Uniquely Human: The Podcast

The holidays can be such a fun and spiritual time of year for a lot of us, but there are also challenges, especially if you or a family member is autistic. In this special throwback episode, Kristy Forbes joins us from Australia, and Dave’s wife Kristen spills the tea on their own family’s strategies for enjoying the holidays together. And, hear a special performance from our autistic friend, Conner.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For 25 years, Barry and his colleagues have conducted a unique retreat weekend in a beautiful setting in New England in partnership with Dr. Elaine Meyer of Harvard University, and Barbara Domingue, founder and Executive Director of Community Autism Resources, a parent founded and run family support agency. The retreat welcomes 50-60 parents each year, to share experiences and wisdom, and to refuel in a “non-judgmental zone”. In this podcast, we discuss the philosophy, the goals, and the nuts and bolts of conducting a retreat. Dave shares his experience as an autistic person attending the retreat. For those interested in facilitating their own retreat experiences in their community, we also discuss a unique training experience that is available as part of the weekend.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Barry and Dave welcome Scott Steindorff, a highly accomplished international television and film producer and writer. In their riveting discussion, Scott shares the many challenges he faced in life resulting from his autism and ADHD, especially in the early years. He describes the torment he experienced as he was misunderstood and misdiagnosed by people who knew him well, as well as professionals. He also credits the many gifts and talents that being neurodivergent has brought to him, and how these gifts have helped him to overcome the very real challenges he has faced. Scott is now a tireless advocate to help increase awareness and understanding of neurodivergent individuals, hoping to help others by prevent the challenges that he has experienced, and to help the world build upon and celebrate the great potential of people who think differently.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Barry and Dave discuss human rights issues with their guests, Jordyn Zimmerman and Tauna Szymanski, from both a personal and policy perspective. Jordyn Zimmerman is a nonspeaking autistic woman who was denied access to an effective AAC system well into her teen years. She experienced misunderstandings, discrimination, and psychological abuse as she was not able to communicate her sense of self, her opinions, and her basic needs. She is now a passionate advocate for non-speaking people, and their right to have access to effective AAC. Tauna Szymanski, a lawyer with disabilities, discusses the mission of CommunicationFirst, an organization she co-founded, as protecting and assuring the rights non-speaking people to have access to effective AAC, and directions that must be taken to recognize communication as a human right for people with developmental and acquired conditions that limit speech development.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An exploration of the life and career of award-winning autistic playwright Jody O'Neill, discussing her play 'What I (don't) know about Autism' and its impact on educating the public. The podcast also delves into the challenges and triumphs of the performing arts industry and the accessibility of the play through in-person and livestream options with various features for a diverse audience.

Shelly Christensen brings a vast amount of experience in helping various faith communities be more welcoming and inclusive. As a professional with deep experience and expertise in faith communities and disabilities, and as a parent of a young man on the autism spectrum, and as a person with a disability herself, she discusses her experiences as a parent-professional and the need to work with the leadership of faith communities to create opportunities to families and individuals that allow them to feel comfortable, respected and included. In our “Enthusiasm of the Week” segment, 8 year old Ryan and his mother discuss his enthusiasm for number blocks and how it has been of benefit in many different ways.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Danny Whitty is a 36 year old Autistic self advocate who communicates his complex thoughts and ideas primarily by spelling, and with unreliable speech. Barry and Dave engage in a lively conversation with Danny who receives support from his sister, his communication regulation partner. Topics range from how his life has changed dramatically since he learned how to spell to communicate, the qualities of people who best support non-speakers, and the culinary arts, an area in which Danny demonstrates specific talents and passions.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dena Gassner is an autistic professional who is helping to create, shape and advance the agenda of autistic self-advocates, and indeed, society in general. As a researcher, author, social worker, university instructor, mother, grandmother and mentor, she brings a lifetime of experience in sharing her wisdom about autistic identity, generational differences between older and younger autistic people, and the importance of mentoring.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Paula Kluth shares her decades of deep experience in supporting inclusion and the rights of students with disabilities in educational settings. She discusses the true meaning of inclusion in educational settings, as well as the benefits of “virtual inclusion” and co-teaching, while offering effective strategies for teaching students virtually and in classroom. In our discussion, Paula emphasizes the importance of educators, related service professionals, and families working collaboratively to support students’ love of learning at school and at home.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Pamela Wolfberg, a leading expert in understanding and studying play, socialization, and the development of friendships for autistic children. She joins us for a lively discussion that will be of great interest for parents, teachers, and therapists. We learn about her esteemed career during which she provided great insight into the play of autistic children, and developed an internationally recognized, evidence-based approach now being implemented internationally: The Integrated Play Groups model.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.