*THROWBACK EPISODE*

This episode with Michael Huang was originally released on April 28, 2020. ----more----

Discover what’s possible when innovative technology empowers parents to interact with their children in new, creative ways.

Michael Huang is the president and co-founder of UPlus Academy, an autism center in Nanjing, China.

With a background in IT, Michael describes the moment when he discovered he could utilize his multi-media technologies to help children with autism. It was fascinating to learn about the ways he and his staff are using 3-D mapping rooms to teach communication and generalization in the natural environment.

The Global Autism Project partnered with UPlus in January 2019. Since then, we have sent three SkillCorps® volunteer teams to provide sustainable clinical training to their teachers. We have also created an authorized curriculum to administer the six courses required by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board.

Earlier this year, we learned of the impact the coronavirus was having on our partners in China. We immediately scheduled video calls and closely worked together to create solutions for their students in quarantine.

Now, three months after they were forced to close their centers, Michael shares the current situation in his region, as well as his determination to not lay off any of his staff amidst the crisis. By offering online parent training, the staff at UPlus have motivated parents to transition to home programming. They even created an app for parents to track their children’s progress.

You can learn more about Michael Huang and UPlus Academy here: UPlus.

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too. You can also follow us on Instagram @autismpodcast and subscribe to our YouTube channel Global Autism Project.

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We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey.

*THROWBACK EPISODE*

This episode with Molly Ola Pinney was originally released on April 15, 2021. ----more----

Discover what’s possible when instead of teaching someone to fish, you ask them what they like to eat.

The CEO and Founder of the Global Autism Project, Molly Ola Pinney, is back on the show to talk about the motto that drives our work: #DoWithNotFor.

For almost 20 years, the Global Autism Project has been providing sustainable clinical, administrative, and leadership training to autism centers seeking guidance around the world. Our SkillCorps volunteer program is an opportunity for self-advocates and professionals to travel to our international partner sites and collaborate with their local teachers and therapists.

If you’d like to learn more about the Global Autism Project’s history and mission, please listen to my conversation with Molly in episode 2.

In today’s conversation, we discuss:

• The meaning of doing with others and not for them
• The "Essential, Preferable, Preferable to Me" framework
• Doing with the Autistic community
• The importance of listening

We also make two big announcements that we think will have a huge impact on the autism community. Stay tuned until the end to hear them!

To learn more about our organization and the work we do, please visit globalautismproject.org.

Watch Molly explain on the TEDx stage why doing things for others doesn't help.

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

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We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey.

*THROWBACK EPISODE*

This episode with Maggie Nunez was originally released on July 8, 2021. ----more----

Discover what’s possible when taking care of yourself lets you take care of others.

This week's guest is Maggie Nunez. Originally from Dominican Republic and currently living in New Jersey, Maggie is a mother of three, two of whom are autistic. Her sons Dariel and Alvin are 16 and 13 years old. As a cancer survivor, Maggie hopes to encourage other parents to prioritize their own health in order to effectively take care of their children.

In today’s conversation, we discuss:

• Maggie's two sons’ autistic strengths
• Challenges her son Dariel has overcome
• Thinking about her children’s future
• What motherhood has taught her about herself
• Autism acceptance in Dominican culture
• Her family’s supportive attitude
• How she takes care of herself

If you’re a parent, how do you practice self-care? You can connect with other parents going through experiences similar to yours, as well as find support and self-care resources, in our Global Autism Community.

Just a reminder, our community is open to anyone related to autism. Whether you’re a self-advocate, a family member, or a professional in the field, you can participate in these important conversations on our platform.

Sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org. Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

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We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey.

Discover what’s possible when we build bridges together.

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This week’s episode is part 2 of our 2024 Highlights. Today we’ll continue to review some of our favorite moments from this year’s episodes, specifically from 177 to 192. Related episodes:

1. Highlights of 2023: Part Two, with the Global Autism Community
2. Highlights of 2023: Part One, with the Global Autism Community
3. Highlights of 2022: Part One, with the Global Autism Community
4. Highlights of 2022: Part Two, with the Global Autism Community
5. Highlights of 2021: Part One, with the Global Autism Community
6. Highlights of 2021: Part Two, with the Global Autism Community
7. Highlights of 2020, with the Global Autism Community

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey

Discover what’s possible when we build bridges together.

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We’ve reached the end of 2024! To celebrate, we’ll be reviewing some of our favorite moments from this year. Part 1 will highlight episodes 161 through 176, and Part 2 highlights episodes 177 through 192. Since we started working on this podcast almost five years ago, we’ve brought on a wide range of guests, including prominent self-advocates, such as Dr. Temple Grandin, Dr. Stephen Shore, Dr. Kerry Magro, Rachel Barcellona, and Anthony Ianni; parents like Tiffany Hammond and Bobby Rubio; some of our Global Autism Project partners, such as Mafer Chang from Ecuador and Pooja Panesar from Kenya; and other professionals in the field, such as Michelle Garcia Winner from Social Thinking and Harald Neerland from Autism Europe. If you’ve been listening to our podcast for a while, this 2024 recap will bring you back to the heartfelt stories we’ve been hearing from our guests. And if you’re joining us for the first time, welcome! This episode will give you a good idea of what Autism Knows No Borders is all about. Special thanks to our SkillCorps Alumni for helping to put this episode together: Adriana Garcia, Kelly Cotter, Marianne Spiotta, Colleen Dorsey, Danielle Terrell, and Yina Perez. ----more----

We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey

*THROWBACK EPISODE*

This episode with Alfie Bowen was originally released on August 5, 2021. ----more---- Discover what’s possible when you focus your lens beyond the surface.

Alfie Bowen is an autism self-advocate, wildlife photographer, author, and activist based in Suffolk, England. He uses his art to highlight animal emotion and connect people with the natural world.

At just 23 years old, Alfie was recently signed by the UK’s biggest art gallery network, Castle Fine Art. His debut collection Call of the Wild was launched earlier this year, and his first book will be released in September. The documentary An Eye for Detail tells the story of how Alfie’s passion for animals and photography helped him cope with childhood bullying.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Alfie growing up feeling like an alien on Earth
• His attempts at suicide
• Social skills he’s had to teach himself
• Feeling misunderstood
• His inspiration for becoming a photographer
• How nature has positively impacted his mental health
• Autistic strengths related to photography
• Advice for other autistic photographers

For more information about Alfie and his work, please visit alfiebowen.com.

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey.

Discover what’s possible when you give to transform lives.

This episode is being released a day early in observance of Thanksgiving in the US.

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Each year our team reflects on what we’re grateful for. First of all, we’re grateful for you, our listeners, and your continued support. We’re also grateful for our podcast guests and their willingness to share their story with us. And of course, we’re grateful for our growing Global Autism Community, whose members keep showing up in our online space with commitment to our mission to transform how the world relates to autism.

We’re also grateful for our larger community of generous donors who help make our work at the Global Autism Project possible. If you’d like to directly support our programs and initiatives, and help us to improve the quality of life of autistic individuals and their families around the world, stay with us for this episode, where our CEO Molly Ola Pinney explains how you can get involved as a monthly-giving Compass member.

You’ll also hear a few excerpts from members of our Global Autism Community sharing their personal gratitudes.

In other news, we also wanted to let you all know that our host Rachel will be going on maternity leave for a few months, starting in December. We’ll still be releasing episodes featuring our Global Autism Community roundtable discussions, as well as throwbacks with relevant insights which we think are worth bringing back from the early days of the podcast. And of course, as tradition follows, we’ll soon review and celebrate the year with our 2024 highlights episode.

For now, we hope that this Thanksgiving special will inspire you to reflect on what you’re grateful for during this holiday season. From all of us at the Global Autism Project, we wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and hope you can spend some time with your loved ones this weekend.

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Become a Compass member today and create sustainable change around the world! Every contribution leaves a meaningful impact and expands our reach to underserved communities worldwide.

Click here to join Compass!

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey

*THROWBACK EPISODE*

This episode with Cassie Harden Scott and Russell Hornig-Rohan was originally released on August 20, 2020. ----more----

Discover what’s possible when community outreach begins with empowerment.

Our guests today are two members of our Global Autism Project family: Cassie Harden Scott and Russel Hornig-Rohan, or Rusty for short.

Cassie and Rusty have been involved with the Global Autism Project for over 6 years. Both of them began as volunteers on SkillCorps trips to several of our partner sites – including Centro ACAP in the Dominican Republic, which you may remember from Episode 20. SkillCorps is an opportunity for self-advocates and professionals to visit autism centers around the world, working directly with their local teachers and therapists while providing sustainable training. If you’d like to know more about our SkillCorps volunteer program, please listen to episodes 4 and 17, featuring round table discussions with a few other members of our community.

Over time, Cassie and Rusty each stepped into roles related to outreach and advocacy. Cassie is currently our Director of Outreach and works closely with our partners to help spread autism awareness and acceptance in their communities. Rusty is an autism self-advocate, as well as a polyglot whose impressive abilities have helped his teams cross language barriers while abroad.

In today’s conversation, Cassie and Rusty share how they got involved with the organization and why they’re passionate about its mission. They also reminisce about trip highlights and recount fun stories from when they were working together at our office in Brooklyn, New York.

We discuss some of the different outreach initiatives that can be carried out, from supporting parents and professionals to giving presentations at universities. Stay tuned until the end of the episode to hear about ways to engage in advocacy work from your own home.

For more information about our work, please visit globalautismproject.org.

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey