All Autism Talk

In this episode, Caroline Maguire explores the nuances of friendship through a neurodivergent lens, drawing from her book Friendship Skills for Neurodivergent Adults. She shares personal insights on social challenges, the difference between belonging and popularity, and the impact of masking and mismatched communication styles. Caroline introduces her “Three P’s” of friendship—Proximity, Practice, and Participation—as a framework for building meaningful connections, while also unpacking how friendships can evolve, from seasonal to lifelong. This conversation offers practical guidance, research-backed insights, and an empowering reminder to honor your own unique path to connection. All Autism Talk is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (www.learnbehavioral.com). To view this episode's transcription, video interview, or show notes, visit www.allautismtalk.com

In this episode, Samantha and Reux—autistic adults working in applied behavior analysis—share their personal journeys from diagnosis to professional life. They reflect on early employment challenges, the critical role of workplace support, and why autistic voices matter in the field. Their stories offer hope to families, guidance for new behavior technicians, and a powerful reminder of the independence and success autistic individuals can achieve. All Autism Talk is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (www.learnbehavioral.com). To view this episode's transcription, video interview, or show notes, visit www.allautismtalk.com

Rachel Estes Leyk shares practical strategies for raising emotionally resilient children and discusses her advocacy journey through a family crisis, as well as her upcoming book, Response-ABILITY.

Discover the story behind the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) with its creators, Dr. Andy Bondy and Lori Frost.

Anthony Ianni, the first-known Division I basketball player diagnosed with autism, shares his journey, advocacy for sensory-friendly spaces, and how he aims to inspire.

Hilary Pham, Founder and CEO of Equability, joins us to share insights about her company, which specializes in adapting existing clothing for individuals with disabilities. She discusses her journey of starting the company, inspired by her mother's struggles with traditional clothing. We explore how clothing can serve as a form of self-expression and how this service allows for modifications in all clothing brands to better suit the wearer. Hilary’s creative problem-solving and focus on community connection are truly inspiring. For show notes, transcription, and to watch the video interview, visit www.allautismtalk.com. All Autism Talk is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (www.learnbehavioral.com)

Dr. Hanna Rue and Jonathan Lehmann join us to discuss the importance of early diagnosis and the potential of a new tool aimed at addressing health disparities, particularly for families from diverse backgrounds. In this episode, we explore the application of the EarliPoint device, which uses eye gaze tracking technology to diagnose autism in children aged 16 to 30 months. Dr. Hanna Rue emphasizes, "We all know that access to diagnostics can be extremely challenging. Within the Boston area, some families are waiting three years. Research supports that the earlier you start with services, the better outcomes you have." For show notes, transcription, and to watch the video interview, visit www.allautismtalk.com. All Autism Talk is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (www.learnbehavioral.com)

Eric Chessen, founder of Autism Fitness, shares his journey to create effective fitness programs for neurodivergent individuals. He emphasizes the importance of understanding their unique needs and challenges as well as the role of fitness as a life skill. He states, “It’s not just for sports or body composition. A lot of our focus is to support activities in daily living.” Eric also discusses the need to raise the standard of practice in the fitness industry to better serve the autism community. For show notes, transcription, and to watch the video interview, visit www.allautismtalk.com. All Autism Talk is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (www.learnbehavioral.com)

Happy Holidays from all of us at All Autism Talk! We’re thrilled to share that starting in January, All Autism Talk will debut a fresh new look and feel while continuing to bring you the heartfelt, educational conversations you love. As part of this update, we’ll be switching podcast distributors, so don’t forget to re-subscribe in January to stay connected. Thank you for your support, and we can’t wait to see you in the new year! All Autism Talk is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (www.learnbehavioral.com).

Martin Slyngstad a Behavior Specialist, and currently in school to become a Speech Pathologist, joins us to discuss his multitude of interests and accomplishments as a young autistic adult. Martin is the author of Chatter Box: My Life with Autism A Mother and Sons Perspective, founder Spire Autism, and Special Olympics gold medal winner. Martin’s warmth and sincerity are contagious as he shares his passionate belief that everyone should celebrate their authentic life. For more information: www.spireautism.com www.youtube.com/@martinsautismjourney7397 All Autism Talk is sponsored by Learn Behavioral (www.Learnbehavioral.com).

In this episode we are joined by three dynamic women who share their perspectives on how to best care for yourself and your family while raising a child with autism. Arfa Alam, a first generation Muslim American with neurodiverse family returns to share her wisdom and passion with us. Heather Link is a clinical Director who shares her experiences of both providing services and receiving services for her own family. Liza Hellenbrand is the mother of a thriving, 21 year old son with autism who also hosts the Empowered Caregiver podcast. Join this powerful women’s circle as they share from different backgrounds and experiences to offer sage advice to other moms. For more information: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-empowered-caregiver All autism talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).

Brandon Whitfield, Sr. Clinical Director for AST, part of LEARN Behavioral has presented at several conferences including BABA’s (Black Applied Behavior Analysts) inaugural conference to share ways ABA agencies can bring more equity to the field of ABA. In this conversation, Brandon discusses his role in helping to create The Black Master’s cohort and mentorship program as well as the ongoing need to prioritize DEI advancement in ABA. For more information: https://learnbehavioral.com/culture https://learnbehavioral.com/culture/dei

Dr. Linda LeBlanc, a Licensed Psychologist and author of 3 books on supervision joins us to discuss her latest book about ethics which she co-authored with Dr. Amanda Karsten, who is the Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Grand Valley State University. Their new book titled Proactive and Practical Decision Making for Behavior Analysis explores the critical need for continually examining and evolving the role of ethics in providing services. As Dr. Karsten shared, "I hope we can help normalize the range of emotions that early career folks may be experiencing but also empower them with strategies they can put into motion and navigate step by step. And to know that being in a difficult ethical situation is not going to overwhelm them." For more information: https://sloanpublishing.com/ethics All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).