As parents of autistic children who have moderate to severe needs, we worry about how our children can protect themselves legally as they become adults. In our second of two episodes on protecting our adult children, we interview Lila Kimel, of Kimel Psychological Services who specializes in psychological evaluations for medical and forensic determinations. She also offers her expertise in legal situations when neurodiverse people get into legal trouble. We hear Lila offer frank discussions of common situations those on the spectrum get into legal trouble and ways they can protect themselves. (Explicit Warning: Adult Sexual Content)

One instinct that all parents share is the desire to keep their children safe. But what if you are the parent of a neurodiverse adolescent or young adult? How can you teach them how to be safe and have appropriate behaviors when you’re not around? What should they do if they encounter police? In today’s episode, we interview Ali Thompson, former police officer and CEO of Pulse Line Collaborative Training, an organization that trains law enforcement on how to safely manage their interactions with neurodiverse people with patience and understanding.

In this episode, we continue our conversation about accessing government disability benefits. In today’s interview, we talk with Maureen Welch, founder of Navigating Disability Colorado. Together we examine the complex process of accessing Medicaid waivers.

With the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Affordable Care Act, it can be difficult to plan for health care costs when you have a disability. In our interview with Richard Burk and Amy Woszczynski, Social Security Disability Determination Examiners for the State of Colorado, we explore the different aspects of accessing Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).

In our second of two episodes focusing on innovative schools that support life after high school for neurodiverse students, we interview Lindsay Wagner and Amy Faraone about the League School for Autism in Walpole, Massachusetts. They explain how they prepare students for independent living by helping students build self-advocacy strategies and through their innovative community-based vocational program.

There are several schools across the nation that are dedicated to educating neurodiverse students; a few of them address life after high school. One such innovative program in Utah is Scenic View Academy. This on-campus school creates living and working environments that supports students in developing life skills and executive functioning skills that will help them to live independently as adults.

As we continue to explore the connections between ADHD and autism, we interview Kara Fenton, Clinical Research Coordinator, at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She describes her own significant struggles and strategies with living independently given her ADHD diagnosis as an adult. In our post interview reflection, we talk about the parallels between the executive functioning challenges for those with ADHD and those with autism.

Many people with autism struggle with executive functioning throughout their lives. Today we interview Brandon Slade, founder of Untapped Learning, as he describes how those with ADHD and autism can manage their executive functioning challenges. Brandon shares his firm belief that neurodiversity is a gift rather than as an obstacle to success.

In Part 2 of our review of the book The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo, we examine the remedies, solutions and strategies that will help create a healthy and productive lifestyle that supports the mental health for those on the spectrum.

In our last of our four part series on autism and mental health, we review the book The Healthy Deviant by Pilar Gerasimo. Gerasimo addresses the unhealthy world we live in and offers advice on how to create a healthy and productive lifestyle. We explore how this approach can have a positive impact on one’s physical and mental health for those with autism.