The role of private equity and lobbying in ABA funding: Talking with investigative journalist John Summers

In this, the final episode of Noncompliant, I spoke with Shannon Rosa, editor of Thinking Person’s Guide to Autism. She shared her memories of her good friend Steve Silberman, author of the groundbreaking history of autism & the neurodiversity movement, Neurotribes, which featured Shannon and her family. We talked about Steve and his legacy for … Continue reading Remembering Steve Silberman: A conversation with Shannon Rosa

I had an amazing conversation with Dr. Nancy Marshall, a therapist and researcher, who previously worked as Child and Youth Counselor in Toronto public schools. We discussed her new, qualitative research on autistic people’s experiences with and perception of ABA. We also talked about the impact of the neurodiversity movement on autism services, and the … Continue reading Transforming schools and autism therapy: A conversation with Dr. Nancy Marshall

I was honoured to speak with the amazing Guy Stephens, founder of the Alliance Against Seclusion & Restraint about what’s new in human rights advocacy for autistic &  developmentally disabled students. AASR has a groundbreaking new program, Reframing Behaviour, in partnership with the Crisis Prevention Institute, rolling out across America–neuroscience-based training for educators to eliminate … Continue reading A journey to transform special education: Catching up with Guy Stephens at Alliance Against Seclusion & Restraint

I was so excited to speak with Dr. Ryan, a trailblazer in Canadian autism research! Her work was the first participatory autism research in Canada and it has inspired more. We talk about inclusion, autonomy, research methods, our collaborative work and how to improve services for intellectually disabled people in Canada’s west and throughout the … Continue reading Dr. Jackie Ryan on inclusive research & service models for intellectually disabled Canadians

Professor Carl Elliott’s new book The Occasional Human Sacrifice, is about whistleblowers in medicine. In this episode, we discuss the whistleblowers at Willowbrook, a residential institution for autistic and developmentally disabled people that was exposed for human rights abuses in 1972. We also talk about the experience of being a whistleblower and its impact on … Continue reading Willowbrook, whistleblowers & human rights: Carl Elliott on his new book, The Occasional Human Sacrifice

I was thrilled to talk with Tony Spiridakis and Alex Plank about the new film Ezra, which Tony wrote and produced alongside director Tony Goldwyn, and which Alex associate produced, acted and consulted on. (Read my review of Ezra here.) We take a look behind the scenes at how the film was developed and produced on … Continue reading Filmmakers Tony Spiridakis & Alex Plank on the new film “Ezra”, autism and representation

I spoke with Dr. Molly Colvin and Dr. Tannahill Glen about their new book, Altered Trajectories: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Impacted Children’s Education, Mental Health and Neurodevelopment, co-authored with Dr. Jennifer Linton Reesman. We discussed the educational impact of school closures, as well as the mental health impact on kids. A crucial topic as we … Continue reading The impact of pandemic-related school closures: A conversation with Molly Colvin & Tannahill Glen

I had the honour of speaking with Keenan Wellar, founder of LiveWorkPlay about the organization’s work helping the community welcome and include people with intellectual disabilities, autistic persons, and those with a dual diagnosis in housing, work and leisure.  LiveWorkPlay is a model for the paradigm shift that is needed in developmental services! Listen to … Continue reading Keenan Wellar from LiveWorkPlay: Transforming Canada’s housing & programs for intellectually disabled Canadians

I spoke with Dr. Andrew Whitehouse from the University of Western Australia about autistic life, gut hype, same-foods, the problem of pseudoscience and the shifting nature of autism research. Listen to the podcast by playing the audio file below, or on streaming sites like Spotify, Stitcher or ApplePodcasts. Transcript: NoncompliantPodcast_trscrt_Whitehouse Bio Dr. Whitehouse is the … Continue reading “What outcomes are we looking at?” Talking with Dr. Andrew Whitehouse about the shifting course of autism research & services

I spoke with vaccine researcher and expert Dr. Paul Offit, whose book Autism’s False Prophets explores false narratives about autism, including the myth that the MMR vaccine causes autism. We talked about that history, as well as the present challenge of the current anti-vaccine movement and the need to speak the truth, even when it’s … Continue reading “It’s hard to un-ring the bell”: Talking about the vaccine-autism myth (& more) with Dr. Paul Offit