

Autism Stories
Autism Personal Coach/Doug Blecher
Autistic people are the true experts of the autistic experience. Autism Stories will help you to live your best autistic life by interviewing autistic people and others in the autism community who share their experiences, stories, and advice with you.
Learn how coaching can help you then book a free call with Autism Personal Coach https://autismpersonalcoach.com
Learn how coaching can help you then book a free call with Autism Personal Coach https://autismpersonalcoach.com
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 25, 2025 • 29min
Autism Stories: Dr. Emile Gouws
"Too often, society confuses speech with intelligence, but speech is only one form of communication. I and many others have valuable contributions, even when we do not use our speech",says Dr. Emile Gouws. Dr. Gouws joins this episode to discuss being a non-speaking child and turning lived experience into advocacy. To learn more about Dr. Gouws visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-emile-gouws-610449116/ . Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://bitly.cx/6Ib2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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 hello@autismpersonalcoach.com.

Aug 11, 2025 • 25min
Autism Stories: Dr. Sam Rae
"In trying to recover from autistic burnout myself, I created this five-phase framework that uses an intersectional lens because as I was saying earlier, autism shows up for me quite differently than a lot of other people because we're different human beings with different lived experiences", says Dr. Sam Rae. Dr. Sam joins this episode to discuss her creation of the Autistic Burnout Recovery Framework. To learn more about Dr. Sam visit https://www.simplysamrae.com/links .Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://bitly.cx/6Ib2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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 hello@autismpersonalcoach.com.

5 snips
Aug 4, 2025 • 25min
Autism Stories: Kelly Bron Johnson
Kelly Bron Johnson, a speaker on participatory research and author, shares her insights on the healthcare trajectories of autistic individuals. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the value of autism diagnoses in reducing stigma and improving care. They discuss navigating gender and language barriers in autism care, and the need for early diagnosis. Johnson also explores the intersectionality of race and autism, shedding light on unique challenges faced by diverse individuals in the community while advocating for inclusivity in resources and support.

Jul 28, 2025 • 12min
Autism Stories: Jake Batista
"The main thing I would say people definitely need when it comes to dealing with autistic swimmers is just patience. Like there's going to be some days where the kids are going to have like a really good day [...] are going to be days where like, you know, like they're having like a rough day", says Jake Batista. Jake joins this episode to discuss teaching neurodivergent swimmers at the Goldfish Swim School. To learn more about the Goldish Swim School visit https://goldfishswimschool.com/ .Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://bitly.cx/6Ib2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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.

Jul 21, 2025 • 31min
Autism Stories: Freya Pinney
"Art therapy really is about working with materials to be able to come to know something about yourself that emerges through that engagement and may or may not be communicated verbally at all", says Freya Pinney. Freya joins this episode to discuss art therapy and connecting with other neurodivegent people. To learn more about Freya and her services visit linkedin.com/in/freya-pinney-49ab81155 . Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://bitly.cx/6Ib2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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.

Jul 14, 2025 • 20min
Autism Stories: PJ Letourneau
"Cannabis was a very confusing aspect of my life for a really long time because in high school I was trying it, but my family was very against it. There were actually aspects of it that seemed to be helping me a lot, but it wasn't clear to me how to use it", says PJ Letourneau. PJ joins this episode to discuss Pervasive Demand for Autonomy, the benefits of cannabis, and the processing of our emotions as autistic people. To learn more about PJ visit https://pauljean.substack.com .Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://bitly.cx/6Ib2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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.

Jul 7, 2025 • 28min
Autism Stories: Brandy Schillace
"What grief really is, isn't a getting over the loss, but an adjusting to a life that encapsulates the loss. And I think that that's a lot of what sometimes happens when we come to terms with our autism and the things that we did or didn't get a chance to do", says Brandy Schillace. Brandy joins this episode to discuss her book about the world’s first center for homosexual and transgender rights. To learn more about Brandy visit https://brandyschillace.comThank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=422b205cf8817bf1&rls=en&sxsrf=AHTn8zqGPy2sjBLlA11mfLQjk4Kzu84YGg:1743872297655&q=&si=APYL9btOMaxI48tKjOYdlPW3RyBplN8gAQzBdTKkB2IKbJ7kM9T8RmW6e56f40nA_2X21d9mSrGLngPcOpmhvjtg5XNYJPcy7w8VeuhHph_MUnX-m-Qx_E-UjzSrmaCq_EexvqEOSFsU&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMmtfGrsGMAxW-q4kEHc9KPP8Qv_UKegQIKRAD&biw=1428&bih=734&dpr=2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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.

Jun 30, 2025 • 20min
Autism Stories: Sonora Reyes
"Many people] don't care as much about, okay, these are the statistics of what percentage of people get deported actually commited any crimes. It's very, very low. [...] They care about their neighbor who is Mexican, who they like, who has a family who got deported. [...] They only care about the personal connection. Which is why I feel like books like The Broposal hopefully can start a conversation", says Sonora Reyes. Sonora joins this episode to discuss storytelling, immigration, and much more. To learn more bout Sonora visit https://www.sonorareyes.com .Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=422b205cf8817bf1&rls=en&sxsrf=AHTn8zqGPy2sjBLlA11mfLQjk4Kzu84YGg:1743872297655&q=&si=APYL9btOMaxI48tKjOYdlPW3RyBplN8gAQzBdTKkB2IKbJ7kM9T8RmW6e56f40nA_2X21d9mSrGLngPcOpmhvjtg5XNYJPcy7w8VeuhHph_MUnX-m-Qx_E-UjzSrmaCq_EexvqEOSFsU&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMmtfGrsGMAxW-q4kEHc9KPP8Qv_UKegQIKRAD&biw=1428&bih=734&dpr=2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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.

Jun 23, 2025 • 34min
Autism Stories: REMASTERED Dr. Mel Houser
"Anytime you have a default, anyone whose brain learns things, processes, communicates differently is going to feel othered. The idea with universal design is not having any defaults, and to have a menu to all people", says Dr. Mel Houser. Mel joins this episode to discuss universal design in healthcare, her non profit All Brains Belong VT, and what she wished medical school and medical training had taught her. To learn more about Dr. Houser and All Brains Belong VT visit https://allbrainsbelong.org. Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=422b205cf8817bf1&rls=en&sxsrf=AHTn8zqGPy2sjBLlA11mfLQjk4Kzu84YGg:1743872297655&q=&si=APYL9btOMaxI48tKjOYdlPW3RyBplN8gAQzBdTKkB2IKbJ7kM9T8RmW6e56f40nA_2X21d9mSrGLngPcOpmhvjtg5XNYJPcy7w8VeuhHph_MUnX-m-Qx_E-UjzSrmaCq_EexvqEOSFsU&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMmtfGrsGMAxW-q4kEHc9KPP8Qv_UKegQIKRAD&biw=1428&bih=734&dpr=2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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.

Jun 16, 2025 • 33min
Autism Stories: Rolondo Talbott
"I was going down the rabbit hole of adult play and the benefits of that could bring to a corporate environment when it comes to things like communication, creativity, innovation and ingenuity. I came across this concept of Lego Serious Play that started in the mid 90s [...]", says Rolondo Talbott. Rolando joins this episode to discuss the benefits of play for adults and his book of poetry about his corporate career. Learn more about Rolando by visiting https://www.linkedin.com/in/rolondotalbott/Thank you to TR Sun for their song “All Good” on todays episode. if you would like to follow along or if your like me and seeing the lyrics make listening to music more accessible to you then check them out here: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&sca_esv=422b205cf8817bf1&rls=en&sxsrf=AHTn8zqGPy2sjBLlA11mfLQjk4Kzu84YGg:1743872297655&q=&si=APYL9btOMaxI48tKjOYdlPW3RyBplN8gAQzBdTKkB2IKbJ7kM9T8RmW6e56f40nA_2X21d9mSrGLngPcOpmhvjtg5XNYJPcy7w8VeuhHph_MUnX-m-Qx_E-UjzSrmaCq_EexvqEOSFsU&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjMmtfGrsGMAxW-q4kEHc9KPP8Qv_UKegQIKRAD&biw=1428&bih=734&dpr=2Thank you very much to Amy Scurria for her opera piece "Inside" at the end of the episode. To learn more about Amy please visit https://www.amyscurria.com .If you could subscribe on your favorite listening platform we would really appreciate that. If you are looking for customized coaching by autistics for autistics 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.


