Discover what’s possible when someone lifts her mask and embraces true beauty. 

Rachel Barcellona is an Autism Self-Advocate, model, author, singer, actress, and pageant winner. She is also a SkillCorps Alumni, having traveled with the Global Autism Project on a volunteer trip to the Czech Republic in 2018. 

Since getting diagnosed at three years old, Rachel tried to fit in with neurotypical society. However, she always felt that she was different. Encounters with bullies throughout her life, and many years of suffering from depression, motivated her to create an online platform called The Ability Beyond Disabilities. Rachel encourages others to focus on what they can do rather than on what they can not. 

As a multi-title beauty queen, Rachel wants to change people’s views on pageantry, from the image of brainless barbie dolls to that of strong women striving to make a difference. 

In this episode, Rachel and I discuss some of the different perspectives within the #ActuallyAutistic movement. We also talk about the appropriateness of the puzzle piece symbol, the use of person-first or disability-first language, and the media’s portrayal of autism. 

To learn more about Rachel Barcellona, you can follow her on Instagram @rachelbarcellona and visit her website: rachelbarcellona.com. ----more----

This conversation with Rachel Barcellona was originally released on May 28, 2020. 

Rachel is now a Flutie Fellow with the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism, and she recently won a Hero award from KultureCity in New York. She received the gold medal from the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and was one of six individuals chosen to represent the United States this summer in Toronto, Canada. 

Continuing her pageantry and modeling, Rachel won 2nd runner up for Miss New York and will be participating in Runway of Dreams, an all-inclusive fashion show incorporating several brands that are adapting fashion to give individuals with disabilities a chance to be seen and heard. Rachel has also been actively pursuing her acting career by performing in movies and theater roles.

Related episode:

76. RTD: Safety in Public, with Rachel Barcellona, Thomas Iland, Jamiel Owens, and Maricarmen Hazoury 

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*THROWBACK EPISODE*

This conversation with Rachel Barcellona was originally released on May 28, 2020. We are re-releasing it today to celebrate some of Rachel’s recent accomplishments.

Rachel is now a Flutie Fellow with the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism, and she recently won a Hero award from KultureCity in New York. She received the gold medal from the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award and was one of six individuals chosen to represent the United States this summer in Toronto, Canada. 

Continuing her pageantry and modeling, Rachel won 2nd runner up for Miss New York and will be participating in Runway of Dreams, an all-inclusive fashion show incorporating several brands that are adapting fashion to give individuals with disabilities a chance to be seen and heard. Rachel has also been actively pursuing her acting career by performing in movies and theater roles.

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Discover what’s possible when someone lifts her mask and embraces true beauty. 

Rachel Barcellona is an Autism Self-Advocate, model, author, singer, actress, and pageant winner. She is also a SkillCorps Alumni, having traveled with the Global Autism Project on a volunteer trip to the Czech Republic in 2018. 

Since getting diagnosed at three years old, Rachel tried to fit in with neurotypical society. However, she always felt that she was different. Encounters with bullies throughout her life, and many years of suffering from depression, motivated her to create an online platform called The Ability Beyond Disabilities. Rachel encourages others to focus on what they can do rather than on what they can not. 

As a multi-title beauty queen, Rachel wants to change people’s views on pageantry, from the image of brainless barbie dolls to that of strong women striving to make a difference. 

In this episode, Rachel and I discuss some of the different perspectives within the #ActuallyAutistic movement. We also talk about the appropriateness of the puzzle piece symbol, the use of person-first or disability-first language, and the media’s portrayal of autism. 

To learn more about Rachel Barcellona, you can follow her on Instagram @rachelbarcellona and visit her website: rachelbarcellona.com. 

Related episode:

76. RTD: Safety in Public, with Rachel Barcellona, Thomas Iland, Jamiel Owens, and Maricarmen Hazoury 

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey

Discover what’s possible when communication is made available. 

An educator, designer, and social entrepreneur from Sydney, Australia, Chris McDonald is the Founder and CEO of PicSeePal, a light-tech communication tool for all ages, abilities, and settings.

In today’s conversation, we discuss:

• The level of autism acceptance and inclusion in Australia 

To learn more about Chris and his work, please visit picseepal.com.

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey

Discover what’s possible when you learn to accept yourself. 

Mary Johnston is a 21-year-old Autistic Self-Advocate from New Hampshire. She hosts a blog called Autistic Rainbow 15 where she shares LGBTQ+ and disability-friendly tips, as well as information about inclusion and disability rights. A long-time member of our online Global Autism Community, Mary recently joined the moderator team to help ensure our space remains safe and respectful.

In today’s conversation, we discuss: 

• Mary receiving her diagnosis at 12 years old

To learn more about Mary, please visit Autistic Rainbow 15. 

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey 

Discover what’s possible when the learning environment is set up for growth and success. 

Sasha Long is a former special education teacher, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and the Founder and President of The Autism Helper, a company that shares resources and strategies online for parents and teachers of children with autism. Sasha has a unique perspective with experience on both sides of collaborative efforts. 

In this conversation, we discuss:

For more information about Sasha Long and her work, please visit: The Autism Helper. 

This conversation with Sasha Long was originally released on October 8, 2020. 

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey 

Discover what’s possible when you’re ready to have fun. 

This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events!

The topic of this roundtable discussion was Summer Travel and Holidays. It was hosted by community moderator Corben Havener. Corben is an Autistic Self-Advocate from Indiana who joined our moderator team this last June. 

Participating in this event were community members Danielle Terrell, Liz Castillo, and myself. 

In today’s conversation, we discuss:

• Dealing with hot weather and changing temperatures 

Round-table discussions like the one you’ll hear today are open exclusively for members of our online Global Autism Community. We select a different theme each month, and our moderators monitor posts daily to ensure that our online space remains safe and respectful. If you’d like to attend and participate in any of our future events, you can sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org. 

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey 

Discover what’s possible when you transform others with kindness. 

An Autistic computer scientist, Jim Hogan is both the Principal Innovation Strategist at Google Cloud and the VP of Accessibility in Technology for Google’s Disability Alliance. 

In today’s conversation, we discuss: 

• Jim losing his brother at a young age

To learn more about Jim Hogan, please visit: Jim Hogan Linkedin. 

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey

Discover what's possible when you're on the inside looking out. 

Sara Bradford is an Autistic Self-Advocate, children’s book author, and the CEO of SJ Childs LLC, an autism-consulting business that supports families. She also hosts her own podcast, The SJ Childs Show. Her husband and their three children are also on the spectrum. 

In today’s conversation, we discuss:

• Sara’s recent discovery of her autism and how it affects her everyday life

The 1 in 44 Tour is a virtual summit hosted by Sara Bradford and Maria Daniels. This event will be a great way to hear different perspectives on important topics from a variety of speakers. We’ll be hosting our next community roundtable discussion live at the summit on August 12th at 12:45 pm EST. 

If you would like to participate in the community roundtable and go live with us at the summit, please join our online community at community.globalautismproject.org and RSVP to the event. 

To learn more about Sara and her work, please visit sjchilds.org. 

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey 

Discover what’s possible when stigma is shattered by courage. 

Evas Kyomugisha is the founder and owner of Silver Bells, an autism center in Kigali, Rwanda. Silver Bells offers comprehensive services for families, including Applied Behavior Analysis, Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Music Therapy. 

The Global Autism Project partnered with Silver Bells in April 2019. We have since sent two SkillCorps volunteer teams to provide hands-on training to their staff. 

In today’s conversation, we discuss: 

For more information about Evas Kyomugisha and her work, please visit: Silver Bells. 

This conversation with Evas Kyomugisha was originally released on October 15, 2020. 

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey 

Discover what’s possible when you choose acceptance. 

This week’s episode is a recording of one of our Global Autism Community exclusive events. 

The topic of this roundtable discussion was Inclusion and Acceptance. It was hosted by community moderator David Sharif, just a few days before his sudden passing last April. I was unable to attend this event, so I had asked David to fill in for me. He did an amazing job facilitating this discussion, and I’m glad he had the opportunity to step up in this way. 

Participating in this event were autism self-advocates Jeff Snyder, Mary Johnston, Corben Havener, Olivia Hops, Scott Edgar, and Michelle Vinokurov, as well as community members Danielle Terrell, Ben Sharif, Karen Shapiro, and Liz Castillo. 

In today’s conversation, they discuss: 

• Coping with different situations

Round-table discussions like the one you’ll hear today are open exclusively for members of our online Global Autism Community. We select a different theme each month, and our moderators monitor posts daily to ensure that our online space remains safe and respectful. If you’d like to attend and participate in any of our future events, you can sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org. 

Related episodes:

104. Honoring the Memory of David Sharif, with the Global Autism Community

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We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too.

Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast

Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community

Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project

We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey