All Autism Talk
Society & Culture
About
All Autism Talk is a podcast where stories come to life and voices are heard, celebrating the beauty and strength of the autism community. Through heartfelt interviews with individuals on the spectrum, authors, and professionals, we share wisdom, courage, and hope. Whether you’re a parent seeking guidance, an educator looking to inspire, or a self-advocate on your journey, this podcast offers a place of connection and understanding. Join us as we honor the unique stories that unite us and work together to build a more compassionate, inclusive world.Know an inspiring group or individual we should talk to? Contact us on our website at allautismtalk.com
Episodes
- Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults
In this episode, Caroline Maguire explores the nuances of friendship through a neurodivergent lens, drawing from her book Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults . She shares personal insights on social challenges, the difference betwe…
- College Accommodations for Autistic Students: What Actually Works
In this episode, Emilie Brotherton and Darby Schwien take us inside the ASCEND program at Missouri State University, a unique initiative supporting students with autism and other mental health challenges. They share how the program fosters…
- Autistic Voices Inside ABA: The Conversation the Field Needs
In this episode, Samantha and Reux—autistic adults working in applied behavior analysis—share their personal journeys from diagnosis to professional life. They reflect on early employment challenges, the critical role of workplace support,…
- Autism, AI, and the Art of Songwriting with Rachel Schaub
Rachel Schaub is a 16-year-old autistic singer-songwriter who joins us to share stories about her love of singing and songwriting through AI. She shares about the experiences that inspire her and her writing process. Rachel also discusses…
- How One Mom Built Life-Changing Tools for Her Autistic Son
Rachel Estes Leyk is a mother, businesswoman, coach, and advocate who delivers heartfelt and highly practical strategies for raising emotionally resilient, self-aware children. In this conversation, she opens up about a moment of crisis in…
- Dismantling Ableism and Centering Autistic Voices
Jenny Palmiotto, founder of Love and Autism, joins us to share the inspiring journey behind the movement that’s redefining how we think about autism. Jenny explores what it truly means to create an autistic-affirming world—one where autist…
- Unlocking Communication: The Story of PECS with Dr. Andy Bondy & Lori Frost
In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Andy Bondy and his wife, Lori Frost, MS, CCC-SLP, who are the co-founders of Pyramid Educational Consultants, Inc. They’re also the creators of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS). Together…
- What You Didn't Know About the Hurdles of Autism Care in Illinois
In this episode, we sit down with Karem Alnatafgi and Heather Teichman from the Illinois Providers for ABA Access and Quality (IPAAQ) to explore the challenges and complexities of providing high-quality ABA therapy in Illinois. From limite…
- Anthony Ianni: The First Division I Basketball Player Diagnosed with Autism
Anthony Ianni was diagnosed with autism as a child, and like many, his parents were given dire predictions about his future. Despite being told he wouldn’t achieve anything in life, Anthony followed in his family’s love of sports and went…
- Haircuts with Heart: Vernon Jackson’s Mission as an Autism Friendly Barber
Vernon Jackson is an award-winning barber, author, and advocate known for transforming the haircut experience for neurodivergent children and their families. In this conversation, he shares his journey of founding The Gifted Event, a natio…
- Fashion That Fits Every Body: Hilary Pham on Adaptive Clothing Innovation
Hilary Pham, Founder and CEO of Equability, joins us to share insights about her company, which specializes in adapting existing clothing for individuals with disabilities. She discusses her journey of starting the company, inspired by her…
- Understanding the Autistic and ADHD Nervous System
Dr. Megan Anna Neff, a neurodivergent psychologist (autistic & ADHD) and founder of Neurodivergent Insights, returns to discuss the complexities of the nervous system, particularly autism and ADHD. She helps us understand the difference be…
- Autism Diagnosis Without Bias: Eye Gaze Technology and Equity in Action
Dr. Hanna Rue and Jonathan Lehmann join us to discuss the importance of early diagnosis and the potential of a new tool aimed at addressing health disparities, particularly for families from diverse backgrounds. In this episode, we explore…
- From Struggle to Strength: A Father’s Journey with Autism
Harry Psaros shares his personal journey as a father navigating the challenges of raising a child with autism. He discusses his initial challenges in accepting his son Gus's diagnosis and his path to being a dedicated advocate. Harry empha…
- The Importance of Fitness to Support Life Skills
Eric Chessen, founder of Autism Fitness, shares his journey to create effective fitness programs for neurodivergent individuals. He emphasizes the importance of understanding their unique needs and challenges as well as the role of fitness…
- Meet Michael Maloney, Founder and CEO of LEARN Behavioral
Michael Maloney, Founder and CEO of LEARN Behavioral, joins us to share about his early career in education and how a small consulting company grew into an organization that now provides autism services in over 17 states (23 with LEARN Aca…
- A Message From All of us at All Autism Talk
Happy Holidays from all of us at All Autism Talk ! We’re thrilled to share that starting in January, All Autism Talk will debut a fresh new look and feel while continuing to bring you the heartfelt, educational conversations you love. As p…
- Growing Up With Autism And Finding Belonging and Purpose
Andrew Moore serves as Directory Administrator for Autistic Minds, an educational charity and resource center in the UK joins us to share his story of finding meaningful employment, mentors, and friends as an autistic adult. For Andrew, co…
- Living a Full Life with Autism with Martin Slyngstad
Martin Slyngstad a Behavior Specialist, and currently in school to become a Speech Pathologist, joins us to discuss his multitude of interests and accomplishments as a young autistic adult. Martin is the author of Chatter Box: My Life with…
- Reducing Behavior Technician Burn Out
Melissa Furman, a Clinical Director for Total Spectrum- Michigan West joins us to discuss the importance of staff retention in the field of ABA and to share her recent research that is looking to improve staff satisfaction and reduce turno…
- Moms Roundtable: Autism, Wellness, and Motherhood
In this episode we are joined by three dynamic women who share their perspectives on how to best care for yourself and your family while raising a child with autism. Arfa Alam, a first generation Muslim American with neurodiverse family re…
- Advocating for Your Family and Good, Contemporary ABA With Arfa Alam
Arfa Alam is a senior manager at the Partnership for Public Service, a non-profit that envisions a dynamic and innovative federal government that effectively serves our diverse nation. Prior to joining the Partnership, Arfa performed labor…
- The Advances and Challenges of DEI Initiatives in ABA
Brandon Whitfield, Sr. Clinical Director for AST, part of LEARN Behavioral has presented at several conferences including BABA’s (Black Applied Behavior Analysts) inaugural conference to share ways ABA agencies can bring more equity to the…
- Self-care and Sensory Needs for Neurodivergent Individuals
Dr. Megan Anna Neff, a Neurodivergent Psychologist joins us to discuss discovering her own autism in the aftermath of her child’s diagnosis and how that has inspired her passion to support the neurodivergent community. Dr. Neff describes t…
- The Importance of Ethical Decision Making For Behavior Analysts
Dr. Linda LeBlanc, a Licensed Psychologist and author of 3 books on supervision joins us to discuss her latest book about ethics which she co-authored with Dr. Amanda Karsten, who is the Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology…
- Back To School Tips for Parents of Kids with Autism
Jessica Sylfest is the parent of a child with Autism and ADHD and the Sr. Director of Talent Acquisition for LEARN Behavioral. Jessica’s compassion, warmth, and learned wisdom are great offerings to all parents as we transition our kids ba…
- How Neurodiverse Voices are Influencing the Evolution of ABA
Dr. Becky Thompson, Director of Clinical Services for the Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP), and Reux Lennon, Non-binary member of both the LGBT and Autism community and Lead technician with WEAP join us to share their work on the Pers…
- Successful Models for Assent-Based Vaccine Clinics
Kerry Hoops the current President of the Autism Society of Greater Wisconsin and the clinical director for Wisconsin Early Autism Project’s Green Bay region joins us to share about a unique clinic event and what can be learned. Kerry share…
- A Closer Look at The BHCOE
Dr. Ellie Kazemi is the Chief Science Officer at Behavioral Health Center of Excellence (BHCOE), an accrediting organization focused on improving the quality of behavior analytic services. She is also a professor at CSUN, where she founded…
- The Importance of Prioritizing Applied Research for Practicing BCBA’s
Dr. Amber Valentino, Chief Clinical Officer for Trumpet Behavioral Health where she leads all research and training activities, joins us to discuss the importance of prioritizing research. We delve into the issue of outdated research for t…
- Bridging the Gap Between Autism Culture and American Culture
Motivational Speaker and Poet Russell Lehmann joins us for a third time to explore autism through the lens of culture. Having spent most of his life in isolation, Russell has found his voice and independence in recent years. His passion fo…
- The Words We Use When Discussing Autism
Motivational Speaker and Poet Russell Lehmann joins us for a second time to share his perspectives on the words we use when discussing autism. Having spent most of his life in isolation, Russell has found his voice and independence in rece…
- An Honest Look at the Full Experience of Autism with Russell Lehmann
Motivational Speaker and Poet Russell Lehmann joins us to share his perspectives on autism and the human condition. Having spent most of his life in isolation, Russell has found his voice and independence in recent years. His passion for e…
- BHCOE Accreditation: Understanding How Quality Care is Measured in ABA
Sara Litvak, Founder & CEO of Behavioral Health Center of Excellence, the only ABA-specific accrediting body joins us to discuss the different ways quality is measured in the accreditation process. This discussion delves into the importanc…
- Understanding the IEP Process and How to Best Advocate for Your Child
Mo Buti, an advocate and instructional expert for people with autism joins us to take a deep dive into the IEP process. She shares details about all the people that make up the team and how parents can best prepare and advocate for their c…
- Current Autism Research and Why Families May Want to Participate
Pamela Feliciano, Scientific Director of SPARK (Simons Powering Autism Research) the world’s largest autism research study. Dr. Feliciano joins us to share her thoughts on the recent change to autism statistics from the CDC, the value of p…
- Lasting Happiness - How to be kinder to yourself and others
Professor Emeritus at the University of Oregon and President of the Choose Kindness Foundation, Doug Carnine joins us to discuss his work with the Choose Kindness Foundation that works with schools, businesses, prisons, and social service…
- The Breakaway - Transitioning Autistic Adolescents into Adulthood
Dr. Tom Welch an expert in work with neurodiverse young people and families joins us to talk about the important work of preparing adolescents for adulthood. Dr. Welch shares key skills parents can help foster while also setting appropriat…
- The September 26th Project: Safety Preparedness for Families with Autism
The September 26th was created to honor the lives of a family that was tragically lost in a home fire. By providing safety awareness and preparedness resources for families the mission of this initiative is to review their safety plans eve…
- Creating a Successful Holiday for Children with Autism
All Autism Talk hosts Kathrine Johnson and Richie Ploesch, sit down to discuss strategies and tips to support a happy, safe, and fun holiday experience for children with autism. As Katherine shared, "When kids know what to expect, it can r…
- Enriching Life Experiences for Young Autistic Adults
Heather Tarczan, Executive Director of Urban Autism Solutions joins us to talk about how their program is working to build opportunity and community for young adults in Chicago. Every year, thousands of teens with autism age out of high sc…
- Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness
Roy Richard Grinker is a Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs at George Washington University and author. He joins us to share insights from his latest book, Nobody’s Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness.…
- TSC: A Rare Genetic Disease with a 50% Autism Diagnosis
Kari Luther Rosbeck, President & CEO, TSC Alliance, and Steven L. Roberds, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer, TSC Alliance join us for a discussion about Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSCA) a rare genetic disorder. This is an incredibly educatio…
- Dr. Temple Grandin and Dr. Debra Moore - Navigating Autism
Dr. Temple Grandin returns to the podcast to discuss her latest book, Navigating Autism, which is a collaboration with psychologist Debra Moore, who has done extensive work with children, teens, and adults on the autism spectrum. This epis…
- Addressing the Cultural Needs of Families with Autism
Corina Jimenez-Gomez, faculty at Auburn University, and Lauren Beaulieu a behavior analyst for 20 years join us to discuss the importance of culturally responsive services in ABA. Along with their extensive work educating others in this ar…
- Female Life on the Spectrum - Insights from Jennifer Cook
Jennifer Cook was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at the age of 35 and is raising three children on the spectrum. She is the author of seven bestselling, award-winning books. This lively conversation had our host, Katherine Johnson laughi…
- Advancing Research and Understanding of Autism
Holly Lechniak Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Outreach Director for the AARTS (Autism Assessment, Research, Treatment, and Services) Center at Rush University Medical Center, joins us to share about the work of SPARK. This national st…
- Autism Today: A Look at How Far We Have Come and What is Still Needed
Dr. Fred Volkmar, a professor at Yale University with over 40 years in the field of autism-related studies, joins us to provide perspective on how far we have come in the diagnosis, research, and services for individuals with autism. With…
- Follow Your Passions: The Vast Areas of Interest in ABA
Dr. Danquah-Brobby is an international psychologist and board certified behavior analyst currently serving as the ABA Chair for the Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Washington, DC Campus. Paula joins us to talk about a variety o…
- Women in Behavior Analysis with Devon Sundberg
Devon Sundberg, M.S., BCBA is the founder of the groundbreaking (and long overdue) Women in Behavior Analysis Conference (WIBA). Devon shares how raising three daughters helped open her eyes to how gendered life can be (including party foo…