Autism Grown Up Podcast

Aaaand we're back! With a new season, new co-host, and more news to share.  More about Rory Regan: Rory is a super proud father to 4 children, including 2 sons on the autism spectrum (Tyler & Tanner), an Air Force veteran, and is an advocate in the autism community. He enjoys sharing what he's learned along the way, what he's continuing to learn as his sons navigate adulthood, and promoting the Autism Grown Up vision and mission for other families to be able to have the resources they need. Listen to Rory's episode from earlier this year, Episode 43 AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Andrew Komarow is the Founder of Planning Across the Spectrum and specializes in helping any self-advocating client or families with autism and intellectual disabilities. Planning Across the Spectrum is a company designed for more than just financial planning. Andrew created a resource to provide expert guidance and valuable resources for life decisions that are either unknown, not easily accessible or can be complicated to pilot for someone with special needs. Andrew is a passionate advocate for autism awareness in his community and for his work as a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP™). He has always worked toward helping his clients gain financial security now and for their future. Putting both of these interests together, Andrew was inspired to launch Planning Across the Spectrum. Andrew provides a unique planning perspective for those with special needs, their caregivers, and their families because he has “walked in their shoes.” He has experienced the medical, social, educational, legal, vocational, and

Eric Jorgensen is the founder and owner of Special Needs Navigator. He started it to help families and professionals navigate the maze of benefits, resources, and services. As a dad with an adult son with Autism, ID and other challenges; Eric experienced first-hand the challenges of getting clear and direct instructions about what he needed to do to help his son prepare to transition from school into the work force. He was widowed the same year he retired from the Navy when he needed support the most. Eric's focus is ensuring the families he works with don't experience the same headaches and stress. In addition to families, Eric works with professionals – providing back office support and answers to experts like financial advisors, social workers, attorneys and trust officers – around the country. In this episode, we talk about the shared frustration of navigating the adulthood disability services system, what he’s learned along the way in helping families, and 3 actionable steps that families can do now to g

Jeff Snyder is an autistic self-advocate, speaker, and is very active online sharing his work, insights, and experiences. He was diagnosed with autism at 21 months old and has accomplished so much in his life ranging from being the first student with autism to complete his education in his town's school district to getting his own apartment at age 25, plus working in the retail industry for 13 years. Now as an autism self-advocate, he is looking to serve as an inspiration to others that were just like him once. He runs both a Facebook group and a Facebook page devoted to his advocacy and in addition, is also an avid traveler and a writer of fanfiction - which set him on his path to becoming more vocal and involved in the community online and doing presentations to share his experiences in special education and employment. AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown

In today's solo episode, I get into the ongoing changes we've been experiencing and continue to experience due to the COVID 19 pandemic. We've been through really hard times with closures, and more questions arise with reopening, possibilities of closures again, and ongoing and lasting changes in our communities. I share 3 tips / guidelines to support you, your family, your students through the next while of the pandemic. This is a good episode and resource to return to, reference, and encourage you on those rough days and everything in between. These are also great to think about when we want to get back to the basics of what life is really about and pursuing a meaningful quality of life for ourselves. AUTISM GROWN UP SHOW NOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ SUPPORT FUTURE EPISODES OF THE PODCAST: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Spectrum Works was founded by Ann Marie Sullivan to address a critical disconnect between an 80% unemployment rate for individuals on the autism spectrum and their value to the workforce as employees with inherent skills and abilities. Here’s some background on what Spectrum Works does: the Spectrum Works signature Job Training and Employment Program incorporates integrated on-the-job training, classroom-based learning with a focus on soft skills, and competitive employment opportunities via partnerships with participating companies.  They employ highly skilled Job coaches co-locate within the companies to master the students’ responsibilities in order to properly instruct and mentor them throughout the lifecycle from training to placement as interns and employees. And now their Online Remote Work and Learning Program is a recently added distance learning version of the signature program delivered through live video conferencing.  It incorporates office work assignments, career building skills, and

Eric Chessen, M.S. is the Founder of Autism Fitness and creator of the PAC Profile Method. Eric has spent nearly 20 years developing successful fitness and adapted PE programs for the ASD population of all ages and abilities levels. His work has been featured on VICE Media, Yahoo News, and Eric has presented for TEDx. He lives in Charlotte, NC. In this episode, we discuss how Autism Fitness got started: Eric saw a need to create fitness programming that is actionable and combines his background in fitness and autism; how fitness is best when individualized and applied to one’s daily living and their own version of a better quality of life; we break down the PAC Profile Method - what does PAC stand for (Physical, Adaptive, and Cognitive); and Eric provides 3 actionable steps for families and individuals to start working on long-term physical skills. AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ SUPPORT AUTISM GROWN UP: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https:

Alicia Trautwein is an autism advocate, writer, motivational speaker, and dedicated mom of four. Alicia's desire to advocate for Autism comes from her own autism diagnosis and that of her three children, niece, and brother. Her life's mission is to educate on autism acceptance and change the world for future generations of autistic individuals. Her blog and website, The Mom Kind is an amazing resource where she shares her journey and resources for families. We discuss her own self-diagnosis, common issues that autistic women face as they receive their own diagnosis -  including misunderstanding, misdiagnosis, and a whole lot of frustration - as well as parenting as an autistic and parenting multiple children on the autism spectrum. We also get into current events and what life is like at home during the pandemic. AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/

This week on the podcast I am doing this solo! I'm sharing how Autism Grown Up got started and how I'm finding my way (and continue to work at it) through 5 major lessons over the past 2 years. I wanted to share this and some of the details of running a non-profit online focused on autism in adulthood. I hope you find this episode to be a fun chat to kick up your feet and relax to - we all need a moment like that! AUTISM GROWN UP WEBSITE: https://www.autismgrownup.com AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Sean Sullivan is an autistic self-advocate and is the Founder and Executive Director of the I Know Autism Foundation. His hobbies include watching anime, blogging, and spending time with his family. In our conversation today, we discuss Sean’s experiences growing up and navigating adulthood, why he founded the I Know Autism Foundation, and what he hopes to achieve in the future. AUTISM GROWN UP COMMUNITY: https://community.autismgrownup.com/ AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Holly Blanc Moses is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Licensed Psychological Associate, and Licensed Professional Counselor with 20 years of experience in applied behavior analysis and behavior therapy. Holly and I discuss "challenging behavior" and why it's important to challenge ourselves as caregivers + professionals in these discussions because it does have negative implications. AUTISM GROWN UP COMMUNITY: https://community.autismgrownup.com/ AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Samuel Huber is an autistic advocate who is 31 years old and lives in Bridgeport, PA, with his wife Gisette and son Sky. He was diagnosed with ASD at 14 years old. It is his life’s work to be an independent musician and public speaker on ASD to teach others how to put a positive spin on their lives. On his YouTube channel and Instagram, Samuel gives insight on the autistic perspective on a wide variety of topics related to adulthood. AUTISM GROWN UP COMMUNITY: https://community.autismgrownup.com/ AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Today I’m chatting with 2 guests - both representing different perspectives of a program called the Neurodiversity in the Workplace Initiative. They are based out of Philadelphia and work with businesses and potential candidates on the autism spectrum nationally to promote neurodiversity in the workplace. We have Amanda Zorzi who is an Employment and Training Specialist and Austin Martin who is a graduate/member of the training program. In this episode, you will learn more about: The mission of Neurodiversity in the Workplace (NITW) NITW’s model of training employers and future employees How they’ve adjusted the hiring process with employers to better display work skills and talents AUTISM GROWN UP COMMUNITY: https://community.autismgrownup.com/ AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up

After many years of working as a high school English teacher and special educator, Corinne Levitt decided to change direction and work primarily with adolescents with special needs and developmental differences. She wrote Exceptional Minds Across the Autism Spectrum in recognition of the need to promote the important role an enriched educational experience can have on the lives of students who stand to benefit the most from best teaching practices. Her background in learning disabilities, psycholinguistics, and the arts enabled her to "teach to the talent" while encouraging her students to discover and explore their potential. She inspires other educators to re-examine what lies behind our current understanding of the autism spectrum and learning differences, in order to create a school culture based on dignity, respect, social inclusion, and the right to a meaningful education. In this episode, you will learn more about: Developing a child's strengths and not becoming locked into labels. Recognizing the

Laurie Hellmann has spent the last 15 years fiercely navigating through therapies, medications and countless other medical and personal challenges with her son, Skyler, all while continuing to fight for and be the voice for other families with a loved one on the autism spectrum.  She also has a 15-year-old neurotypical daughter who is just now starting to express that being a sibling of autism is not for the weak because it means that every day is a whirlwind and you never know what to expect.   Laurie started a podcast in the Fall of 2019 entitled “Living the Sky Life” to further document and bring a voice to the often-unspoken struggles that families with special needs children, and specifically teenagers, face day to day.  Laurie also wrote a memoir, “Welcome to My Life – A Personal Parenting Journey Through Autism” that is available for pre-order on Amazon and will be released on June 26th! In this episode, you will learn more about: Laurie’s journey as a special needs mom, her son S

Dr. Temple Grandin is a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. She is one of the most famous autistic self-advocates out there and has written extensively on her experiences growing up and navigating every day as an autistic person. One of which was adapted to an Emmy-winning HBO film. Currently, she is a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. In this episode, you will learn Temple’s thoughts on: What’s important to focus on in adulthood Defining executive functioning and self-advocacy Skills for getting and keeping a job Neurodiversity-affirming workplaces Let’s jump into my interview with Dr. Temple Grandin! AUTISM GROWN UP COMMUNITY: https://community.autismgrownup.com/ AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP DONATIONS: www.autismgrownup.com/support-agu --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Dr. Lisa Peña is a Today Show Parenting Team contributor and the founder of the nonprofit The M.o.C.h.A.(TM) Tribe which stands for (M)oms (o)f (C)hildren that (h)ave (A)utism. She directs a one day wellness retreat for special needs mommas each year called The Ultimate M.o.C.h.A. Session. She is the writer behind the blog The M.o.C.h.A. Tribe Diaries and the author of the book, "Waiting for the Light Bulb". She is a rookie author but a professional mother of a child with an incredibly unique subset of autism called, pathological demand avoidance (PDA). Dr. Peña is also a proud coach’s wife, a clinical pharmacist, passionate public speaker and a busy mom of three who happily resides in South Padre Island, TX. In this episode, you will learn: Lisa’s work with her non-profit, the M.o.C.h.A.(TM) Tribe, and collaborating with other autism moms About the writing process and creation of her first book, “Waiting for the Light Bulb” About pathological demand avoidance (PDA) and how Lisa put the pieces together

Esteamed Coffee is a non-profit coffee shop and bakery in downtown Cary, NC opening in November 2020. Esteamed Coffee will employ people with visual, communication and intellectual/developmental differences in a life participation model of community, while esteeming people with differing abilities. Co Founders and friends Angie Hudson and Tamara Lapsley started Esteamed Coffee in 2017 and are now only months away from bringing their dream to reality! In this episode, you will learn: The beginning of Esteamed Coffee and what kick-started its mission The process of getting a non-profit organization like this started How to support Esteamed Coffee from wherever you are and support similar organizations in your community AUTISM GROWN UP COMMUNITY: https://community.autismgrownup.com/ AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ AUTISM GROWN UP PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/autismgrownup --- Support this podc

Bronson Layton is a 22-year-old autistic self-advocate, YouTuber, and currently a senior in college majoring in English. He started his YouTube channel, Brons Over Brains, just over a year ago and creates videos that entertain and educate. His goal is to become a Professor of English. In this episode, you will learn: The beginning of Bronson’s YouTube journey and what kick-started it for him What topics Bronson is interested in and has covered in his videos Bronson’s best pieces of advice to autistic teens and young adults as they go through challenges in high school and college AUTISM GROWN UP COMMUNITY: https://community.autismgrownup.com/ AUTISM GROWN UP INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/autismgrownup/ AUTISM GROWN UP SHOWNOTES: https://www.autismgrownup.com/agupodcast/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/autism-grown-up-podcast/support

Lisa is the founder and CEO of MERGE Inclusion Consulting where she provides comprehensive consultation, staff training and systems implementation to community entities committed to recreation, sport and social program inclusion of persons with diverse abilities. She has spent 35 years supporting individuals with IDD to be active and engaged within their community through her work as a direct support professional, Director of the Sollar Wellness Center, and the South Shore YMCA as its first-ever Associate Director of Inclusion. Lisa and I discuss what authentic inclusion looks like for recreational programs, how she works with organizations to broaden their perspective of what inclusion means, and how she defines what she calls authentic inclusion. Authentic inclusion is the work we do to create systems-level changes to be inclusive in their culture and its reflected in their practices. Lisa also shares what’s doing to adapt and pivot to needs during this time of uncertainty. She’s leading a webinar called In