Exploring Different Brains

Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT returns to discuss codependency.

(VIDEO - 19 mins) Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and expert on relationships and codependency. She’s the author Conquering Shame and Codependency: 8 Steps to Freeing the True You and Codependency for Dummies and six ebooks, including: 10 Steps to Self-Esteem, How To Speak Your Mind – Become Assertive and Set Limits, Dealing with a Narcissist: 8 Steps to Raise Self-Esteem and Set Boundaries with Difficult People and Freedom from Guilt and Blame – Finding Self-Forgiveness, also available on Amazon. Ms. Lancer has counseled individuals and couples for 30 years and coaches internationally. She’s a sought after speaker in media and at professional conferences.

For more about Darlene’s work:

http://www.whatiscodependency.com/

https://darlenelancer.com/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT explains what Narcissistic Personality Disorder really is.

(VIDEO - 21 mins) Darlene Lancer, JD, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and expert on relationships and codependency. She’s the author Conquering Shame and Codependency: 8 Steps to Freeing the True You and Codependency for Dummies and six ebooks, including: 10 Steps to Self-Esteem, How To Speak Your Mind – Become Assertive and Set Limits, Dealing with a Narcissist: 8 Steps to Raise Self-Esteem and Set Boundaries with Difficult People and Freedom from Guilt and Blame – Finding Self-Forgiveness, also available on Amazon. Ms. Lancer has counseled individuals and couples for 30 years and coaches internationally. She’s a sought after speaker in media and at professional conferences.

For more about Darlene’s work:

http://www.whatiscodependency.com/

https://darlenelancer.com/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

Dr. Eric Endlich discusses his work helping neurodivergent students find the right college.

(VIDEO - 32 mins) Dr. Eric Endlich is the founder of Top College Consultants, whose mission is to improve access to college for students worldwide, especially those with learning differences or emotional challenges. Dr. Endlich has worked with many families around the world to help them navigate the college application process and find the ideal universities for their interests and needs.

He is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and serves on their Learning Differences/Neurodiversity Committee. In 2020, IECA honored Dr. Endlich’s contributions with the “Making A Difference” Award. Dr. Endlich is also a licensed psychologist, professional writer and former college instructor. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a degree in English from UC Berkeley, where he was awarded a Regents Scholarship (highest honor) as well as the President’s Undergraduate Fellowship for original research. He went on to earn graduate degrees in psychology from NYU and BU, and a certificate in independent educational consulting from UC Irvine.

Dr. Endlich has taught at Tufts University, Suffolk University, Boston College and UMass Boston. He is an advisory board member for Oakstone Publishing, the International Journal of Rehabilitation and Special Education and the Asperger/Autism Network (AANE).

For more about Dr. Endlich’s work: https://www.topcollegeconsultants.com/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

UChicago’s Dr. Peggy Mason discusses her work on the neurobiological basis of empathy.

(VIDEO - 33 mins) Dr. Mason grew up in the Washington DC area and worked in taxidermy at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History during middle and high school. She received her BA in Biology in 1983 and her PhD in Neuroscience in 1987, both from Harvard. After postdoctoral work at the University of California – San Francisco, she joined the faculty at the University of Chicago in 1992. Dr Mason is now Professor of Neurobiology. For more than 20 years, Dr Mason’s research was focused on the cellular mechanisms of pain modulation. In the last ten plus years, Dr Mason has turned her energies to the biology of empathy and helping behavior in rats. Dr Mason taught medical students for 25 years and wrote a textbook for medical students, now in its second edition (Medical Neurobiology, Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, 2017). Dr Mason started the Neuroscience major at UChicago and was awarded the Quantrell Award, the nation’s oldest prize for undergraduate teaching, in 2018. More broadly, Dr Mason is a neuroevangelist, interested in teaching neurobiology to anyone that will listen.

For more about Dr. Mason: https://thebrainissocool.com/

Her Coursera course “Understanding the Brain: The Neurobiology of Everyday Life” can be seen here: https://www.coursera.org/course/neurobio

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

Kandi Pickard & Margot Rhondeau share how the NDSS is helping the Down syndrome community.

The National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) is the leading human rights organization for all individuals with Down syndrome. Kandi Pickard is the President & CEO of the NDSS, where she provides vision and leadership, working collaboratively with individuals and organizations to support the entire Down syndrome community. Margot Rhondeau is the Senior Director of Health & Wellness for the NDSS, where she leads the creation of resources and programming to improve health and wellness within the Down syndrome community. They are also both mothers of children with Down syndrome.

For more about the NDSS: https://www.ndss.org/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

Dr. Marlo Payne Thurman shares how the US Autism Association is helping the autism community.

(VIDEO - 19 mins) Marlo Payne Thurman, Ph.D. began her professional career working with children diagnosed with autism in 1986. In 1999 Marlo founded the Brideun Learning Communities and built the Brideun School for Exceptional Children, a play-based, therapeutic school exclusively serving children grades 1-8 who were identified as “twice-exceptional.” With doctoral-level training in both School Psychology and Special Education Marlo founded 2E Consulting Services to provide assessments, advocacy, and training to support both individuals and programs working with neurodiverse, twice exceptional, and students with autism. In January of 2020, Marlo was appointed as the Director and Board Chairman for the US Autism Association. Their mission is to provide opportunity for all individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders to achieve their fullest potential by expanding and enriching the ASD community through education, online training, published and electronic information and resources, and partnerships with local and national projects.

The US Autism Association’s 2021 World Autism Conference and Gala is happening September 23rd-25th. The Different Brains audience can get $10 off the conference by using the promo code DIFFERENTBRAINS when registering here: https://worldautismconference.org/

For more about The US Autism Association: https://www.usautism.org/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

Dr. Vismara & Mr. Bernick are the authors of the book “The Autism Full Employment Act”.

Louis A. Vismara, M.D. is a physician (retired interventional cardiologist) and a parent of four children. Since his son, Mark, was diagnosed with autism in 1995, he has dedicated himself to issues of child development, learning differences, diversity, and access to health care for under-served populations. Lou is a founding member of the UC Davis MIND Institute, the State of California's First Five Commission, and the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism.

Michael S. Bernick is an attorney practicing in the area of employment and labor law. In recent years, he has worked with some of the nation’s major employers, staffing companies and industry associations. He is a regular contributor to Forbes Magazine, a board member of AASCEND, and an autism dad. Michael previously served for nearly five years as director of the California Employment Development Department (EDD).

For more about “The Autism Full Employment Act”:

For more about the UC Davis MIND Institute: https://health.ucdavis.edu/mindinstitute/

For Lou’s bio at Stanford: https://profiles.stanford.edu/louis-vismara

For more about AASCEND: http://www.aascend.org/

Michael’s bio at Duane Morris: https://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelsbernick.html

Michael’s articles on Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelbernick/#38e29b06187c

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

Shawn Smith shares his tools for thriving with ADHD.

Shawn Smith M.Ed., CCC is the proud founder and CEO of Don’t dis-my-ability consultation services Inc., an innovative, multifaceted company specializing in the emerging field of Neurodiversity located in Fredericton New Brunswick, Canada. Shawn’s story is unique in that he was diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive Type at age 30. Prior to his diagnosis, Shawn struggled at every level of the public education system. It took Shawn 4 years to complete 3 years of high school, 32 attempts to earn the 18 credits required to graduate including failing grade 10 math 4 times. Since being diagnosed and taking prescribed medication at age 30, Shawn has experienced a tremendous amount of self-growth in a relatively short period of time and has a unique understanding of his thought process. In 2010, Shawn was accepted to the Master of Education in Counselling Psychology program at the University of New Brunswick on Academic Probation and graduated in 2011 at the top of his class. Shawn is a self-advocate, entrepreneur, innovator, counsellor and psychotherapist specializing in the emerging field of Neurodiversity. Shawn’s work is being recognized internationally and he has been sought after to consult in various industries ranging from non-profit to the world of animation.

For more about Shawn’s work, visit: http://www.ddmacs.ca/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

(20 minutes) Dr. James Hendrix is the Chief Scientific Officer at LuMind IDSC. In that role, Dr. Hendrix directs scientific initiatives for LuMind IDSC. A critical element of his role is to establish the nationwide Down Syndrome – Clinical Trial Network (DS-CTN) and to oversee the first clinical trial in the DS-CTN, the Longitudinal Investigation for Enhancing Down Syndrome Research (LIFE-DSR) Study. The LIFE-DSR study is a natural history study focused on adults 25 years of age and older at high risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Hendrix is also focused on building potential collaborations with industry, academic and government scientists focused on Down syndrome research to maximize LuMind IDSC’s scientific impact. Prior to joining LuMind, Dr. Hendrix was Director of Global Science Initiatives, at the Alzheimer’s Association. 

For more about Dr. Hendrix and LuMind: https://www.lumindidsc.org/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/

J.R. Reed shares his journey to becoming an autism self-advocate

J.R. is a late diagnosed adult who was diagnosed with Asperger’s nine years ago. Since then he has taken a twenty + year freelance writing career and changed focus to developmental disabilities and mental health. In 2012 he created the website/blog Not Weird Just Autistic, as he spent the first 45 years of his life thinking he was weird, but now knows he’s just autistic, with still a smidge of weird in there.

He currently writes for The Mighty, Different Brains, and Not Weird Just Autistic. J.R. also teaches online classes, speaks to groups as small as 15-20 or as large as 1,500 in the Missouri State Capitol. J.R. sits on the board of three autism charities. The author of “An Asperger’s Guide To Dating Neurotypicals”, J.R. works with those high school age through adult to help them live better lives as well as educates NT’s on who we really are. He’s currently working on two more books.

For more about J.R.: https://www.notweirdjustautistic.com/

Follow Different Brains on social media:

https://twitter.com/diffbrains

https://www.facebook.com/different.brains/

https://www.instagram.com/diffbrains/

Check out more episodes of Exploring Different Brains!

http://differentbrains.org/category/edb/