professionals and families better understand the diagnosis. Today we are excited to speak with the Scientific director of the SPARK for Autism, Dr. Pamela Feliciano, about their important work. SPARK is the largest genetic study of autism EVER. In order to...

This week we welcome autism mom and advocate, Natalie Cummings to the podcast to talk with us about her experience parenting two daughters on the spectrum and how she’s utilized ABA to give them the best opportunity to learn, grow, and live their best life. She has fought throughout the past 13 years to get her daughters access to quality care and now helps others do the same through her work as a...

This week we welcome Dr. Jerrod Brown BACK to the podcast to talk with us about the basics of executive functioning. Today we will discuss how parents can help their autistic child learn skills like paying attention, interpreting information, organizing, and planning. These are important skills that will help an individual throughout their entire life. Jerrod is a professor, trainer, and consultan...

This week we welcome Jamiel Owens to the podcast to share his real-world experience fathering his 12-year-old son with autism. Jamiel is an incredibly passionate autism “dadvocate” based out of Philadelphia who hosts an Instagram series called “the Ausome Show.” The Ausome Show assists fathers of “ausome” children by offering a platform that educates, motivates, and encourages men to be awesome fo...

This week we welcome Dr. Stewart Pisecco to the podcast to talk with us about the ins and outs of modifying challenging behaviors and how parents can support behavior change in their children. Dr. Pisecco began his career at the University of Houston where he was a tenured professor in the department of educational psychology. He left the world of accademia and entered the world of entrepreneurshi...

In this episode, we welcome Laurie Bowen to talk with us about the awesome ways art can be used as a communication tool. Artistic expression is a great way to share feelings, ideas, and a worldview that might be different as well as showcase strengths. Today’s guest is the associate director of the Melisa Nellesen Center for Autism at Utah Valley University where they host the annual Super Spectru...

 Each person with autism is unique. They have unique skills, strengths, and levels of support needed. So, how is it that all of these unique children have the same diagnosis? This week we are excited to talk about what it means to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder with clinical psychologist, Dr. Jennifer Rogers. She has years of experience in the field and will share valuable insight i...

In this episode, we welcome autism advocate and author Sam Farmer BACK to the podcast for his third appearance to talk to us about the autism workplace. As many of you may know, Sam is an author of a book titled “A Long Walk Down a Winding Road.” The book offers clear advice and simple steps for overcoming adversity and improving your life. Sam has a ton of experience navigating the workplace. Sam...