Autism Stories

"You go back as far as 2010 or so, and the idea of having an autistic person on the research team to inform the design of the study was a completely foreign concept. This wasn't happening at all, there were maybe one or two research groups in the world doing this.  Now, it's not uncommon. At least people do it at the level of consultation or having a community advisory board," says Zack Williams. Zack  joins this episode to discuss where we are and how far we have to go with autistics being part of autism research teams, research on sound sensitivity, and  what psychiatrists need to learn about treating autistic patients. To learn more about Zach's sound sensitivity study visit https://redcap.link/sound_study and the INSAR Community Collaborator Request go to https://www.autism-insar.org/page/ICCR. If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

"It's a hallowed space for me. I see the impact when people are treated with respect and they have consent over their stories, and they have consent over what they want to focus on and what they can focus on that day. It really works more and more momentum to feeling this curiosity to look below these masks," says Tasha Hansen. Tasha joins this episode to discuss being a social worker, strategies to sustain a reliable flow in your life, and the importance of integrated healthcare. To learn more about Tasha visit https://www.azcpllc.com/. If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

"With their journey with me, we slowly take down those walls in comfortable steps, little by little, and at the same time we build something that I like to describe as an armor made out of light. That is this powerful thing that carries you through life and makes you feel safe within yourself, makes you feel secure, makes you feel like you can trust yourself. You're capable and it's great to be you," says Ana Aragon. Ana joins this episode to discuss how autistics grow from peer mentorship, what makes someone a good mentor, and all the things she loves. To learn more about Ana and Autistic Thoughts visit https://autistic-thoughts.com . If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

"If I was employed by somebody else, and I needed to sleep like right now, that's not gonna happen. I'm probably gonna get fired. I really stress the importance of self-employment because that money that I'm making is going to me. It's not going through multiple channels where I am probably paid the lowest possible amount for labor that really sucks the life out of me," says Margaux Wosk. Margaux joins this episode to discuss being an entrepreneur, executive functioning while running a business, and providing opportunities for disabled creators. To learn more about Margaux and Retrophillac visit https://shopretrophiliac.com .  If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

To check out Doug's birth chart as you watch this episode go to https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vQiZqe-U_0YdRM_kGV6S_pNrAayDw0rRaUSdLE88cOqQFkrw3hrUOYSUYfiVrZBH7KtmugL4FwHq0Ax/pub "It's always this weird mix with astrology of like I might see and tell a person, 'You're not doing what makes you happy,' and they're like, 'I know.' I'm never gonna tell anybody to quit your job now, no, you need to also be able to make smart decisions. But what astrology does is it can give us a lot of light, and what most people wind up feeling is a lot of validation and confirmation that what they'd rather be doing, what they're already feeling inkling towards, is the right direction," says Colleen Harrison. Colleen returns to Autism Stories to give a reading of Doug's astrological chart. To learn more about Colleen visit https://www.instagram.com/aneurodivergentastrologer/ If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

We take a look back at some great moments on the Autism Stories podcast from the last year as we prepare to bring you more stories than ever from autistics in 2023. If you could subscribe to Autism Stories on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

"There are a lot of autistic women that sign up for my class. So introducing them and creating this neurodiverse community in the classroom where they get to work with actual autistic women and see that we are not what they thought; we are not what society pins us as," says Zhara Astra. Zhara joins this episode to discuss teaching a class"Understanding Neurodivergent Women" as well as female autistic characters in media. To learn more about Zhara visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/zharaastra/.  If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

"Being open about where you come from, your difference, gives an opening for others to say the rabbi is modelling this. The rabbi is showing that people of difference are members of this community and are valued. Modeling is the best thing a leader can do, I believe. Look at yourself as a microcosm of your community, live your own," says Rabbi Tzemah Yoreh. Rabbi Yoreh joins this episode to discuss being a congregational rabbi, his book "So Compassionate It Hurts", and what he learned about his autistic identity studying ancient wisdom literature. To learn more "So Compassionate It Hurts" visit https://www.amazon.com/So-Compassionate-Hurts-Rabbi-Spectrum-ebook/dp/B0B3SJ93S3 . To read Doug's article about honoring his limitations an autistic entrepreneur visit https://autismspectrumnews.org/honoring-my-limitations-as-an-autistic-entrepreneur/. If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email todoug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

"he big issue is that colleges are mostly for very functional students that can talk right and can control their body. But for individuals like us, options are very less. For me, I feel lucky. My body has to learn how to control and one has to be in the environment to learn how to control, and more colleges should show this path to all," says Akhil Lad. Akhil joins this episode to discuss ways in which the college experience, working with Deepak Chopra, and how asking him questions about autism has helped him. If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email todoug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.

"Autistic people have the ability to decompose the soundscape, to take the sound of the world around them and to focus in on particular aspects of it and to hear that detail. People don't listen in this way on the whole. This is a distinct difference," says Andrew Hugill. Andrew joins this episode to discuss founding the aural diversity project, digital culture, and the importance of being  transdisciplinarity in his career. To learn more about Andrew visit https://andrewhugill.com .  If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for extraordinary support support to live self-sufficient and purpose-driven lives through customized coaching then visit https://www.autismpersonalcoach.com. If you would be interested in being interviewed on Autism Stories or would like to be a sponsor send an email to doug.blecher@autismpersonalcoach.com.