Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in elementary school, Tom speaks from personal experience and educates others on how to identify the signs of ASD, offers advice for overcoming obstacles associated with ASD, and provides proof of the benefits of seeing the ability in disability! Tom has educated a number of parents, students, teachers, school district representatives, and even law enforcement officers and first responders about ASD. Tom is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) with expert knowledge in financial services and experience in a Big 4 public accounting firm as well as entertainment, education, and not-for-profit organizations. He is a natural leader and cross-functional team player with excellent problem-solving skills and works well with all levels of management. Find out more at Thomasiland.com All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com).

We are thrilled to welcome Temple Grandin back to our show. Our conversation will focus on what she feels best supported her success in life and the advice she has to offer for parents of children with autism. Arguably the most famous person in the autism community, Dr. Grandin has been advocating for individuals with autism for more than 30 years. In 2010, Grandin delivered the TED talk “The world needs all kinds of minds.” Grandin’s own experience with autism has informed her numerous books on the subject including My Life in Pictures which was adapted for the award-winning HBO film.  Born on August 29, 1947, in Boston, Massachusetts, Temple Grandin was diagnosed with autism as a child and went on to pursue work in psychology and animal science. She has become a leading advocate for autistic communities and has also written books and provided consultation on the humane treatment of animals.  Grandin has been recognized by the academic community and the general public for her work. In 2009, she was named a fellow of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. She is the recipient of several honorary degrees, and has been featured on a range of television and radio programs. In 2010, HBO released an Emmy Award winning film on Grandin’s life which continues to strike a chord with audiences.  Temple’s willingness to honestly share her challenges as well as share her passionate perspective with depth and resonance has made her a very popular (and busy) speaker and presenter. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

This year, a total of 238 teams (15 women’s), as many as 150 officials and lots of broadcasters showed up to support Autism Awareness Weekend in college basketball. Throughout the weekend, coaches, officials and broadcasters raised autism awareness by donning the blue Autism Speaks puzzle piece pin during college basketball games. In all, more than 3,000 coaches, staff, administrators, and officials were wearing pins and spreading the word. Spearheaded by NCAA basketball coaches Pat Skerry and Tom Herrion, the program provides coaches, their teams, schools and fans with opportunities to raise awareness, fundraise and advocate for the needs of people affected by autism.   Pat Skerry has completely revitalized the Towson men's basketball program and brought the Tigers back into the national spotlight. Skerry, who took over a program that had endured 15 straight losing seasons, wasted little time in righting the ship. Skerry, a 21-year coaching veteran, has succeeded in changing the culture of the Towson men's basketball program. During his first semester as head coach, his players posted the highest GPA for a Towson men's basketball team in over a decade. A native of Medford, Mass., Skerry played collegiately at Tufts from 1989-92 where he was a two-time team captain and garnered All-New England honors. As a point guard, he recorded a school-record 650 assists during his career - a mark that still ranks as the 17th best in NCAA Division III history. His 198 assists in 1990-91 is a Tufts single-season record. He also is fifth on the school's career steals list with 95.  Pat and his wife, Kristen, have two sons, Ryan and Owen. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

Cynthia is an active member of the autism community. She has a son who, through biomedical and therapeutic means, lost his diagnosis of autism and is a typical 16 years old.  Cynthia was one of the seven mom’s who lobbied successfully for Steven’s Law that requires insurance companies to cover autism in the state of Arizona. She has written articles for Autism File, spoken nationally, produced a documentary on co morbid medical conditions, been interviewed by local news, Lifetime TV, Good Morning America and appeared with her son in The New York Times Magazine this last summer. She is the Vice President of Autism Society of Greater Phoenix. Currently, she is helping to run legislation on restrain and seclusion in this legislative session.  She is also working with a group of lawyers to help parents with children with autism access good medical care with private insurance companies and using EPSDT to access appropriate care through Medicaid. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

Marcia Scheiner is the founder and President of Asperger Syndrome Training & Employment Partnership. Prior to founding ASTEP, Ms. Scheiner spent 25 years in the financial services industry, most recently as CEO of Centrally Managed Businesses for Zurich Financial Services. She has also held management positions at Chase Manhattan Bank and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce. Ms. Scheiner is a graduate of Wellesley College and has an MBA from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Business. She is the parent of a young adult son with Asperger Syndrome. ASTEP creates and supports programs that promote long-term employment for individuals with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and similar autism spectrum profiles through: Educating employers about the benefits of hiring individuals with AS or similar autism spectrum profiles and the accommodations they may require.Developing partnerships between Employers and Vocational Rehabilitation professionals to create a successful workplace environment.Providing Managers and colleagues of AS/similar autism spectrum profiles employees with an understanding of the behavioral differences perhaps seen in their autism spectrum co-workers. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

Anna Bullard's advocacy for her daughter and other children with autism is a true inspiration. Many people will be familiar with her fight for autism insurance coverage in Georgia from her youtube video (Ava's Story, Autism Insurance for Georgia). Anna Bullard is the Director of Community Outreach and Advocacy for the Early Autism Project (EAP). She is on the board for the Autism Society of Georgia and the Autism Advisory Council Center for Leadership in Disability,GSU. She has been working as a parent advocate for Ava’s Law since 2009. Anna is an advocate for services and other needed resources for families with autism throughout the southeast including Ga, FL, SC, KY and TN. She has made it her personal mission to see that these families have equal access to services no matter where they live. Anna is married and has three girls. Her 10 year old daughter, Ava, was diagnosed with autism in 2007 and has been the inspiration for her passion to see every child with autism have the resources and services they need to meet their full potential. Anna recently received the national “Speak Out” award. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

We talk with Christopher J. Smith of Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC) about emerging technology and research to support individuals with autism. Christopher J. Smith, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of Research at SARRC, is an experimental psychologist with expertise in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and measurement of associated traits. Before joining SARRC, Dr. Smith was an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, and still maintains a faculty position. His background is in phenotyping complex psychiatric disorders for the purposes of genetic studies. Under the direction of Dr. Smith, SARRC’s research team focuses on improving the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and expediting accurate diagnostic methods; advancing research on effective treatments for autism, both pharmaceutical and behavioral, that lead to an improved quality of life for individuals with the disorder and their families; and educating all kinds of professionals in the community to improve detection, diagnosis and services for individuals with autism. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

Cynthia Kim is the author of two books, "Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life" and "I Think I Might be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults". She blogs about autism at musingsofanaspie.com.   "I'm most passionate about anything related to living a full, authentic life as an adult on the spectrum--especially in a way that contributes to better understanding ourselves, finding community and improving our quality of life." Cynthia Kim is the proud owner of many labels including woman, wife, mother, writer, editor, entrepreneur and, most recently, autistic. Diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome in her early forties, she began blogging about life on the spectrum at MusingsofanAspie.com. She is the author of two books on her experiences, "Nerdy, Shy and Socially Inappropriate: A User Guide to an Asperger Life" and "I Think I Might Be Autistic: A Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis and Self-Discovery for Adults." When she isn't writing, she can often be found running or hiking backwoods trails somewhere on the east coast of the US. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

In this episode we are joined by Coach Alex Sachs of the KEEN program in Phoenix.  As a former professional soccer player and Olympic medal winner, Alex brings her great passion for sports to serving the special needs community.   KEEN Phoenix (Kids Enjoying Exercise Now) is a national, nonprofit volunteer-led organization that provides one-to-one recreational opportunities for children and young adults with developmental and physical disabilities at no cost to their families and caregivers. KEEN's mission is to foster the self-esteem, confidence, skills and talents of its athletes through non-competitive activities, allowing young people facing even the most significant challenges to meet their individual goals. We have three sites that we service kids from Escalante Community Center, Gompers, and Jewish Community Center in Scottsdale. Alessandra “Coach Alex” Sachs played on the Brazilian Women’s National Soccer Team for 11 years and has a silver medal from the 2004 Olympic Games, a gold medal 2007 Pan American Games and was inducted in the Brazilian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005. Today, she is the Program Director of KEEN Phoenix and Program Manager of Playworks Arizona. In this episode, Rob Haupt also offers an update on recent news about Medi-Cal and Medicaid coverage for autism services. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)

Jennifer Cook is the winner of the 2014 Autism Society of America’s Temple Grandin Outstanding Book of the Year Award, the 2012 Temple Grandin Award for global contributions, a recipient of GRASP’s 2012 Distinguished Spectrumite Medal for excellence in parenting, 2012 AuKids Speaker of the Year, and Godiva’s Woman of the Year. She is one of North Carolina’s 50 Most Influential Women of 2014 and Autism Daily Newscast’s “Inspiring Women with Autism,” called “piercingly astute” by Headstuff Magazine. She keynotes internationally, including for the Autism Society of America’s National Conference, the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association, The National Inclusion Project, the UK’s National Autistic Society, Ireland’s SHINE, and at mega conferences alongside Drs. Grandin and Attwood.  She is a mentor for Yale’s Child Study Center where her books serve as foundational texts, and a member of The Global Montessori Alliance. Her Facebook Fan Page and Asperkids blog have both been chosen by Disney/Babble to the Top 30 Autism Sites in the World. All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by Autism Spectrum Therapies (autismtherapies.com) and Trellis Services (trellisservices.com) and Learn It Systems (learnitsystems.com)