Chris sits down with Dr. Sam Shay—a neurodiverse clinician, functional medicine expert, and stand-up comic—who brings over 25 years of experience to the table. Dr. Sam shares his groundbreaking Neuroharmony Model, designed to help
neurodiverse adults and families create balance in an often overwhelming world.
Together, they discuss the relationship between physiology and psychology, the importance of frameworks in personalized health plans, and practical strategies for burned-out parents, autistic adults, and anyone seeking better sleep, nutrition, and resilience. Dr. Sam offers both hope and a roadmap to real change.

Links:
Autism Learning Lab: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]

Dr. Sam Shay: https://drsamshay.com/

Quotes:
[4:12 - 4:20] Dr. Shay “If the parents are burnt out or unwell, then they can’t be of support to their child.”
[6:38 - 6:49] Dr. Shay “Functional medicine is the best of Western medicine lab diagnostics with the best of natural medicines, lifestyle, diet, nutrition, and interventions.”

[15:00 -15:10] Dr. Shay “I’m proud to call myself Asperger’s or an Aspie, because it was Asperger’s syndrome that brought the Nazis down. And I can prove it with three names: Oppenheimer, Einstein, and Turing.”

[21:39 - 21:47] Dr. Shay “The goal here is not perfection but to make a client feel that they are on track.”

[28:39 - 28:47]Dr. Shay “There’s no such thing as a panacea, but consistent, super high-quality sleep is a close second.”

Chris welcomes Rob Meltzer—founder of Northlight Family Services and New Terrain Consulting, certified Gestalt therapist, and educational planner—for a deep dive into the intersection of autism, wellness, and metabolic health. Rob shares how his own health journey led him to explore functional medicine and epigenetics, and how those insights are transforming the way we approach support for autistic individuals. Together, Chris and Rob explore the concept of “treating the terrain”—looking beyond symptoms to the underlying biological, emotional, and environmental factors that shape mental health and neurodivergence. From the benefits of ketogenic diets to the transformative power of outdoor programs, this conversation offers a hopeful, holistic vision of care that honors each person’s unique context.

Links:
Autism Learning Lab: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]

Northlight Family Services: 
https://www.northlightfamily.com/

Quotes:
[2:52 - 3:40] Rob Meltzer “In mainstream medicine, we must look at the symptoms... Once you see what’s wrong, you use evidence-based approaches to treat the symptoms. Using that method, if we were treating a tree with a brown leaf, we would see that the leaf is brown and maybe the most efficient evidence-based way to turn the leaf green again is to inject some green dye into the leaf… when we all know, you gotta water the plant, you gotta tend to the soil.” 

[16:37-17:00] Rob Meltzer “I don't see anybody saying, I know what the cause of autism is, you know, there's been an intense search for the gene or the genes and they're not finding it. No. (So that to me, it's, you know, this is the important, really important point.) It's not like you have a gene for autism.It's the way that the genes are expressing.”

[7:21-7:36] Rob Meltzer “If we've got people—psychies—who are not functioning the way we want to, we can treat that, treat that medically or whatever, but we can also treat the terrain. That’s what I’ve started thinking about.” 

[24:54 - 25:00] Rob Meltzer “ Necessity is the number one catalyst for change.”

Chris welcomes Brandon Moffitt—executive director of Black Mountain Academy and Intrepid Young Adults—to talk about the importance of connection for autistic youth. They discuss the repeated struggles many autistic individuals face when trying to form relationships—and how these setbacks can take a toll on self- esteem. Brandon offers guidance to parents on how to support their children in navigating social experiences, emphasizing the power of affirmation, encouragement, and helping kids find their “tribe.” He also addresses the impact of growing up in a digital world with fewer face-to-face interactions, and why creating real- life opportunities for connection is more important than ever.

Links:
Black Mountain Academy:
https://theblackmountainacademy.com/
Intrepid: https://intrepidyoungadults.com/

Autism Learning Lab: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]

Quotes:
[13:55-14:09] Brandon: “But we don't want to miss the fact that failure has a tremendous impact on self-esteem and social resilience and self-advocacy and all of these things are so critical to becoming a successful young adult.”

[15:15-15:35] Brandon: “Starting with affirmation and support, seeing the best in your child and seeing the best in who they are becoming, their most wonderful qualities. Always speaking to the best of who they are, the best of who they can be, the best of who they want to be, is really a critical part of this.”

[19:48-20:14] Brandon: “And I think for all young people, not just people in the spectrum, who are very accustomed, this generation is very accustomed to being online. And again, in and of itself, it's not a bad thing. But it means there's less time, less practice, less face-to-face interaction. And so we just really want to find out meaningful ways, thoughtful ways, enjoyable ways to have that practice, to have those connections, to foster those.”

[33:27-33:54] Brandon: “And I want to be that voice of, you matter, what you care about matters. And there’s people out there who will love what you love and will celebrate who you are and keep looking and keep searching for that because it's out there and I love that I get to be a part of finding that sense of a tribe and building social community.”

In this episode, Chris welcomes Paula Leslie—an experienced counselor, parent coach, and therapeutic placement specialist with over 30 years in the mental health field and a parent of a child with autism. Paula shares her personal and
professional journey, reflecting on the early signs of autism, the challenges of navigating diagnoses, and how to advocate effectively for meaningful support. Together, they explore what it means to lean into a child’s strengths while addressing their struggles, the importance of setting clear, collaborative goals with professionals, and why embracing the hard moments is essential for growth. With compassion and wisdom, Paula offers insight—and hope—into the evolving landscape of autism support and treatment.

Links:
Autism Learning Lab: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]

Quotes:
[8:38-9:05] Chris: “You're saying, all right, there is strength here and there's weakness here, but how can we really lean into these strengths while bolstering these weaknesses? Because just because just because he's not reading at third grade doesn't mean he shouldn't be learning. He absolutely should be. But how
can we give him this information, this content, in a way that he is accessible to him? You're identifying a number of strengths here, too, which I think so often we get stuck on kids weaknesses when we're talking about an autistic person growing up.”

[12:25-13:04] Paula: “If you help a chick out of an egg, it doesn't develop right. There's something about pecking itself out that needs to happen and the idea that iron hardens in fire. And that if you don't go through challenging things, then you never become what you're supposed to become. And so I think it's really hard as
a parent to watch your child struggle and not wanna come in and remove the struggle, remove the pain. And it's not possible. There are going to be struggles and this is true for all children, but when you have a child in a spectrum, it's different. And the natural instinct to step in and protect is so strong.

[13:07-13:28] Paula: “A lot of the work that I do with parents is, first, let's understand your child and what all these numbers and what all this testing means, how to translate that into what the expectations can be in your home and outside of your home and how to build structure that really helps your child thrive.”

Chris welcomes Tracy Markle, founder and co-director of the Digital Media Treatment and Education Center (DTECH) and Collegiate Coaching Services. Tracy
brings over 30 years of mental health experience and specializes in helping individuals and families navigate digital media overuse and addiction. Together, Chris and Tracy dive into the unique challenges the autism community faces with gaming addiction and digital media overuse. Tracy explains why autistic individuals are more vulnerable to online victimization, struggle with setting boundaries in digital relationships, and face increased mental health risks like depression. She shares powerful insights on the neurological and emotional impact of excessive screen time, especially in young people. Tracy also outlines practical, actionable steps parents can take to help their children—and themselves —build healthier digital habits. This is a must-listen for anyone concerned about the role technology plays in our lives and the lives of those we love.

Links:
Digital Media Treatment and Education Center: https://digitalmediatreatment.com/
Autism Learning Lab: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]

Quotes:
[3:01-3:32] Tracy Markle: “Gaming is a problematic behavior for many people. And it's identified as an official medical diagnosis now, gaming disorder in the general field of psychology and medical professionals. So I want to note that it does give it
credibility and that is an issue that the majority of my clients that I see in practice who come in for treatment identify as being autistic and also struggle to a great deal with gaming.”

[8:00-19:20] Tracy Markle: “They'e a vulnerable population in general to being victimized online. So they're not able to have the same critical thinking abilities and to analyze that through a social context as somebody who's neurotypical. And of course, you have to look at developmental age and what have you and that matters to be able to distinguish between whether or not this is somebody I should be sending pictures to. Is this okay and what are the long-term consequences of this? So I want to identify they are a very vulnerable population and find themselves in many different between a rock and a hard place situations. The other piece that I often see them struggling with is engaging in what they believe to be intimate relationships and all or nothing kind of experience where they fall head over heels for this person. Online connection feels good enough to them, yet they're missing all the opportunities of real life interactions to learn more about what a full intimate relationship it's like. So we have to do a lot of education and talk with them about how to balance that and how to work within that realm because we know they're more comfortable there, but that doesn't mean that's better for them.”

[12:17-12:40] Tracy Markle: “But if the majority of their entertainment and connection is online, we see an increase in mental health problems. Depression in particular is one of our big risk factors for prolonged media multitasking. And again, a decrease in executive functioning abilities overall and critical thinking skills.”

[31:39-32:00] Tracy Markle: “It's a very difficult issue. I have been in the field of mental health for over 30 years. And to me, out of all the compulsive, addictive behaviors I've worked with through my career, this is one of the most problematic to overcome. Again, because it's so pervasive in our society. So there are so many great resources now that are emerging.”

Chris is joined by Dr. Tony Issenmann—licensed therapist, leadership consultant, and founder of Systemic Solutions Coaching—for a thought-provoking discussion on autism in the workplace. They explore how hiring autistic employees benefits organizations, not just through accommodations, but through deeper, second-order changes that improve culture, retention, and overall team performance. This episode highlights how inclusive leadership and a culture of curiosity lead to healthier, more effective workplaces—for everyone.

Links:
Systemic Solutions Coaching:
https://systemicsolutionscoaching.com/
Autism Learning Lab: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]

Quotes:
[10:17-10:47] Dr. Issenmann: “Ultimately, the employer, even though on a day-to-day basis, they might wish to have fewer "headaches"; that they'e being presented with, what they really want when they have time to step back and think is they want a productive team that is achieving or outperforming their goals. And if they're just putting out fires from day to day, they're not going to be able to focus on the strategic planning long-term objectives that really can only be achieved with that second order change.”

[18:47-19:20] Chris Blankenship: “We're not just talking about putting up a poster that says loyal opposition and, you know, point to it every once in a while, we're saying be genuinely curious and encourage your employees to be genuinely curious. And that is a strength that autistic individuals can bring as long as you're open to it and you've created that culture where it is encouraged. And it might actually bleed over to other employees as well, maybe ones who would be a little bit more guarded in order to protect their position. So again, we're talking about accommodations or we're talking about some changes, but really what we're talking about is making a healthier work environment for everyone.”

[26:53-27:37] Dr. Issenmann: “It's so much more than just the accommodations for the autistic individual as we're talking about these changes help everybody. When those changes are made in the way that you talked about, like really getting getting to know somebody, really making the changes because there is an investment in the culture. The research shows that autistic individuals are loyal. Retention rates go up, not just for the autistic employee, but for those around them. And the amount of money that is spent on recruiting and hiring and onboarding, it goes down substantially. And that is a byproduct. That is a byproduct of somebody who is leading a company that wants second order change. Somebody who says, ‘I want better retention, so what do I have to do?’”

Chris is joined by Dr. Katie Gaebler, founder of AutismNERD (Neurodiverse Education Resources of Denver), to the show for an important conversation about preparing and supporting autistic teens and young adults as they transition to
life after high school. Dr. Gaebler explains that when considering the true “price” of attending college, it is essential to look beyond just financial costs. She highlights three critical components: financial, experiential, and emotional. Chris and Dr. Gaebler also explore the various accommodations colleges offer to support neurodiverse students — and why understanding these resources ahead of time can make a big difference. Throughout their discussion, Dr. Gaebler emphasizes how essential early preparation is, and how parents play a pivotal role in helping their neurodiverse students successfully navigate the college journey.

Links:
AutismNERD: https://www.autismnerd.com/

Autism Learning Lab Website:
https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]

Quotes:
[2:22-3:06] Dr. Gaebler: The difference between “college capable” versus “college ready.” I see that “college capable” is the ability to meet admission standards, right? So when a student applies to the college of their choice, can they academically kind of fit what standards are required for that particular college or institution? Whereas the difference of “college ready” would be the ability to meet graduation standards, right? So it's a comparison of what are admission standards versus what would be graduation standards. And there's so much that goes into the whole process of college and there's so many dynamics for it, you know, including the social, emotional, just navigating large systems, executive function needs, you know, just even traveling, are you traveling across the country for where you're attending, all the components that go into that.

[11:00-11:40] Dr. Gaebler: And so that's where just having the consciousness of and self-awareness, but also I think it's really important for families and the student to be on the same page as much as possible, as far as what's realistically in the best interest for that individual, as well as what support accommodations that student is gonna be able to provide for themselves, but might be within the context of their environment, right? And having those facilitated conversations before attending, I think is one of the best things that a family can do for themselves, frankly, because we just want everybody to be on the same page.

[41:29-42:00] Dr. Gaebler: It's called the Talking College Card Deck. And it's discussion prompts for students with learning differences. And it's a deck of cards. They're basically all these different categories like 15 categories of things that you're gonna experience in college and then you within each of the categories. There's typically three to five cards and each card has, maybe three or four questions on it and everything in there you're gonna face post-high school life somewhere somehow.

Chris welcomes Dr. Ingrid Boveda, Founder of The Hive Psychological Services and co-owner of Cogenuity. As a testing psychologist, Dr. Boveda works with neurodivergent children, adolescents, and adults across the country. Through her work with Cogenuity, she partners with schools and treatment programs nationwide to offer low-cost brain mapping and neurofeedback services. In this episode, Chris and Dr. Boveda discuss the power of self-awareness and self-advocacy—two traits often lost in the push to conform to neurotypical expectations. They explore how behaviors frequently seen as “problems,” like rigidity or hyper-focus, can actually be incredible strengths when embraced and understood in context. This conversation is full of compassion, perspective, and practical wisdom on how to truly support autistic individuals—not by changing who they are, but by helping them thrive as they are.

Links:
Autism Learning Lab Website: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/
Email: [email protected]
The Hive Psychological Services: https://hivepsychological.com/
Cogenuity: https://cogenuity.net/ 

Quotes:

[21:00-21:28] Dr. Ingrid Boveda: “It's not how close to normal when I think about it. It's not how close to normal or neurotypical that person can become. Because again, there are certain benefits to being able to mask when needed, right? So it's not all bad. But if therapy or treatment or coaching, whatever modality. Like if the goal is let's make them indistinguishable from a neurotypical person, you've just done them a great disservice.”

[28:39-29:07] Dr. Ingrid Boveda: “I tell people sometimes, we’ve got to hack your brain. And take the things that you have been told are the sum of your weaknesses and we have to realize how we can use them as strengths. But then also, you know, thinking about, you know, when we talk about weaknesses or struggles or a disability, right? Like, how much of that is based on the standards of society versus how much is a genuine, you know, disability or genuine struggle, right?”

[30:32-31:15] Dr. Ingrid Boveda: “I want to help as many people as I can and I recognize that as helping professionals, we're looked to as the decision makers or the experts or whatever. And I just, I don't know about any of labels but but what I do know is that you know these are these are people's lives and and I certainly know what it's like to to be misunderstood or to have my behaviors or what I say or do you know be misconstrued usually for the you know for the negative and and I just I want to help in understanding what this really is beyond what society has told us it is.”

Chris welcomes Lauren Franklin, a 15-year veteran teacher. Lauren has taught Resource Special Education in middle and elementary schools and is currently teaching a self-contained classroom to students with disabilities ranging from Autism to Down Syndrome to Cerebral Palsy. Together, Lauren and Chris discuss classrooms, including accommodations, special education classrooms, IEPs, 504s, and more. If you’re just beginning to navigate school with your ASD child or you’re halfway through and wondering what support is available to you, make sure you save this one.

Quotes:
[2:22 - 3:14] Lauren: Some students with Autism have these sensory challenges. On an IEP, accommodations could be lowering the lighting, providing noise-cancelling headphones, frequent breaks built throughout the day…Autism challenges with behaviors, we accommodate a lot with like, a token reward system where a student meets 5 prompts and then immediately is given praise or that tangible reward or a break that they prefer. Work is highly modified, assignments are shortened, the curriculum can also be completely modified and completely different. Some students may need a different math curriculum while others can still work from the gen ed curriculum with the modifications made.

[3:32 - 4:26] Lauren: So, an IEP is an Individualized Education Plan. So, when you have a student that is diagnosed with a disability, there’s testing that goes on and eligibility is determined in a certain area, and that IEP is then written by a team; teacher, special education teacher, sometimes a process coordinator or someone who represents the district, and then your related services like OT and PT, speech and language - so, all these people come together at the table and they discuss the students present levels of how they’re functioning currently and then they develop goals based on what the evaluations kind of, the data from the evaluations, based on teacher and team recommendations as well - so the IEP is very goal driven and extremely data-driven.

[18:43 - 19:30] Lauren: I think teachers are really special people. At the end of the day, teachers want nothing but student success. Some of us get a bad reputation but ultimately, everything we do and every decision we make is for students and what’s in their best interest. And what I think is helpful is if parents can assume positive intent and make the relationship with their child’s case manager, special education teacher, gen ed teacher, whoever it may be - assume positive intent and really work to strengthen that relationship because when we can work together in support of one another, that is the most beneficial for students.

Chris welcomes Dr. Eric Beaudoin. Dr. Beaudoin is a licensed psychologist, the Executive Director at Cornerstones of Maine, and co-founuder of Rubedo Young Adult Transitions. With over 10 years of experience working with neurodivergent young adults, Dr. Beaudoin shares how his program, Rubedo, is truly meeting ASD individuals where they’re at. Through a self-proclaimed “kitchen sink " approach, there are opportunities aplenty for their clients, but that doesn’t mean it's one-size fits all; as Chris and Dr. Beaudoin explain, every individual is unique and requires a tailored approach, something Rubedo’s team is happy to provide. Full of hope, this conversation is brimming with insight on how best to serve those we love in the neurodivergent space.

Links:

Autism Learning Lab Website: https://www.autismlearninglab.com/

Email: [email protected]

Cornerstones of Maine Website: https://cornerstonesofmaine.com/young-adult-treatment-team

Rubedo: Neurodivergent-Affirming Transitional Living: https://cornerstonesofmaine.com/neurodivergent-living-asd-autism

Quotes:

[16:35 - 7:04] Dr. Beaudoin: I empathize with the plight that we as parents have - there’s a dialectic, I suppose, between protecting our children from all of the expected failures and perceived failures and tragedies of their life experience, and giving them the balance of the opportunity of healthy risk-taking and allowing them to do dangerous things carefully - is easier said than done, so yeah, it’s a, such an integral part of learning is doing and failing upward, as they say. 

[8:10 - 9:03] Dr. Beaudoin: I think what we are trying to do is, we are trying not to treat Autism, definitively. We are trying to treat depression that is subsequent through the struggles that Autistic people will have, we’re trying to treat anxiety, we’re trying to treat trauma, OCD, and any number of other symptoms that are clinical. We don’t need to treat the way someone perceives another person, we don’t need to treat the way someone expresses verbally to a friend or engages in parallel process or is quirky with their sense of humor - we don’t want to fix that. Rather, we want to celebrate that, in fact. 

[16:48 - 17:38] Dr. Beaudoin: …what we evolve into is like, ‘Hey, let’s start from the end. What do you want? What’s your goal? Paint me a picture of the life that you want a month from now, a year from now, 5 years from now?’ - that’s not always an easy practice, so we scaffold it accordingly, but, ‘ do you want financial independence, do you want to travel, do you want to have a big house and two lamborghinis, do you want to just have a life that’s relatively simple where you go out to eat once a week and otherwise cook your Annie’s macaroni and cheese for every other meal? Great! Let’s understand what the goal is. And once we do that, we can have some creative conversations and problem solving about what you will need to do to get that.’ And there is an existential acceptance that I think is probably exclusive to no demographic, which is, probably gonna have to work. 

[24:02 - 24:21] Dr. Beaudoin: …so when we’re being neuro-affirming we’re being accepting, we’re being celebratory, we’re saying, ‘Great! Use your strengths, you don’t need to change a darn thing’ when we’re being neuro-informed we’re saying, ‘And, over here in this domain, it might not work super well, so let’s see what we can tweak’ and I’ve found that language to be really helpful for me.