On the Spectrum Empowerment Stories with Sonia Krishna Chand: Adult Autism, Neurodivergent, and Mental Health Expert

Send us Fan Mail Reading out loud as a kid can feel like standing on a stage with no script, and Willie Blake knows that pressure firsthand. We sit down with Willie to talk about being diagnosed with dyslexia in first grade, getting pulled into extra support classes, and the quiet ways that “help” can still lead to isolation when classmates start treating you differently. We get honest about what that does to self-esteem, why confidence and learning are tied together, and how shame can make d...

Send us Fan Mail What if the behavior you see as “disrespect” is actually distress asking for a safer way in? We sit down with Kevin Dahill-Fuschel of Counseling in Schools to unpack the practical heart of trauma-informed education: how to read behavior as information, build trust without lowering academic standards, and create classrooms where belonging fuels effort. Kevin takes us inside decades of school-based counseling across New York City, from the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane...

Send us Fan Mail Disclaimer: This is not to be taken as a therapy directive, but rather this is for learning and entertainment purposes only! Please consult with your physician and/or mental health care team to decide whether this approach is appropriate for you. Sensitive topics such as trauma and SA are discussed in this episode. What if the loudest story about bipolar disorder—the chemical imbalance—misses the point? We sit down with author and facilitator Sean Blackwell to peel back...

Send us Fan Mail Struggle with reading doesn’t mean a child can’t learn; it means they haven’t been taught in a way their brain can use. We sit down with Daniela Feldhausen—who left a 25-year law career to build Kids Up Reading Tutors—to unpack how precise screening and science-backed instruction turn confusion into clarity for students with dyslexia and dysgraphia. No buzzwords, just a workable roadmap: phonological awareness to hear sounds, phonics patterns that match English’s quirks, and ...

Send us Fan Mail A store manager said, “There’s no such thing as a special needs shopping cart.” That moment lit the fuse for Drew Ann Long, who turned a napkin sketch into Caroline’s Cart—now standard in Target, Walmart, and Sam’s Club, and a symbol of what happens when families refuse to accept exclusion as normal. We walk through the emotional and practical beats: Caroline’s Rett syndrome diagnosis, the day-to-day realities of caregiving, and the exact problem that made shopping unsafe and...

Send us Fan Mail Dominick Domasky's story reads like a masterclass in resilience. From losing half a million dollars in a failed restaurant venture in his twenties to founding a publishing company that's helped hundreds of authors worldwide, his journey embodies the power of perseverance and reinvention. "I went bankrupt. I was broke. I was in my early 20s, couldn't even pay for a spaghetti dinner," Dominic recalls. During those darkest moments, he discovered writing as both therapy and purp...

Send us Fan Mail Lindsay Abernathy shares her powerful journey through domestic abuse and offers practical guidance for survivors trying to rebuild their lives after toxic relationships. • Abuse can hide behind the appearance of a perfect life with fancy houses and cars • Many victims don't identify their situation as abuse because it doesn't match stereotypical portrayals • Abusers collect vulnerabilities early in relationships to weaponize them later • Warning signs include love bombing fo...