Originally recorded 14 June 2023

About Bliss Road:

In this sometimes funny, often devastating memoir, Martha Engber describes the arduous journey toward discovering the invisible roadblock that ran her life off course: her psychological distress is the result of being the neurotypical daughter of a dad with undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder, a condition that affects over 75 million people worldwide.

Martha uses personal anecdotes and research about the emergence of ASD as a diagnosis to explain the psychological, emotional and social challenges she faced as a child, then as an adult and parent. Along the way, she shows the sometimes harrowing, but eminently rewarding, route others can follow to chase down the source of their family angst and so reach a more blissful future.

Martha Engber is the author of Winter Light, an IPPY Gold Medal Winner in Young Adult Fiction. Her other books include the novels The Falcon, The Wolf and the Hummingbird, and The Wind Thief, and the Resource for Writers, Growing Great Characters from the Ground Up. A speaker and workshop facilitator, she’s had dozens of short stories and poems published in literary magazines and a play produced in Hollywood. She lives in California with her husband, bike and surfboard. She invites readers to connect via her website, MarthaEngber.com.

Order Bliss Road on Amazon. [https://amzn.to/4avGAKu]

The Autistic Me:

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/neurodiversity
  https://autisticme.libsyn.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme

The film Ezra follows Max Bernal (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father (Robert De Niro), while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (introducing William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife (Rose Byrne).

Alex Plank, Associate Producer

Alex Plank is a trailblazing autistic self-advocate and a pioneering leader in the autistic human rights. As an associate producer of the critically acclaimed movie 'Ezra,' Alex has made significant strides in both behind-the-scenes and on-camera roles. He is a champion of authentic and humanistic representation of autistic individuals in the film industry. With a deep commitment to challenging ableism, Alex advocates for a world where autistic people are valued and respected. This commitment extends to a broader condemnation of ableism in all its forms, with a specific focus on dismantling the barriers within the film industry that marginalize autistic talent and narratives.

Jenny Palmiotto – Founder of Love & Autism

Jenny Palmiotto, Psy. D, LMFT, is a distinguished figure at the forefront of the neurodiversity movement and the visionary founder of Love & Autism. Her organization stands as a profound statement against systemic ableism and champions the belief that autistic rights are human rights. Jenny is committed to challenging the prevailing narrative that autistic individuals do not desire or require the universal human experiences of love, authenticity, and belonging. Through her advocacy, she promotes a society that fully embraces neurodiversity, advocating for acceptance and understanding in all facets of life. As the owner and clinical director of The Family Guidance and Therapy Center, Dr. Palmiotto has pioneered a model of neurodiversity-affirming therapy that supports autistic individuals and their families. This innovative approach focuses on enhancing strengths, fostering relationships, and promoting positive self-identity among autistic individuals, guided by principles of respect, understanding, and acceptance.

The Autistic Me:

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/neurodiversity
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme

Note: Recorded 7 June 2023

Originally Scheduled for September 2023

Sarah Stelmach-Brown is a caregiving advocate with a major focus on autism and Alzheimer’s disease and the host of the podcast “Caregiver Chronicles.” She is the mother of two boys on the autism spectrum.

Sarah worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant and Certified Medication Technician at assisted living facilities, nursing homes and in-home care before leaving in July of 2021 after experiencing caregiver burnout. She is raw and passionate as she speaks
about her experiences as a caregiver in both personal and professional settings.

Sarah is not afraid to tackle serious topics but also uses her wit to bring levity to almost any situation. She uses her podcast to help caregivers from all walks of life connect to others and gets their messages out about making the world a better place for those we care for and those who care for us.

https://thewholecarenetwork.com/caregiver-chronicles-podcast/

https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sarah4903

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/caregiver-chronicles/id1527943242

The Autistic Me:

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/neurodiversity
• https://autisticme.libsyn.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme

Normal life has made it difficult this fall to maintain the podcast, my blogs, and my social media accounts. I have no idea how other working parents with podcasts and blogs manage to produce any content during a school year.

Trying to produce episodes at least monthly proved beyond my stamina.

After months like November, I find myself envying full-time creators who earn a living producing quality podcasts, videos, blog posts, and social media. They have tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of subscribers and followers. Their podcasts have sponsors. Many of them have small teams or they outsource editing and transcription of content.

And then there are the dedicated hobbyists. That’s me: a slightly insane, certainly overwhelmed, and sometimes on-schedule hobbyist.

Podcast 0111; Season 07, Episode 04; 4 December 2023

The Autistic Me:

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/neurodiversity
• https://autisticme.libsyn.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme

David Villec is the neurodiverse father of Tiger, a 10-year-old autistic savant. Dave discusses his personal challenges and those of Tiger.

The Autistic Tiger is 10-year-old Tiger Villec and his namesake character, also known as “TAT.” Tiger is a world-renowned artist with the unique ability to draw upside down and draw with incredible detail. You may have seen him on TV or your favorite comic-cons.

Recorded in late May 2023.

• https://www.instagram.com/tigervillec/?hl=en
• https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100092294232399
• https://www.facebook.com/theautistictiger/
• https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjXeGSMLbX4pFQHpG4A1szA
• https://www.tiktok.com/@theautistictiger
• https://linktr.ee/theautistictiger

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme

How can parents support their disabled children into adulthood? Will our children find meaningful places in society? Sadly, workplaces don’t always accommodate differences.

Mark Lyons and his wife are former teachers. With their son Samuel, they operate SammySocksEtc, an online store offering cozy socks, coffees, and teas. Like many disabled adults, Samuel struggled with traditional employment. The Lyons sought to provide Samuel with a safe and supportive work environment.

SammySocksEtc is online at:

• https://www.sammysocksetc.com  
• https://sammysocksetc.com
• https://www.facebook.com/SammySocksEtc
• https://twitter.com/SammySocksEtc
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mXzwTs8IU9o

The Autistic Me

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme

Podcast 0108; Season 7, Episode 1; 15 August 2023

It’s back-to-school season again, which also marks a new season of this podcast. Unfortunately, the new school year might be the busiest our family has experienced. I anticipate challenges producing new podcast episodes on a regular schedule.

What little free time we will have might be on weekends, and I don’t wish to give up family weekends for anything else.

My impulse, whether from autism, ADHD, or something else, is to be productive. Yet, I constantly feel anxious because my to-do list grows faster than I complete the tasks. If I tell myself a podcast “must” be produced weekly, I feel horrible when that goal isn’t met. Therefore, I am aiming for monthly episodes of Perspective on Neurodiversity. I believe that a single episode per month is what I can reasonably produce in the time available.

The Autistic Me:

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/neurodiversity

https://autisticme.libsyn.com/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme

Dr. Bibi Pirayesh is an educational therapist and learning rights advocate based in Los Angeles, CA. She has spent the last 15 years working with hundreds of children, parents, teachers, and schools to enhance the lives of children with learning disabilities. She regularly speaks on neurodiversity, educational therapy, and learning disability as a social justice issue on podcasts and stages and as a university lecturer.

As a first-generation immigrant and English language learner, she draws on a unique multicultural perspective, years of specialized education on these topics, and over a decade of community experience and advocacy. Helping parents, students, and teachers recognize the power they hold is shifting our systems toward equity and inclusion is her passion. Outside of work, she is an avid traveler and dog mom to "Booboo," everyone's favorite therapy dog.

• https://www.oneofonekids.org/about/
• https://www.oneofonekids.org/community/

In 2020, in response the school shutdowns and the isolation and mental health crisis of the pandemic, Dr. Pirayesh launched the Difference is Not Deficit Project. This project aims to build community through the power of sharing stories

The Autistic Me:

• Blog: https://www.tameri.com/autisticme/
• Podcast: https://autisticme.libsyn.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/autisticme/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/autisticme
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CSWyatt
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autisticme