“Everyone deserves someone and everyone deserves a friend.” Juliana Fetherman By Ron Sandison I was excited to interview Juliana Fetherman, the founder of Making Authentic Friendships. I saw Juliana and her brother Michael on The Today Show. Juliana created an app to empower young adults with autism…

By joining autism and neurodivergent communities, I’ve gained such a stronger and more confident sense of self! Amy Gaeta An interview with Amy Gaeta by Ron Sandison. Understanding neurodivergence was key to my success. As I discovered how my mind processed information and became an expert on auti…

Rudy reminds me of the simple things in life like a good meal. No matter what we have for dinner, Rudy is under the table begging for his scraps. By Ron Sandison In December 2018 I was experiencing severe anxiety and depression. I felt overwhelm by traveling and speaking at over 70 events a year an…

Tal Anderson plays the character Sid on the Netflix original series Atypical. By Ron Sandison My favorite Netflix original series is Atypical. I love watching Keir Gilchrist portray Sam Gardner, a young adult with Asperger’s. I was excited to interview Tal Anderson, a young adult actress with autism…

By Aaron Bouma For much of my life I have been mainly focused on military history and military affairs as my main special interest. Just as many autistics, I possess a strong interest in a specific topic which I fixate on. A year after high school in 2007 I attempted to join the Canadian Forces but…

When I finished seminary as a young minister with autism I often felt excluded due to my lack of social skills and sensory issues. Disability and the Church is the perfect fit to help churches understand neurodiversity and learn ways to equip individuals like me for ministry.” Ron Sandison Ron…

“I’m often the first to hear alarms. I can differentiate sounds quickly and more easily. My sensitivity to touch helps with palpation during a nurse exam. I can feel if something is different or off.” An interview with Ron Sandison Like many women, Nurse Jackie Anne Blair was diagnosed w…

“No diagnostic manual can truly explain the multi-faceted experience of autism,” Elisabeth Wiklander By Ron Sandison Elisabeth Wiklander was raised in a musically talented family. Her dad is a pianist, organist, and composer and mom a conductor, singer, and clarinetist. When Elisabeth w…

By Dana Trick Sinking like a stone— You’re human, Not a rock, And you have the limbs to Swim towards the surface. Curiosity killed the cat— There are trillions of things that could have Killed the cat as well as you. Why do you promote foolish ignorance When knowledge is essential? Blind as a bat—…

Brittany is currently ranked #1 for Special Olympic female tennis players in the world and is a professional tennis player. By Ron Sandison Twenty-eight year old Brittany Tagliareni (5′2″ & 103 pounds) is a little powerhouse on the tennis court. She has won over 100 medals and beat many of the t…

“I want to see a world where people with disabilities achieving things is a norm rather than an exception. It isn’t a surprise when you see a person with autism practicing law or doing something amazing in the world.” By Ron Sandison This last June I met Haley Moss at the Milestone Autism Conferenc…

The Art of Autism interviews Gail Alvares, PhD, about her team’s research which was recently published in the journal Autism. The researchers reviewed data for 2,225 children and young people (aged 1-18) diagnosed with autism, about half of whom had intellectual disability, and half of whom di…

“What people forget is that autism is a developmental disability. It’s not a learning disability. We’re not all nerdy guys who are good at math like Sheldon on the ‘Big Bang Theory.’ We come in all shapes and sizes. I want to create a paradigm shift to view students with autism as the bright…

By Ron Sandison Curt Warner is a two-time All-American at Penn State, a 2009 College Football Hall of Fame inductee, and a former All-Pro running back for the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams. Ana Warner has dedicated her life to the care of her family and the study of autism spectrum disord…