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In this episode, I speak with Tim Markle, the Southern Regional Center Director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center.  We speak about delivery of health care to diverse populations, his own experience as a dad to an autistic son and how understanding the power of forgiveness has allowed him to become a better person, father, husband and advocate.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

In Season 6, Episode 2 of the Not Your Mama's Autism Podcast, I speak with attorney, self-advocate and former law school classmate, LaNasha Houze.  In this episode, LaNasha speaks to how she ended up obtaining her later in life ADHD diagnosis, the subsequent realizations she made when it comes to her neurodivergence and provides some advice to those who wish to know more about this journey.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

Welcome to Season 6 of the Not Your Mama's Autism Podcast, now brought to you in both audio and video form. In addition to listening to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform, now you can view new episodes on You Tube. After a long hiatus, we start our new season talking through our parenting journey through various seasons that includes/included: stay at home parenthood, demanding careers and various therapy schedules associated with our family's autism journey.One day at a time.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

     Our conversation on special education law continues with Tracey Spencer Walsh, podcast host, attorney and special education law expert. This part of our conversation focuses on things to consider as your child ages through and eventually out of special education.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

 In this episode, I speak with Tracey Spencer Walsh, an attorney specializing in special education law and a podcast host of the podcast, "It's Special", a show focused on navigating disability within the education space. In our conversation, Tracey and I speak on what special education is, the laws in space to safeguard it and some of the thing that parents should consider as they walk on this journey with their children. For more information on Tracey, check her out here.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

 In this episode, we speak with Inarm Osborn, a passionate entrepreneur who is dedicated to improving the lives and job prospects of neurodivergent adults in need of his services. He is the Founder and CEO of Auti Quest, an innovative app that provides employment support for autistic adults. He is also Centra Co Support Services, a day center for adults with intellectual disabilities. We dive into how he started working in this space, his transition from the finance world and how he believes technology can improve the job experience for autistic individuals.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

In this episode, I speak with Koko Ekeng, mom, parenting coach and author. She talks about how her daughter's complex medical needs started her on a journey to America in order for her to get the help she needed medically and, eventually academically as well.She speaks to how her training as a life coach prepared her for a very difficult season  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

    In this episode, I speak with Dr. Jessica Taverniti, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, PHD in Psychology  and Co-Founder of Nurolux, a platform that provides its members with actionable and customized tools that aids autistic people, their families and professionals that support them a better roadmap to improve overall quality of life.   I speak with Jessica about her background in psychology and helping families for nearly two decades that brought her where she is today, examples of how Nurolux technology uses data to customize the caregiver experience and so much more. For more information about all the great things Nurolux is doing,  check out their website.   https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

                  In this episode, we speak with Andrew Arboe, Founder of Driving with Autism, an online program that helps autistic people how to drive. He talks about common challenges he sees in this space, some of the personal challenges he has faced as a self-advocate and how the types of programming he has available for people in need of these services.For more information on Andrew's work, check out Driving on the Spectrum.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

 In this episode, I speak with Andrew Komarow, Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Founder of Planning Across the Spectrum, a firm that specializes in financial planning for neurodivergent and disabled people and their families. We talk about his later in life autism diagnosis, what he thinks people get wrong about neurodivergence and some ways that his firm fills in the gap for services that this subset of families need.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

For Season 5, Episode 3 of the Not Your Mama's Autism Podcast, I speak with Danielle Feerst, Occupational Therapist and Founder of iElevate, a life and career coaching platform for neurodivergent teens and adults. We talk about the reason why a need for her services exists, challenges associated with this relatively new coaching space and how her background as an occupational therapist aids her in the current phase of her journey.In addition to nuggets provided in this episode, for more information, please visit their website.   https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

 In this episode, we speak with pediatric occupational therapist, Micaela Wilson. Mickey, as she is better known by, walks us through how occupational therapy can help certain people, the difference between occupational therapy and physical therapy and the kinds of considerations people can make when deciding which therapist is right for them.In addition to our podcast, please see the list of resources that Mickey recommends that parents should look at when better understanding this journey. As always, thank you for your support.Some of Mickey's Recommended ResourcesWebsites: STAR Institute for Sensory Processinghttps://sensoryhealth.org/▪ A research and therapy center for sensory processingfounded by Lucy Jane Miller, a pioneer in the field ofsensory processing. Miller studied under the woman thatfirst brought sensory processing into the OccupationalTherapy and Medical world, Jean Ayres.▪ There are resources on the website to give you furtherknowledge on sensory processing and webinars as well.Social Media Accounts:Not Your Mama's Autism▪ Website: https://notyourmamasautism.com/with links to all social media accounts and podcasts Finding Cooper’s Voice▪ Website: https://www.findingcoopersvoice.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/findingcoopersvoiceAutism Discussion PageFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/autismdiscussionpage Led by Bill Nason, MS, LLP; Discusses ways and tools tohelp children on the spectrum feel safe, accepted, andcompetent.▪ Also has written several books:https://www.amazon.com/Autism-Discussion-Page-challenges-autism/dp/1849059942Thriving on the Spectrum▪ Website: https://www.thrivingonthespectrum.com/Neurodiversity: Resources for Families & Educators https://www.facebook.com/Neurodiversity-Resources-for-Families-Educators-109912502369117Facebook page run by a mother, educator, and advocateo The Neurodivergent Teacher▪ Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_neurodivergent_teacher?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=Books: The Whole Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel, MD., & Tina Payne Bryson, PhD. Sensational Kids by Lucy Jane Miller, PhD., OTR  No Longer a Secret by Lucy Jane Miller, PhD., OTR., Lisa M. Porter, PhD, OTD, OTR/L, and Doreit S. Bailer, OTD, MA, OTR DISCLAIMER: The opinions and views expressed during this podcast andon this resource sheet belong solely to Micaela Wilson, COTA/L. In no waydoes this represent any other institutions or professionals mentioned.These views and opinions are for informational purposes only. Theinformation and resources mentioned above do not and are not areplacement for Occupational Therapy Services. If concerns or furtherinformation is needed in regards to Occupational Therapy Services, it ishighly recommended to seek professional medical advice from yourprimary care physician, pediatrician, or consult with an OT.                https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

Welcome to the first episode of the new season, Season 5, Episode 1 where we speak to Amy Root. She is an autistic self-advocate, corporate executive, mom and wife. We talked about how her later in life autism diagnosis not only better helped her understand who she was, but helped her better parent her children (including two autistic children) and "re-parent" herself.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

                              It is not every day that someone is vulnerable about their life journey. I had an enlightening discussion with Jennifer Msumba, award winning autistic filmmaker, musician and writer. In this episode Jennifer walks us through her self-advocacy journey, how she uses art to cope with feeling different and the time when she was forcibly institutionalized. Time and time again, she has chosen the light within times of darkness. She is resilience personified and I hope you get something out of this episode. To learn more about her projects, visit her website.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

            In this episode, I interview my son, a budding self-advocate in his own right, about the start of his transition into middle school and his recent discharge from physical therapy. He talks about how he is processing the end of therapy, the friends he made there and the types of things that run through his mind as he thinks of the start of middle school.            https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

JP "J-Rock" Horsley is a black, autistic musician who currently lives in the UK. He is also a contributor to the book, Educational Psychology Perspectives on Supporting Young Autistic People: Insight from Experience, Practice and Research, which was published in April 2022.We had a rich discussion about his music, how his neurodivergence contributes to his art, the stigma associated with receiving his later in life autism diagnosis, how he raises his sons and so much more. For more information about J-Rock, check out this article and/or follow him on Instagram. https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a form of therapy commonly administered to children on the autism spectrum.  According to Healthline media, ABA is a type of therapy that can improve social, communication, and learning skills through reinforcement strategies. Many experts consider ABA to be the gold-standard treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or other developmental conditions. It is also considered a controversial form of treatment by some actually autistic self-advocates. it is currently a treatment primarily utilized for children and early adolescents. In this episode, ABA therapy is explored through a different lens, one that includes people later on in the lifecycle, adults. I speak with Jess Dahl, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who focuses her practice on adults. We explore her professional journey to where she is today, her own son's autism diagnosis, the controversy surrounding  ABA, challenges she sees families and practitioners face in caring for adults on the spectrum who require significant medical and community supports and so much more.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

                 In this episode, we speak to the filmmakers behind the documentary, "Unseen: How We're Failing Parent Caregivers and Why It Matters".  We discuss the idea behind the documentary, why the decision was made to tell the story visually and what people hope they get out of the film.                  For more information about this film, check it out here.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

Friendships, like so many things in life, have to evolve to remain vital. This episode takes the listener through the story of three women who first met in their twenties as law school classmates at the Howard University School of Law, affectionately referred to as the HUSL. We would all get married, all stay in touch with one another and all become mothers, having yet another thing in common. Through the passage of time, we should share yet another commonality, we would all become mothers of children with neuro differences (autism, ADHD  and sensory processing disorder to be exact). We talk about our winding journey through multiple angles: motherhood, self-advocacy,  race, gender, career and culture.  It was a very real discussion amongst my friends and me (complete with children and puppies in the background). I am grateful to them for being so raw and so real. I hope that our conversation helps others who may be going through something similar. My friends, Faye McCray and Kamilah House, are the brainchildren behind the initiative "Dear Mama", a virtual event centered around Black womanhood, motherhood and maternity, which is referenced a couple of times in the episode. For more information on that amazing event, check it out here.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/

                     In this episode we start to explore the world of relationships through the eyes of Jeremy Hamburgh, trial attorney turned relationship coach for autistic adults.  He is the founder of My Best Social Life, a service that aids autistic adults who need help forging more intimate friendships and romantic relationships.                         Jeremy talks about how he applied traits he learned in the courtroom and converted them into dating strategies for his clients. He talks about the importance of taking attributes typically viewed as flawed and utilizing them as a way to present the best first impression you can to attract both friends and romantic partners alike.  For more information about Jeremy, check out My Best Social Life.  https://notyourmamasautism.com/https://www.instagram.com/notyourmamasautism/https://www.facebook.com/NotYourMamasAutism/