WEBVTT
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Autistic people have so much to offer, and yet
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so many have a struggle to fit into a world that
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isn't designed for us. I want to help change
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that. Welcome to the Working Class Autistic podcast,
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where I talk to experts and discuss ways for
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autistic adults to thrive and reach their full
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potential at work and beyond. I'm your host,
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Kevin Joseph. Now, let's get to work. Hello,
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everyone, and welcome to this week's episode
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of Working Class Autistic. My guest this week
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is Eric Gallery. I met Eric at the Navigating
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Autism Today conference put on by the Autism
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Alliance of Michigan, where Eric is the Director
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of Navigation. His team does a lot of work for
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autistic people across the state of Michigan,
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addressing needs throughout the lifespan. He
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has over a decade of experience in disability
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services, from job coaching and case management
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to clinical services and executive administration.
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After I met Eric, I knew I wanted to have a chance
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to talk to him about the Alliance and the tools
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it could offer to autistic adults. Now, let's
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get into the interview. All right. Hello, Eric.
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Thanks so much for joining. Yeah, thanks for
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having me, Kevin. Glad to be here. Yeah. To get
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us started, can you describe your history with
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autism? Yeah, so I actually have a bit of a personal
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history with autism. My younger brother is autistic,
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so it's really something that I grew up with.
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It was really sort of secondhand for me, and
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I started working with folks in the IDD population,
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sort of dating myself here, but back when I was...
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I was working in a day program for individuals
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with autism and some other forms of developmental
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disabilities. And it was all vocational rehab.
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And I really found that I enjoyed the work. You
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know, autism is something, like I said, is something
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that hit close to home for me. So I really just
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sort of found joy in the work. with it from there,
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you know, moving into case management. And eventually
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I sort of pivoted in my education and went into
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behavior analysis and did that type of work on
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the pediatric side for a number of years before
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I decided to take a shift, get out of direct
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services and move over into advocacy. And that's
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when I accepted a position with the Autism Alliance
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of Michigan. overseeing the MyNavigator program.
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Yeah, sounds great. Can you give us an overview
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of the Alliance and what you guys do there? Yeah,
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so the Alliance is essentially a non -profit
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advocacy -based organization. We are a group
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that is focused on serving the autistic and neurodivergent
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populations here in Michigan. Our flagship service
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that I work with is our MyNavigator program.
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That's been in existence now since... over a
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decade since about 2014. It started off pretty
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small. It was actually just our CEO, who's the
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original navigator. But it really came out of
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a need for, you know, understanding that there
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was a certain level of guidance and care that
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was needed, you know, not just for families,
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but for anyone that's really affected by autism.
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And, you know, this includes service providers
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as well. And essentially what MyNavigator is,
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is a resource identification program. So we're
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working one -on -one with individuals really
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all across the lifespan of autism and just some
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of the specific needs that it presents. Keeping
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in mind, though, that autism itself isn't a need.
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There are just unique needs that can be presented
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with it. So a lot of folks that we're working
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with are obviously families who are getting referrals
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from their pediatrician that are exploring, you
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know, maybe some potential developmental delays.
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You know, they're wanting to potentially get
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an evaluation, understand, you know, what's going
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on, understanding if there's a need for a diagnosis.
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But on the flip side, we work with a lot of adults
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who are, you know, starting to see more in media.
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They're starting to see more out there and gaining
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a better understanding of what neurodivergence
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is. seeing some of those similarities in themselves
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and sort of how they've grown up and how they
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perceive the world. And so they're seeking some
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of their own diagnoses and trying to find their
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own identity and all that. So it's a bit of a
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balance between what we do, but essentially it
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really comes down to just working with individuals
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one -on -one, understanding where they're at,
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and trying to lead them to the options that exist
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here in Michigan to support what they need. Yeah,
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that sounds great. Can you walk us through what
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that looks like? What kind of questions do you
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talk about with these individuals? What kind
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of resources do you help them go towards? Yeah,
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yeah. I would say, like I said before, some of
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the most common requests are about finding evaluation
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centers, trying to find options to get a diagnosis.
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So when it comes to a family, it can be somewhat
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linear what the needs look like. An individual
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may be seeking, again, that evaluation to gain
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a diagnosis of autism. And then once they have
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that diagnosis, they're maybe looking into some
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clinical services, some early intervention to
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treat some needs. That could be anything from
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building functional communication, addressing
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some behavioral or some sensory -based concerns.
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So that might look like getting connected to
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a local ABA or occupational therapy or a speech
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provider. And then, you know, as an individual
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grows and they're accessing more of their community,
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sometimes the needs can grow as well. You know,
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once you enter the education system, there are
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a lot of potential barriers that come up there.
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So, you know, sometimes we are needed to help
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navigate what special education advocacy and
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resources look like as an individual gets older.
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getting into more of a spot with, you know, trying
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to connect with independent living options, employment
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support. We're there as well, you know, really
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trying to work with the individual and trying
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to find what options are out there. Maybe it's,
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you know, getting connected with a larger hub
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like MRS, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, and
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trying to find some local vocational rehab providers.
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um trying to identify some employment supports
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uh that go beyond that um it can really be varied
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but um again it just really depends where the
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individual is and um what that unique need is
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at the time got it yeah that makes a lot of sense
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um do you typically see more uh families that
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come in or for for children or is it more like
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adults I would say the majority of the individuals
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that reach out to us are families, but I've been
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with the Alliance now for, it's been about four
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years. And just in the short time that I've been
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here, I've been seeing the amount of autistic
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and neurodivergent adults steadily increasing
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from year to year. And that's not even just with,
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you know, some of the contacts that we get through
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MyNavigator. I've seen that in person at, you
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know, some of our community events like our education
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conferences that we do across the state um more
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individuals like i said before they're starting
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to recognize some of these signs some of these
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needs and you know they're they're looking to
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find you know what this means and they're looking
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for community they're looking for options so
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yeah i i've definitely seen an increase of that
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yeah it's interesting what do you think is causing
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causing that increase you know on a personal
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level and this is just from what I've seen with
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my own brother and just what my family has looked
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like. But I think a lot of it has had to do with
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social media. I think, you know, a lot of individuals
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are putting themselves out there more, sharing
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their stories more. And with that, people are,
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you know, they're identifying with some of that.
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They're seeing some of that. And I think it's
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making it easier to. maybe not always see this
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as purely a disability or some taboo item that
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we can't openly talk about. I think mental health
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in general is becoming something more openly
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talked about and shared with individuals. Even
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being in the field as long as I have, I mean,
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there's been times where I've shared my own therapy
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journey with folks. I still kind of get this
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reaction like, oh, oh, you're willing to talk
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about that. And it's like, yeah, you know, it's
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it's health, you know, it's basic health. So,
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yeah, it's I think it's just becoming, like I
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said, more more accepted, more known. It's it's
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a much more comfortable topic. That's good. Yeah.
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And as it becomes more accepted and more known,
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it makes sense that people will be more willing
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to get resources and look for resources to say
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like, oh, hey, I realize I might be autistic.
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What can I do about it? What resources are available?
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So I think it's great that you guys are doing
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the work to help make those connections and get
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people connected to those resources. Yeah, yeah,
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it's it definitely feels good. You know, again,
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when I look at, you know, how my brother has
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grown up and just seen. some of the changes that
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he's gone through and some of the openness that
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he now has, you know, during these later years.
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And, and I see some of those, you know, some
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of those similar things when I'm out in the community
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and I'm talking with folks, there's, there's
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just that comfort there to be able to share the
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story and say, Hey, yeah, you know, this is what
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I'm looking for. This is who I am. And that's,
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you know, a really powerful thing. Yeah, for
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sure. I first met you at the Navigating Autism
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Today conference that the Autism Alliance Michigan
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puts on. Can you talk a bit about that conference
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and kind of events that you hold? Yeah, those
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conferences have been going on since before I
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joined the Alliance. Originally, they were called
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the parent conferences because I think at the
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time they were really viewed as, you know, a
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resource for for families that were you know
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really trying to figure out autism and navigating
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specific things um with their child but um that
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evolved thankfully because you know obviously
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our leadership and our teams realize that this
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is way more than just families and parents um
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autism is something that's affecting individuals
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like i said before across the lifespan um so
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we changed the name of the conferences to the
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navigating autism today conference and we host
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Two each year. In the spring, we host our Eastside
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Conference, traditionally in Novi. And then in
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late fall, we are on the west side of the state
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in Grand Rapids. And really, those conferences
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are meant to hone in on two essential items.
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One, getting resources and getting knowledge
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and education. out to community members, out
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to families, out to individuals, so that they're,
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A, aware of what's available and accessible in
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their area, whether that's connecting with an
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external provider, connecting with us. And then
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the other big point is we want to be able to
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have an event that is bringing community together,
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bringing individuals, whether they're autistic
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or they're caregivers or they're providers. but
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creating a shared space and, you know, really
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trying to tap into that whole sense of creating
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belonging and really just an inclusive spot for
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folks. Yeah, that's great. Are there any particular
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sessions that you remember from the conference?
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Anything you want to call on in particular? Yeah,
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you know, we typically host, you know, some of
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our most common system -based providers. So we
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typically have talks from... Individuals with
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myABLE, the Social Security Administration talking
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about benefit options with SSI, SSDI. We typically
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have somebody from the special education space.
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But something that, you know, I really try to
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tap into when I'm looking for provider options
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and presenters for these conferences year to
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year. is trying to find more individuals that
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either have lived experience or are really promoting
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some of that neurodiverse affirming practices.
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Because the biggest thing that we've heard in
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terms of feedback from attendees and the bases
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that we serve is that individuals are more anxious
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to go to find adult -based services and options
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in their area of the state. And unfortunately,
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that is something that has been lagging. There's
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just simply not as many adult -based resources
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as there are for early intervention. So it can
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be a little bit of a challenge to do some of
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that outreach work and find them. But they are
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out there. And the big thing that we want to
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do is to really be able to create a balanced
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event. You know, we don't want an individual
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coming to this conference. I didn't really gain
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anything from it. We want it to be something
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where anybody on that journey can come in and
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they can walk away with something valuable to
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them. Yeah, no, I definitely hear you on the
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lightning effect of those adult services or adult
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focused autistic. um benefits um i guess what
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do you have any thoughts or ideas on what we
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could do to help increase the amount of the benefits
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out there or things we need to help promote those
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well i think the big thing is is you know continuing
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the conversation continuing to make it known
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that they're needed um you know when we do our
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outreach work across the year you know we're
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a trying to find those options but We're also
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making it known to the existing providers that,
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hey, you know, I mean, if your goal is to bring
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in business and to serve individuals, this is
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potentially a large population that you're missing.
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This is something to really tap into. So I think,
00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:26.980
you know, the easiest thing that we all do is
00:14:26.980 --> 00:14:30.019
to keep the conversation going and, you know,
00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:32.559
not really feeling defeated in what's happening
00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:35.679
right now, but looking ahead to how we can move
00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:38.440
forward and just. you can get known that this
00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:42.440
is a true need um you know that's that's really
00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:45.059
the main thing that i try to recommend to folks
00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:48.320
don't don't get lost in the negativity that you
00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:51.120
know it doesn't exist right now keep the conversation
00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:53.840
going yeah that makes a lot of sense especially
00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:56.090
i think A lot of autistics based online can kind
00:14:56.090 --> 00:14:58.149
of tend toward negativity because it's a lot
00:14:58.149 --> 00:14:59.809
of, you know, there's really a lot of struggles,
00:14:59.870 --> 00:15:02.129
a lot of challenges that we all deal with. But
00:15:02.129 --> 00:15:03.429
I think just talking about what we need, what
00:15:03.429 --> 00:15:04.830
kind of benefits are out there and what could
00:15:04.830 --> 00:15:06.409
be helpful for people, I think people will be
00:15:06.409 --> 00:15:09.190
receptive to looking for those and building more
00:15:09.190 --> 00:15:12.210
of those over time. Yeah, yeah, definitely. And,
00:15:12.370 --> 00:15:16.610
you know, it goes beyond just services. And I'm
00:15:16.610 --> 00:15:20.429
saying services in air quotes. When it comes
00:15:20.429 --> 00:15:23.909
to what these resources look like for the adult
00:15:23.909 --> 00:15:27.950
communities, it's not just about finding options
00:15:27.950 --> 00:15:33.730
to address a deficit. It's about options for
00:15:33.730 --> 00:15:37.350
community inclusion and actually trying to find
00:15:37.350 --> 00:15:41.230
options for social and recreational options and
00:15:41.230 --> 00:15:44.309
different support groups. And again, those do
00:15:44.309 --> 00:15:49.330
exist. They're few and sparse. And especially
00:15:49.330 --> 00:15:52.830
when we are working with folks from some of the
00:15:52.830 --> 00:15:56.809
more rural regions of the state, it's tough.
00:15:56.909 --> 00:15:59.669
It's tough when we can't really give them something
00:15:59.669 --> 00:16:03.250
that they're looking for. So I do want to just
00:16:03.250 --> 00:16:05.570
make it clear that it's not just about trying
00:16:05.570 --> 00:16:08.250
to find some of these intervention options, but
00:16:08.250 --> 00:16:11.169
it's trying to find things that can really address
00:16:11.169 --> 00:16:14.470
a more holistic sense of what's going on with
00:16:14.470 --> 00:16:16.590
the person. Yeah, that's a great point. The community
00:16:16.590 --> 00:16:18.690
is really important. I met someone else at the
00:16:18.690 --> 00:16:21.690
conference who hosted meetup groups and I mean,
00:16:21.750 --> 00:16:24.809
meetup events for people with autism, adults
00:16:24.809 --> 00:16:27.110
with autism as well. And so I was able to join
00:16:27.110 --> 00:16:28.450
one of those and that's been really helpful as
00:16:28.450 --> 00:16:30.750
well to see other adult autistics and just share
00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:32.590
those experiences. So I totally agree with that.
00:16:33.269 --> 00:16:36.389
Yeah, yeah, it's definitely needed. And, you
00:16:36.389 --> 00:16:38.610
know, while there are, you know, a fair amount
00:16:38.610 --> 00:16:40.950
of support groups and some social groups out
00:16:40.950 --> 00:16:44.500
there, I'm sure you have experienced this. Sometimes
00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:48.580
it's not led by somebody who has that lived experience,
00:16:48.980 --> 00:16:52.679
which can make it, you know, that much more awkward
00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:55.659
or, you know, tougher to navigate or really have
00:16:55.659 --> 00:16:58.980
the motivation to buy into that. You know, so
00:16:58.980 --> 00:17:01.740
finding self advocates that are willing to put
00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:03.740
themselves out there and put in the work. I mean,
00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:05.960
you know, it's a huge thing when we can find
00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:09.819
it. For sure. Yeah, I agree. I guess I'm curious,
00:17:09.859 --> 00:17:11.420
do you know of any organizations like the Alliance
00:17:11.420 --> 00:17:13.559
of Michigan in other states or across the country?
00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.380
There are definitely some larger groups that
00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:21.619
I've become aware of. There's Echo Autism Labs,
00:17:21.940 --> 00:17:26.019
which is a national collaborative that does a
00:17:26.019 --> 00:17:29.420
lot of resource identification. They do a fair
00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:32.599
amount of education. A lot of what they do, though,
00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:37.049
is pretty focused on early intervention. Um,
00:17:37.049 --> 00:17:39.910
there's, of course, our larger groups like, um,
00:17:40.009 --> 00:17:43.349
like Autism Speaks. Um, they do a national -based
00:17:43.349 --> 00:17:46.049
resource identification group. But, you know,
00:17:46.089 --> 00:17:48.690
just from my own personal experience and, you
00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:51.069
know, working with self -advocates, I know that
00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:53.369
there is, you know, a negative perception that
00:17:53.369 --> 00:17:55.609
exists with some of those larger groups just
00:17:55.609 --> 00:17:58.890
because of, you know, some of the varying shifts
00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:01.650
that they've had on strategy and, you know, quality
00:18:01.650 --> 00:18:06.809
of life and things like that. But as far as what's
00:18:06.809 --> 00:18:10.349
here in Michigan, we've been a pretty unique
00:18:10.349 --> 00:18:12.990
service for as long as I've been in the space.
00:18:13.690 --> 00:18:16.630
I do definitely think that there's different
00:18:16.630 --> 00:18:19.049
pockets of groups that do resource identification
00:18:19.049 --> 00:18:24.670
and service guidance. Many of the larger insurance
00:18:24.670 --> 00:18:29.710
groups, they have resource navigators that work
00:18:29.710 --> 00:18:33.440
with families and beneficiaries. But the issue
00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:36.359
is, you know, they're focused on all services,
00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:39.819
you know, all needs. So as far as a group like
00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:44.220
ours that has been pretty attuned to the autistic
00:18:44.220 --> 00:18:47.640
and neurodivergent communities, that I haven't
00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:50.799
come across yet, unfortunately. Yeah, I mean,
00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:52.759
hopefully we get to a point where every state
00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:54.299
can have one of these, and every country can
00:18:54.299 --> 00:18:55.599
have one of these as well. But it sounds like
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.859
it'll be a long process and a long way to go
00:18:57.859 --> 00:19:01.670
for that to happen. Yeah, yeah, unfortunately.
00:19:01.990 --> 00:19:04.349
But, you know, I mean, just with everything that
00:19:04.349 --> 00:19:07.289
we've seen in the past few years, I mean, autism
00:19:07.289 --> 00:19:10.170
is something that's staying in the news for better
00:19:10.170 --> 00:19:14.069
or worse. And, you know, with that, I think having
00:19:14.069 --> 00:19:18.049
that spotlight helps. It helps to know that,
00:19:18.109 --> 00:19:20.450
you know, there's an increasing prevalence that
00:19:20.450 --> 00:19:23.009
we're understanding more of what autism looks
00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:26.390
like and how widely it intersects with different
00:19:26.390 --> 00:19:29.480
communities. It's something that we need to be
00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:33.220
prepared for and ready to respond. Yeah. For
00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:34.940
any listeners who might be in other states or
00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:37.200
other countries or who wants to kind of start
00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.920
their own organization like this or build that
00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:41.940
kind of resource identification program, I guess,
00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:43.680
do you have any advice or thoughts on what they
00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:48.259
could do? Yeah, I think the big thing is ensuring
00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:52.400
that we really have the background to be able
00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.369
to do some of that work. You know, with MyNavigator,
00:19:56.549 --> 00:19:59.529
we've always really prided ourselves on, you
00:19:59.529 --> 00:20:02.390
know, the folks that staff this team who work
00:20:02.390 --> 00:20:05.150
with individuals. We come from pretty various
00:20:05.150 --> 00:20:07.750
backgrounds as far as service organizations,
00:20:08.289 --> 00:20:12.509
lived experience. And we do that because we want
00:20:12.509 --> 00:20:15.569
to make sure that we're really giving a true
00:20:15.569 --> 00:20:18.349
interdisciplinary feel to anyone that connects
00:20:18.349 --> 00:20:21.759
with us. You know, we don't want a team. full
00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.099
of behavior analysts. We don't want a team, you
00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:26.759
know, full of just social workers with no personal
00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:30.519
or lived experience. We want to make sure that,
00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:32.839
you know, as we're serving some of these individuals
00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:35.119
that we can all sort of consult and really give
00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:39.880
them true, even and equitable approach. So for
00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:42.700
anyone who is really interested in that, I would
00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:45.059
just say, really doing your homework, literally.
00:20:45.890 --> 00:20:48.450
And, you know, making sure that you have the
00:20:48.450 --> 00:20:50.390
education and you have the background or you're
00:20:50.390 --> 00:20:54.089
bringing folks in with that background that can
00:20:54.089 --> 00:20:56.730
really give you that more global approach to
00:20:56.730 --> 00:20:59.369
serving autism. Because, you know, I know it's
00:20:59.369 --> 00:21:02.829
such a cliche thing to say, but serving one person
00:21:02.829 --> 00:21:05.309
with autism only serve one person with autism.
00:21:05.410 --> 00:21:08.670
Right. You know, there's there's a lot of things
00:21:08.670 --> 00:21:12.029
that we need to be aware of between understanding.
00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:14.980
there's different needs that go along with it
00:21:14.980 --> 00:21:17.720
and the identity pieces that go along with it
00:21:17.720 --> 00:21:21.160
and um yeah it's it's just something that definitely
00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:23.779
takes you know a little bit more of a comprehensive
00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:26.680
background i feel yeah that makes a lot of sense
00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:28.980
um is there anything else you'd like to talk
00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:33.720
about before i wrap up um no no i don't think
00:21:33.720 --> 00:21:36.779
so um i think i just want to really um you know
00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:40.000
reiterate that Beyond the My Navigator program,
00:21:40.539 --> 00:21:42.619
you know, Autism Alliance definitely tries to
00:21:42.619 --> 00:21:45.400
have a pretty strong impact in our communities
00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:48.680
here in the state. Beyond just the conferences
00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.559
as well, we have our annual Hero Walk that we
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.960
do at the end of the summer, the Detroit Zoo,
00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:57.740
where, you know, we try to maintain a pretty
00:21:57.740 --> 00:22:00.000
large gathering space of the autistic community.
00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:04.380
Really, we try to keep an eye on just the different
00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:07.079
community -based events that are going on across
00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:10.420
the state and promoting those and our community
00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:13.880
calendar, sharing some of those options and our
00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:18.259
semi -regular newsletters. So I think the biggest
00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:20.240
thing I want to impart is, you know, if you're
00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.539
someone that's a part of the community or you're
00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:25.559
serving the community, if you're not already
00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:28.279
connected to us, please do connect to us because
00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:31.289
we want to know what you're doing. And it may
00:22:31.289 --> 00:22:34.049
not be so much a partnership thing, but we do
00:22:34.049 --> 00:22:36.869
want to ensure that we're sharing out what's
00:22:36.869 --> 00:22:40.529
out there for folks. You know, there's a lot
00:22:40.529 --> 00:22:42.250
of great resources out there, but they're only
00:22:42.250 --> 00:22:45.009
as great as far as people know about them. Right.
00:22:45.230 --> 00:22:47.089
Yeah. What's the best way to get connected with
00:22:47.089 --> 00:22:52.680
the Alliance? Go right to our website. autismallianceofmichigan
00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:57.819
.org. There you can get connected to our MyNavigator
00:22:57.819 --> 00:23:01.240
program. You can connect to our business email
00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:04.160
or our business phone number. You can check out
00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:06.819
the community calendar. You can see some of the
00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:09.039
events that we're hosting that are coming up,
00:23:09.099 --> 00:23:11.339
like the next conference, like the Hero Walk.
00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:15.079
And really, that's where all of our information
00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:17.240
lives. And of course, you can check us out on
00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:19.660
socials too. We're on Facebook. We're on Instagram.
00:23:20.509 --> 00:23:24.369
autism lines in michigan as well um yeah that's
00:23:24.369 --> 00:23:27.730
probably the best place awesome sounds good and
00:23:27.730 --> 00:23:29.269
now it's time for the special interest spotlight
00:23:29.269 --> 00:23:32.849
we learn about our guest special interest so
00:23:32.849 --> 00:23:37.710
for my special interest um i'm actually on um
00:23:37.710 --> 00:23:41.609
a kick i just got back into anime in the last
00:23:41.609 --> 00:23:45.789
two years Yeah, I grew up on the traditional
00:23:45.789 --> 00:23:48.369
90s stuff, you know, a lot of Dragon Ball Z,
00:23:48.470 --> 00:23:52.230
a lot of Naruto. And then I sort of, you know,
00:23:52.250 --> 00:23:55.869
I became too cool for that for a while. But now
00:23:55.869 --> 00:23:58.289
I've gotten back into it and I'm discovering
00:23:58.289 --> 00:24:00.549
a lot of new series. Some of them, you know,
00:24:00.549 --> 00:24:03.410
they're not too niche. Of course, I watch Demon
00:24:03.410 --> 00:24:07.390
Slayer and Chainsaw Man and all that stuff. But
00:24:07.390 --> 00:24:12.700
yeah, it's become my comfort fix, I guess. And
00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:16.880
anytime I've come across anybody in my circle
00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:19.099
now that knows even a little bit about anime,
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:22.799
I really enjoyed info dumping on them and trying
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.960
to get into some little collaborative. But fortunately,
00:24:27.099 --> 00:24:29.400
there's not a ton of people in my circle who
00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:33.559
watch anime. So I'm kind of just me to myself.
00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:36.279
No, that's great. I love anime myself. I actually,
00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:38.220
right before this interview, I watched the newest
00:24:38.220 --> 00:24:41.180
episode of Witch Hat Atelier. It's coming out
00:24:41.180 --> 00:24:43.859
this season, yeah. Yeah, I have not seen that
00:24:43.859 --> 00:24:47.180
one yet, but I've heard good things. I just finished
00:24:47.180 --> 00:24:51.740
the first season of The Apothecary Diaries. Oh,
00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:54.240
that's really good, yeah. Which wasn't like my
00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:58.119
typical. I've been watching a lot of action -based
00:24:58.119 --> 00:25:01.980
ones, but it was really good. I really got into
00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:04.940
the story, and so I'm really excited to start
00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:07.039
the second season now that I realize it is out.
00:25:08.299 --> 00:25:11.039
But yeah, that's been a lot of what I've been
00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:14.039
excited on lately. And then with that, I've been
00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:16.940
checking out Motor City Comic Con now the last
00:25:16.940 --> 00:25:20.119
couple of years and just been basking in all
00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:22.920
of that and probably spending way too much money
00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:26.240
on merch. But it's been a good time. Yeah, that's
00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:29.880
how you do it. All right, sounds good. Thanks
00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:32.180
so much for joining, Eric. Yeah, thanks for having
00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:34.960
me. I really enjoyed the discussion with Eric.
00:25:35.509 --> 00:25:36.930
especially when we talked about the Navigating
00:25:36.930 --> 00:25:39.349
Autism Today conference. It's so important to
00:25:39.349 --> 00:25:41.069
have shared spaces for autistic people where
00:25:41.069 --> 00:25:43.390
we can feel belonging and inclusion. Here are
00:25:43.390 --> 00:25:44.650
some follow -up questions you can think about
00:25:44.650 --> 00:25:47.529
over the next week. First, where can you find
00:25:47.529 --> 00:25:50.609
resources for autistic people in your area? Organizations
00:25:50.609 --> 00:25:52.089
like the Autism Alliance of Michigan are pretty
00:25:52.089 --> 00:25:53.869
unique, but you can always start off with a Google
00:25:53.869 --> 00:25:55.670
search to see what resources are available in
00:25:55.670 --> 00:25:58.789
your state or region. Secondly, after you've
00:25:58.789 --> 00:26:00.849
found those resources, can you share them with
00:26:00.849 --> 00:26:02.849
someone who needs them? I hear a lot from autistic
00:26:02.849 --> 00:26:04.730
people who want resources but aren't sure where
00:26:04.730 --> 00:26:07.190
to find them. And if you're able to put in the
00:26:07.190 --> 00:26:08.950
work to find those resources, are you able to
00:26:08.950 --> 00:26:12.450
do something to pass them along? After all, resources
00:26:12.450 --> 00:26:15.230
are only useful if they can help people. Finally,
00:26:15.390 --> 00:26:17.390
what's one thing you can do to help create belonging
00:26:17.390 --> 00:26:19.750
in your life? Can you reach out to a friend group
00:26:19.750 --> 00:26:21.950
and set up a recurring get -together? Are there
00:26:21.950 --> 00:26:23.329
people you haven't heard from in a while that
00:26:23.329 --> 00:26:26.000
you want to hear from more frequently? You don't
00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:27.480
need to go through and set up a whole conference
00:26:27.480 --> 00:26:29.839
or a whole meetup group if you want to, but even
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:32.160
just a simple connection can help you feel a
00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:34.500
sense of belonging. Thanks so much for listening.
00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:36.740
If you found this episode helpful, I'd really
00:26:36.740 --> 00:26:38.119
appreciate it if you shared it with a friend
00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:40.539
or wrote a review on Apple Podcasts. I know you
00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:42.059
get that kind of request from all podcasts, but
00:26:42.059 --> 00:26:44.279
it really is something that helps us grow and
00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:47.759
reach a wider audience. See you next time. Hey,
00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:49.420
thanks for listening all the way to the end.
00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:52.119
You can find show notes at workingclassautistic
00:26:52.119 --> 00:26:55.079
.com. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and if
00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:57.039
you did, I would really appreciate it if you
00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.119
left a review in your podcast app or shared the
00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:01.500
episode with a friend. This entire podcast is
00:27:01.500 --> 00:27:03.599
a one -man operation, so anything you can do
00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:05.960
to help promote would go a long way. See you
00:27:05.960 --> 00:27:06.359
next time.
00:00:01.030 --> 00:00:03.290
Autistic people have so much to offer, and yet
00:00:03.290 --> 00:00:05.429
so many have a struggle to fit into a world that
00:00:05.429 --> 00:00:07.650
isn't designed for us. I want to help change
00:00:07.650 --> 00:00:10.390
that. Welcome to the Working Class Autistic podcast,
00:00:10.810 --> 00:00:12.810
where I talk to experts and discuss ways for
00:00:12.810 --> 00:00:14.570
autistic adults to thrive and reach their full
00:00:14.570 --> 00:00:17.129
potential at work and beyond. I'm your host,
00:00:17.250 --> 00:00:22.949
Kevin Joseph. Now, let's get to work. Hello,
00:00:23.070 --> 00:00:25.030
everyone, and welcome to this week's episode
00:00:25.030 --> 00:00:27.609
of Working Class Autistic. My guest this week
00:00:27.609 --> 00:00:30.260
is Eric Gallery. I met Eric at the Navigating
00:00:30.260 --> 00:00:32.119
Autism Today conference put on by the Autism
00:00:32.119 --> 00:00:34.280
Alliance of Michigan, where Eric is the Director
00:00:34.280 --> 00:00:36.659
of Navigation. His team does a lot of work for
00:00:36.659 --> 00:00:38.219
autistic people across the state of Michigan,
00:00:38.420 --> 00:00:40.939
addressing needs throughout the lifespan. He
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has over a decade of experience in disability
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services, from job coaching and case management
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to clinical services and executive administration.
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After I met Eric, I knew I wanted to have a chance
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to talk to him about the Alliance and the tools
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it could offer to autistic adults. Now, let's
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get into the interview. All right. Hello, Eric.
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Thanks so much for joining. Yeah, thanks for
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having me, Kevin. Glad to be here. Yeah. To get
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us started, can you describe your history with
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autism? Yeah, so I actually have a bit of a personal
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history with autism. My younger brother is autistic,
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so it's really something that I grew up with.
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It was really sort of secondhand for me, and
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I started working with folks in the IDD population,
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sort of dating myself here, but back when I was...
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I was working in a day program for individuals
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with autism and some other forms of developmental
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disabilities. And it was all vocational rehab.
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And I really found that I enjoyed the work. You
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know, autism is something, like I said, is something
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that hit close to home for me. So I really just
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sort of found joy in the work. with it from there,
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you know, moving into case management. And eventually
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I sort of pivoted in my education and went into
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behavior analysis and did that type of work on
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the pediatric side for a number of years before
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I decided to take a shift, get out of direct
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services and move over into advocacy. And that's
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when I accepted a position with the Autism Alliance
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of Michigan. overseeing the MyNavigator program.
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Yeah, sounds great. Can you give us an overview
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of the Alliance and what you guys do there? Yeah,
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so the Alliance is essentially a non -profit
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advocacy -based organization. We are a group
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that is focused on serving the autistic and neurodivergent
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populations here in Michigan. Our flagship service
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that I work with is our MyNavigator program.
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That's been in existence now since... over a
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decade since about 2014. It started off pretty
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small. It was actually just our CEO, who's the
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original navigator. But it really came out of
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a need for, you know, understanding that there
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was a certain level of guidance and care that
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was needed, you know, not just for families,
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but for anyone that's really affected by autism.
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And, you know, this includes service providers
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as well. And essentially what MyNavigator is,
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is a resource identification program. So we're
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working one -on -one with individuals really
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all across the lifespan of autism and just some
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of the specific needs that it presents. Keeping
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in mind, though, that autism itself isn't a need.
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There are just unique needs that can be presented
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with it. So a lot of folks that we're working
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with are obviously families who are getting referrals
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from their pediatrician that are exploring, you
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know, maybe some potential developmental delays.
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You know, they're wanting to potentially get
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an evaluation, understand, you know, what's going
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on, understanding if there's a need for a diagnosis.
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But on the flip side, we work with a lot of adults
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who are, you know, starting to see more in media.
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They're starting to see more out there and gaining
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a better understanding of what neurodivergence
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is. seeing some of those similarities in themselves
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and sort of how they've grown up and how they
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perceive the world. And so they're seeking some
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of their own diagnoses and trying to find their
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own identity and all that. So it's a bit of a
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balance between what we do, but essentially it
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really comes down to just working with individuals
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one -on -one, understanding where they're at,
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and trying to lead them to the options that exist
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here in Michigan to support what they need. Yeah,
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that sounds great. Can you walk us through what
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that looks like? What kind of questions do you
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talk about with these individuals? What kind
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of resources do you help them go towards? Yeah,
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yeah. I would say, like I said before, some of
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the most common requests are about finding evaluation
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centers, trying to find options to get a diagnosis.
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So when it comes to a family, it can be somewhat
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linear what the needs look like. An individual
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may be seeking, again, that evaluation to gain
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a diagnosis of autism. And then once they have
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that diagnosis, they're maybe looking into some
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clinical services, some early intervention to
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treat some needs. That could be anything from
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building functional communication, addressing
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some behavioral or some sensory -based concerns.
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So that might look like getting connected to
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a local ABA or occupational therapy or a speech
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provider. And then, you know, as an individual
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grows and they're accessing more of their community,
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sometimes the needs can grow as well. You know,
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once you enter the education system, there are
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a lot of potential barriers that come up there.
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So, you know, sometimes we are needed to help
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navigate what special education advocacy and
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resources look like as an individual gets older.
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getting into more of a spot with, you know, trying
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to connect with independent living options, employment
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support. We're there as well, you know, really
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trying to work with the individual and trying
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to find what options are out there. Maybe it's,
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you know, getting connected with a larger hub
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like MRS, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, and
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trying to find some local vocational rehab providers.
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um trying to identify some employment supports
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uh that go beyond that um it can really be varied
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but um again it just really depends where the
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individual is and um what that unique need is
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at the time got it yeah that makes a lot of sense
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um do you typically see more uh families that
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come in or for for children or is it more like
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adults I would say the majority of the individuals
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that reach out to us are families, but I've been
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with the Alliance now for, it's been about four
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years. And just in the short time that I've been
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here, I've been seeing the amount of autistic
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and neurodivergent adults steadily increasing
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from year to year. And that's not even just with,
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you know, some of the contacts that we get through
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MyNavigator. I've seen that in person at, you
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know, some of our community events like our education
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conferences that we do across the state um more
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individuals like i said before they're starting
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to recognize some of these signs some of these
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needs and you know they're they're looking to
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find you know what this means and they're looking
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for community they're looking for options so
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yeah i i've definitely seen an increase of that
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yeah it's interesting what do you think is causing
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causing that increase you know on a personal
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level and this is just from what I've seen with
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my own brother and just what my family has looked
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like. But I think a lot of it has had to do with
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social media. I think, you know, a lot of individuals
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are putting themselves out there more, sharing
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their stories more. And with that, people are,
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you know, they're identifying with some of that.
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They're seeing some of that. And I think it's
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making it easier to. maybe not always see this
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as purely a disability or some taboo item that
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we can't openly talk about. I think mental health
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in general is becoming something more openly
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talked about and shared with individuals. Even
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being in the field as long as I have, I mean,
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there's been times where I've shared my own therapy
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journey with folks. I still kind of get this
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reaction like, oh, oh, you're willing to talk
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about that. And it's like, yeah, you know, it's
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it's health, you know, it's basic health. So,
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yeah, it's I think it's just becoming, like I
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said, more more accepted, more known. It's it's
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a much more comfortable topic. That's good. Yeah.
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And as it becomes more accepted and more known,
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it makes sense that people will be more willing
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to get resources and look for resources to say
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like, oh, hey, I realize I might be autistic.
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What can I do about it? What resources are available?
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So I think it's great that you guys are doing
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the work to help make those connections and get
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people connected to those resources. Yeah, yeah,
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it's it definitely feels good. You know, again,
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when I look at, you know, how my brother has
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grown up and just seen. some of the changes that
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he's gone through and some of the openness that
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he now has, you know, during these later years.
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And, and I see some of those, you know, some
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of those similar things when I'm out in the community
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and I'm talking with folks, there's, there's
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just that comfort there to be able to share the
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story and say, Hey, yeah, you know, this is what
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I'm looking for. This is who I am. And that's,
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you know, a really powerful thing. Yeah, for
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sure. I first met you at the Navigating Autism
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Today conference that the Autism Alliance Michigan
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puts on. Can you talk a bit about that conference
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and kind of events that you hold? Yeah, those
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conferences have been going on since before I
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joined the Alliance. Originally, they were called
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the parent conferences because I think at the
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time they were really viewed as, you know, a
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resource for for families that were you know
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really trying to figure out autism and navigating
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specific things um with their child but um that
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evolved thankfully because you know obviously
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our leadership and our teams realize that this
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is way more than just families and parents um
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autism is something that's affecting individuals
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like i said before across the lifespan um so
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we changed the name of the conferences to the
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navigating autism today conference and we host
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Two each year. In the spring, we host our Eastside
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Conference, traditionally in Novi. And then in
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late fall, we are on the west side of the state
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in Grand Rapids. And really, those conferences
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are meant to hone in on two essential items.
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One, getting resources and getting knowledge
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and education. out to community members, out
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to families, out to individuals, so that they're,
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A, aware of what's available and accessible in
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their area, whether that's connecting with an
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external provider, connecting with us. And then
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the other big point is we want to be able to
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have an event that is bringing community together,
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bringing individuals, whether they're autistic
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or they're caregivers or they're providers. but
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creating a shared space and, you know, really
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trying to tap into that whole sense of creating
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belonging and really just an inclusive spot for
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folks. Yeah, that's great. Are there any particular
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sessions that you remember from the conference?
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Anything you want to call on in particular? Yeah,
00:11:52.769 --> 00:11:56.029
you know, we typically host, you know, some of
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our most common system -based providers. So we
00:11:59.690 --> 00:12:03.259
typically have talks from... Individuals with
00:12:03.259 --> 00:12:08.720
myABLE, the Social Security Administration talking
00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:13.980
about benefit options with SSI, SSDI. We typically
00:12:13.980 --> 00:12:16.779
have somebody from the special education space.
00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:20.240
But something that, you know, I really try to
00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.480
tap into when I'm looking for provider options
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and presenters for these conferences year to
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year. is trying to find more individuals that
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either have lived experience or are really promoting
00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:39.159
some of that neurodiverse affirming practices.
00:12:39.980 --> 00:12:42.840
Because the biggest thing that we've heard in
00:12:42.840 --> 00:12:45.659
terms of feedback from attendees and the bases
00:12:45.659 --> 00:12:49.340
that we serve is that individuals are more anxious
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to go to find adult -based services and options
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in their area of the state. And unfortunately,
00:12:56.240 --> 00:12:59.519
that is something that has been lagging. There's
00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.500
just simply not as many adult -based resources
00:13:02.500 --> 00:13:07.059
as there are for early intervention. So it can
00:13:07.059 --> 00:13:09.360
be a little bit of a challenge to do some of
00:13:09.360 --> 00:13:12.500
that outreach work and find them. But they are
00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:15.759
out there. And the big thing that we want to
00:13:15.759 --> 00:13:18.440
do is to really be able to create a balanced
00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:21.519
event. You know, we don't want an individual
00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:25.080
coming to this conference. I didn't really gain
00:13:25.080 --> 00:13:28.120
anything from it. We want it to be something
00:13:28.120 --> 00:13:31.759
where anybody on that journey can come in and
00:13:31.759 --> 00:13:34.360
they can walk away with something valuable to
00:13:34.360 --> 00:13:36.639
them. Yeah, no, I definitely hear you on the
00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:40.580
lightning effect of those adult services or adult
00:13:40.580 --> 00:13:44.460
focused autistic. um benefits um i guess what
00:13:44.460 --> 00:13:46.240
do you have any thoughts or ideas on what we
00:13:46.240 --> 00:13:49.080
could do to help increase the amount of the benefits
00:13:49.080 --> 00:13:50.980
out there or things we need to help promote those
00:13:50.980 --> 00:13:55.600
well i think the big thing is is you know continuing
00:13:55.600 --> 00:13:58.659
the conversation continuing to make it known
00:13:58.659 --> 00:14:01.840
that they're needed um you know when we do our
00:14:01.840 --> 00:14:04.559
outreach work across the year you know we're
00:14:04.559 --> 00:14:07.720
a trying to find those options but We're also
00:14:07.720 --> 00:14:10.860
making it known to the existing providers that,
00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:14.480
hey, you know, I mean, if your goal is to bring
00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.799
in business and to serve individuals, this is
00:14:17.799 --> 00:14:19.960
potentially a large population that you're missing.
00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:24.519
This is something to really tap into. So I think,
00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:26.980
you know, the easiest thing that we all do is
00:14:26.980 --> 00:14:30.019
to keep the conversation going and, you know,
00:14:30.039 --> 00:14:32.559
not really feeling defeated in what's happening
00:14:32.559 --> 00:14:35.679
right now, but looking ahead to how we can move
00:14:35.679 --> 00:14:38.440
forward and just. you can get known that this
00:14:38.440 --> 00:14:42.440
is a true need um you know that's that's really
00:14:42.440 --> 00:14:45.059
the main thing that i try to recommend to folks
00:14:45.059 --> 00:14:48.320
don't don't get lost in the negativity that you
00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:51.120
know it doesn't exist right now keep the conversation
00:14:51.120 --> 00:14:53.840
going yeah that makes a lot of sense especially
00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:56.090
i think A lot of autistics based online can kind
00:14:56.090 --> 00:14:58.149
of tend toward negativity because it's a lot
00:14:58.149 --> 00:14:59.809
of, you know, there's really a lot of struggles,
00:14:59.870 --> 00:15:02.129
a lot of challenges that we all deal with. But
00:15:02.129 --> 00:15:03.429
I think just talking about what we need, what
00:15:03.429 --> 00:15:04.830
kind of benefits are out there and what could
00:15:04.830 --> 00:15:06.409
be helpful for people, I think people will be
00:15:06.409 --> 00:15:09.190
receptive to looking for those and building more
00:15:09.190 --> 00:15:12.210
of those over time. Yeah, yeah, definitely. And,
00:15:12.370 --> 00:15:16.610
you know, it goes beyond just services. And I'm
00:15:16.610 --> 00:15:20.429
saying services in air quotes. When it comes
00:15:20.429 --> 00:15:23.909
to what these resources look like for the adult
00:15:23.909 --> 00:15:27.950
communities, it's not just about finding options
00:15:27.950 --> 00:15:33.730
to address a deficit. It's about options for
00:15:33.730 --> 00:15:37.350
community inclusion and actually trying to find
00:15:37.350 --> 00:15:41.230
options for social and recreational options and
00:15:41.230 --> 00:15:44.309
different support groups. And again, those do
00:15:44.309 --> 00:15:49.330
exist. They're few and sparse. And especially
00:15:49.330 --> 00:15:52.830
when we are working with folks from some of the
00:15:52.830 --> 00:15:56.809
more rural regions of the state, it's tough.
00:15:56.909 --> 00:15:59.669
It's tough when we can't really give them something
00:15:59.669 --> 00:16:03.250
that they're looking for. So I do want to just
00:16:03.250 --> 00:16:05.570
make it clear that it's not just about trying
00:16:05.570 --> 00:16:08.250
to find some of these intervention options, but
00:16:08.250 --> 00:16:11.169
it's trying to find things that can really address
00:16:11.169 --> 00:16:14.470
a more holistic sense of what's going on with
00:16:14.470 --> 00:16:16.590
the person. Yeah, that's a great point. The community
00:16:16.590 --> 00:16:18.690
is really important. I met someone else at the
00:16:18.690 --> 00:16:21.690
conference who hosted meetup groups and I mean,
00:16:21.750 --> 00:16:24.809
meetup events for people with autism, adults
00:16:24.809 --> 00:16:27.110
with autism as well. And so I was able to join
00:16:27.110 --> 00:16:28.450
one of those and that's been really helpful as
00:16:28.450 --> 00:16:30.750
well to see other adult autistics and just share
00:16:30.750 --> 00:16:32.590
those experiences. So I totally agree with that.
00:16:33.269 --> 00:16:36.389
Yeah, yeah, it's definitely needed. And, you
00:16:36.389 --> 00:16:38.610
know, while there are, you know, a fair amount
00:16:38.610 --> 00:16:40.950
of support groups and some social groups out
00:16:40.950 --> 00:16:44.500
there, I'm sure you have experienced this. Sometimes
00:16:44.500 --> 00:16:48.580
it's not led by somebody who has that lived experience,
00:16:48.980 --> 00:16:52.679
which can make it, you know, that much more awkward
00:16:52.679 --> 00:16:55.659
or, you know, tougher to navigate or really have
00:16:55.659 --> 00:16:58.980
the motivation to buy into that. You know, so
00:16:58.980 --> 00:17:01.740
finding self advocates that are willing to put
00:17:01.740 --> 00:17:03.740
themselves out there and put in the work. I mean,
00:17:03.799 --> 00:17:05.960
you know, it's a huge thing when we can find
00:17:05.960 --> 00:17:09.819
it. For sure. Yeah, I agree. I guess I'm curious,
00:17:09.859 --> 00:17:11.420
do you know of any organizations like the Alliance
00:17:11.420 --> 00:17:13.559
of Michigan in other states or across the country?
00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.380
There are definitely some larger groups that
00:17:17.380 --> 00:17:21.619
I've become aware of. There's Echo Autism Labs,
00:17:21.940 --> 00:17:26.019
which is a national collaborative that does a
00:17:26.019 --> 00:17:29.420
lot of resource identification. They do a fair
00:17:29.420 --> 00:17:32.599
amount of education. A lot of what they do, though,
00:17:32.660 --> 00:17:37.049
is pretty focused on early intervention. Um,
00:17:37.049 --> 00:17:39.910
there's, of course, our larger groups like, um,
00:17:40.009 --> 00:17:43.349
like Autism Speaks. Um, they do a national -based
00:17:43.349 --> 00:17:46.049
resource identification group. But, you know,
00:17:46.089 --> 00:17:48.690
just from my own personal experience and, you
00:17:48.690 --> 00:17:51.069
know, working with self -advocates, I know that
00:17:51.069 --> 00:17:53.369
there is, you know, a negative perception that
00:17:53.369 --> 00:17:55.609
exists with some of those larger groups just
00:17:55.609 --> 00:17:58.890
because of, you know, some of the varying shifts
00:17:58.890 --> 00:18:01.650
that they've had on strategy and, you know, quality
00:18:01.650 --> 00:18:06.809
of life and things like that. But as far as what's
00:18:06.809 --> 00:18:10.349
here in Michigan, we've been a pretty unique
00:18:10.349 --> 00:18:12.990
service for as long as I've been in the space.
00:18:13.690 --> 00:18:16.630
I do definitely think that there's different
00:18:16.630 --> 00:18:19.049
pockets of groups that do resource identification
00:18:19.049 --> 00:18:24.670
and service guidance. Many of the larger insurance
00:18:24.670 --> 00:18:29.710
groups, they have resource navigators that work
00:18:29.710 --> 00:18:33.440
with families and beneficiaries. But the issue
00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:36.359
is, you know, they're focused on all services,
00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:39.819
you know, all needs. So as far as a group like
00:18:39.819 --> 00:18:44.220
ours that has been pretty attuned to the autistic
00:18:44.220 --> 00:18:47.640
and neurodivergent communities, that I haven't
00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:50.799
come across yet, unfortunately. Yeah, I mean,
00:18:50.799 --> 00:18:52.759
hopefully we get to a point where every state
00:18:52.759 --> 00:18:54.299
can have one of these, and every country can
00:18:54.299 --> 00:18:55.599
have one of these as well. But it sounds like
00:18:55.599 --> 00:18:57.859
it'll be a long process and a long way to go
00:18:57.859 --> 00:19:01.670
for that to happen. Yeah, yeah, unfortunately.
00:19:01.990 --> 00:19:04.349
But, you know, I mean, just with everything that
00:19:04.349 --> 00:19:07.289
we've seen in the past few years, I mean, autism
00:19:07.289 --> 00:19:10.170
is something that's staying in the news for better
00:19:10.170 --> 00:19:14.069
or worse. And, you know, with that, I think having
00:19:14.069 --> 00:19:18.049
that spotlight helps. It helps to know that,
00:19:18.109 --> 00:19:20.450
you know, there's an increasing prevalence that
00:19:20.450 --> 00:19:23.009
we're understanding more of what autism looks
00:19:23.009 --> 00:19:26.390
like and how widely it intersects with different
00:19:26.390 --> 00:19:29.480
communities. It's something that we need to be
00:19:29.480 --> 00:19:33.220
prepared for and ready to respond. Yeah. For
00:19:33.220 --> 00:19:34.940
any listeners who might be in other states or
00:19:34.940 --> 00:19:37.200
other countries or who wants to kind of start
00:19:37.200 --> 00:19:39.920
their own organization like this or build that
00:19:39.920 --> 00:19:41.940
kind of resource identification program, I guess,
00:19:41.960 --> 00:19:43.680
do you have any advice or thoughts on what they
00:19:43.680 --> 00:19:48.259
could do? Yeah, I think the big thing is ensuring
00:19:48.259 --> 00:19:52.400
that we really have the background to be able
00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.369
to do some of that work. You know, with MyNavigator,
00:19:56.549 --> 00:19:59.529
we've always really prided ourselves on, you
00:19:59.529 --> 00:20:02.390
know, the folks that staff this team who work
00:20:02.390 --> 00:20:05.150
with individuals. We come from pretty various
00:20:05.150 --> 00:20:07.750
backgrounds as far as service organizations,
00:20:08.289 --> 00:20:12.509
lived experience. And we do that because we want
00:20:12.509 --> 00:20:15.569
to make sure that we're really giving a true
00:20:15.569 --> 00:20:18.349
interdisciplinary feel to anyone that connects
00:20:18.349 --> 00:20:21.759
with us. You know, we don't want a team. full
00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.099
of behavior analysts. We don't want a team, you
00:20:24.099 --> 00:20:26.759
know, full of just social workers with no personal
00:20:26.759 --> 00:20:30.519
or lived experience. We want to make sure that,
00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:32.839
you know, as we're serving some of these individuals
00:20:32.839 --> 00:20:35.119
that we can all sort of consult and really give
00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:39.880
them true, even and equitable approach. So for
00:20:39.880 --> 00:20:42.700
anyone who is really interested in that, I would
00:20:42.700 --> 00:20:45.059
just say, really doing your homework, literally.
00:20:45.890 --> 00:20:48.450
And, you know, making sure that you have the
00:20:48.450 --> 00:20:50.390
education and you have the background or you're
00:20:50.390 --> 00:20:54.089
bringing folks in with that background that can
00:20:54.089 --> 00:20:56.730
really give you that more global approach to
00:20:56.730 --> 00:20:59.369
serving autism. Because, you know, I know it's
00:20:59.369 --> 00:21:02.829
such a cliche thing to say, but serving one person
00:21:02.829 --> 00:21:05.309
with autism only serve one person with autism.
00:21:05.410 --> 00:21:08.670
Right. You know, there's there's a lot of things
00:21:08.670 --> 00:21:12.029
that we need to be aware of between understanding.
00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:14.980
there's different needs that go along with it
00:21:14.980 --> 00:21:17.720
and the identity pieces that go along with it
00:21:17.720 --> 00:21:21.160
and um yeah it's it's just something that definitely
00:21:21.160 --> 00:21:23.779
takes you know a little bit more of a comprehensive
00:21:23.779 --> 00:21:26.680
background i feel yeah that makes a lot of sense
00:21:26.680 --> 00:21:28.980
um is there anything else you'd like to talk
00:21:28.980 --> 00:21:33.720
about before i wrap up um no no i don't think
00:21:33.720 --> 00:21:36.779
so um i think i just want to really um you know
00:21:36.779 --> 00:21:40.000
reiterate that Beyond the My Navigator program,
00:21:40.539 --> 00:21:42.619
you know, Autism Alliance definitely tries to
00:21:42.619 --> 00:21:45.400
have a pretty strong impact in our communities
00:21:45.400 --> 00:21:48.680
here in the state. Beyond just the conferences
00:21:48.680 --> 00:21:52.559
as well, we have our annual Hero Walk that we
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:54.960
do at the end of the summer, the Detroit Zoo,
00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:57.740
where, you know, we try to maintain a pretty
00:21:57.740 --> 00:22:00.000
large gathering space of the autistic community.
00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:04.380
Really, we try to keep an eye on just the different
00:22:04.380 --> 00:22:07.079
community -based events that are going on across
00:22:07.079 --> 00:22:10.420
the state and promoting those and our community
00:22:10.420 --> 00:22:13.880
calendar, sharing some of those options and our
00:22:13.880 --> 00:22:18.259
semi -regular newsletters. So I think the biggest
00:22:18.259 --> 00:22:20.240
thing I want to impart is, you know, if you're
00:22:20.240 --> 00:22:22.539
someone that's a part of the community or you're
00:22:22.539 --> 00:22:25.559
serving the community, if you're not already
00:22:25.559 --> 00:22:28.279
connected to us, please do connect to us because
00:22:28.279 --> 00:22:31.289
we want to know what you're doing. And it may
00:22:31.289 --> 00:22:34.049
not be so much a partnership thing, but we do
00:22:34.049 --> 00:22:36.869
want to ensure that we're sharing out what's
00:22:36.869 --> 00:22:40.529
out there for folks. You know, there's a lot
00:22:40.529 --> 00:22:42.250
of great resources out there, but they're only
00:22:42.250 --> 00:22:45.009
as great as far as people know about them. Right.
00:22:45.230 --> 00:22:47.089
Yeah. What's the best way to get connected with
00:22:47.089 --> 00:22:52.680
the Alliance? Go right to our website. autismallianceofmichigan
00:22:52.680 --> 00:22:57.819
.org. There you can get connected to our MyNavigator
00:22:57.819 --> 00:23:01.240
program. You can connect to our business email
00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:04.160
or our business phone number. You can check out
00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:06.819
the community calendar. You can see some of the
00:23:06.819 --> 00:23:09.039
events that we're hosting that are coming up,
00:23:09.099 --> 00:23:11.339
like the next conference, like the Hero Walk.
00:23:12.460 --> 00:23:15.079
And really, that's where all of our information
00:23:15.079 --> 00:23:17.240
lives. And of course, you can check us out on
00:23:17.240 --> 00:23:19.660
socials too. We're on Facebook. We're on Instagram.
00:23:20.509 --> 00:23:24.369
autism lines in michigan as well um yeah that's
00:23:24.369 --> 00:23:27.730
probably the best place awesome sounds good and
00:23:27.730 --> 00:23:29.269
now it's time for the special interest spotlight
00:23:29.269 --> 00:23:32.849
we learn about our guest special interest so
00:23:32.849 --> 00:23:37.710
for my special interest um i'm actually on um
00:23:37.710 --> 00:23:41.609
a kick i just got back into anime in the last
00:23:41.609 --> 00:23:45.789
two years Yeah, I grew up on the traditional
00:23:45.789 --> 00:23:48.369
90s stuff, you know, a lot of Dragon Ball Z,
00:23:48.470 --> 00:23:52.230
a lot of Naruto. And then I sort of, you know,
00:23:52.250 --> 00:23:55.869
I became too cool for that for a while. But now
00:23:55.869 --> 00:23:58.289
I've gotten back into it and I'm discovering
00:23:58.289 --> 00:24:00.549
a lot of new series. Some of them, you know,
00:24:00.549 --> 00:24:03.410
they're not too niche. Of course, I watch Demon
00:24:03.410 --> 00:24:07.390
Slayer and Chainsaw Man and all that stuff. But
00:24:07.390 --> 00:24:12.700
yeah, it's become my comfort fix, I guess. And
00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:16.880
anytime I've come across anybody in my circle
00:24:16.880 --> 00:24:19.099
now that knows even a little bit about anime,
00:24:19.279 --> 00:24:22.799
I really enjoyed info dumping on them and trying
00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:26.960
to get into some little collaborative. But fortunately,
00:24:27.099 --> 00:24:29.400
there's not a ton of people in my circle who
00:24:29.400 --> 00:24:33.559
watch anime. So I'm kind of just me to myself.
00:24:33.960 --> 00:24:36.279
No, that's great. I love anime myself. I actually,
00:24:36.359 --> 00:24:38.220
right before this interview, I watched the newest
00:24:38.220 --> 00:24:41.180
episode of Witch Hat Atelier. It's coming out
00:24:41.180 --> 00:24:43.859
this season, yeah. Yeah, I have not seen that
00:24:43.859 --> 00:24:47.180
one yet, but I've heard good things. I just finished
00:24:47.180 --> 00:24:51.740
the first season of The Apothecary Diaries. Oh,
00:24:51.779 --> 00:24:54.240
that's really good, yeah. Which wasn't like my
00:24:54.240 --> 00:24:58.119
typical. I've been watching a lot of action -based
00:24:58.119 --> 00:25:01.980
ones, but it was really good. I really got into
00:25:01.980 --> 00:25:04.940
the story, and so I'm really excited to start
00:25:04.940 --> 00:25:07.039
the second season now that I realize it is out.
00:25:08.299 --> 00:25:11.039
But yeah, that's been a lot of what I've been
00:25:11.039 --> 00:25:14.039
excited on lately. And then with that, I've been
00:25:14.039 --> 00:25:16.940
checking out Motor City Comic Con now the last
00:25:16.940 --> 00:25:20.119
couple of years and just been basking in all
00:25:20.119 --> 00:25:22.920
of that and probably spending way too much money
00:25:22.920 --> 00:25:26.240
on merch. But it's been a good time. Yeah, that's
00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:29.880
how you do it. All right, sounds good. Thanks
00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:32.180
so much for joining, Eric. Yeah, thanks for having
00:25:32.180 --> 00:25:34.960
me. I really enjoyed the discussion with Eric.
00:25:35.509 --> 00:25:36.930
especially when we talked about the Navigating
00:25:36.930 --> 00:25:39.349
Autism Today conference. It's so important to
00:25:39.349 --> 00:25:41.069
have shared spaces for autistic people where
00:25:41.069 --> 00:25:43.390
we can feel belonging and inclusion. Here are
00:25:43.390 --> 00:25:44.650
some follow -up questions you can think about
00:25:44.650 --> 00:25:47.529
over the next week. First, where can you find
00:25:47.529 --> 00:25:50.609
resources for autistic people in your area? Organizations
00:25:50.609 --> 00:25:52.089
like the Autism Alliance of Michigan are pretty
00:25:52.089 --> 00:25:53.869
unique, but you can always start off with a Google
00:25:53.869 --> 00:25:55.670
search to see what resources are available in
00:25:55.670 --> 00:25:58.789
your state or region. Secondly, after you've
00:25:58.789 --> 00:26:00.849
found those resources, can you share them with
00:26:00.849 --> 00:26:02.849
someone who needs them? I hear a lot from autistic
00:26:02.849 --> 00:26:04.730
people who want resources but aren't sure where
00:26:04.730 --> 00:26:07.190
to find them. And if you're able to put in the
00:26:07.190 --> 00:26:08.950
work to find those resources, are you able to
00:26:08.950 --> 00:26:12.450
do something to pass them along? After all, resources
00:26:12.450 --> 00:26:15.230
are only useful if they can help people. Finally,
00:26:15.390 --> 00:26:17.390
what's one thing you can do to help create belonging
00:26:17.390 --> 00:26:19.750
in your life? Can you reach out to a friend group
00:26:19.750 --> 00:26:21.950
and set up a recurring get -together? Are there
00:26:21.950 --> 00:26:23.329
people you haven't heard from in a while that
00:26:23.329 --> 00:26:26.000
you want to hear from more frequently? You don't
00:26:26.000 --> 00:26:27.480
need to go through and set up a whole conference
00:26:27.480 --> 00:26:29.839
or a whole meetup group if you want to, but even
00:26:29.839 --> 00:26:32.160
just a simple connection can help you feel a
00:26:32.160 --> 00:26:34.500
sense of belonging. Thanks so much for listening.
00:26:34.960 --> 00:26:36.740
If you found this episode helpful, I'd really
00:26:36.740 --> 00:26:38.119
appreciate it if you shared it with a friend
00:26:38.119 --> 00:26:40.539
or wrote a review on Apple Podcasts. I know you
00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:42.059
get that kind of request from all podcasts, but
00:26:42.059 --> 00:26:44.279
it really is something that helps us grow and
00:26:44.279 --> 00:26:47.759
reach a wider audience. See you next time. Hey,
00:26:47.799 --> 00:26:49.420
thanks for listening all the way to the end.
00:26:49.759 --> 00:26:52.119
You can find show notes at workingclassautistic
00:26:52.119 --> 00:26:55.079
.com. I hope you enjoyed this episode, and if
00:26:55.079 --> 00:26:57.039
you did, I would really appreciate it if you
00:26:57.039 --> 00:26:59.119
left a review in your podcast app or shared the
00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:01.500
episode with a friend. This entire podcast is
00:27:01.500 --> 00:27:03.599
a one -man operation, so anything you can do
00:27:03.599 --> 00:27:05.960
to help promote would go a long way. See you
00:27:05.960 --> 00:27:06.359
next time.
