Joyriding In Autismland: Autism Podcast With Kid Gigawatt

Hold onto your comb-overs, people! Today we're chatting with entrepreneur, business coach, and fellow podcaster Jessica Kupferman. Jessica has a teenaged son with high functioning autism, and she is VERY funny.     Jessica talks about having ADHD, Nate's late autism diagnosis, and what it's changed for them.   Here are Jessica's deets:   Website: Lady Business   Podcast: Lady Business Radio   Facebook: Lady Business Central   Twitter: Jessica Kupferman   Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

Jen Turrell is mom to two daughters on the spectrum, and is the author of the new book Help! My Child Has Autism: A Parent's Guide to Start, Fund, and Maintain an Evidence Based Intervention. We chat about ABA, staffing up, and first plane rides. The particulars: Autism Website: Able Interventions  Book: Help! My Child Has Autism  Personal Website: Jen and Stew Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

Hey guys! So summer is coming, even though you wouldn't really be feeling it yet if you are up in Maine with us, and I wanted to do an  episode about safety issues and autism. This is super important because statistically, most accidents involving people on the spectrum happen in the warmer months. I'm excited to be speaking today with Federal Law Enforcement Officer, autism parent, and autism first responder trainer Matt Brown. We talk about why it is sooooo important to register kids with autism with the local and state police departments.

Thrilled to be joined by my husband to discuss three things we feel have made us better autism parents people. I hope listening to these will get you thinking about how your past experiences relate to the spectrum. Don't skip the last bit, where I list out our five favorite coping tools (spoiler alert: one of these may involve Jon Stewart, but I can neither confirm nor deny.)

Today I'm excited to speak to author Patty Pacelli, whose young adult son has autism. She advocates for people on the spectrum to achieve their career dreams and contribute their exceptional talents to the workforce, and has just written a book entitled Six Word Lessons for Autism Friendly Workplaces. We chat about preparing younger kiddos for the workforce, what makes some people with autism fantastic hires, some of the best and worst jobs for people with autism, and about helpful work accommodations. In case you're thinking about picking up the book here's a chapter summary1.  The Need for Autism Friendly Workplaces2.  Career Preparation for Parents and Children3.  How to Find the Best Jobs4.  ADA Laws and Rules for Work5.  Best Interview Practices for the Employer6.  Interview Tips for People with Autism7.  Reasonable Accommodations for Employers to Offer8.  Accommodations that can Help Autistic Employees9.  Benefits of Hiring People with Autism10. Be Aware of Unique Autistic Traits11. Social Expectations

Kyle's work in autism spans direct services, research, and administration. He worked one-on-one with adults on the spectrum in Santa Barbara, CA, focusing on improvements in quality of life, employment, health, and social networks. For two years, while pursuing his Master's of Social Work, he worked for a multi-million dollar state and federally funded psychosocial intervention research project at the University of Pittsburgh for adults with autism that aims to be a new standard in adult autism services. And he's author to the recent book, Connect: Findings for a New Era of Autism.Here are all the deets on Kyle:   Website: http://www.autismstat.org Book: https://gumroad.com/l/connect/beta New Venture: http://spot.launchrock.com Twitter: @autismstat   Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

Today's episode is a bit different, because I won't be doing any interviewing - I'm flying solo. It's been a rough week for us all, because my father-in-law died on Monday afternoon, and he was just a great guy. A coach, a teacher, a veteran, a lifelong athlete, and a kind and gentle man. I'm feeling nostalgic, so I wanted to give a look back and give you guys a quick guide to our previous episodes to help you find a good one you might have missed. 

 The episodes from the parent perspective are:
            Numbers 4 & 5 with Keri Bowers, fillmaker and art therapist on raising a son on the spectrum
                Number 7 with Dan Korins on his son, who has an amazing voice
               Number 8 with Rupert Isaacson, NYT best-selling author and filmmaker of "The Horse Boy"    Number 12 with my husband Jeff Waites, on raising the Romanator
           Number 14 with Wayne Gilpin, author, and autism book and magazine publisher
    Number 18 with Kara Wilson, on raising a daughter with Asperger's
        

Today, I'm so excited to speak to Mabel's Labels founder, blogger, and mama to many, Julie Cole. Julie's business has been featured on the Huffington Post, The View, InStyle Magazine, Forbes, and many others, and her oldest of 6 kids has autism.   You can get Mabel's Label's through their website or at Target. For those of you with runners (I'm lookin' at you, Roman!), I'm gonna encourage you to check out these handy disposable ID bracelets - especially if you're planning to go somewhere magical like Disney, and want to make it out the other side with your kid. Here's the link to the excellent summer camp guide that I mentioned on the podcast - Julie wrote this backed by her experience in choosing camps for her own kids, and it picks apart how to consider your child's unique character and interests, figuring out what's left in your wallet, and finding the right environment for them. Also, here are links to her blog post Nice Things You Say That Annoy Me, and her hilariously well-reasoned 6 Reasons to Have 6

Today I am super excited to speak to fellow Mainer and Newberry award-winning author of the book Rules, Cynthia Lord. We chat about writing a book with autism at the center, her new books coming out this year, and some ideas for making libraries more inclusive for kiddos on the spectrum.     My favorite rule for David: "Sometimes people laugh when they like you, but sometimes they laugh to hurt you." So true!   Grab your copy through your local independent bookseller here.You can find Cynthia's website at cynthialord.com, and she's also on Facebook and Twitter.   Kelley   PS A link to my blog post on our top 15 audiobooks. PPS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

Named one of Forbes' top 30 Twitter influencers in 2013, social media rockstar, best-selling author, publisher, speaker, business consultant and super nice guy Chris Brogan is today's guest. We chat about the inspiration behind his new book, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators.   I met Chris at the Agents of Change social media conference in Portland Maine last year, where he was the keynote speaker. He hung around after his talk, and later in the afternoon, he walked up to a little group of us to tell me that he liked my lightning bolt t-shirt. So I sent him one, and he sent me back a superhero selfie. (FANCY) Last month, when I read that his new book was coming out, I congratulated him over Twitter, and then he decided to tweet about Kid Gigawatt for a month solid. I pushed my luck by asking to interview him about his new book, and he said yes. Hooray! And then, on his 44th birthday, he wrote this post sending folks our way: http://www.chrisbrogan

On road tripping from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon this summer, and our plans to make a documentary movie. Check out the deets here. Kelley

Thrilled to be speaking with Rachel See today- she's a licensed music therapist, and has a private practice in Austin, Texas.     We chat about the differences between music lessons and music therapy, how she customizes a client's sessions to work on their specific treatment plan goals, and the benefits for our kiddos on the spectrum.   Rachel's practice can be found here, and she also has two unbelievable cute ebooks for sale worth checking out: Listen, Sing, Speak: Children's Songs for Speech, Language, and Hearing Goals, and Children's Songs for Therapy.   For a little background on music therapy, check out my blog post here.   Kelley   PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

Super excited to chat today with Tim Villegas, special education teacher, blogger, podcaster, founder of the thinkinclusive.us website, and crusader for the true inclusion of kids with disabilities. Catch up with Tim on Facebook and on Twitter.

I'm stoked to be speaking with Tom Angleberger today, New York Times best selling author of the Star Wars-inspired book series that began with Origami Yoda in 2010. The series stars a middle schooler named Dwight, whose Yoda paper finger puppet is both wise and weird. Tom's self-proclaimed superpower is Asperger's, and we chat about how wearing a fake chicken on his head made him invincible on stage, going back to speak at his own middle school, and his favorite Star Wars character. You. Must. Listen to the Horton Halfpott audiobook. I command you! The narrator is among the best I've heard, and trust me, we've listened to a metric ton of audiobooks. Love it, you will. Check out Tom's fan site at Origami Yoda, and learn how to make an emergency Yoda finger puppet in only 5 folds here. If you've got a little more time, give this one a whirl, and may the force be with you. Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

Stoked to be chatting with Eric Tivers, licensed Clinical Social Worker, coach, consultant, and counselor for ADHD and High Functioning Autism. We chat about what led him to an ADHD diagnosis in college, and what happens when autism is comorbid with ADHD. (

So inspired to speak to Icelandic filmmaker Marget Ericsdottir, whose teenage son, Keli, has nonverbal autism. Margret's moving documentary, A Mother's Courage, follows her quest to understand autism, and ultimately leads to her son being able to communicate via a letter board. Initially thought to be mentally disabled with the intelligence of a two year old, Keli is now a mainstreamed high school student with a 3.9 GPA. Margret's English voiceover for the film was provided by Kate Winslet, and the two ladies forged a strong bond, collaborating on a book, The Golden Hat: Talking Back to Autism, and co-founding the nonprofit The Golden Hat Foundation. The foundation seeks to raise autism awareness and establish "innovative post-high school living campuses designed to truly honor all autistic individuals - not just those considered "higher-functioning" - by creating an environment that supports and respects their individual needs and strengths." They are organizing a walk for autism on May 17th - find all the

Thrilled to be interviewing Andrew Solomon today, author of the 2012 National Book Critics Circle Award winning book, Far From the Tree: Parents, Children, and the Search for Identity, which explores ideas of abilities, disabilities, illness and identities in extraordinary children born to ordinary parents. His tome represents a decade of researching and interviewing parents raising kids with dwarfism, Downs Syndrome, autism, or schizophrenia, children born deaf, as well as prodigies, children conceived in rape, transgendered children, and kids who grow up to become criminals.   His appearances on Far From the Tree include The Moth Radio Hour, a Ted Talk, The Colbert Report, and a Fresh Air interview with Terry Gross. We chat about neurodiversity, the fantasy of normal, and being kind to everyone you meet. Check out Mr. Solomon's intelligent article on the Autism Rights Movement here, and keep up with him on Facebook and Twitter. Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Jo

Liz Mortati founded and directs The Art Department in Portland, Maine - they provide art therapy and working space to adults with disabilities, and sell the artists' work in their gallery space.   After graduating from college, Liz worked at San Francisco-based nonprofit arts organization Creativity Explored, which became the inspiration for her work once she returned to Maine. Initially connecting with Creative Trails, she worked with them to develop an arts program that became The Art Department. We chat about outsider art, the progress the artists have made, and some of her favorite projects so far. Keep up with The Art Department on YouTube and on Facebook - they are doing incredible work! Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

I'm stoked to be chatting with Kara Wilson today. Kara has a 6 year-old daughter with Asperger's, and pens a fantastic blog called Karacteristic: Stirred, Not Shaken.

Today, I speak with certified Occupational Therapist, Jill Schacht. I am also prepared to knight her with the highly coveted UNP certification.* Jill has worked with the Romanator for over a year, and with all of his anxiety issues, he has never - not once - not RUN to the car at OT time. This is a small miracle. But no wonder, given Jill's fun and positive disposition. We chat about how she became an OT, tips and tricks for redirecting kiddos towards completing non-preferred tasks. (Spoiler alert: turns out you have to take time to really get to know what really motivates that particular kid before you can make them do your bidding. Whattttt? Why does everything have to be so hard? *kicks door frame*). It appears that my internal voices have learned to type. Be very afraid! Enjoy it here y'all: Joyriding in Autismland Kelley *Unbelievably Nice Person PS If you're lucky enough to live near Portland, and find yourself in need of an OT, you can find Jill at Storeysmith Pediatric Clinic.