Autism Acceptance – Page 2 – Isaac's Autism in the Wild

Episode #110 | Gender Identity & the LGBTQIA+ Community

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | September 13, 2021

In this episode of ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild we talk to parents that all are raising both children on the spectrum and children that identify with the LGBTQIA+ community in some way. We have seen a large number of our kiddos with autism questioning their own identity or genders as well as several of the neuro-typical siblings exploring their identities as well. We discuss this connection and determine if we feel these are attention seeking behaviors or simply valid self exploration. We also discuss the challenges of parenting these children-the process of switching pronouns/names, and dealing with the critical views of extended family or communities that are less accepting.

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Episode #109 | Autism & Siblings -Tyler’s Story

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 30, 2021

This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by another VERY special guest, her son Tyler. Tyler is 17 years old and was the only child in the family to have spent time with Isaac as they were only 11 months apart in age.

Tyler is an aggressive advocate for those with autism and other special needs. He is very close to his brother Caleb and acts as a mentor to him which, as a 17 year old young man, comes with its pros and cons 🙂 We joke, but you will hear throughout this episode, what a passionate and kind young man Tyler is.

We discuss Tyler’s early memories of Isaac, how the ISAAC Foundation has impacted him throughout the years, and the struggles that he has experienced. Take a listen, we are sure you will be inspired by some of the charismatic gems of wisdom Tyler shares in-between the curse words.

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Episode #107 | Autism & Siblings-Kelly’s Story

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 18, 2021

This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by a VERY special guest, her daughter Kelly. Kelly is 11 years old and has been raised in an “autism house” since day one. Her older brother Caleb (13yrs) has ASD 1 and now through Holly’s recent marriage she has gained an 18 year old step-brother, Cooper, who is more significantly impacted.

On this episode we discuss what life is like as a neuro-typical kid in a home where autism is present. As Kelly will divulge it is not all roses and sunshine, despite that, Kelly has a very optimistic view of her life and the challenges autism presents in general. Kelly is a very kind, empathetic young woman that is a fierce advocate for her brothers. She discusses the issues that have arisen as a result of autism, how she has dealt with those issues, as well as what she sees in the future for herself and her brothers with autism.

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Episode #106 What NOT to say to a special needs parent

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | August 11, 2021

In this episode we discuss the cringe-worthy compliments we have received over the years. Sentiments like “God gives special children to special people” and “You are such a great advocate for your child” are meant to be confidence boosters, but over time can grate the nerves of a special needs parent. So listen in and hear some of the well meaning comments that have irked our parents over the years!

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Episode 103 | Self Advocate: Sydney

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | July 15, 2021

This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild our host Holly is joined by Sydney. Sydney is a 27 year old self advocate that just relocated to Spokane from Alaska. We cover it all in this episode: from her diagnosis as a child, to her career in Alaska, and now how she is settling in to life in Spokane. Sydney is an ambitious young woman with a strong sense of self and will be a great ambassador for self advocates in Spokane, we are happy to have met with her and look forward to collaborating with her again soon!

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Episode 102 | Bullying

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | July 6, 2021

In this episode we discuss bullying, we have talked about this in the past in other episodes but felt that we had enough content to re-visit and dedicate an entire episode. We have three moms joining our host Holly and all of them have dealt with bullying to some extent when raising their children. Each of the parents recount the situations and share how the issues were resolved. We also discuss how the world has changed and cover how the bullying of 2021 compares to the “bully standards” of the 1990s when we were living the middle/high school experience.

UPDATE: Be sure to listen after the closing statements, we get a little update from Holly regarding Caleb’s rocket project in school

References:

Power of words: TikTok video by _iamdiosa_

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Episode 98 | My Life on the Autism Spectrum, Tracey Cohen

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | June 14, 2021

Today we are very excited to introduce our listeners to a truly inspirational self advocate, Tracey Cohen. Tracey reached out to us to share her resources with the intent to educate and inspire individuals, families, professionals, and anyone willing to learn about Asperger syndrome/autism. She wants to share her story to prevent others from the hardships and pitfalls of her past. We asked her to be on our podcast and share her story and we are so glad to have made this connection. Listen in, and we are sure you will be just as captivated with her and her story as we are!

About Tracey:

There have been many misunderstandings in Tracey’s life. The most impactful misunderstanding was learning she was on the Autism Spectrum at the age of 39. A lifetime of feeling unheard and misunderstood suddenly had a name and a reason. Since her diagnosis Tracey has continued to study and learn about her diagnosis and how it influenced the choices that were made for her growing up.

Tracey currently helps facilitate a non-profit meetup group for adults on the spectrum, this group is based out of Michigan, however, all events are currently online so are available for anyone on the spectrum to take part in.

She has also written and published three books, all which can be purchased in print or audio/kindle.

Finally she is featured on the website: Growing Up Autistic where she shares her story, accolades, and links to her work.

To reach Tracey directly please email: tracey@growingupautistic.com

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Episode 94 | Sabita Finds Her Voice: Advocacy for the nonverbal

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | May 24, 2021

This week on ISAAC’S Autism in the Wild podcast Holly is joined by an amazing mother, entrepreneur, and advocate for the nonverbal community, Dr Stephanie Vavilala. We were honored to zoom chat with Dr Stephanie about the amazing facility she is opening as well as the services she is currently offering in St. Augustine Florida through her LMH practice Therapeutic Expressions and her nonprofit organization Sabita Speaks. Listen in as we discuss important programs that have been created to fill the many gaps in special needs care across the country and the release of Dr. Stephanie’s book, Sabita Finds Her Voice which serves as a flagship for educating the youth about AAC Speech Devices and how they can better bridge the gap between the verbal and non-verbal populations.

Dr. Stephanie Vavilala, Ed.D, LMHC, BCBA, RPT-S is the CEO and founder of Therapeutic Expressions and Awetism Wonderland (an autism therapy center), as well as the author of the children’s book Sabita Finds Her Voice. She is the mother of a daughter who has autism and is non verbal, Sabita. Stephanie’s daughter inspired her to become a leader in the space of special needs. Her therapeutic style is holistic, empowering, and action-oriented. She and her daughter reside in St. Augustine, Florida.

The main link that Stephanie uses as a one-stop shop for her initiatives: https://stephanievavilala.com/

Sabita Speaks: A nonprofit which seeks to raise awareness around AAC devices for non-verbal folks: https://www.sabitaspeaks.org/

The website for her main practice (which isn’t limited to special needs) is here: https://therapeuticexpressions.com/

Purchase Sabita Finds Her Voice: https://www.amazon.com/Sabita-Finds-Voice-Stephanie-Vavilala-ebook/dp/B092Q2GFTW

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Episode 93 | Therapy Interventions, a self advocate’s take

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | May 17, 2021

Welcome to another episode of ISAAC’s Autism in the Wild. This week we are discussing therapy interventions. While we have discussed many of these interventions at length in the past we have a unique viewpoint we would love to share. Gillis Williams, aka “GW” is joining Holly again to discuss his view of the therapy interventions he received as a child. They discuss which interventions his family sought out and which were the most beneficial and enjoyable from his viewpoint.

Follow GW on social media at: Autism Chose Me, info@autismchoseme.com

autismchoseme.com

FB/Insta/Youtube/Twitter/TikTok @autismchoseme

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Episode 91 | Self Advocate, GW of Autism Chose Me

By isaac-autism-in-the-wild | April 30, 2021

Today we are joined by Gillis Williams or GW of “Autism Chose Me.” GW is an incredible self- advocate for persons affected by autism spectrum disorder. Listen in as we discuss the controversy between the “light it up blue” and “red instead” movements and discuss how both missions have impactful goals that are beneficial to the autism community.

About GW:

When I was five years old, I was diagnosed with autism. From grade school to high school issues I had included listening problems, struggles following directions in class, and repetitive behaviors such as flapping my hands and repeating random words or sentences. I also struggled making friends because kids in school didn’t understand my behaviors. Even my teachers, who tried to support me in all the ways they could, didn’t understand me either. However, with my supportive family at my side, we worked TOGETHER to get me help. They placed me in occupational and music therapies in grade school that assisted kids with disabilities, and also with hard work and dedication, I have become a successful speaker and entrepreneur, something that scientific research 15 years ago stated that hardly any autistic individual would have been able to accomplish. Most importantly, I have made friends along the way that understand me and support me. Without my family and friends for support, I would not have had any helpers throughout my life to “HELP” me overcome and accomplish! As the great Mr. Fred Rogers stated, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”

Social Media Advocates to look up: @paigelayle @reberrabon_bon @blackautisticking @raincloud.heart @resident_cryptid @autistic.alex @evelyn.jeans @lafilledani @autienelle

Follow GW on social media at: Autism Chose Me, info@autismchoseme.com

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