Autism Weekly Podcast

Many families worry about what will happen if they call police for help with their autistic child or loved one. This week, Jeff Skibitsky talks with Officer Laurie Reyes and Officer Amy Stoughton (Ret.) of the Montgomery County (MD) Police Department’s Autism/IDD, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Outreach Unit. They explain what really happens on those calls, how families can prepare, and why calling 911 right away is the most important step. Laurie created the unit in 2004 to address a rise in “missing at risk” calls. It is now recognized as a national model by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Autism Speaks and Pathfinders for Autism. The unit responds to 40 to 60 autism and IDD calls a month, does more than 1,000 family follow-ups a year and gives about 150 community presentations a year. In this episode: Why families should call 911 right away, and why delays put people at risk How officers are trained to recognize autism, including processing time, eye contact and behaviors that can look like impairment What happens during follow-up calls and home visits after an incident Why tracking devices and registries can’t replace a 911 call Halloween and holiday safety tips, including role-playing police encounters How families outside Montgomery County can find or push for similar programs Guests Officer Laurie Reyes has served with the Montgomery County Police Department for 29 years. In 2004, she created the department’s Autism/IDD, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Outreach Unit and still coordinates it. She has been named a White House Champion of Change for Youth and Law Enforcement. She has also received the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service in Policing and a Maryland Governor’s Citation for her work with the unit. Officer Amy Stoughton (Ret.) served 27 years with the Montgomery County Police Department, mostly in patrol, before retiring in 2024. She joined the Outreach Unit in 2022 and has since given resources and support to more than 2,000 families, including through home visits. She continues to work with the unit in retirement, training officers, recruits and Montgomery County Public Schools staff, students and parents. Resources mentioned Montgomery County Police Autism/IDD, Alzheimer’s and Dementia Outreach Unit Pathfinders for Autism (Maryland resource directory) Unit brochure (English, Spanish and Amharic) NPR: This police department’s autism unit is saving lives DOJ COPS Office: From Awareness to Action Matter of Fact: A teen with autism helping police learn to help those in a mental health crisis Maryland’s Ethan’s Law, which requires autism/IDD training for police Safety tools they discussed: a 911 script, door and window alarms, ID bracelets, the unit’s safety kit with the yellow “call 911 if I’m alone” t-shirt, and local events like Coffee with a Cop Questions for the unit: [email protected] ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

What should families do in the first weeks and months after an autism diagnosis? Host Jeff Skibitsky talks with Dr. Erica Bailen, a board-certified pediatrician who combines conventional pediatric medicine with functional medicine training. Through a direct pediatrics model, she gives families longer visits, direct access, and a whole child approach to care. Dr. Bailen explains why she reminds every family that their child is the same child they were the day before the diagnosis, and why care should start with strengths. She covers what to focus on first, from finding a neuro-affirming medical home to getting on therapy wait lists early. She also talks about how sleep, nutrition, and gut health affect the whole child, how to tell useful tests from expensive ones that don’t change care, and how to spot misinformation that promises to “cure” or “reverse” autism. The conversation ends with a message for everyone: presume competence. Being nonverbal doesn’t mean a child can’t communicate or understand. Resources Dr. Erica Bailen’s autism roadmap book Dr. Erica Bailen’s practice I searched for the book and her practice and couldn’t confirm either. The only “Autism Roadmap” I found is by a different author, and her listed practice is a Norton Children’s location that isn’t a direct pediatrics practice, so it may be out of date. Ask Dr. Bailen for both links before you publish. Sources: The Autism Roadmap (Falter listing) Erica L. Bailen, Beaming Health profile ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

This week, Jeff sits down with Camille Proctor, Founder and Executive Director of The Color of Autism Foundation. Camille started the foundation in 2009 after a long fight to get her son diagnosed and after support groups where no one looked like her. Today it's a national resource for Black families navigating diagnosis and services. Camille talks about why Black children are often diagnosed later or misdiagnosed, and what it's like to wait months to get from diagnosis to services in underserved communities. She shares what providers get wrong when they make assumptions instead of asking families who they are. She also explains why the parent should be treated as the navigator, with the provider as co-captain. Camille walks through the foundation's free five-week parent training. It teaches families to collect data in plain language, advocate in IEP meetings, create social stories, and support a loved one in crisis without calling the police. She also shares how autistic trainers shape the work and what gives her hope for the future. Resources: The Color of Autism Foundation: thecolorofautism.org Programs page (general support group, dad support group, five-week parent trainings): visit thecolorofautism.org/programs Newsletter sign-up: thecolorofautism.org Natasha Nelson, autistic trainer and Army veteran: @SupernovaMama on social media Kevin and Avonte's Law (wandering and elopement prevention) SPARK autism research study: sparkforautism.org ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

For most autistic people, the supports end at 21 or 22. The friendships, the structure, the built-in reasons to be around other people, all of it was attached to a school system that stops. Dr. Rachel Loftin has spent her career with the people on the other side of that line. She is chief clinical officer at Prosper Health, which she helped found and which is now the largest provider of mental health services for autistic adults in the country. She is also on faculty in the psychiatry departments at Northwestern and Yale. In this episode, she joins host Jeff Skibitsky to talk about what connection really looks like in adulthood, why so much social skills instruction teaches autistic people to disappear into a crowd, and what parents of young kids can start doing now. In this episode: Why "social skills" usually means eye contact and small talk, and what it should mean instead Where teaching autistic people to blend in helps, and where it causes harm Telling real loneliness apart from a genuine preference for time alone What actually happens when a young adult ages out of school-based services What families should have in place at 16 or 17 Realistic first steps for an adult who is already isolated What sexuality education usually misses for autistic adults What parents of a 7-year-old can do now that pays off at 27 RESOURCES Dr. Rachel Loftin Bio and publications: https://prosperhealth.io/medical-reviewer/rachel-loftin Co-editor, Handbook of Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Law (Springer) Editorial board, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Prosper Health Website: https://prosperhealth.io Self-reflection quiz for adults wondering about autism: https://prosperhealth.io/autismquiz Telehealth diagnosis and therapy for autistic adults, covered by most major insurance For adults and families navigating the transition Autistic Self Advocacy Network: https://autisticadvocacy.org The Arc, state and local chapters: https://thearc.org Autism Society affiliate finder: https://autismsociety.org Your state vocational rehabilitation agency, searchable at https://rsa.ed.gov For healthcare access AASPIRE Healthcare Toolkit, free tools for autistic adults and their doctors: https://autismandhealth.org ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

Most parents know their kid plays video games. Far fewer could name the game. Andrew Fishman, LCSW, says that gap is where the nightly fights start. Andrew is a licensed clinical social worker who works with teens and emerging adults, writes about video games and mental health for Psychology Today, and is the author of Parenting A Gamer: Help Your Child Build Healthy Habits, Make Positive Choices, and Find Balance in Virtual Worlds. He has led social groups for autistic teens and adults, and he is a lifelong gamer himself. In this conversation with host Jeff Skibitsky, Andrew explains why gaming works as social scaffolding for autistic players. No eye contact to manage, no body language to decode, and everyone in the lobby already shares the interest. Autistic people play roughly twice as many hours per week as neurotypical people, and Andrew makes the case that there is a good reason for that. What we cover: Why gaming rarely becomes a clinical problem, and the specific signs that say otherwise Transitions and the "five more minutes" fight, plus why changing when a kid stops beats fighting over that they stop Turning off public chat, and the parental controls most families never find Skills that come out of play: social practice, reading, math, and real world interests Why playing badly alongside your kid is a gift, not an embarrassment What Andrew wants gamers, parents, and providers each to take away Resources Andrew Fishman, LCSW Book: Parenting a Gamer: Help Your Child Build Healthy Habits, Make Positive Choices, and Find Balance in Virtual Worlds, available wherever books are sold Website: videogamehealth.com Psychology Today column, Video Game Health: psychologytoday.com/us/blog/video-game-health Practice: The Juniper Center, Park Ridge, Illinois The Juniper Center Social: Video Game Health on Facebook and Bluesky Mentioned in the episode Parental controls and chat settings: look for communication or privacy settings inside each game and switch public chat off. Console-level guides are at the PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo family settings pages. ESRB Family Gaming Guide for ratings and platform control walkthroughs: esrb.org/tools-for-parents Roblox parental controls: corp.roblox.com/parents ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.  

Most kids in the U.S. aren't diagnosed with autism until after age 4, long past the window when early intervention makes the biggest difference. The problem isn't that clinicians don't care. It's that a traditional evaluation can take six to eight hours end to end, and there aren't enough specialists to go around. This week, Jeff sits down with Dr. Cheryl Tierney, a board-certified, fellowship-trained developmental pediatrician, professor of pediatrics at Penn State, and Chief Medical Officer at EarliPoint Health. For more than 25 years she has evaluated and diagnosed children with autism, learning, speech-language, attention, and sleep disorders. Dr. Tierney explains how EarliPoint's FDA-cleared eye-tracking system works: 12 minutes of natural video scenes, 120 data points captured per second, more than 86,000 data points if a child watches the full session. The result is an objective read on how a child uses eye gaze to learn from the world around them, plus proxy measures for social engagement, language, and cognition. She is clear about what it is not. It is not a standalone diagnosis, and it is not about forced eye contact. The conversation also covers what happens after diagnosis. Repeat assessments let clinicians see whether a child is closing the developmental gap in months instead of years, which means treatment can change course while it still matters. In this episode: Why "wait and see" became the default, and what it costs families How roughly 60 percent of referred children may not need a lengthy assessment Why clinicians using the tool report seeing 33 to 50 percent more patients What families say after going through it, especially those who have done both pathways Where payers and Medicaid are heading on coverage Why a language-agnostic tool matters for rural and non-English-speaking families Resources EarliPoint Health: https://earlipointhealth.com Find a provider near you (EarliPoint Network directory): https://earlipointhealth.com/earlipoint-network/ For parents: https://earlipointhealth.com/parents/ Research and publications: https://earlipointhealth.com/research/ Eye-Tracking-Based Measurement of Social Visual Engagement Compared With Expert Clinical Diagnosis of Autism (JAMA, 2023): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2808996 Development and Replication of Objective Measurements of Social Visual Engagement (JAMA Network Open, 2023): https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2808909 Providers: request a demo or start a conversation: https://earlipointhealth.com/contact-us/ ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

The UNC researcher behind the Black Empowerment and Autism Network on bias, access, and building care systems that actually fit families. Autism research has historically been built on a narrow slice of the population. Dr. Brian Boyd argues that gap is not just an academic problem. It shows up as later diagnoses, thinner services, and worse outcomes for the families who were never in the data. In this episode, Dr. Boyd joins host Jeff Skibitsky to talk about founding the Black Empowerment and Autism Network (BEAM), now close to 70 members across research, medicine, and clinical practice, and what it takes to build systems of care that respond to the families in front of them. What we cover Why a two-year-old whose first word was "pentagon" shaped two decades of research on focused interests How BEAM started as career advice and became an international support network, including Black autistic researchers The three places disparities show up: access, quality of experience, and outcomes Why Black autistic children are twice as likely to carry a co-occurring intellectual disability diagnosis What culturally responsive support actually looks like in practice, starting with cultural humility Practical advocacy for families who feel dismissed in an IEP meeting or a doctor's office How underfunded, understaffed systems push providers toward cookie-cutter care What researchers owe communities before they ever collect a data point Why Dr. Boyd is still hopeful right now About Dr. Brian Boyd Dr. Brian Boyd is the William C. Friday Distinguished Professor in the UNC School of Education and Director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at UNC Chapel Hill. His work focuses on evidence-based practices, racial disparities, implicit bias, and how schools and service systems can better support autistic people and their families. He founded the Black Empowerment and Autism Network (BEAM). ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

This week on Autism Weekly, host Jeff Skibitsky sits down with Amy Kelly, National Director of Family Engagement at Devereux and mother of three, including her daughter Annie, who was diagnosed with autism just before her second birthday. With nearly 20 years working directly with families and a career built out of her own experience navigating the system, Amy brings both professional expertise and lived experience to a conversation about what real inclusion looks like. Resources X Handle: @Devereux_Natl  Link: https://x.com/Devereux_Natl Instagram Handle: @devereuxnational Link: https://www.instagram.com/devereuxnational/ Facebook Handle: @DevereuxNational Link: https://www.facebook.com/DevereuxNational LinkedIn Handle: @devereux  Link: https://www.linkedin.com/company/devereux  Amy and Jeff explore what family engagement actually means in practice, not just as a program feature but as a standard organizations should hold themselves to. They discuss the difference between token inclusion and full participation, how to prepare for and navigate an IEP meeting with confidence, and specific questions families should be asking depending on where their child falls on the spectrum, from communication device access on school buses to Extended School Year services and social skills programming. Amy also shares practical strategies for advocating effectively without being labeled the "difficult parent," why evidence-based practices matter, and how documenting a child's progress can shift conversations with school districts. She closes with a reminder that autism is a family diagnosis, and that supporting the whole family, not just the individual, is central to long-term success. Whether you're just starting the IEP process or years into advocating for your child, this episode offers grounded, practical guidance from someone who has lived both sides of it. ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.

This week we're joined by Dr. Mary Jane Weiss, a psychologist and board certified behavior analyst who has spent her career advancing the science of applied behavior analysis and its application to autism. Dr. Weiss serves as executive director of programs in ABA and autism and directs a Ph.D. program in the field. Her work focuses on the philosophical and scientific foundations of ABA, ethical decision-making in professional practice, and collaboration across disciplines. Today we'll talk about what compassionate, humane, and effective ABA actually looks like in practice. Download latest episode to learn more! Resources Mentioned in This Episode BACB Ethics Code for Behavior Analysts Dr. Mary Jane Weiss discusses the four core principles of the BACB Ethics Code: benefit others; treat others with compassion, dignity, and respect; behave with integrity; and ensure competence. BACB Ethics Code landing page: https://www.bacb.com/ethics-information/ethics-codes/ Full PDF: https://www.bacb.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Ethics-Code-for-Behavior-Analysts-240830-a.pdf Learn More About Dr. Mary Jane Weiss Endicott College faculty page: https://www.endicott.edu/about/faculty-staff-directory/m/mary-jane-weiss Melmark bio: https://www.melmark.org/staff/mary-jane-weiss/ Further Reading Rohrer, J. L., Marshall, K. B., Suzio, C., & Weiss, M. J. (2021). Soft Skills: The Case for Compassionate Approaches or How Behavior Analysis Keeps Finding Its Heart. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00563-x Rohrer, J. L., & Weiss, M. J. (2022). Teaching Compassion Skills to Students of Behavior Analysis: A Preliminary Investigation. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-022-00748-y ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.  

This week we're joined by Dr. Marilena Griguoli, a neuroscientist whose research is helping us understand something that sits at the very heart of autism: how the brain processes social experiences and builds social memory. Dr. Griguoli's work, funded by the Autism Research Institute, is looking at the specific brain circuits involved in social behavior and how they can be supported. Social connection is one of the most meaningful and complex areas for autistic individuals and their families. Today, we are exploring what the science reveals about why. Download latest episode to learn more! Resources Resources Mentioned & Further Reading Learn more about Dr. Marilena Griguoli’s research: Dr. Marilena Griguoli — ResearchGate Profile Featured research: Medial Septum: Relevance for Social Memory Related autism research funding: Autism Research Institute — ARI-Funded Research Studies Institutional research profile: Dr. Marilena Griguoli — CNR / Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology Researcher bio: Dr. Marilena Griguoli — European Brain Research Institute ............................................................... Autism weekly is now found on all of the major listening apps including apple podcasts, stitcher, Spotify, amazon music, and more. Subscribe to be notified when we post a new podcast. Autism weekly is produced by ABS Kids. ABS Kids is proud to provide diagnostic assessments and ABA therapy to children with developmental delays like Autism Spectrum Disorder. You can learn more about ABS Kids and the Autism Weekly podcast by visiting abskids.com.