Autism Thinks

This week, Dr. Daniel Moreno De Luca tells us more about his work as a Child, Adolescent and Adult Psychiatrist, as well as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at Brown University. He is physician-scientist, incorporating genetics research into his clinical practice and using the field to bring precision medicine to psychiatry. 

What you also may not have seen coming is that he is also a rock star! He delves into his recent song, 'Outer Space', inspired by the autistic children and families who have come to his clinic.

JAMA Network Article by Dr. Moreno De Luca —

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2772252?preview=true&utm_source=TrendMD&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Journal_of_American_Medical_Association_TrendMD_1

This episode, we are joined by the incredible Autism Level Up! team, Dr. Amy Laurent and Dr. Jacquelyn Fede. Dr. Amy Laurent is a developmental psychologist and occupational therapist, specializing in supporting autistic individuals of all ages. Dr. Jacquelyn Fede is a developmental psychologist, assistant research psychology professor and autistic advocate. 

This second part of our episode series highlights the importance of play, re-defining what we expect functional play to be, naturally expressing yourself and feeding the need for energy regulation.

Useful Resources mentioned:

Autism Level Up! Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AutismLevelUP

Supporting material on the Autism Level Up! website:

https://autismlevelup.com/category/supports-resources/

Power Play Session Info:
https://autismlevelup.com/category/supports-resources/power-plays/

Dr. Jacquelyn Fede's poem 'An Open Letter to Carers of Autistics':

https://www.itcannotbecontained.com/2019/04/an-open-letter-to-carers-of-autistics.html

Dr. Amy Laurent's TED Talk 'Letting Go of Control and Rethinking Support for Autistic Individuals': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx3cfzlCG_Q&feature=youtu.be

This episode, we are joined by the incredible Autism Level Up! team, Dr. Amy Laurent and Dr. Jacquelyn Fede. Dr. Amy Laurent is a developmental psychologist and occupational therapist, specializing in the education of autistic children. 
Dr. Jacquelyn Fede is a developmental psychologist, assistant research psychology professor and autistic advocate. Tune in to learn more about leveling up, understanding useful reality and the SCERTS model.

Useful Resources Mentioned

More on the SCERTS model: https://scerts.com/the-scerts-model/

Article on Figuring out your Levels: https://neuroclastic.com/2020/03/26/so-you-want-to-autism-level-up-game-on/

Autism Level Up! Guide: https://autismlevelup.com/the-essential-guide-to-the-autism-level-up-levels/

Autism Level Up! Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AutismLevelUP

Supporting material on the Autism Level Up! website:
https://autismlevelup.com/category/supports-resources/

Meg Proctor, MS, OTR/L is an amazing occupational therapist and autism specialist. She joins us today, and speaks to us about her experiences as an occupational therapist as well as her company 'Learn Play Thrive'. Learn Play Thrive provides resources and training sessions for therapists to learn the latest evidence-based practices for supporting autistic individuals.

Listen to the 'Two Sides of the Spectrum' podcast: https://www.learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Paper by Dr. Damian Milton: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687599.2012.710008

Sign up for Meg Proctor's virtual workshop, 'A Strengths-Based Approach to Autism and Behavior' here: https://www.learnplaythrive.com/behavior

Check out Meg's free 50 minute training, Autism-Specific Strategies that Transform OT Practice: https://learnplaythrive.com/masterclass

Learning more about our past ancestors, we can better understand the origins behind the way we think and act. Different traits can be seen passed from one generation to one another in our evolutionary history— Penny Spikins tells us more about how autistic traits have evolved and how they play crucial roles in our survival as a species. As a Professor of Archaeology in York University, she delves into how archaeological evidence can provide reasoning for why neurodivergent cognition or minds came into being, as well as their importance.

To Read More about Professor Spikins' work, here’s a link: https://www.york.ac.uk/archaeology/people/academic-staff/penny-spikins/

Paper: “Should Autism Spectrum Conditions Be Characterised in a More Positive Way in Our Modern World?” by B. Wright, P. Spikins and H. Pearson - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7279498/

Conversation Article - https://theconversation.com/how-our-autistic-ancestors-played-an-important-role-in-human-evolution-73477

Have you ever wondered about how we sense the world around us? Keith Perkins, a Neuroscience Scholar and third-year graduate student at the Psychology Department at Rutgers University, has studied the neurobiology of different perceptual systems— from the visual and auditory to his current project in the olfactory system. He also delves into sociological issues surrounding racism that adversely impact students of color in STEM fields. Tune in to listen to his story and motivations behind his incredible translational research.

Rutgers Mind & Mentoring Network - [email protected]

Recommended Reading:

nature article, 'What Black scientists want from colleagues and their institutions': https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01883-8

Tune in for an insightful conversation about social cognition, neuroscience and the importance of representation for women in STEM with Dr. Helen Genova. She is the assistant director of the Kessler Foundation's Center for Neuropsychology and Neuroscience Research and director of the Social Cognition and Neuroscience Laboratory. Recently, she was awarded a grant from the NJ Department of Health for a research project that aimed to better prepare autistic adolescents for job interviews. In the study, the young adults were talented and hardworking, but it was often the initial hurdle of having a career-oriented conversation that was challenging.

This week, Dr. Deb Karhson shares her story. She delves into topics that range from neurodiversity to the neural mechanisms behind cognitive development. As a Research Scientist at the Stanford University School of Medicine, she studies the endocannabinoid system and its role in regulating bodily functions and systems in autistic individuals.

This week, Christina Wilson tells us her story in pursuing her undergraduate degrees in psychology and cognitive neuroscience at Rutgers University, New Brunswick. With passion and purpose, she is motivated to become an inspiration for others, encouraging other students who are excited about math and science to be courageous, and explore different classes and research projects like she has. Our researcher also reflects on impacts of the pandemic and climate on her own community as well as what this semester may look like, as a college senior away from campus. 

This episode, we focus on Maribel Patiño's story. Maribel is currently a UC San Diego graduate student studying Neuroscience in the Medical Scientist Training Program. Her research involves developing new circuit mapping technology and investigating the efficiency of monosynaptic rabies tracing. She highlights the disparities underrepresented minorities face in pursuing STEM fields, and gives her invaluable advice and wisdom in not letting naysayers deter your pursuit for a fulfilling career.