The Understanding Autism Podcast

Season 2 Episode 58: Money and Mindfulness

Dealing with our own personal finances can be stressful, especially to those on the spectrum. But are we thinking about money in a way that supports our mental health? In this episode, we discuss four books that explore the connection between money and mindfulness.

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Season 2 Episode 57: Understanding How Credit Cards Work

The lure of using a credit card is strong when you’re first living on your own; it’s like free money! Or is it? In this episode we tackle the sticky problem of using credit cards and the advantages and disadvantages they offer us in purchasing the things we need.

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Season 2 Episode 56: Taking Charge of Your Own Personal Finances (Part 2)

In our second of two episodes on taking charge of your own personal finance, we continue the conversation around basic budgeting practices through Simon Ray’s book, How to Budget For Beginners: A Beginner’s Guide to Budgeting, Saving Money, and Managing Expenses on a Low Income. We also reflect on how budgeting can be especially challenging for neurodiverse people.

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Season 2 Episode 55: Taking Charge of Your Own Personal Finances Part 1

A big challenge in transitioning to living alone is the experience of managing a budget. This can be especially difficult if you are neurodiverse and have no previous experience in running your own household. Dealing with limited income, bills, taxes, unexpected events; it all adds up. In this first of two episodes, we explore basic budgeting practices and reflect on our own experiences as we tried to manage our own debt as young adults.

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Season 2 Episode 54: Teaching Financial Literacy with Zach Nuttall at Scenic View Academy

As young autistic adults prepare for living independently, it’s important to have a good grasp of money management. But how do schools prepare their neurodiverse students for the economic pitfalls that come with living on their own? We discuss this topic with Zach Nuttall, a life skills specialist at Scenic View Academy, about the unique challenges that his autistic students face when learning about personal finance.

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Season 2 Episode 53: When Your World Changes: Adam's Account of His Adult Diagnosis Experience

We know transitions can be difficult for those on the spectrum, but what if you are transitioning from high school to college and you just discovered you are autistic? In today’s episode, we interview Adam, a college student at Colorado School of Mines about his journey in navigating college life while discovering his true self.

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Season 2 Episode 52: Adult Autism Diagnosis and Assessments

With autism awareness surging online, more adults than ever are seeking answers. But is the current assessment process actually helping them, or just ticking a box? This week, we dive into the recommendations from The Adult Autism Assessment Handbook to find out what a truly supportive evaluation looks like.

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Season 2 Episode 51: What Happens When Our Autistic Adult Child Gets Into Legal Trouble?

As parents of autistic children who have moderate to severe needs, we worry about how our children can protect themselves legally as they become adults. In our second of two episodes on protecting our adult children, we interview Lila Kimel, of Kimel Psychological Services who specializes in psychological evaluations for medical and forensic determinations. She also offers her expertise in legal situations when neurodiverse people get into legal trouble. We hear Lila offer frank discussions of common situations those on the spectrum get into legal trouble and ways they can protect themselves. (Explicit Warning: Adult Sexual Content)

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Season 2 Episode 50: How the Neurodiverse Can Safely Interact With Police

One instinct that all parents share is the desire to keep their children safe. But what if you are the parent of a neurodiverse adolescent or young adult? How can you teach them how to be safe and have appropriate behaviors when you’re not around? What should they do if they encounter police? In today’s episode, we interview Ali Thompson, former police officer and CEO of Pulse Line Collaborative Training, an organization that trains law enforcement on how to safely manage their interactions with neurodiverse people with patience and understanding.

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Season 2 Episode 49: Accessing Medicaid Waivers

In this episode, we continue our conversation about accessing government disability benefits. In today’s interview, we talk with Maureen Welch, founder of Navigating Disability Colorado. Together we examine the complex process of accessing Medicaid waivers.

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Season 2 Episode 48: Accessing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)

With the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Affordable Care Act, it can be difficult to plan for health care costs when you have a disability. In our interview with Richard Burk and Amy Woszczynski, Social Security Disability Determination Examiners for the State of Colorado, we explore the different aspects of accessing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

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Season 2 Episode 47: Interview with Lindsay Wagner and Amy Faraone from the League School For Autism

In our second of two episodes focusing on innovative schools that support life after high school for neurodiverse students, we interview Lindsay Wagner and Amy Faraone about the League School for Autism in Walpole, Massachusetts. They explain how they prepare students for independent living by helping students build self-advocacy strategies and through their innovative community-based vocational program.

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Season 2 Episode 46: Interview with Jared Stewart and Scott Wood with ScenicView Academy

There are several schools across the nation that are dedicated to educating neurodiverse students; a few of them address life after high school. One such innovative program in Utah is Scenic View Academy. This on-campus school creates living and working environments that supports students in developing life skills and executive functioning skills that will help them to live independently as adults.

Season 2 Episode 45: Interview with Kara Fenton, Clinical Researcher at CU Anschutz Medical Campus

As we continue to explore the connections between ADHD and autism, we interview Kara Fenton, Clinical Research Coordinator, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She describes her own significant struggles and strategies with living independently given her ADHD diagnosis as an adult. In our post interview reflection, we talk about the parallels between the executive functioning challenges for those with ADHD and those with autism.

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Season 2 Episode 44: Interview with Brandon Slade of Untapped Learning

Many people with autism struggle with executive functioning throughout their lives. Today we interview Brandon Slade, founder of Untapped Learning, as he describes how those with ADHD and autism can manage their executive functioning challenges. Brandon shares his firm belief that neurodiversity is a gift rather than as an obstacle to success.

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Season 2 Episode 43: Autism and Mental Health: The Healthy Deviant (Part 2)

In Part 2 of our review of the book The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo, we examine the remedies, solutions and strategies that will help create a healthy and productive lifestyle that supports the mental health for those on the spectrum.

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Season 2 Episode 42: Autism and Mental Health: The Healthy Deviant Book Review (Part 1)

In our last of our four part series on autism and mental health, we review the book The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo. Gerasimo addresses the unhealthy world we live in and offers advice on how to create a healthy and productive lifestyle. We explore how this approach can have a positive impact on one’s physical and mental health for those with autism.

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Season 2 Episode 41: Autism and Mental Health: Living With PTSD on the Autism Spectrum by Lisa Morgan and Mary Donahue (Part 2)

In this episode, we continue our review of Lisa Morgan and Mary Donahue's book, Living With PTSD on the Autism Spectrum. Here, we focus on the impact that constant masking, camouflaging, and the pressure to conform can have long term impacts on mental health. We also discuss strategies around setting boundaries and taking charge of your own mental health.

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Season 2 Episode 40: Autism and Mental Health: Living With PTSD on the Autism Spectrum by Lisa Morgan and Mary Donahue (Part 1)

In part three of our four part series on autism and mental health, we review the book Living With PTSD on the Autism Spectrum by Lisa Morgan and Mary Donahue. Lisa is an autistic adult and Mary is a therapist; together they describe how prolonged exposure to social pressures and environments can actually lead to PTSD. We explore this connection and other situations that might lead to PTSD for those on the spectrum.

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Season 2 Episode 39: In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts Part 2

In this episode we continue our analysis of Gabor Mate’s book, In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts. We examine what behavioral addictions could look like from an autistic person’s point of view when trying to achieving adult independence.

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