1 in 31: Autism Today

This weekend's guest is Carmen Vincent! Carmen is a documentary filmmaker based out of northwest Indiana. Through video production, editing, and documentary filmmaking, Carmen hopes to amplify the human experience by drawing out people's authentic, diverse stories. ​Carmen's latest film - Teacher of Patience, focuses on the Felter family. Tina & Tom Felter have made it their mission to be transparent about the struggles and joys of parenting their daughter Emily who was born with Down Syndrome. Tune in to learn more or visit: www.carmenvincent.com/

Tune in to learn more about the Admissions Department at Anderson Center for Autism! Eliza is joined by long-time team members Tracy Schober, Senior Admissions Administrator and Tom Hamill, Admissions Assistant. Tracy and Tom discuss national outreach, the admissions process for families, parent relationships, the "Anderson Family", and more! Visit us online at: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/prospective-families/admissions 

This weekend's guests are Michelle & Connor Wohlfahrt! Michlle & Connor are a mother and son duo, and longtime friends of Anderson Center for Autism. In conjunction with Connor being a 2021 Henrik Lundqvist Foundation Young Ambassador (HLFYA) and a player on the Lagrange Gunners soccer team, he came up with a special fundraiser for ACA last spring. Saves For Anderson was Connor's way of giving back to ACA, through pledges from family, friends, peers, and community members. Tune in to learn more about Michelle & Connor and why they choose to give back to ACA!

Tune in to hear from another wonderful Anderson Center for Autism parent. In this episode, Eliza talks with Ed Hussey. Ed's son was placed in ACA's childrens program over 10 years ago, since he has graduated, and is now in our adult program! Learn more about Ed, his family, and his experiences with ACA!

On this week's show, we welcome back Susan Levin. Susan is the parent of an individual on the autism spectrum (Ben, a previous 1 in 54 guest!).  She joins us to discuss her recent "awakening" about her sons autism diagnosis. Susan feels she is able to love her son differently and better by surrendering her fears about his disorder. Tune in to hear more about Susan's parent perspective!

Tune in to hear from two amazing Anderson's moms - Barbara & Jackie. Hear their firsthand experiences about placing a child residentially in our program, how and why they give back to Anderson, and their involvement in our family group, Anderson Family Partners.

Join us today to hear from Ben Levin, and his mother Susan. Ben was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age 5. He is an avid reader and a published author, he has written over 150 books! Ben discusses a profound change he went through during the COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020. His outlook and message about his status as a person with autism, has become one of self-embrace after many years of feeling “less than” as a result of his diagnosis. Tune in to learn more about Ben! 

Nathan Gonyea, Ph.D. is the Officer in Charge for SUNY Empire State College. Before that, he was the Dean of the School for Graduate Studies at SUNY Empire, previously serving as Interim Dean and Associate Dean of the School for Graduate Studies. He joins us today to discuss SUNY Empire, and their current partnership with ACA in creating their Center for Autism Inclusivity. The Center provides educational support and conducts research to better serve individuals with autism in the classroom, the workplace, and beyond. Tune in to learn more!

www.esc.edu 

Roy is a former New York State Senator, representing the 43rd District, as well as Districts 100 and 112 in the New York State Assembly. He is also a huge advocate for the Autism community, as he has two grandsons on the spectrum. Tune in to learn more about Roy and his work & experiences in the capital region! www.nysenate.gov/senators/roy-j-mcdonald