Autism Empowerment Radio

I'm Unique. I'm a Geek. Today we embrace our own inner Geekdom and gladly welcome Jodi Murphy from Geek Club Books to Autism Empowerment Radio.  Jodi Murphy is a mom, marketing specialist, lifestyle journalist and out-of-the-box thinker who works daily to promote self-acceptance and understanding for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. That includes her son, Jonathan Murphy who is a Bay Area actor and voice over artist who was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome at age 13.  Jodi, her daughter Molly Murphy, her son Jonathan and a bunch of other amazingly talented people work together at Geek Club Books developing positive projects like The Mighty League App and The Little e-Book of Autimisms to share with a growing community of Moms, Dads & Kids of all ages who like being "Geeks". The Mighty League is a new interactive children's storybook app series about a real life Aspie superhero's quest to be "normal" and a family who wants him to be anything but. The Little e-Book of Autimisms is a collection of inspirational words by women who work with, support and love someone on the autism spectrum. GeekClubBooks.com is a welcoming community of all kinds - some with special needs - where being unique is celebrated and encouraged because "normal" is just plain boring. Jodi is also a guest blogger for Autism Empowerment. Be sure to listen in to this show and then tune in on Friday, November 22nd when we'll be bringing back return guest, Jonathan Murphy to talk about his recent audiobook work for Brian Tashima's sci-fi fantasy book, Secret of the Songshell. http://www.geekclubbooks.com

Jennifer Cook O'Toole is bubbly and spirited, exactly the opposite of what many people think of when they hear the word "Aspergers" but her expertise and the strong personal endorsements of well known autism and Asperger advocates, Temple Grandin and Liane Holliday Willey proves she's the real deal. Jennifer gets Asperger's because she lives with it. She, her husband and her 3 Asperkids are all on the autism spectrum. Today we'll be talking with Jennifer about the important information she shares for parents and children on the autism spectrum in the Asperkids Launch Pad - Home Design that Empowers Everyday Superheroes and The Asperkid's Not Your Average Coloring Book. Jennifer is a popular guest at Autism Empowerment Radio and a personal friend to all those at Autism Empowerment. To listen to her previous shows at Autism Empowerment Radio, please see her page at the Autism Empowerment website: http://bit.ly/1cNwqmm.  Also visit her at her website: www.asperkids.com Jennifer is the winner of the 2012 Temple Grandin Award, a recipient of GRASP's 2012 Distinguished Spectrumite Medal, and a nominee of the 2012 Autism Society Book Award and Godiva's Woman of the Year.Jennifer's unique "have a cup of coffee with me" conversationalist presentation of useful insights has touched hearts, lightened spirits and even led to the founding of Asperkids, LLC, a multi-media social education company.

Today we are delighted to welcome well-known and respected autism expert, Dr. Stephen Shore to Autism Empowerment Radio. We will be talking about his personal journey with autism and will also be discussing autism advocacy for youth and adults, disclosure, education and employment. Diagnosed with "Atypical Development and strong autistic tendencies" and "too sick" for outpatient treatment Dr. Stephen Shore was recommended for institutionalization back in the 1960s. Nonverbal until four, and with much support from his parents, teachers, wife, and others, Stephen is now a professor at Adelphi University where his research focuses on matching best practice to the needs of people with autism. In addition to working with children and talking about life on the autism spectrum, Stephen presents and consults internationally on adult issues pertinent to education, relationships, employment, advocacy, and disclosure as discussed in his books Beyond the Wall: Personal Experiences with Autism and Asperger Syndrome, Ask and Tell: Self-advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum, the critically acclaimed Understanding Autism for Dummies., and the newly released DVD Living along the Autism Spectrum: What it means to have Autism or Asperger Syndrome. President emeritus of the Asperger’s Association of New England and former board member of the Autism Society, Dr. Shore serves in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, Asperger Syndrome and High Functioning Autism Association, United States Autism and Asperger Association, and other autism related organizations.

When parents receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder for their child, life as they knew it before is never the same. Although a parent may not realize it or understand the complexities, there is a grief process that often occurs when a child is diagnosed with autism, Asperger's or other special needs. This differs from the process that one might experience with the death of a close family member or friend.  Today we are going to talk about the Autism Grief Cycle and Tips for Parents and Grandparents while working through each stage. Karen and John from Autism Empowerment will explain some of what they went through when their two sons were diagnosed with autism and Asperger syndrome respectfully. Karen will also talk about how she felt after she received her own autism spectrum diagnosis. (Yes, parents on the autism spectrum can still go through the grief cycle for their own children on the spectrum!) Here are some of the topics we'll cover with tips for working through each: Shock and disbelief Denial Anger or Rage Confusion and powerlessness Depression Guilt Shame or embarrassment Fear and panic Bargaining Hope Isolation Acceptance We will also do our best to answer questions that people have sent into Autism Empowerment in advance. You can reach us at info@autismempowerment.org http://www.autismempowerment.org

Monica Meyer from Monica Meyer Consulting joins Autism Empowerment Radio today to talk about a new collaborative autism community venture in Southwest Washington, the Community Autism Network. Community Autism Network: Yes we C.A.N. is a network comprised of professionals and parent / professionals across the lifespan who serve and support individuals in Southwest Washington who live with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. The efforts of the network are to reach out to professionals who can affect change within their work environment, work on a state level to ensure change and build community sustainable autism resources. C.A.N. is introducing its network to the community through the upcoming training event: Focus on Family: Autism Support for Individuals and Families at Tukes Valley School, Battleground School District on Saturday, November 2nd, 2013. Monica has extensive history supporting the Washington autism community. She is a tireless advocate for individuals with autism across the lifespan with a special interest for adults with classic autism. Her adult son Michael is the reason and passion for her work and advocacy on a local and state level for individuals with autism. In 2007, Monica was recognized as the Autism Society of America's National Conference, Parent of the Year and locally received the "Caring Hearts Award" for her dedicated service to Individuals with Autism in Clark County, WA. She can be reached at: Monica Meyer Consulting or through  Community Autism Network

Autism Empowerment is proud to be a Champion partner with PACER.org during National Bullying Prevention month in October of each year.  PACER's website is filled with FREE resources for students, parents and educators. Today's show helps you connect with Bullying Prevention Resources for youth, teens and adults, both at Autism Empowerment and PACER.org Wednesday, October 9th is also Unity Day throughout the country. If you care about individuals who are bullied and want bullying to end, make your color ORANGE on Unity Day. 

Autism Empowerment Radio is excited to be back on air after our summer hiatus.  Today's show features Autism Empowerment co-founders Karen and John Krejcha talking about the recent relaunch of the new Autism Empowerment website: http://www.autismempowerment.org Please visit our website (a continual work in progress) and visit our About Me page to get to know our core values and goals.  On the new website are dedicated pages for each Autism Empowerment Radio guest. This will make it easier for podcast listeners to navigate our show library and find topics and guests that are of special interest. We will also be including upcoming shows on our website events calendar and Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/autismempowerment http://www.facebook.com/autismempowermentradio We'll talk about some of the new features that will be coming to the website as well as the growth plans for Autism Empowerment Radio.  Some of the topics we will cover: New Resource Directory with star ratings New Reference Library Autism and Scouting Program expansion Autism Empowerment Community Outreach over the past few months... where we've been, where we are now and the bright road ahead! We are excited to connect with listeners throughout the world. Whether you listen in live or on demand, Autism Empowerment and Autism Empowerment Radio are dedicated to making life better and more meaningful for individuals and families in the Autism and Asperger communities locally, regionally and worldwide. Thank you!

HAPPY 2nd Anniversary to Autism Empowerment! It was on June 3rd, 2011 that we officially became a nonprofit corporation in the state of Washington. Our 501(c)3 approval came shortly afterwards.  It has been a wonderful learning experience these first two years. Listen in as co-founders, Karen and John Krejcha talk about where Autism Empowerment has been, where they are now and the exciting programs and services being developed for the future. After a recent Board of Directors meeting, the Autism Empowerment team is incredibly excited with where we are heading and are pleased to make a special announcement. Autism Empowerment is dedicated to making life better and more meaningful for individuals and families in the Autism and Asperger communities locally, regionally and worldwide. We serve all ages and abilities and promote 4 foundational pillars of positivity: Accept, Enrich, Inspire and Empower. Our vision is an engaged Autism and Asperger's community that connects individuals, families, educators and care providers with valued resources and with each other. We provide free or low-cost special events, programs, trainings, consulting and support services. Everyone on our Board of Directors is either on the autism spectrum or closely related to someone who is.  We are proactive autism allies seeking to build a better world. COME JOIN US! Listen in today and get involved. We are ALL ambassadors for Autism Acceptance!

Karen with Autism Empowerment Radio goes on location at Intel to interview Karla Fisher, an adult autistic who educates and supports autistics, parents and those who seek to learn more about autism spectrum disorder through her Facebook community, Karla's ASD page. Karla's ASD page is a perspective page from an adult autistic who in her words is "Not Fighting Autism, working with it."  This is the 2nd of a series of 2 interviews initially recorded on April 6th, 2013. Although this particular broadcast was recorded first, we are playing it second because the previous broadcast delved a lot into Karla's back story and is important in understanding who she is and where she is coming from. In this broadcast, Karla shares about a variety of different topics. We learn more about Karla including her experience as an acoustic savant and her ability to play classical guitar at a professional level.  The broadcast also includes such important topics as Autism Token Theory and Autistic Burnout.  Karla Fisher has a very impressive bio. She is a 2012 GRASP Distinguished Spectrumite Medal honoree. She is a Senior Program Manager at Intel and has been in the high tech field for over 20 years. Important parts of her life story are published as chapter 4 in Temple Grandin's book, "Different, Not Less". Karla founded Portland's first ASD Adult/Teen Mentor program and regularly teaches doctors, teachers, professionals and parents about ASD.

April was an incredibly meaningful and productive month for Autism Empowerment. Our Community Outreach program had us presenting, exhibiting and being a part of a variety of different programs, trainings and special events. It started with the Easter Egg Hunt for Acceptance of All Abilities on March 30th (not technically April but a good roll in!) where Spectrums Magazine debuted and so did Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum. (Our Executive Director, Karen has a story on page 13.) Other events for the month included a World Autism Awareness day event, Sensory Play Day, a trip to Seattle for the Jefferson Awards and meeting with HeART of the Spectrum, local trainings and consultations, the Secret of the Songshell relaunch party and benefit concert, the Autism Society of Oregon walkathon and the Southwest Washington Special Education Conference and Resource Fair. Our Autism and Scouting program made great strides and also debuted a new Acceptance and Awareness patch which is now being shipped around the world with the proceeds to benefit the Autism and Scouting program. We also had the chance to meet some very fascinating people and add some great new shows to our Autism Empowerment Radio library.  We're even launching a Dad's group in May. Lots of great stuff going on. Listen in as we share highlights from the past month and talk about where we're headed in May. The Autism Empowerment community belongs to ALL of us! Please join in and be part of our Acceptance Village!

Karen with Autism Empowerment Radio goes on location at Intel to interview Karla Fisher, an adult autistic who educates and supports autistics, parents and those who seek to learn more about autism spectrum disorder through her Facebook community, Karla's ASD page. Karla's ASD page is a perspective page from an adult autistic who in her words is "Not Fighting Autism, working with it." As a Senior Program Manager / Engineering Manager at Intel, Karla has worked in the high tech field for over 20 years and is very passionate about her job. This is the 1st of a series of 2 interviews initially recorded on April 6th, 2013. Although this particular broadcast was recorded second, we are playing it first as it gives a strong introduction of Karla and her back story. Karla covers a variety of topics including a bit about what it was like for Karla growing up and how things changed for her after her father passed away and she received an autism diagnosis. She discusses her conceding phase where she tried to "fix" her autism. Other topics include being accepted in the high tech industry and being accepted online. We talk about the importance of autistics supporting other autistics and how that isn't always the case in some Facebook parent support groups.  In our 2nd interview we discuss Token Theory and Autistic Burnout, two topics which Karla talks about regularly and extensively at Karla's ASD page.  Karla Fisher has a very impressive bio. She is a 2012 GRASP Distinguished Spectrumite Medal honoree. Important parts of her life story are published as chapter 4 in Temple Grandin's book, "Different, Not Less". Karla founded Portland's first ASD Adult/Teen Mentor program and regularly teaches doctors, teachers, professionals and parents about ASD.

Today Autism Empowerment Radio welcomes Belinda Hanson, founder of the popular Portland Oregon Autism Resource Guide Facebook Community.  Belinda is the proud mother of two, a 6 year old daughter and an 8 year old son. Her oldest is on the autism spectrum. Belinda has other relatives in her family that are autistic too as she puts it "spectrummy". Her interest in starting the Portland Oregon Autism Resource page came from a place where she had a great interest in all areas of autism but found that many sites were specific in their interests within autism.   Belinda wanted a place to gather information that was beneficial to newly diagnosed adults, parents, educators, therapists and other family members.  Her page provides information that supported living with autism but also looks at different research studies with a minimal amount of bias and enables people to discuss points of view respectfully and share stories while also being able to ask for help. Finding resources was the first thing she wanted to share because finding a pediatrician, therapy, community places to meet and support groups to share our world among other things was and is an important part of the journey.  It needs to respect the autistic person and the support group too and bridge these communities together in meaningful ways.   Autism Empowerment is a fan of Belinda's work and invites you to check out and like her page and Facebook commun

Although April 2nd is World Autism Awareness day and April is Autism Acceptance month, every day of the year promotes acceptance when you work at Autism Empowerment. Today's show features Karen & John Krejcha, Autism Empowerment founders talking about their recent Easter Egg Hunt for Acceptance of All Abilities (over 1000 egg hunters turned out), the launch of a special new program called Autism Serves and all the great events that Autism Empowerment will be participating in throughout the month of April 2013. The four foundational pillars of Autism Empowerment are Accept, Enrich, Inspire and Empower. Autism Empowerment makes life better for those within the Autism & Asperger communities locally, regionally and worldwide.    

Today Karen with Autism Empowerment Radio sits down with Darla Helt & Sandy Silveria from the Parent Coalition of Clark County to talk about the Clark County Parent Coalition, who it serves and how it works. There are many Parent Coalitions throughout the country. They are designed to help people with autism, developmental disabilities and their families with an array of services that: Link families with their natural support system, the community, and other families who have similar experiences. Help families to better understand and access the system. Respond to crisis. Involve families in decision-making at both state and local levels. Provide current, accurate information and networking opportunities. Form a power base to advocate for the needs of people with disabilities / differing abilities in our community and state. Help new parent groups get established and serves as a resource for leadership in new and existing groups. The coordinators gather pertinent information from all areas, including state and county government, service providers and advocacy / planning organizations. They also help organize community meetings and forums for the purpose of educating, sharing and discussing issues of mutual concern. The information gathered is distributed to members of the Parent Coalition through meetings, forums, the internet and dissemination from partnering organizations such as Autism Empowerment and Autism Empowerment Radio. To get on the email list for the Parent Coalition of Clark County, please email Darla Helt, Parent Coalition Coordinator at darlah@ccparentcoalition.org. They are located at The Arc of SW WA. You can also call: 360-823-2247 or fax 360-759-4921 http://www.arcswwa.org/

Growing up with a brother or sister that has a disability, whether that disability is mental or physical, visible or invisible can be a challenging yet very rewarding experience. How do we minimize the struggles and tap into the joys? How do we make sure that all children in our family are having their needs appropriately met? Today we're pleased to welcome Genevieve Athens, President of Autism Lifespan Coach to Autism Empowerment Radio to share strategies with our listeners about providing support for siblings of all ages. Genevieve Athens is the parent of a teenage daughter with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and a neurotypical teenage son. She is the principal of a private practice, Autism Lifespan Coach serving Oregon and SW Washington. Ms. Athens was Executive Director of the Autism Society of Oregon for 9 years and is on the board of directors for the Autism Research Institute as well as the Editorial Advisory Board for Spectrums Magazine. She has helped thousands of people connect to autism resources and services and is a well-respected public speaker. www.autismlifespancoach.com www.facebook.com/autismlifespancoach