Meristem is a nonprofit program that supports young adults on the autism spectrum to develop greater independence. Our podcast will be talking about our program and interviewing people dealing with challenges of integrating into the workforce. Meristem's Breaking Barriers Transformative Autism Program has worked with hundreds of employers and job seekers to hire, train, and retain neurodivergent people. Join hosts Erin Schirm and Harrison Lane for real stories of "the messy middle" from peop ...
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Ryan Somers discovered he is Autistic in his early 40s, after years of wondering "What is wrong with me?" An experienced writer, performer, and broadcaster, he decided to document his journey of discovery as he learned about his own Autism, and went through the process of getting an official diagnosis. This podcast features one-on-one conversations with other Autistic adults, discussing our experiences living as Autistic people in a Neurotypical world, learning, discovering, and finding comm ...
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- TRIGGER WARNING-This podcast will discuss autism, suicide, mental health, and wellness, among other topics, with autistic individuals and different professionals with the goal of unmasking stereotypes, increasing awareness, advocating for mental health and wellness, and attempting to shatter the stigmas of these topics through conversation and personal experience. The Autism Foundation of Oklahoma (AFO), www.autismfoundationok.org, @AutismfoundationOK, strives to improve the lives of Oklah ...
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Ep. 16: Autism in Cherokee Nation with Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. & Dr. Crystal Hernandez
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Carley sits down with Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. of the Cherokee Nation and Dr. Crystal Hernandez to discuss their Autism Task Force report, autism and disability in the native community, the importance of their work, and how we can all come together to serve our communities. For more information on the first report, please visit: https://www.cherokee.…
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Ep. 17: Profound Autism & Parenting the Spectrum
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Carley sits down with Michi Medley (advocate, case manager, future LCSW) and the parent of two children on the autism spectrum. One has profound autism, and the other does not. There are many stereotypes about what it is like for someone living with profound autism, many of them incorrect; Michi shares her insight and personal journey with parentin…
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Breaking down Meristem’s Work Skills Program with Ari von Zboray
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Ever wonder what Meristem’s Work Skills Program looks like behind the scenes? Take a peek inside what we do, how we do it and the challenges Meristem and our students face in achieving success in job training and internships. In this episode: What are Meristem’s 5 Pillars? What does Meristem do to support our students going to work and college? The…
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Ep. 15- Officer Galloway: The Autistic Cop
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Filmed on April 2nd, World Autism Day, Carley sits down with Jenks, Oklahoma police officer Cody Galloway, to discuss his experience living with autism, what it's like being an autistic cop, and his customized sensory-friendly patrol car. Fore more info on FREE AFO resources for your vehicle or person, contact info@autismfoundationok.org…
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Raley's & TAP Unpack Hiring Neurodiverse Job Seekers
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Raley's & TAP Unpack Hiring Neurodiverse Job Seekers. Listen to this week's Voices of the Community: Neurodiversity in Life and Work with special guest, Raley's Senior Manager, Corp HR & Talent Acquisition, Bahar Abullarade. #neurodiverse #autism #hiring #jobseekingtips Share your questions and learn more about us at meristem.pro and tapautism.org…
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Carley sits down with Hann Bingham Brunner, PhD, to discuss their published paper about the #ActuallyAutistic community and autistic rhetoric on Twitter regarding Sia’s film “Music”, their experience living with autism, the different types of dysphoria that can occur with autism, and the importance of autistic voices being heard. For a plain langua…
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Ep. 13- Conversation with an Autistic Therapist
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Carley sits down with Lindsey Vandeventer, LCSW an autistic therapist to discuss their experience being on the spectrum, how they serve others, wellness techniques, and more. To learn more about Lindsey, visit: https://www.facebook.com/TheraputicAutist Trigger Warning & Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and conversations between the host and guest(s…
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Inside The River Cats Concessions, Meristem’s partnership & Hiring Neurodiverse Employees
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Take me out to the ball Game! Inside The River Cats Concessions, Meristem’s partnership & Hiring Neurodiverse Employees ⚾️ Join Erin and Harry with special guest, James Thompson, Head of The River Cats Concessions at Sutter Health Park. They unpack how The River Cats partner with non-profits in the area and how that relationship developed into a wo…
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Ep. 12- Let's Get Real About Autism and Mental Health
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Carley sits down with their friend, fellow autistic & comic, Ashley Bartlett, to discuss their experiences of being autistic from the female perspective, their struggles with depression and suicidality, what has worked for them, & how they show themselves wellness. Trigger Warning & Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and conversations between the hos…
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It’s going to take all of us. How TAP and Stannum Core Solutions are changing the workplace landscape for neurodiverse individuals across the U.S. 🇺🇸 Get inspired by this episode of Meristem's Voices of the Community, Harry, Erin and Ben Schatzel, Stannum Core Solutions' founder take a deep dive into what it takes for employers to change the landsc…
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Ep. 11 Autism & Neurodiversity In The Workplace: A Key to Success
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Carley sits down with Workforce Development Coordinator Kyle Britt to discuss the many benefits of autism and neurodiversity in the workplace, how employers can create a successful environment, and AFO's LEAD training for employers. For more information on LEAD training or how you can create a successful work environment, please email kbritt@autism…
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In this episode, Erin and Harry discuss what’s important to keep a job and what to expect in one of your first work experiences. Based on experiences in internships in the Transformative Autism Program, Erin and Harry offer tips like: be prepared and open for feedback, and consider asking for it each week from your manager practice communicating ab…
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Ep. 10- The Autistic Experience, Let's Talk About It
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Carley sits down with Gale Hann to discuss their professional and personal opinions on the autistic experience.By Autism Foundation of OKlahoma
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If getting a new job is a part of your 2024 goals, this is the episode for you! Harry and Erin share how Meristem operates its internship program, including how Meristem uses experiential interviews for neurodiverse candidates. Listen for: more in-depth discussion of the Meristem Method and how Meristem prepares young adults and employers for inter…
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Ep. 9- Children, Autism, and Mental Health Matters
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Carley sits down with Dr. Tara R Buck to discuss the importance of identifying co-occurring mental health conditions in children with autism, the latest mental health trends, and why children with autism are likely to be bullied 3 to 4 more times than their neurotypical peers. Resources from this episode: Oklahoma LEND Training Program: https://ouh…
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Carley sits down with Lauren Stover, executive director of the Oklahoma County Crisis Intervention Center and Recovery Unity, to learn about the importance of crisis centers, how they help those in need, and what a crisis is. If you or someone you know is in crisis and are in America, please call 988 for immediate assistance.…
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Ep. 7- Autism, Law Enforcement, and the Importance of Education
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Carley sits down with AFO board member and Law Enforcement Educator Cory Sutton to discuss the importance of continuing education and how training first responders about autism play an important role in public safety for the community. If you live in Oklahoma and want to know more about Mr. Sutton's training, please contact us at info@autismfoundat…
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Erin Schirm shares how you can support Meristem this #GivingTuesday. Support Meristem's work with neurodiverse young people getting on the path to work and greater independence with a tax-deductable donation: meristem.pro/get-involved/support-meristem View Meristem's Holiday Wish List and help fund a specific need of the program. Fund a need goes l…
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Meristem program graduate Ben Lewis reflects back on his experience at Meristem, what he loved about the community and the chance to live independently. He shares how he gained the skills to work on a farm and how those experiences influence his attitude toward a day’s work now. Ben shares his path to Meristem and how persistence helped him tackle …
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Ep. 6- Mental Health in the Tribal Nations
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Carley sits down with Shiela Williams (LPC-S) to shed light on the mental health situation within the tribal nations in Oklahoma, how to be an ally, the importance of belonging, and more! Learn more about Shiela here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/shiela-williams-edmond-ok/1173356By Autism Foundation of OKlahoma
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Harrison talks about different intellectual or developmental disabilities and asks Erin about how he has responded to difficult situations, like an outburst in class or overcoming anxiety. Listen for: Tips for noticing what you have control over that can improve your well being How proving yourself to be reliable and responsible–even in jobs that a…
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Communication at Work is a Two Way Street
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Guest Eric Steward is the Director of Meristem’s Work Skills team and Transformative Autism Program. With Harrison and Erin, they discuss how they work with employers and neurodiverse job seekers and share: How to ask for support at work and why flexibility is a two way street Why Eric encourages job seekers to watch the TAP employer training How t…
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Carley sits down with wellness and fitness instructors Lindsay Juarez (www.mindfulmassageok.com) and Carri Baldwin (https://www.templefitnessyukon.com/) to discuss the importance of overall wellness and share their personal journeys of raising autistic children.By Autism Foundation of OKlahoma
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Meet hosts Harrison Lane and Erin Schirm. Harrison received an autism diagnosis in elementary school and now works with employers to help them hire neurodiverse people. Erin leads Meristem–a non-profit day and independent living program for autistic and neurodiverse young adults. We cover: What Harrison does working with employers to build a cultur…
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Carley sits down with suicide prevention advocate and parent Shellie Smartt to discuss her son Evan Smartt's life, losing a child, the aftermath, and how she advocates for those with similar experiences. To learn more about Evan's Promise, please visit: http://evanspromise.org/ To learn more about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, ple…
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What is 988? Carley sits down with Josh DeBartolo from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health & Substance Abuse Services to discuss 988 and to learn all about the various help it can provide. Follow us at @autismfoundationok on IG to learn more.By Autism Foundation of OKlahoma
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Ep. 2- Late in Life Diagnosis, Parenting, and Creating Community
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Carley Marissa Dummitt sits down with AFO board member Tom Taylor, who was diagnosed when his child was, to discuss being diagnosed late in life, parenting as an autistic, creating the group 'Autistic Adults of Oklahoma,' and lots more! Follow us on IG @AutismFoundationOK to for more.By Autism Foundation of OKlahoma
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Host Harrison Lane introduces the Voice of Community podcast. This is Meristem’s Breaking Barriers Transformative Autism Program Voices of the Community Podcast. So what is Voices of Community you might ask? Well, if you're a job seeker, if you're an employer, if you're a community member interested in learning more about how to work with somebody …
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Ep. 1- Autism and Artistic Expression
1:39:46
1:39:46
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Carley Marissa Dummitt of the Autism Foundation of Oklahoma discusses autism, the autistic experience, and how it impacts artistic expression with her friends and fellow autistic artists.By Autism Foundation of OKlahoma
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Episode 31: Zoh is 29 years old and lives in Indiana. She is self-diagnosed Autistic, and is a creative musician, photographer and jewellery maker. In this conversation, we discuss how Autistics kids are often misdiagnosed growing up, comorbidities, the legitimacy of self-diagnosis in the Autistic community, the barriers to late-diagnosis, therapy,…
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Episode 30 -- Julie (Austria) This week, we welcome Julia, 27, from Austria, for a conversation touching on a variety of things, including moving from the Dominican Republic to Austria at the age of 5, the differences between living in a city and a small town, travelling, special interests, self-diagnosing with Autism at the age of 20, job intervie…
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Episode 29 -- Michael Tanzer (Ontario, Canada) This week, Ryan and Drew have a chat with Michael, who is 29, and was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 3. We talk about his self-published book "Michaelism: My POV on Life with Autism," his childhood development, therapy, special interests, learning Japanese, independence, social media, not giving u…
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Episode 28 -- Dave (San Diego, USA)
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In this episode, we have a pleasant chat with Dave, age 45, who lives in San Diego, California, USA. Dave was late-diagnosed Autistic, has an Autistic spouse, and an Autistic son. In this conversation, we discuss a number of things, including ABA Therapy, Relationship Development Intervention (RDI), the Love & Autism Conference, "famous" people in …
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Episode 27 -- Autism Awareness Month with Rose (Quebec, Canada)
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Well, as you all surely know, it's AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH! Our friend Rose returns (third time!) to discuss some of the things that she thinks are important, for Autistic people to guide the conversation about us! We talk about what it takes for Autistic people to find happiness, be seen and heard, and to feel safe! What kind of therapies are out t…
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Episode 26 - Armani (Michigan, USA)
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I grew up in a family of racecar drivers -- both my mom and dad (that's how they met!) and all of my uncles raced cars. When I heard about an Autistic racecar driver named Armani Williams, I knew I simply had to have him on the show! Armani is awesome! He's 20 years old, diagnosed Autistic at the age of 2, and lives in Grosse Point, Michigan. He kn…
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Episode 25 -- Autism Myths with Rose (Quebec, Canada)
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On this episode, Rose is back for another round! This time, the focus is on Autism Myths! Are Autism cases on the rise? Do people outgrow Autism? Is there for a cure for Autism? Do vaccines cause Autism? Are there differences in Autism between males and females? Do we prefer to say "Autistic people" or "people with Autism?" Is Autism a form of brai…
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Episode 24 -- Hunter (Colorado, USA)
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In this episode, we chat with Hunter Hansen, who was diagnosed Autistic at the age of 16, is a husband and father, works at a large tech company, and is also an Autism advocate, posing videos to Instagram at the account @The_Life_Autistic, which is how we first discovered each other last year! We enjoy a fun and insightful conversation, sharing our…
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Episode 23 -- Sam (Pennsylvania, USA)
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Sam is an awesome dude, in his early 30s, who was diagnosed with Aspergers (ASD) at the age of 14. In this conversation, we talk about all kinds of things, like The Beatles, the prevalence of Autistic minds in technology and the arts, Autism as a gift, positive energy, socializing, stimming, masking, meditation, working with Autistic children, Auti…
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In this episode, we have a conversation with John, who lives in Texas, and was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 39. He is a librarian, and we discuss a number of topics including the challenges Autistic people face in the work environment, relationships, executive functioning, anxiety, drinking, invisible differences, empathy, anime, Star Trek, …
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Episode 21 -- Phil (Ontario, Canada)
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In this episode, we have a chat with Phil, who was diagnosed as Autistic in his 40s. We have a wide-ranging talk about a number of topics, including executive function, working memory, the journey to diagnosis, the diagnosis process, gender stereotypes, sports, friendships, self-acceptance, Autistic burnout, spoon theory, and much more! Phil is a g…
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Episode 20 -- Jessica (Los Angeles, USA)
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Episode 20: Ryan's conversation with Jessica West. Our first episode of 2021! We are now back, and have a bunch of episodes recorded, and will be posting a new episode every week! This one features a very enjoyable conversation we had with Jessica West, who lives on the west coast, and is an Autistic woman who is an executive coach and a mom. We ha…
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Episode 19: Q&A (Last Episode of 2020!!)
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Episode 19: Q&A -- In this episode, the final episode of 2020, I read some letters and answer some questions on a variety of topics, including Autism and sex, living with undiagnosed Autism, seeking help from a psychiatrist or psychologist, parenting with Autism, how Autism affects jobs, family, and friendships, "coming out" as Autistic to family a…
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Episode 5: Ryan is joined by his partner Jennifer, who takes the AQ (Autism Quotient) Test.
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Ryan and Jennifer sit down to chat over a glass of wine and a beer, while Jennifer takes the AQ (Autism Quotient) Test, and they discuss her results. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/TheLifeAutistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episode 11: Driving. Update on my adult diagnosis process. Thoughts on the TV show Atypical and my own troubled teenage years. Thoughts on support I need in my life. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/TheLifeAutistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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It’s Autistic Pride Day! On this episode Ryan talks to Jerry in Texas, who was diagnosed one year ago in his late 20s. Jerry’s an awesome dude who is living in the spectrum and discusses his challenges and how he is able to live. Thanks Jerry! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/TheLifeAutistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for m…
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Episode 14: The Day After Being Diagnosed!
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Some thoughts I recorded while driving, the day after receiving a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1. (ASD1) #TheLifeAutistic Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/TheLifeAutistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Introduction to who I am and why I’m starting this podcast — a 43-year-old father facing head-on the reality of living with Asperger’s (ASD) and sharing my experiences and discoveries. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/TheLifeAutistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Episode 4: Q&A — How to understand and support people in your life with Asperger’s / ASD.
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Q&A episode, topics include understanding a husband with Asperger’s, how to support people in your life with Asperger’s, and seeking a diagnosis at age 50 after 20 years of being treated for bipolar disorder. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/TheLifeAutistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…
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Episode 8: Update on my meeting with a Psychologist, and Q&A.
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Hey folks! I saw a counsellor and a psychologist today. I talk about that a bit, and answer some questions. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/TheLifeAutistic. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Welcome to Episode 17! For this one, we I had an awesome conversation with my new favourite person, Rose! Rose lives in the province of Quebec, was diagnosed with Autism as an adult, and has Neurodiverse children as well. She was an absolute joy to speak with, and I felt like we could have talked all day. My only regret is that I tend to be long-wi…
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