Autism Stories

"It's hard to contend what it means to be a living creature in an area where it doesn't necessarily belong. I think I felt a lot of connection to the Lantern Fly because they're very beautiful and strange, and people don't understand them. I think that I felt a connection to being an LGBT person and then also being an autistic person, where I often feel like misunderstood and out of place", says Robin Gow. Robin joins this episode to discuss  their new book of poetry Lanternfly August, managing programs at their local LGBT community center, and being a witch. To learn more about Robin and their book of poetry Lanternfly August check out https://www.driftwoodpress.com/our-books/lanternfly-august 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.

" I've been learning how to play the guitar, bass, keyboard, drums, ukulele, mandolin, and the harmonica...I've been taking guitar lessons for 6 years. I used to take a little bit of drum lessons, but not anymore. Everything else, I've been self taught", says Ryan Woodard. Ryan  joins this episode to discuss being a musician, being recognized by John Mayer, and plays one of his original songs. To learn more about Ryan and his music visit https://ryanwoodardrocks.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.

"When the speech therapy didn't help, my family have always been an avid lover of books. We just have piles of them in shelves everywhere. It was obvious that I would feel more drawn to that, rather than speaking to somebody in person and face-to-face", says Alice Hack.Alice joins this episode to discuss her career working in a library, important LGBTQ+ of the past, and learning that she has a famous relative. To learn more about Alice check out https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-h-1245781b1/ . 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.

"Growing up, what I had come to learn was that my autistic identity was wrong; it was undesirable. People wanted me to be something else. I actually found that me as a drug user was more acceptable, me as an addict was more acceptable", says David Gray-Hammond. David joins this episode to discuss discuss autism and drug addiction, harmful stereotypes regarding schizophrenia, and how meditation has helped him. To learn more about David and his books visit https://emergentdivergence.com/my-books/.

"Brevity is not my strong suite. I'm the kind of person who writes a lot. I'm hyperlexic, I'm hyperverbal. When I write, I can't just write a simple 500 word article to explain something. I have to write a dissertation every time.  For me, when I wrote this book, I had to force myself to be pretty short with it- to make sure that it was concise and easily accessible", says Jaime Heidel. Jaime returns to Autism Stories to discuss her book What Did I Do Wrong?”: An Accessible Guide to Preventing Traumatic Misunderstandings Between You and Your Autistic Loved One. To learn more about Jaime and her book visit https://www.amazon.com/What-Did-Wrong-Accessible-Misunderstandings/dp/B0CHL7DJ2J?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1694053337&sr=8-1&linkCode=sl1&tag=ityiws0e-20&linkId=4026ac0e51d64a1d067e213cb2777e87&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl#customerReviews . 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.

"For the longest time, I kind of used makeup to hide behind. Hide my face, and hide acne scars, and hide everything else. But then it developed from that into being a creative outlet. I've created elf looks and clown looks. I think it's a really cool way to become either a visual representation of what you feel on the inside or what your soul looks like, or it can be something to completely become a whole new character", says Bee Mellifera. Bee joins this episode to discuss their passion for makeup, challenges autistic people face when applying make up, and how they have learned to better love themselves. To learn more about Bee visit ⁠https://www.instagram.com/goddessofbees⁠/.

"I got on the show, but then I quickly realized, yes, I had done a great job preparing for the questions and the mental part. But I had done nothing to prepare for the emotional part. Suddenly, I'm there. You're in a studio, there's people 360 degrees around you... the studio's designed to make you nervous", says Ogi Ogas. Ogi joins this episode to discuss being a game show contestant, what the type of music you listen to says about you, and how a mathematical approach can help you understand better about your autistic experience. To learn more about Ogi visit https://www.amazon.com/stores/Ogi-Ogas/author/B004NA4ALS?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true 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.

"I have also learned from the neurodiversity movement, which reframes autism as differences in brain-wiring and it's natural variation in the diversity of human experience, as well as pride in our autistic strengths. It is the self-confidence and belief in ourselves to set high standards, to strive to reach our goals", says Tim Chan. Tim joins this episode to discuss finding connection, visual thinking, and being the first nonspeaking autistic person to give a Ted Talk. To learn more about Tim visit https://www.timhchan.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.

"I don't start my day with a to-do list or a task-list. I start my day deciding what I want to play with! Do I wanna play with nerdy stuff? Do I want to make something? Do I want to do arts and crafts? I float around playing with things. I also play with code", says Jamie Knight. Jamie joins this episode  to discuss the importance of play, digital accessibility, and the factors that lead to us having great experiences in our lives. To learn more about Jamie visit https://jamieandlion.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.

"That's a lot of what I invoked in my character, Nick, in, 'The Brick Builder Challenge.' Nick very much wants to do it his way. Growing up for me too, it was always...it's not that I didn't want to cooperate with other people, but it was just so hard to just let go of my way. I'm still like that", says Jen Malia. To learn about Jen and The Infinity Rainbow Club Series visit https://jenmalia.com/books/the-infinity-rainbow-club-series/ . 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.