Autism POVs

In this episode, we'll be talking about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and why some are hesitant to get it with Dr. Stephen Morris.

In this episode we’ll discuss health disparities in the Black autistic community. In 2020 the CDC reported that for the first time, autism prevalence was the same for Black and white children but Black children are still diagnosed later, delaying critical early intervention services. To discuss this health disparity, we’ve gathered a panel of some influential voices in the Black autistic community.

In this episode, we’ll talk about some financial topics that are important for families in the autism community and offer some helpful advice with Financial Planner, Andrew Komarow. This episode is brought to you thanks to Truist Bank and the Truist Foundation.

In this episode we’ll be talking about voting. According to Rutgers University, in 2020, over 35 million eligible voters will be people with disabilities. That figure jumps to over 62 million eligible voters when you count family members in the same household. But unfortunately, the turnout rate for voters with disabilities is lower than that of people without disabilities. You'll hear from voters in the autism community talking about why their, and your, vote matters.

For many autistic people, discovering their interests can lead to a world of possibilities. In this episode, you’ll learn the story of Tarik El-Abour. In 2018 he made headlines when he signed a professional minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals. He was being hailed as the first autistic professional baseball player. Major League Baseball has been a long-time supporter of the autism community and now there is a new way that the MLB and the cause have collided. Lids is the largest brick-and-mortar retailer for the MLB and they have teamed up with Autism Speaks for a very special campaign. Lids stores are selling custom Autism Speaks caps with messages of love and kindness. Lids Chairman and CEO Tom Ripley, discusses his personal connection to the campaign.

If you were a child of the 90s, then you've definitely heard voice artist Rob Paulsen. He's voiced iconic characters in shows like "Animaniacs," "Pinky and the Brain," "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and many more. In this episode, Rob talks about how meeting his autistic fans over the years has given his life and career a new purpose. You'll also hear from one of Rob's biggest fans as well as Adam Wilson, a dad who is trying to make comic conventions more autism-friendly for fans like his son, Logan. Music credits: –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Morning Lights by Niwel https://soundcloud.com/niwel-516897768 Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/morning-lights Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/owCr1X6lDvs –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Lights by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031 Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/roa-lights Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/7TWSF5Dt0EM –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Steps by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031 Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0 Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/steps-roa Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/-DLn9wFw3Ew –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Track: Te amo — Vendredi [Audio Library Release] Music provided by Audio Library Plus Watch: https://youtu.be/YjzxolhOq_I Free Download / Stream: https://alplus.io/te-amo

In this episode you’ll meet the Mullen family which consists of partners Lauren and Colleen and their three-year-old twin sons, Callan and Brennan - both boys are on the autism spectrum. Colleen and Lauren, describe when they first noticed the signs of autism and how early intervention and a surprise revelation gave them hope.

In this episode, we’ll talk about a very important phase of life for young people with autism – the transition into adulthood. It’s recommended that families start planning for this important transition when their children are 14 years old. We’ll speak to an expert to bring you more important tips and information. You’ll also learn about an incredible young man who is nearing adulthood and working hard to prepare. 16-year-old Jack Ursitti has autism and is mostly nonverbal – he communicates with his iPad. We’re also excited to tell you about a new partnership between Autism Speaks and Gillette TREO, the first razor designed with caregivers in mind.

In this special episode, we’ll talk about some exciting changes at Autism Speaks we want you to know about.

According to a 2015 review of studies in the journal, Qualitative Health Research, fathers are underrepresented in research into parents' experience of having a child with autism. In this episode, you'll hear from Michael Hannon, Ph.D. and Robert Naseef, Ph.D., two dads who are challenging misconceptions about dads of autistic children by supporting other dads in the autism community.

In this episode, you'll hear from Haley Moss. She made headlines in 2019 for being the first openly autistic lawyer in Florida after landing a job at a law firm. Haley is much more than that though, she is also an author, artist and autistic self-advocate. I asked her about her personal journey, how autistic people are portrayed in the media and much more.

October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and national data indicates that the vast majority of adults with autism are either unemployed or underemployed, with estimates ranging to as high as 90%. This should not be the case, and it won’t be for long. In this episode, you’ll meet 21-year-old Comcast employee Matthew Brennan. Matthew is a full-time Data Analyst who in 2018 was named the Engineering, Information Technology, and Scientific Sector All-Star by the American Staffing Association.

In this episode, you’ll meet AJ Wargo. He’s a 20-year-old autistic man with a witty personality, a passion for writing fan fiction and a deep appreciation for family and close friends. AJ got his autism diagnosis just before his third birthday. He has always marched to the beat of his own drum, never letting his diagnosis get in the way of accomplishing any of the goals he set his mind to. Today, he’s transitioning into adulthood with the help of his family and his co-workers at his neighborhood ShopRite. Visit our website for resources related to each episode: http://autismspeaks.org/podcast

There are always topics in any community that aren’t universally agreed upon and the autism community is no different. Because autism is considered a “spectrum disorder,” that means that each person on the spectrum largely has an experience uniquely their own. One topic that often quickly turns into a debate is how we talk about autism. There are two ways we typically do this, they’re called “person-first language” and “identity-first language.” In this episode you’ll hear from a variety of perspectives throughout the autism community, from autistic adults to parents and professionals. Visit our website at http://www.autismspeaks.org/podcast

With summer break coming to an end, students across the country are gearing up to head back to school. And as we all know, the first day of school can be difficult for anyone but it can be especially difficult for students on the autism spectrum. In this episode, we'll meet the Monville family who are preparing their son, SJ, for his first day of Kindergarten. They let us into their lives and shared with us their hopes and fears for SJ's transition from a classroom for kids with developmental delays to a traditional Kindergarten classroom.

In this episode, we’ll be giving you a sneak peek at some of the upcoming episodes we’re working on. Upcoming episodes include a behind the scenes look into the making of our new PSA which features Sesame Workshop's Julia, insight into the importance of genetic research, a conversation about how we talk about autism and more.

People with autism have a wide variety of talents and skill sets that make them valuable employees with the right supports and accommodations. For this episode, we spoke with Jerrid Fluor and John Knapp, both are on the autism spectrum and work at a Staples warehouse in London, Ohio. Special thanks to Staples for helping to organize the interviews.

As our understanding of autism grows, researchers are finding that the way we diagnose autism may be biased. They're also finding that gender fluidity may be more prevalent in people with autism than the general population. In this episode, we'll dive into both of these topics through the experiences of three autistic advocates.

In this episode, you'll hear from Phil Martin, a dad and accomplished photographer who is on the autism spectrum. Phil says being a dad isn't easy for anyone but for him, also being autistic presents unique challenges.

Through research, we know that students with autism are more likely to be bullied than the general population. To understand how bullying can affect someone on the autism spectrum, we spoke with author and self-advocate, Jesse Saperstein. We also spoke with Dr. Peter Faustino, school psychologist with the National Association of School Psychologists, about ways to stop or decrease bullying for students, parents and teachers.

In this episode we’ll talk about our understanding of nonverbal people with autism. Through research, we know that about 30 percent of people with autism are nonverbal or non-speaking. But the term “nonverbal” can mean something different for each person. Special thanks to Paul Kotler and his mother Melinda, Dr. Connie Kasari of the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment and Dr. Kristie Koenig, Chair and Associate Professor in the department of Occupational Therapy at NYU Steinhart. If you have a topic you would like us to cover, we want to hear from you. Email us at connectwithus@autismspeaks.org and put "podcast" in the subject line.

This is a special Spanish episode of Autism Points of View. Bienvenido a un episodio especial en español de Autism Points of View. Este episodio se centra en Susan.Los padres reconocieron las señales del autismo cuando ella tenía dos añitos. La familia atribuye la intervención temprana como la base de su desarrollo general. Hoy en día Susan, ha encontrado la felicidad mientras disfruta la vida con su grupo de amiguitos. Audio for this episode was recorded by Heidi Dehncke.

This episode focuses on 17 year-old DaShaun and his 7-year-old-brother, Daylen. Daylen was diagnosed as a child, but DaShaun wasn’t diagnosed until he was a junior in high school. DaShaun is now a college student and credits their mother, Dierdre, for much of his success. This episode was written by James Fitzpatrick and edited by Dax Schaffer. Audio for this episode was recorded by Heidi Dehncke.

This episode focuses on Chris, a 27-year-old-man thriving in his career and flourishing with his independence - something his parents were told may never be possible. This episode was written by James Fitzpatrick and edited by Dax Schaffer. Audio for this episode was recorded by Heidi Dehncke.

This is a special Spanish episode of Autism Points of View. Cada mes de abril, Autism Speaks destaca las historias de personas con autismo y contaremos algunas de esas historias en este podcast. Este episodio se centra en Leonardo...sus padres reconocieran las señales del autismo cuando Leo tenía dos años. Leo pudo conseguir los servicios, orientación y recursos necesarios para lograr una intervención temprana. Audio for this episode was recorded by Heidi Dehncke.

Autism can be reliably diagnosed by age 2 for most children. Milan wasn't diagnosed until he was in first grade but soon after, his parents started him with an early intervention program and they were able to find a great support network for him. Learn more about Milan in our first episode of Autism Points of View. This episode was written by James Fitzpatrick and edited by Dax Schaffer. Audio for this episode was recorded by Heidi Dehncke.

Trailer for the upcoming Autism Speaks podcast series, "Autism POVs." The goal of "Autism POVs" is to inspire the autism community, spark dialogue and make society a more understanding and accepting place for people with autism and their families.