Hold onto your comb-overs, people! Today we're chatting with entrepreneur, business coach, and fellow podcaster Jessica Kupferman. Jessica has a teenaged son with high functioning autism, and she is VERY funny.     Jessica talks about having ADHD, Nate's late autism diagnosis, and what it's changed for them.   Here are Jessica's deets:   Website: Lady Business   Podcast: Lady Business Radio   Facebook: Lady Business Central   Twitter: Jessica Kupferman   Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

Joyriding In Autismland: Autism Podcast with Kid Gigawatt

36 Jessica Kupferman | On ADHD, autism, and comb-overs.

 Jen Turrell is mom to two daughters on the spectrum, and is the author of the new book Help! My Child Has Autism: A Parent's Guide to Start, Fund, and Maintain an Evidence Based Intervention. We chat about ABA, staffing up, and first plane rides. The particulars: Autism Website: Able Interventions  Book: Help! My Child Has Autism  Personal Website: Jen and Stew Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland 

35 Jen Turrell | On ABA, staffing up, and first plane rides

Hey guys! So summer is coming, even though you wouldn't really be feeling it yet if you are up in Maine with us, and I wanted to do an  episode about safety issues and autism. This is super important because statistically, most accidents involving people on the spectrum happen in the warmer months. I'm excited to be speaking today with Federal Law Enforcement Officer, autism parent, and autism first responder trainer Matt Brown. We talk about why it is sooooo important to register kids with autism with the local and state police departments. 

34 Officer Matt Brown | On why registering our kids saves lives, and on summertime safety on the spectrum

Thrilled to be joined by my husband to discuss three things we feel have made us better autism parents people. I hope listening to these will get you thinking about how your past experiences relate to the spectrum. Don't skip the last bit, where I list out our five favorite coping tools (spoiler alert: one of these may involve Jon Stewart, but I can neither confirm nor deny.) 

33 Kid Gigawatt | On 3 things that made us better autism parents, plus 5 coping tools for bumpy days

Today I'm excited to speak to author Patty Pacelli, whose young adult son has autism. She advocates for people on the spectrum to achieve their career dreams and contribute their exceptional talents to the workforce, and has just written a book entitled Six Word Lessons for Autism Friendly Workplaces. We chat about preparing younger kiddos for the workforce, what makes some people with autism fantastic hires, some of the best and worst jobs for people with autism, and about helpful work accommodations. In case you're thinking about picking up the book here's a chapter summary1.  The Need for Autism Friendly Workplaces2.  Career Preparation for Parents and Children3.  How to Find the Best Jobs4.  ADA Laws and Rules for Work5.  Best Interview Practices for the Employer6.  Interview Tips for People with Autism7.  Reasonable Accommodations for Employers to Offer8.  Accommodations that can Help Autistic Employees9.  Benefits of Hiring People with Autism10. Be Aware of Unique Autistic Traits11. Social Expectations for Workers with Autism And here are Patty's deets: Website: http://www.growingupautistic.comBook: http://www.growingupautistic.com/six-word-lessons-for-autism-friendly-workplaces.htmlFast Company article: http://www.fastcompany.com/3028536/leadership-now/how-to-build-an-autism-friendly-workplaceEntrepreneur article: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233281 Kelley

32 Patty Pacelli | On preparing younger kiddos for the workforce, what makes some people with autism fantastic hires, some of the best and worst jobs for people with autism, and about helpful work accommodations.

Kyle's work in autism spans direct services, research, and administration. He worked one-on-one with adults on the spectrum in Santa Barbara, CA, focusing on improvements in quality of life, employment, health, and social networks. For two years, while pursuing his Master's of Social Work, he worked for a multi-million dollar state and federally funded psychosocial intervention research project at the University of Pittsburgh for adults with autism that aims to be a new standard in adult autism services. And he's author to the recent book, Connect: Findings for a New Era of Autism.Here are all the deets on Kyle:   Website: http://www.autismstat.org Book: https://gumroad.com/l/connect/beta New Venture: http://spot.launchrock.com Twitter: @autismstat   Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

31 Kyle Crawford | On his new autism book, customized education, inclusion, laughing, and magical moments. (

Today's episode is a bit different, because I won't be doing any interviewing - I'm flying solo. It's been a rough week for us all, because my father-in-law died on Monday afternoon, and he was just a great guy. A coach, a teacher, a veteran, a lifelong athlete, and a kind and gentle man. I'm feeling nostalgic, so I wanted to give a look back and give you guys a quick guide to our previous episodes to help you find a good one you might have missed.    The episodes from the parent perspective are:             Numbers 4 & 5 with Keri Bowers, fillmaker and art therapist on raising a son on the spectrum                 Number 7 with Dan Korins on his son, who has an amazing voice                Number 8 with Rupert Isaacson, NYT best-selling author and filmmaker of "The Horse Boy"    Number 12 with my husband Jeff Waites, on raising the Romanator            Number 14 with Wayne Gilpin, author, and autism book and magazine publisher     Number 18 with Kara Wilson, on raising a daughter with Asperger's                 Number 21 with Margret Ericsdottir, filmmaker and mom of a nonverbal teenaged boy     Number 28 with Cynthia Lord, NYT best-selling children's author, and mom to a young adult son with autism    Number 29 with Julie Cole, entrepreneur and mother of 6 kids, the oldest of whom has autism   Writing from the first-hand perspective of autism     Episode 2 with Temple Grandin, autism rock star    Episodes 9 & 10 with Jennifer McIlwee Myers, Aspie and author    Episode 23 with Tom Angleberger, Aspie, NYT best-selling author of a series of kids books with Aspie main characters   The sibling perspective is highlighted with my own kids in episode 6   Authors- we have a bunch in the parent category (Rupert Isaacson, Wayne Gilpin, Cynthia Lord), but also:                 Episode 3 with James Ball, chair of the national Autism Society and autism behavioral consultant                Episode 20 with scholar, NYT best-selling author and speaker Andrew Solomon     And then there are therapists and therapies on                 Episode 13 with Alisa Anderson on adaptive ski                 Episode 16 with Sarah Bronson on therapeutic horseback riding    Episode 17 with Jill Schacht on occupational therapy                 Episode 19 with Elizabeth Mortati on art therapy                 Episode 25 with Rachel See on music therapy   School & Home focused:                 We talk in-home support in number 11 with Lauren O'Neil                We talk school inclusion in episode 24 with Tim Villegas   Episode 22 with Eric Tivers is about how ADHD tends to co-occur with autism   And then there are two episodes not specifically related to autism, but to being different: Episode 1 with NYT best-selling author, wine expert and social media guru Gary Vaynerchuk     Episode 27 with NYT best-selling author, magazine publisher, super nice guy, and business consultant Chris Brogan   And the last episodes I haven't mentioned are about Kid Gigawatt (that's us!)     Number 15 is about why we sell t-shirts to microfund therapies for kiddos with autism     Number 26 is about the road trip documentary movie we're making this summer   And today is episode 30, so there you have it! And after 4 planes and a funeral, what I'd really love more than anything, is to hear from you. Please email me your funny stories from Autismland, I'd love to put together an episode together just with some of the bright spots. So when we're feeling a bit blue, we can have a good laugh. Email me at kelley@kidgigawatt.com- I'm counting on you! :)  Kelley PS Here's a link to the blog post I mentioned on the podcast, Remembering Opa.

30 Kelley Fitch | On episodes 1-29 - a quick guide

Today, I'm so excited to speak to Mabel's Labels founder, blogger, and mama to many, Julie Cole. Julie's business has been featured on the Huffington Post, The View, InStyle Magazine, Forbes, and many others, and her oldest of 6 kids has autism.   You can get Mabel's Label's through their website or at Target. For those of you with runners (I'm lookin' at you, Roman!), I'm gonna encourage you to check out these handy disposable ID bracelets - especially if you're planning to go somewhere magical like Disney, and want to make it out the other side with your kid. Here's the link to the excellent summer camp guide that I mentioned on the podcast - Julie wrote this backed by her experience in choosing camps for her own kids, and it picks apart how to consider your child's unique character and interests, figuring out what's left in your wallet, and finding the right environment for them. Also, here are links to her blog post Nice Things You Say That Annoy Me, and her hilariously well-reasoned 6 Reasons to Have 6 Kids, that originally appeared in the Huffington Post. Here are Julie's deets all in one place:Website: http://www.mabelslabels.comPersonal Blog: http://www.yummymummyclub.ca/blogs/julie-cole-the-baby-machineBusiness Blog: www.mabelhood.com/JulieColeFacebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MabelhoodTwitter profile: https://twitter.com/mabelhoodPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mabelslabels Best quote ever? "Labels are for clothes." Kelley

29 Julie Cole | On labels, raising 6 kids, and running a successful business

Today I am super excited to speak to fellow Mainer and Newberry award-winning author of the book Rules, Cynthia Lord. We chat about writing a book with autism at the center, her new books coming out this year, and some ideas for making libraries more inclusive for kiddos on the spectrum.     My favorite rule for David: "Sometimes people laugh when they like you, but sometimes they laugh to hurt you." So true!   Grab your copy through your local independent bookseller here.You can find Cynthia's website at cynthialord.com, and she's also on Facebook and Twitter.   Kelley   PS A link to my blog post on our top 15 audiobooks. PPS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

28 Cynthia Lord | on her Newberry award-winning book, Rules, and what's next

Named one of Forbes' top 30 Twitter influencers in 2013, social media rockstar, best-selling author, publisher, speaker, business consultant and super nice guy Chris Brogan is today's guest. We chat about the inspiration behind his new book, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators.   I met Chris at the Agents of Change social media conference in Portland Maine last year, where he was the keynote speaker. He hung around after his talk, and later in the afternoon, he walked up to a little group of us to tell me that he liked my lightning bolt t-shirt. So I sent him one, and he sent me back a superhero selfie. (FANCY) Last month, when I read that his new book was coming out, I congratulated him over Twitter, and then he decided to tweet about Kid Gigawatt for a month solid. I pushed my luck by asking to interview him about his new book, and he said yes. Hooray! And then, on his 44th birthday, he wrote this post sending folks our way: http://www.chrisbrogan.com/on-the-occasion-of-my-44th-birthday Whatttttt? I really wouldn't be surprised if he came over to mow our lawn next. (Hint: he really is a superhero.) Here are all his deets: Business website: http://www.humanbusinessworks.com Personal website: http://www.chrisbrogan.com Owner Magazine: http://ownermag.com Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/chrisbrogan Instagram profile: http://instagram.com/nothinglost# Facebook profile: https://www.facebook.com/broganchris And check out his brand new book through your local independent bookseller, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth. #proudfreak Kelley

27 Chris Brogan | On being a freak, a misfit, and a weirdo - and how that can make you a successful entrepreneur

On road tripping from Portland Maine to Portland Oregon this summer, and our plans to make a documentary movie. Check out the deets here. Kelley

26 Kid Gigawatt's Roman Holidays | On our summer road trip documentary plans

Thrilled to be speaking with Rachel See today- she's a licensed music therapist, and has a private practice in Austin, Texas.     We chat about the differences between music lessons and music therapy, how she customizes a client's sessions to work on their specific treatment plan goals, and the benefits for our kiddos on the spectrum.   Rachel's practice can be found here, and she also has two unbelievable cute ebooks for sale worth checking out: Listen, Sing, Speak: Children's Songs for Speech, Language, and Hearing Goals, and Children's Songs for Therapy.   For a little background on music therapy, check out my blog post here.   Kelley   PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

25 Rachel See | On the differences between music lessons and music therapy, customizing client sessions, and the benefits for our kiddos on the spectrum

Super excited to chat today with Tim Villegas, special education teacher, blogger, podcaster, founder of the thinkinclusive.us website, and crusader for the true inclusion of kids with disabilities. Catch up with Tim on Facebook and on Twitter.

24 Tim Villegas | On what true inclusion looks like, IDEA, and the Least Restrictive Environment

I'm stoked to be speaking with Tom Angleberger today, New York Times best selling author of the Star Wars-inspired book series that began with Origami Yoda in 2010. The series stars a middle schooler named Dwight, whose Yoda paper finger puppet is both wise and weird. Tom's self-proclaimed superpower is Asperger's, and we chat about how wearing a fake chicken on his head made him invincible on stage, going back to speak at his own middle school, and his favorite Star Wars character. You. Must. Listen to the Horton Halfpott audiobook. I command you! The narrator is among the best I've heard, and trust me, we've listened to a metric ton of audiobooks. Love it, you will. Check out Tom's fan site at Origami Yoda, and learn how to make an emergency Yoda finger puppet in only 5 folds here. If you've got a little more time, give this one a whirl, and may the force be with you. Kelley PS Click here to listen, subscribe, rate, and review us on iTunes: Joyriding in Autismland

23 Tom Angleberger | On making Asperger's his superpower, and on being a NY Times best-selling author

Stoked to be chatting with Eric Tivers, licensed Clinical Social Worker, coach, consultant, and counselor for ADHD and High Functioning Autism. We chat about what led him to an ADHD diagnosis in college, and what happens when autism is comorbid with ADHD. (

22 Eric Tivers | On treating ADHD from both sides of the couch, forgetting your Mom's birthday, and the neurological equivalent of the polar vortex

Launched by parents of an infectiously funny and *mostly* happy boy on the spectrum, the Joyriding in Autismland podcast chats with ASD parents, kiddos, therapists, writers, and artists about the unexpected, charming, and funny moments with autism. Because laughing? Is the best vacation. Find the show notes online at http://www.joyridinginautismland.com/podcast

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Joyriding In Autismland: Autism Podcast with Kid Gigawatt

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