Autism Knows No Borders

Parent Engagement in Ecuador, with Mafer Chang | TBT


Listen Later

Discover what’s possible when parents mobilize to build a community of ambassadors. 

Mafer Chang is the founder of Centro Enigma, an autism center in Ecuador. 

The Global Autism Project has been partnered with Centro Enigma since 2018. We have since sent 4 SkillCorps teams to collaborate with their teachers and provide training in Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA. 

Since opening her first center in Guayaquil in 2015, Mafer has expanded her reach to two other cities, Samborondon and Manta. She had plans to open a fourth center in Portoviejo this April, however that has been put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

When this episode was recorded on March 20th, Ecuador was on their 5th day of mandated lockdown. Mafer had just closed Centro Enigma a few days before and was transitioning to offer online services for families. 

In this episode, we discuss:

  • What services are available for children with autism in Ecuador
  • How it’s not easy for parents to differentiate between services that are evidence based and those that are not
  • Some of the myths surrounding ABA in her community
  • How Mafer’s journey to become a certified Behavior Analyst has been affected by the international process changes made by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (or BACB)
  • Some of the breakthroughs Mafer had during the early years of developing Centro Enigma, including learning how to motivate and retain therapists
  • Community outreach across Ecuador 
  • How Mafer empowers parents to be involved in their children’s therapy from day one
  • You can learn more about Mafer Chang and her work here: Centro Enigma

    This conversation with Mafer Chang was originally released on May 27, 2020. 

    ----more----

    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

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Autism Knows No BordersBy Global Autism Project

    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8
    • 4.8

    4.8

    86 ratings


    More shows like Autism Knows No Borders

    View all
    Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

    Hidden Brain

    43,561 Listeners

    10% Happier with Dan Harris by 10% Happier

    10% Happier with Dan Harris

    12,777 Listeners

    The Daily by The New York Times

    The Daily

    113,344 Listeners

    The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show by CITIUS MAG

    The CITIUS MAG Podcast | A Running + Track and Field Show

    1,837 Listeners

    Neurodiversity Podcast by Emily Kircher-Morris

    Neurodiversity Podcast

    421 Listeners

    Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard by Armchair Umbrella

    Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

    69,773 Listeners

    Allison after NXIVM from Uncover by CBC

    Allison after NXIVM from Uncover

    10,259 Listeners

    THE AUTISM ADHD PODCAST by Holly Blanc Moses

    THE AUTISM ADHD PODCAST

    650 Listeners

    Uniquely Human: The Podcast by ART19    Uniquely Human

    Uniquely Human: The Podcast

    422 Listeners

    Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

    Huberman Lab

    29,384 Listeners

    Meet My Autistic Brain by The Autistic Woman™

    Meet My Autistic Brain

    307 Listeners

    Depresh Mode with John Moe by John Moe, Maximum Fun

    Depresh Mode with John Moe

    830 Listeners

    All There Is with Anderson Cooper by CNN Podcasts

    All There Is with Anderson Cooper

    10,555 Listeners

    New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce by Wondery

    New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

    18,092 Listeners