Shifting the Narrative on Everything Autism

On this week's (very late) episode, Stacy and Torrin talk about autism. Yes, that's what we do every episode, but today, we discussed the shame and fear people have when talking about autism. Often, parents and family members are hesitant to reveal their child's autism diagnosis, even if doing so would help everyone involved. We got to the root of the problem. Why are people ashamed and hesitant?...

On this episode, Stacy was joined by poet, public speaker, panelist, singer, photographer, performance artist's, and long-time artist's model Gloria Jarkson-Nefertiti.    Gloria was diagnosed later in life with ADHD and later, autistic. She spoke with Stacy about her experiences going through life not knowing she had either.  You can find Gloria at her website: https://www.notgloriajean.net/      ...

You've heard the line before. So and so with autism has a mental age of 2 or 4 or 6 years old. But what is mental age?  On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin discuss mental age and why it may not be an accurate descriptor of an autistic child's support needs. Hell, it might not even exist at all...                                                             *** Help marginalized youth get the e...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin discuss the effects being autistic can have on a child's self-esteem and what parents, teachers, and autism professionals can do to help.                                                                  *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/vqlibrary If you are looking for one-on-one coaching...

This week, Stacy and Torrin are joined by author, artist, and teacher Julia Lee Barclay-Morton. Julia was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 57, but she felt she was different her entire life. Strap in as the three of them discuss topics ranging from Julia's (and Torrin's) struggles with alcohol, to her world travels, to her annual yoga/writing retreats in Scotland.  This episode slapped. You can...

This week, we did things a little differently. Stacy had a conversation with autistic advocate Gerald Parrish.  It slapped. So Torrin decided to make it a podcast episode.  Stacy and Gerald discussed a wide range of autism-related topics. -the necessity for autistic-led organizations -issue with schooling -the struggle of finding supports for adult autistics -"high" vs "low-functioning" autism -an...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin discuss autism parenting, in particular, they talk about some of the harder parts of parenting a child with autism.                                                                *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/vqlibrary If you are looking for one-on-one coaching with Stacy to help your...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin spoke with autistic author Kala Allen Omeiza.  Kala is an accomplished academic and former track star who writes about the intersection of autism and blackness. Her latest book Autistic and Black focuses on the autistic experiences of black individuals from around the world.  You can find Kala and her works on her website: https://kalaomeiza.com/ And on Ins...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin speak with radio host, advocate, and autism parent Jamiel Owens. Jamiel talked about being a father to an autistic child and his inspiring personal story. We also discussed his role as Family Relations Coordinator for Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, organizing outreach programs for fathers and mothers of autistic children.  You can find Jamiel on his I...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin discuss the reasons why doctors and "autism experts" often disregard, misdiagnose, and gaslight autism parents and their children.                                                                 *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/vqlibrary If you are looking for one-on-one coaching with Sta...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin speak with I.E.P coach and mother of two neurodivergent children, Destiny Huff.  Destiny explains the pitfalls of the I.E.P. process, how to avoid them, and how to better advocate for your child.  You can find Destiny on her website: https://www.destinyhuffconsulting.com/                                                                 *** Help marginalized...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin spoke with autism mom, businesswoman, and author Darria Boyd. Darria--the mother of two autistic children--is known for her can-do attitude towards parenting (what she encapsulates in the phrase "Keeping It Real").  In her new book It Just Got Real: 9 1/2 Tips on How to Breathe Raising Children with Autism, Darria seeks to pass on some of her secrets to her...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin speak with author/illustrator and mother/son duo Lynn and Jonathan Greenberg about their new children's book Robby the Dyslexic Taxi and the Airport Adventure.   We spoke about the book's protagonist, a dyslexic Taxi named (you guessed it), Robby, who due to being dyslexic, struggles to read street signs. We also discussed Jon's own journey as someone with...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin are joined by Dominic Gordon, a recent graduate from Georgetown University, to discuss issues with inclusion in higher education, as well, as his inspiring personal story.                                                                ***  Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/vqlibrary If you are...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin discuss some of the pseudo-disorders that are often used to avoid diagnosing a child with autism.                                                               *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/vqlibrary If you are looking for one-on-one coaching with Stacy to help your child with autism r...

On this week's episode, Stacy discusses her recent trip to Guatemala to help rural families with their autistic children.  What did she learn? What different challenges do these families face? What can be done to help these people?                                                                  *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin discuss fear-mongering, misinformation, confusion, and despair which often accompany a child's autism diagnosis. Torrin refers to this as The Autism.                                                              *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/vqlibrary If you are looking for one-on-one c...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin wrap up their series on Autism and friendship by discussing the ways in which friendships among autistic adults often differ from neurotypical friendships.                                                                 *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.com/vqlibrary If you are looking for one...

Last week, Stacy and Torrin discussed autism and friendship among children. This week, they discuss what friendships look like between autistic adolescents.  Do the dynamics change as they get older?  How are they different from non-autistic teenagers?                                                                *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee:...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin begin a three-part series about autism and friendship.  This first episode centers around elementary-aged children. -How can autistic children make friends? -Do autistic children even need to make friends?  -If you are holding a birthday party for your autistic child, who should you invite? -How important is it to teach "appropriate" social skills?        ...

Y'all read the title.  This week, Stacy and Torrin discussed the issues with situations were are commonly referred to as "inclusive" but are often times not at all. In many of these cases, autistic children either experience exclusion with extra steps or are being forced to conform for the benefit of others.  Obviously, these situations are not good for a child's mental health...                  ...

On this week's episode, Stacy discusses Torrin's recent realization that he might be Dyslexic and how that learning disability has affected his life thus far.  They also discussed how learning disabilities interact with Autism and how an autism diagnosis might mask these other disabilities.                                                                      ***  Help marginalized youth get the ed...

On this week's episode, Stacy and Torrin discuss the finer points of employment for autistic young adults. -Why is finding the right job is important? -What are workplace accommodations? -Why Do Autistic People Struggle To Keep Jobs?                                                                   *** Help marginalized youth get the education they deserve. Buy VQ Library a coffee: https://ko-fi.c...

This week, Stacy and Torrin have some fun discussing a fake disorder known as Virtual Autism. Basically, some doctor in Romania constructed a theory, backed up by zero scientific research, that screen time was giving toddlers autism-like symptoms. While the idea of Virtual Autism is BS, the potential for grifters to prey on vulnerable parents is a ligament concern.                                 ...

Karina Saechao is a speech therapist and PhD candidate focusing on language understanding and use in the Black and African American population.  Karina joined us to discuss the difficulties many autism families, especially autism families of color have accessing therapy and appropriate supports, such as AAC (Alternate and Augmentative Communication).  Karina provides therapy, coaching, and evaluat...