What’s Up With Catalight!

Many critical conversations about the autism care industry are only happening behind closed doors. This isn't one of them. Sean Yocum, BCBA, has built a reputation for saying what many clinicians are thinking but aren't always willing to state publicly. As one half of the Rad N’ Bad podcast and founder of Hickory Learning Group, Sean isn't afraid to challenge practices and ruffle a few feathers al...

Sometimes behavior isn't a behavior problem. Sometimes aggression is actually dental pain. Sometimes refusal to eat is acid reflux. Sometimes a sleepless night, or a sudden outburst or a dramatic change in mood is a person's only way of communicating that something is wrong. Sometimes these are actually underlying medical issues that practitioners and physicians simply aren’t seeing because they d...

Autism and other I/DD treatment is often designed around behavior. But people are more than just behavior. They’re humans with families, wants, needs and their own goals. In BCBA training, behavior analysts are taught to think of humans in terms of “organisms” – a clinical, scientific lens that, unfortunately, first shapes how care is delivered. What that lens is blind to is what matters most – th...

Mealtimes aren't just about nourishing the body, they're also about nourishing connection. For most of us, eating just happens. For many children with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, however, every bite can be a battle – one that affects their physical and mental health along with their sense of cultural belonging. Lindsey sits down with Dr. Yev Veverka, BCBA clinicia...

Evidence is evidence, right? Binary. Black and white on paper. Well, not really. “Evidence-based” isn’t as simple as people would like to make it out to be. And, if you truly want to be objective and find real answers, you must be open to the idea that your assumptions may not hold up while simultaneously maintaining an openness to learn. Prolific researcher Micheal Sandbank, Ph. D., joins Lindsey...

For decades, autism science has failed women. Lindsey talks with internationally renowned British cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Gina Rippon, whose latest book “Off the Spectrum” (titled “The Lost Girls of Autism” in the UK) details how autism research and diagnostic models have historically overlooked women and girls. For far too long, autism was considered “a boys’ disorder,” and misguided stereot...

Host Lindsey Sneed was unfamiliar with the term 'polyvagal theory' until recently.  After reading “Autism in Polyvagal Terms,” however, she saw how guest and author Sean Inderbitzen is using the body-based approach and lived experience to conceptualize autism in a brand-new way.   The polyvagal theory – centered around how vagal nerve branches control unconscious behaviors – has been prominent top...

In an extremely topical episode, Dr. Peter Hotez, one of the world’s most preeminent experts on vaccines and Nobel Peace Prize nominee, joins host Lindsey Sneed to talk about the all too widespread and modern misconception that vaccines cause autism. While he’s saved hundreds of thousands of lives with the low-cost vaccines that he’s helped create over his illustrious career, Peter tells Lindsey t...

How do you explain someone’s brain? Dr. Liz Angoff does it through strength-based neurodiversity affirming approaches. A former school psychologist who noticed students shined when the environment fit, Liz made it her life’s work to ensure children with developmental disabilities understand that their brains aren’t broken – they’re just different. In finding that some practitioners struggled to ex...

After his son’s autism diagnosis and undergoing the long wait times typical with the process, distinguished tech entrepreneur Amol Deshpande embarked on a new career – to build game-changing innovation for early childhood conditions, starting with autism. He has invested millions in supporting others in pursuit of better care. This week, he launched Frontera Health as the founder and CEO in the bu...

The “intact mind” is an old idea still common in discourse that inside every autistic child – even those with the most severe presentations – is a typical child with a high intellect waiting to be liberated. Author, University of Pennsylvania historian of medicine and mother of a 25-year-old profoundly autistic son, Dr. Amy Lutz joins to discuss her newest book, “Chasing the Intact Mind.” She and...

Autistic self-advocate and dungeon master Peter Jung is back for part two of the Dungeons & Dragons series to talk with Lindsey about the importance of representation in social skills groups and elsewhere. Over the years, he’s found that autism social skill groups are far too often led by neurotypical people. While a leader with ‘lived experience’ is tremendously beneficial for autistic social...

By masking in fantasy, you can learn a lot about becoming your true self in reality. Peter Jung’s games have been dubbed “maximum autism” and a young player once called him “the most reasonable adult” they know – two compliments Peter regards in high esteem. Peter is an autistic self-advocate who holds a master’s degree in educational psychology. He’s also a…Therapeutic Dungeon Master – as certifi...

In the pursuit of wellbeing, we shouldn’t seek to make children less autistic – our mission should be to help them become autistically happy. Internationally renowned Belgian lecturer, researcher and author Peter Vermeulen, Ph. D., joins Lindsey to discuss his newest book, “What Really Works for Children with Autism.” The book takes a slightly more non-traditional angle in explaining that autism s...

Considering the heterogeneity of people with autism, it’s no surprise that outcome research and treatment dosage needs vary widely from person to person. Experts need to think more creatively about how to provide evidence-based intervention. Individualized care based on the needs of the unique person is crucial in the field of applied behavior analysis. Guest Dr. Cynthia Anderson, child psychologi...

Boundaries, rules and decision making can be a minefield. Brian “The Bearded Behaviorist” Middleton, M.Ed., BCBA, is back for part 2 of the conversation about personalized-care and meeting the needs of individuals. He and host Lindsey Sneed  Ph. D., BCBA,  discuss how traditional, one-size-fits-all paraprofessional ABA is rigid, focused on the easily observable, and can be limited. An interesting...

Is lying good? Are rules meant to be broken? Host Lindsey Sneed, Ph. D., BCBA, is joined by Brian "The Bearded Behaviorist" Middleton, M.Ed., BCBA – an autistic adult, professional speaker, behavior scientist and advocate for disability rights – in part one of a two part episode to discuss the importance of individualized care for people with autism and other developmental disabilities. They empha...

Where every conversation brings us closer to a brighter future for individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities.