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Autism Stories

Autism Stories

Autism Personal Coach/Doug Blecher 460 Episodes Oct 12, 2026

Autistic people are the true experts of the autistic experience. Autism Stories will help you to live your best autistic life by interviewing autistic people and others in the autism community who share their experiences, stories, and advice with you. Learn how coaching can help you then book a free call with Autism Personal Coach.

Episodes

Autism Stories: Chaka Khan Foundation
Autism Stories: Chaka Khan Foundation Oct 12, 2026 00:19:48 "Daily struggles of having apraxia so people can learn more compassion for autistics with extreme stress that sometimes causes them to look violent or defiant. Horrible being trapped in a body that often misrepresents you. Living with apraxia does get better when voices can be heard. But the thing is, apraxia often works against us even after we’ve become very skilled spellers, some days leav
Autism Stories: Dr. Mel Houser
Autism Stories: Dr. Mel Houser Oct 5, 2026 00:29:51 "Universal design starts from a completely different premise. There’s no default patient. There’s no default human. So you design the whole system—the whole life cycle of how a patient interacts—flexing for the widest range of people from the start", says Dr. Mel Houser. Mel returns her latest book, Failure of Imagination: How the Healthcare System Fails Neurodivergent People. To learn m
Autism Stories: Kaz Windness
Autism Stories: Kaz Windness Sep 28, 2026 00:23:58 "I really wanted it to be an authentic perspective—my authentic perspective. Autism shows up in a lot of different ways. I’m discovering people-pleasing is something I’m trying to unpack and understand, and really encourage a precedent that it’s okay to like people that aren’t like you and like different things", says Kaz Windness. Kaz returns to Autism Stories to discuss her latest book
Autism Stories: Hans Bruintjes
Autism Stories: Hans Bruintjes Sep 21, 2026 00:14:59 "I do understand why it’s so hard for many autistic lawyers to open up about their neurodivergence, because if you are open about your neurodivergence, you are more likely to be rejected when you are job-seeking", says Hans Bruintjes. Hans joins this episode to discuss being an attorney and researcher. To learn more about Hans visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-bruintjes-llb-29293916
Autism Stories: Bridgette Hamstead
Autism Stories: Bridgette Hamstead Sep 7, 2026 00:29:59 "Something is not working, and I would argue that what is not working is the framework. Neurodiversity justice asks a different set of questions. Instead of asking how neurodivergent people can navigate systems that were not built for them, it asks who built those systems, what choices produced those outcomes, and what would it actually take to change them at a structural level?", says B
Autism Stories: Gerene Keesler
Autism Stories: Gerene Keesler Aug 31, 2026 00:18:45 "You can be college capable on paper, but not college ready. You can have that 4.5, 5.5 weighted GPA, but if you’re not college ready with the social-emotional piece of it, and you don’t know how to navigate getting accommodations or asking a teacher for help because Mom and Dad have always done that for you, it’s a lot", says Gerene Keesler. Gerene joins this episode to discuss supporting high sc
Autism Stories: Doug Solo Episode
Autism Stories: Doug Solo Episode Aug 24, 2026 00:14:24 "Our coaching flows around obstacles rather than through them, just like water. Instead of pushing straight at a barrier, we reframe that obstacle itself, leaning into interdependence rather than independence. It’s the path of least resistance, not the path of most force", says Doug Blecher. Join Doug on this solo episode as he shares some his most recent writing. To read all of Doug&#39
Autism Stories: Bruce Petherick and Paula Holmes-Rodman
Autism Stories: Bruce Petherick and Paula Holmes-Rodman Aug 17, 2026 00:44:41 "“Oncology nurses need to think about how they communicate before what they communicate. No matter how much incredible knowledge that oncology nurse has, unless and until they know how that patient communicates, they’re useless. They can’t just walk in, impart knowledge, hand over a pamphlet, ask a one-to-ten scale, and walk out", says Paula Holmes-Rodman. Paula and Bruce join me to disc
Autism Stories: Meg Eden Kuyatt
Autism Stories: Meg Eden Kuyatt Aug 10, 2026 00:21:46 "I felt really strongly about this title because I wanted that idea of perfectionism. Neurodivergent folks, we are often so hard on ourselves. A phrase my husband and I have that’s been really mind-blowing for us is, ‘If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.’ We can get so daunted by excellence that we don’t do anything", says Meg Eden Kuyatt. Meg returns to Autism Stories to discus
Autism Stories: Kate Rigby
Autism Stories: Kate Rigby Aug 4, 2026 00:26:30 "Being AuDHD, I think the autistic part of me is more organized and likes an element of organization, whereas the other part lets it evolve as I go along. I like to have some shape and idea before beginning a book, even if it doesn’t stay that way", says Kate Rigby. Kate joins this episode to discuss the intersection of autism and fibromylagia and being an author for 40 years. To learn m
Autism Stories: Tempest McDonald
Autism Stories: Tempest McDonald Jul 27, 2026 00:41:08 "Autistic minds and a PhD go together like bread and butter. As far as doing the research, thinking about the concepts, and all of that, many of us have strengths that are perfectly aligned. But it’s the environments of the PhD that can be challenging to navigate", says Tempest McDonald. Tempest joins this episode to discuss  new five part podcast that chronicles her life story up to thi
Autism Stories: V Liwai Garcia
Autism Stories: V Liwai Garcia Jul 20, 2026 00:42:08 "Sixty-two percent said that after they disclosed [their autism], colleagues privately expressed support but publicly failed to intervene or advocate… When it mattered in public, where everyone could see that you were being humiliated, that’s where the support was withdrawn. It is crushing", says V Liwai Garcia. V joins us to discuss her research study  in which  she interviewed 45 Autis

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