Shannon Johnson and I talk with Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child.
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Welcome to AutismPodcast.org. This website is dedicated to providing information about working with children on the autism spectrum.
Shannon Johnson and I talk with Dr. Ross Greene, author of The Explosive Child.
I talk with Dan Tedesco of HandHold Adaptive about iPrompts, their new iPod Touch/iPhone application for people with special needs. In their own words "iPrompts: [is] the portable, customizable, visual prompting tool for those with special needs."
Basically the app lets me put together a visual schedule (think Teacch )for my son on my iPod Touch. I can import pictures and customize it as needed. Great product. We also discuss HandHold Adaptive's other products they have in the pipeline.

Polly also runs the Autism Trust which is a foundation committed to putting together regional centers for people with autism.
Lastly, Polly is the editor-in-chief of the online magazine, Autism File
Shannon Johnson and I talk with Chiropractic Neurologists Drs. Robert Melillo and Peter Scire. Dr. Melillo is the author of the book Disconnected Kids and founder of the Brain Balance Centers. We discuss his book and therapies that relate to his form of treatment. The discussion gets a bit heated at times.

Chantal has written a number of books, been the on the cover of NEWSWEEK magazine , appeared on MTV , and hosts a radio show on AutismOne Radio
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Shannon Johnson of Foggyrock.com and I talk with Nancy Wiseman author of Could It Be Autism?: A Parent’s Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps and, her latest book, The First Year: Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed Child
Here is more about Nancy from her website, Firstsigns.org:
Nancy D. Wiseman
As the founder and president of First Signs , Nancy Wiseman is dedicating her life to improving the lives of children and families affected by developmental disorders. Since 1999, Nancy has made a significant contribution to changing policy, improving awareness, and changing pediatric practice in how we screen, refer, and detect young children today. Before devoting herself to First Signs , Nancy worked in corporate communications for over 20 years building brand awareness, educating the public, and generating qualified leads for international companies in the financial, travel, office products, computer, and software industries. She now utilizes her skills in fundraising and development, staff and financial management, film and video production, as well as public relations and education, to direct First Signs, Inc . She has counseled parents worldwide and she has appeared in interviews with USA Today, Parents, and NBC’s Today Show. She is the author of Could It Be Autism? A Parent’s Guide to the First Signs and Next Steps and The First Year®: Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed Child . Nancy serves as president and treasurer and she is the mother of Sarah, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Today—at age 13—Sarah stands as a powerful example of the impact that early identification and intensive intervention can have on young children with developmental delays and disorders. Nancy is the 2006 recipient of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Dale Richmond/Justin Coleman Award for her outstanding achievement in the field of child development.
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Elaine is a single mother raising her fifteen year-old son Neal who is on the autism spectrum. We focus mostly on her work as an acting coach and the programs she as developed that enable people with special needs to take part in the world of drama.
Shannon Johnson of FoggyRock.com and I talk with the co-creators of iConverse an iPhone/iPod touch application that functions much like a picture exchange communication system (PECS ).
While the application is new and currently contains only six icons, the potential for this efficient, useful, and compact assitive communication device is strong. The creators talk of users being able to generate their own icons at some point in the future as the software matures.
Shannon Johnson and I speak with Dr. Marco Iacoboni, author of the book Mirroring People. We discuss the contents of his book and how the mirror genes are related to people on the autism spectrum.
By Michael Boll | August 3, 2008
Shannon Johnson and I talk with Sean Barron, co-author of There’s a Boy in Here and The Unwritten Rules of Social Relationships: Decoding Social Mysteries Through the Unique Perspectives of Autism.
Sean co-wrote the first book with his mother and it describes, in much detail, his life as a young man with autism. He later leaves autism behind and no longer considers himself to have autism.
Websites: Amazon.com link to his books.
Shannon Johnson and I talk with John Robison, author of Look Me In The Eyes. In this fantastic interview, we discuss life as an adult on the spectrum, his book and some of the current treatments John is participating (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation).
How playing with water led to playing in Play Therapy!

Episode 71: Shannon Johnson and I talk with Dennis Debbaudt, founder of Autism Risk and Safety Management. Dennis provides "Information and resources for law enforcement, first responders, parents, educators, and care providers." Dennis provides training to a wide group of people and is also an author.
Episode 70: Shannon Johnson and I talk with Patty Dobbs Gross of North Star Dogs, a provider of assistance dogs for children with autism. This wonderful program enables children of all ages to share their lives with a dog and constant companion.

Episode 69: Shannon Johnson and I talk with Stephen Shore a wonderful advocate for people with autism. Stephen, a published author, travels worldwide discussing life as an adult with autism. He joined us for a conversation about his life, his work and his advice.
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Episode 68 (part two): Shannon Johnson finish our conversation with Donna Williams. See show notes for more details.
Episode 67: Shannon Johnson and I speak with author and artist Donna Williams. Donna is the author of nine books and creator of numerous blogs and websites (see links below). She discusses life as an adult on the autism spectrum, including her younger years.

Episode 66: Shannon Johnson and I talk with Lisa Jo Rudy, guide and blog writer for about.com's autism section. We discuss her blog, topics she covers, feedback she hears and life as a parent to a boy with autism.
Episode 65: Cindy Lord is both an author of a wonderful book and a parent to a child with autism. Cindy's book, Rules, is an insightful story about a girl (Catherine) with an autistic brother (David). Told from Catherine's point of view, the book explores typical teenage life and all the complications that having a sibling with special needs adds. Cindy shares some insights about the book and life as a parent to a child with special needs.
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Episode 64: I speak with Dr. Mike, the host and producer of the popular podcast, Pediacast. It was a nice chance to talk to a pediatrician long after my son was diagnosed with autism. I wanted to ask him about how pediatricians look at autism today and if they are more effective at spotting it early. Listen Now



Episode 63: I speak with Drs. Andrew Zimmerman and Laura Curran from the Kennedy Krieger Institute about autism and, believe it or not, fevers. We discuss a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics. You can read the full article here.
Episode 62: Shannon and Steve Johnson are the creators of Foggy Rock; a social networking site all about autism. If you are familiar with Facebook or MySpace then you can imagine what they have done here. Foggy Rock is a fantastic way for people to communicate and share information about autism in a user-friendly and dynamic way.
Episode 61: I talk with Michael Goldberg, author of the Autism Bulletin, a blog about many current and newsworthy events affecting the autism community. We cover a range of topics from insurance to his map that helps identify schools with individuals for autism. Michael also has a son with autism and I always enjoy having conversations with other fathers.

Episode 60 (part Two): I finish my discussion of the SCERTS model with Dr. Barry Prizant.


Episode 59: I talk with Soma Mukhopadhyay about her son Tito, the Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) and her clinic, Helping Autism through Learning and Outreach (HALO).
Episode 58: I talk with Drs. Paul and Kiely Law about the Interactive Autism Network (IAN). The Laws, who have a child with autism, are building a database of information about individuals on the spectrum as well as their families. The information will be used to conduct further research. However, members of IAN may also view the current results of the survey right now. Listen Now Show Notes


Episode 55: I talk with Estee Klar-Wolfond, director of the Autism Acceptance Project and author of the popular blog, the Joy of Autism.

Episode 53: Dorene and I talk with Glenn Tringali, Executive Vice President of Autism Speaks. We discussed the creation of the organization, the mergers, their ad campaign and some of the exciting research Autism Speaks has planned for the future.
Episode 52: Lori and I talk with Randy and Lynn Gaston. They have three children on the spectrum and they are all the same age. In other words, they are TRIPLETS! We talk about their lives, children, a typical day, and the therapies they are putting to use.





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| Michael Boll | Alex Plank | Dorene Cilietti | Brent Ellery |
Episode 46: Dorene Ciletti and I talk with Ellen Notbohm, an author and parent to a child on the spectrum. Ellen has written three books about autism and numerous articles for various publications. We focus mostly on her latest book: Ten Things Your Student With Autism Wishes You Knew.| | | | |
| Michael Boll | Dorene Cilietti | Lori Boll |
Episode 44: I talked with Alex Plank, the creator of wrongplanet.net, "The online resource and community for those with Asperger's Syndrome." We had a great discussion about his site, how it helps those with autism and what it is like to be an individual with Aspegers.


We have teamed up with The Record newspaper of Bergen County, New Jersey to present the views of three reporters. They were part of a team that put together a six-day series about autism. You can find the series here.
Bob Ivry, another senior reporter, discusses adults and autism.
We have teamed up with The Record newspaper of Bergen County, New Jersey to present the views of three reporters. They were part of a team that put together a six-day series about autism. You can find the series here.
Kathleen Carroll is an education reporter for the record. She discusses two stories: details of an intensive behavior therapy program from a four-year-old autistic child's perspective and efforts by public schools to serve a growing number of autistic students.
We have teamed up with The Record newspaper of Bergen County, New Jersey to present the views of three reporters. They were part of a team that put together a six-day series about autism. You can find the series here.
Lindy Washburn, a senior reporter for the paper, discusses an overview of the series as well as health and autism.



Episode 37: Nicole Sparpani, MA (CCC-SLP) and I talk with Dr. Christina Whalen about Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). We discuss the various types of ABA, what ABA is, and how it fits into an eclectic approach to working with an individual on the autism spectrum.

Episode 35: Dorene Ciletti and I talk with Dr. James Adams about his studies that are looking for a biomedical link to autism. Dr. Adams was recently featured on the television show Dateline NBC. Show Notes



Episode 32: Nicole Sparapani (CCC-SLP) and I talk with Dr. Steven Gutstein the founder of Relationship Development Intervention (RDI). We discuss what RDI is, how it works, and the role of family during therapy. Show Notes




Moving Your Child Up the Spectrum: Assessments (Show # 2).
Nicole Sparapani (CCC-SLP) and I talk about assessments. We understand that listening to information about assessments can be about as interesting as going to the dentist (no offense to our dentist listeners).
However, we make it exciting by reviewing five useful assessments, all while river rafting down the Colorado river!


We discuss how a child lower on the autism spectrum fits within the those core deficits.

Nicki Fischer, of The Autism Perspective magazine, has graciously offered to have her radio interviews distributed here! She does a weekly show called "Get Real." The show talks with an individual on the autism spectrum.
Nicki talks with Taylor Cross, a 17-year old filmmaker with autism. He shares his life experiences that led him and his mother, Keri, to create the film "normal people scare me." Listen Now!





















