Enphase: In Tune With Autism

The energy behind my chatting in this podcast came about by the feels from watching this video clip touching on the friendship of nonverbal autistic, Reece Blankenship, and pro baseball player, Matt Olsen. It reaffirms and reminds me that there IS a greater picture being drawn. Maybe the point in life isn’t to achieve, and be the best. Maybe the point is CONNECTION and expanding through life’s great challenges. Here’s the video of Reece and Matt’s friendship, if you’d like to check it out: https://www.mlb.com/video/olson-reece-s-unspoken-bond?q=matt%20olson&cp=CMS_FIRST&qt=FREETEXT&p=0

The way I practice therapy with non speaking/nonverbal autistic individuals comes from a very close look at the challenges presented by autism. Outside responses and behaviors are dependent on these challenges. In my opinion, WE MUST take this into consideration if we want to have a more whole/accurate picture of what an individual is experiencing and how to best help them and support them.

Podcast interview with Crystal White, a mother to an 8 year old nonverbal autistic little sweetheart named Aubrey. Listen to their incredible journey which started with Aubrey being born early, at a little over a pound & fast forward to now- Aubrey is 8 years old and is best friends with LSU baseball player, Dylan Crews. You're going to want to hear that story! Crystal also touches on so many important points on the experience of being an autism parent. Her wisdom & openness to share on the EnPhase podcast was such a gift. Enjoy!

I LOVE letterboard method because it takes into account an autistic individual's motor and sensory challenges on a deeper level. It speaks to the capable mind. Here is a segment on Soma, the lady who developed RPM (rapid prompting method/letterboard method). https://youtu.be/Nfiap3a7Tuo. Here is her website if you'd like to read more about RPM https://www.halo-soma.org/ If you have any questions at all, please reach out to me at my Email: enphaseintune@gmail.com or on Facebook or Instagram. Feel free to check out my website as well https://www.enphaseintunewithautism.com/

What if you had a capable mind but lacked the motor skills to speak to let those around you know? This is the reality for plenty of individuals with nonverbal autism. If we presume competence of the cognition of our loved ones or clients with nonverbal autism, it opens up the opportunity for them to be more deeply understood and included on a daily basis which is essential to their overall well being. Website: https://www.enphaseintunewithautism.com/ Email: enphaseintune@gmail.com

Today's episode shares my personal beliefs in something greater than this human existence and how it relates to autistic and special needs individuals. I've always felt a gut feeling/knowing that these people have special souls that are here for a deeper purpose than just their label as a special needs person in society. As I feel we all have greater purposes than the box of our societal roles. I feel their being has the capacity to be a catalyst for positive change if we let it, and it goes deeper than any verbal communication. I've always felt a fear in sharing this, because what do I know? But the PULL and inspiration to share it has become greater than my fears. You can take it or leave it; If it resonates, great, if not, that's ok. In a world that likes to put on a show & pretend everything is gravy; I'm honoring my own experience with working with my autistic clients; they have no choice but to show RAW, TRUE energy & emotion. It's just who they are. This can be challenging to say the least, especially when we are told we are supposed to fit in a box or walk a straight line. If you've worked closely with someone with autism, I'm sure you've had a taste of this truth even though you may not realize it. As challenging as it can be, this raw truth can be a gift, an opportunity to grow beyond. Website: https://www.enphaseintunewithautism.com/ Email: enphaseintune@gmail.com

In this episode, I discuss plenty of common behaviors seen in someone diagnosed with autism. To list JUST a few of these behaviors: listening to the same audio on repeat, watching the same video on repeat, constantly moving or pinging from place to place, ocd/ritualistic actions, screaming or emotion out of what seems to be nowhere, and pushing or "aggression." The behaviors, based on my readings/observations/personal experiences are not "chosen" or "purposeful" behaviors by the individual with autism. Rather, they are a result of so much built up energy taken in by the environment. This energy can be thought of as sensory overload or even anxiety. These individuals who are hypersensitive to the world around them (in ways we can only imagine), must have a means to expel or express or escape this energy. BUT we must remember that these types of behaviors are not purposeful, they are more like a ball rolling down a steep hill. There's no stopping it, unless more body control and tolerance to the environment around them is strengthened. As the people who are supposed to be guiding and teaching these special individuals, I feel it is ESSENTIAL to keep this in mind; Our perspective & approach to how we execute treatment is EVERYTHING. I also discuss how and why practicing purposeful movement is crucial in helping these individuals progress in increasing their mind-body connection and an overall tolerance to the environment. Website: https://www.enphaseintunewithautism.com/ Email: enphaseintune@gmail.com

Autism is still a mystery in many ways. Many cognition tests rely on an autistic individual to respond by means of their motor system. We know that autism, more often than not, brings extreme motor and sensory challenges for individuals. Perhaps we need to keep our minds open to different ways of approaching this process of assessment; in hopes of a more accurate reading of these individuals' cognition levels as well as understanding how to better aid their challenges presented by autism. *Check out EnPhase's website & learn about aiding autism with a deeper understanding. https://www.enphaseintunewithautism.com/ * Feel free to reach out with any comments or questions at any of the following- Email: enphaseintune@gmail.com  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/intunewithautism/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enphase_intunewithautism/?hl=en

Autism Movement Project a nonprofit organization providing fitness and sports programming for special needs individuals. AMP believes that physical fitness is an important part of every day — They are committed to bringing it to the special needs population in a fun and engaging way. Check out their website at: https://ampfitnj.com/

Claudia has a 6 year old son with Autism. She shares the story of the abrupt diagnosis, struggles of her families journey, as well as the beauty revealed after embracing these struggles. Claudia's wisdom in her perspective and how she lives her life show how though autism comes with its challenges, but it also come with its infinite beauty and teachings.

In today's interview, we are joined by Lou Blankenship. Lou is the mother to 3 (now adult) children, one of which whom is a non speaking autistic. Lou tells about her journey with her and her husband having to discover Reece's autism on their own, and also following their intuition on Reece's capabilities in order to allow Reece to keep pushing towards his potential. She tells about her journey to now being the owner and operator of ReClif, a fitness based therapy center in Atlanta serving the autistic community. Being the parent of an adult with autism, Lou's perspective is invaluable and she discusses what was helpful while Reece was growing up as well as practical advice parents can use everyday. https://reclif.com/ https://youtu.be/0ZYNqaIddUY

Shelley Carnes, co-founder and Head of School at Hirsch Academy in Atlanta shares a wealth of knowledge and insight into how to support the neurodivergent community. She tells of her journey to her mindset shift in her career, offers practical advice when it comes to impulsivity in autism, and much more.

Autism is more prevalent now than ever. It is our responsibility to learn more to include and support individuals within this population. In this episode, we will discuss the life long friendship of Riley and Reece, a neurotypical and a non-speaking autistic, who communicates via letter board.

Viraat is an 8 year old nonspeaking autistic individual. In this interview with his parents, Bharani and Sandeep, we discuss Viraat's start and progression with the method of learning and communicating through the process of RPM (rapid prompting method). Viraat shares his insights and demonstrates his learning via letterboard. For more information on RPM, check out https://www.halo-soma.org/ #autismpodcast