Autistics Living in Rural Settings

Transcript

Autistics Living in Rural Settings

November 17th, 2024

Episode Preview

Are you an Autistic (or you know an Autistic) who is living in a rural area?  Do you feel isolated from other Autistic social support networks?  Are you an Autistic with intersectional identities in a rural setting where the general public there are hostile to you?  On this episode of Today’s Autistic Moment, Maddie Smith who is an Autistic living in a rural setting will talk with us about her experience.  Maddie will also talk about how she has found new ways to connect with Autistics in her area with some advice about what others can do to create community social support.  In segment one, I will talk about Today’s Autistic Moment being here for all of the Autistics with intersectional identities as we journey into the uncertainty of the upcoming year.  Madeline Smith will join me in segments two, three and four to talk about Autistics Living in Rural Settings.

Segment 1

Welcome everyone to Today’s Autistic Moment: A Podcast for Autistic Adults by an Autistic Adult. My name is Philip King-Lowe. I am the owner, producer, and host; and I am an Autistic Adult. Thank you so very much for listening.

Today’s Autistic Moment is a member of The Autistic Podcasters Network.

Explore, Engage, Empower: Today’s Autistic Moment-The Podcast for Intersectional Autistic Adult Communities

This first segment of Today’s Autistic Moment is sponsored by The Autism Society of Minnesota, known as AuSM throughout Minnesota’s Autism community. As Minnesota’s First Autism Resource for more than 50 years, AuSM serves the whole state, the whole spectrum, for the whole life. Visit AuSM online at ausm.org. ♫ Music ends.

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Thank goodness that the election is over.  The election ads are gone.  Yet, for many of us who are Autistic and of intersectional identities are rightfully worried about the uncertainty of the next four years.  As the owner of Today’s Autistic Moment, I am committing the podcast to help revitalize our Intersectional Autistic Adult Communities to be proactive leaders in the movements of equality and equity.  When season 5 starts in 2025 the focus of the work of the podcast will be Today’s Autistic Moment: Navigating the Future of Multi-Dimensional Autistic Leadership.  In the weeks and months ahead Today’s Autistic Moment will be teaming up with organizations to help explain what we mean when we say that Autistics are multi-dimensional. During the last two shows of this season, I will tell you more about the plans that are being made.  For now, just know that Today’s Autistic Moment will be here with you as we journey forward.

After this first commercial break, Madeline Smith will join me to talk about Autistics Living in Rural Settings.

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Commercial Break I

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Segment 2

Philip King-Lowe 

Maddie Smith, welcome to Today's Autistic Moment. It is my privilege to have you here today. So welcome.

Madeline Smith.

Hi, thanks for having me.

Philip King-Lowe

You're welcome. Okay, so you and I have been in some conversations for a few months now, and we're talking about an important topic today, about Autistics living in rural settings. What a great topic to have. You know, there are so many things we can talk about, and we will talk about. So, let's get down to business. Where can we begin to explore this topic of Autistics living in rural settings? And I definitely want us to extend this to our Intersectional Autistic Adult Communities that are often quite marginalized in such places. So go ahead.

Madeleine Smith 

So, I think, um, there's a lot of great things about living in rural areas for Autistic people. Some of the things that you mentioned in the description, such as like live that it's a little bit of a quieter environment, so that can be easier. But there are generally a lack of resources, and the resources that are here are sometimes outdated, a little bit overstretched and not always for a wide portion of the population. A lot of times they can be for children, or they are not always the most culturally competent for people with intersectional identities. So, I think that that's something that needs to be addressed, and also is helpful just to acknowledge because I think that there are probably a lot of Autistic people that feel very left behind and without hope, in some ways, because it feels like there's not, they're not being offered any support.

Philip King-Lowe 

And it can also be very difficult. For them to find other Autistics, relate, yeah, and socialize with talk about that.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, definitely. So, I think that it's that it's an issue in general, not just in the Autistic community, that there is a lot of people feeling pretty isolated, and that can be compounded in rural settings, because there aren't as many people, of course. And then further, for Autistic people, because of some of the challenges we might have, being understood by other people, accepted by other people, feeling like spaces in the community are being made accessible to us. So, I think that that isolation aspect is really huge, because when you're struggling, as many people do, and then you have that lack of resources, so you don't have much support, and then you might also feel like you're the only one, in some ways, because you don't know many people that can relate to your experience, it can be incredibly isolating. So yeah, I think that this is a huge problem.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, and I also think that part of the problem is because of the lack of resources, which includes probably therapists who can actually identify Autistics, and also lack of educational opportunities, job opportunities, vocational rehabilitation opportunities that could really be helpful, especially for late diagnosed Autistics, to get a hold of and therefore begin to both understand themselves and to find opportunities to grow mature and to spread out their wings and find a journey that's going to work for them. And then there's also those things that do occur before and up to the identification of being Autistic that may have happened in one's childhood that they just didn't understand. And I can say for myself, that was definitely the case. I lived in a small rural town in Massachusetts called Wareham, and it was when I was growing up. They're a very small town, just to lay a little groundwork to help people understand that the town that I grew up in does not have a mayor. They have a board of selectmen. They actually now have renamed it a Select Board of people who, who are, who govern the town. And so, there were many things that occurred while I was growing up, things like, I wasn't really wanting to be social. Um, I spend a lot of time watching TV, even on weekends and even school vacations. I spent a lot of time, you know, really isolating myself. I didn't want to be necessarily around people. And so, I'm sure other Autistics experience that same kind of thing. And, you know, I do know of a story of one parent with an Adult Autistic child who has a problem. I say a problem because this child defends themselves almost violently, and they feel like their child is consistently in danger of something or/and, of course, law enforcement there is not very helpful. So, I think those are some great ideas, great points about what can happen to those who are not yet identified and those who may need to be identified. As well, as we say, the knowledge within that community about how to interact with Autistic individuals, whether they have low support needs or high support needs. So, I'm sure you can maybe add a little something to that.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, so I also, I mean, we moved a lot around a bit when I was younger, but we spent a big chunk of time in rural Texas, in a very small town, so I have kind of a similar experience of being like undiagnosed Autistic ADHD in that area, where I don't think I can't think of a time where I definitely can't really think of anybody that I met that was, like, openly identifying as Autistic, and I can't even really think of a time when it was like, brought up or talked about at all. So really, my awareness was very, very little, and there were definitely not any facilities that you could go to get diagnosed or assessed or anything like that. So, it really does kind of compound that, that issue of feeling othered when you're growing up as being undiagnosed and not really understanding why, because it's just all that's available to you are the very, especially at that time, the very kind of specific diagnostic criteria that a lot of us upon reading don't see ourselves in, necessarily. So, I can definitely relate to that. And as far as law enforcement, I know that back then, they were not getting training on how to interact with Neurodivergent people or recognize people in crisis versus people that were just violent. But I know here that there are some efforts to train some of the first responders, but I think that they're kind of early on in that being widespread. So, it definitely is something that could be worked on, because it creates a dangerous environment for Autistic people, and one that makes it harder for them to interact in the community and feel safe going out into the community and being a part of that.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, and again, the lack of self-awareness creates a lot of fear. It creates a lot of sense of people just don't understand me, or I don't understand people, and quite frankly, I don't know why I don't understand them. I think a lot of the time that I was in my rural settings, it wasn't just a matter of not necessarily understanding people around me, but not understanding why I don't understand people around me and the isolation can come from people who just can't give you that answer.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, I think for me, I didn't really understand why I didn't understand other people, and then I also didn't understand why I couldn't just act like them. Because a lot of what I was noticing when I was growing up is that I felt like I couldn't match people's energy necessarily, like they would be more outgoing, more loud, and I would feel like I was kind of like balled up, not really fitting in, and I couldn't understand why. I couldn't just be loud and like that, you know. So, it's just kind of it in grains that idea of like having some sort of deficit that's like individual to you, you know, like it's your fault you have this thing. So that's definitely something that, I think, online resources that come from Autistic people or have been really helpful, especially for people that are living in more isolated communities, because it gives you that perspective beyond just what the DSM has to say.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, yeah. And also, I guess I'd like to say too, with what you were saying is, you know, you find it difficult to socialize with others around you in those communities, and when you finally try to, they either passively reject you, or you just hear something that you're just not doing something right. And again, you don't exactly know what they're talking about or why they're talking about it. You know, I think we need to also talk about the fact that in a lot of rural settings, the issue of our intersectional communities that are Autistic, those who are black, Autistics, LGBTQ people. I mean, those areas can be really toxic for the acceptance of people who are different from ourselves, especially when it comes there's the Autistic factor, but then there's also the factor of there's so much racism, there's also a rejection, if somebody's transgender, and a lot of us are Autistic, and we have multicultural identities, if you will. And you know, it is, is, not only it's isolating, but it's, it's very it's, it's, it's scary to live in some of those communities because of, you know, especially since a lot of the violence and the talk now has become so socially acceptable, you know, via the recent political and social climates that We're in. So, I think that's worth mentioning here and important that we do.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, I think it can be hard to know when a space is going to be welcoming or safe and when it isn't, especially for people with those intersectional identities, and also just the fact that we, like, might not fit, feel like we fit in in the communities that are available to us. So like, like, I identify as LGBT as well, and Bemidji, actually, where I live, actually has a really great Pride, like organization that's active year round, and they do a lot of really great things and some but sometimes I am hesitant to be involved, because they can be a little bit over stimulating for me and overwhelming, and sometimes feeling a little othered, just like I said, by not being able to match like that sort of energy, and so it kind of can isolate further from the communities that might be available to us, because there is a unique experience in being Autistic and LGBT versus just being Autistic or having other identities. And in that case, it's almost it can be different than, you know, the experiences of people of color, indigenous people, because there is such a large overlap in LGBT people and Neurodivergent people that it's not something that's ever made me feel othered in Neurodivergent communities for me personally, but living in rural areas, it can be hard. As much as we'd like to think that, like all Autistic people, are progressive and accepting of identities, we don't know that just because the space is like a Neurodivergent space, that it's going to be welcoming and safe or comfortable. So, I think that that can be something that can cause further isolation.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, I just think it's important that we say these things, because, as we know, a lot of the conversations around Autistics, Neurodivergence, and a lot of our intersectional communities, there are conversations that just are not happening, happening in safe environments and environments where someone's going to actually listen and not feel like their voices are drowned out or spoken over. And that's why I like to have these conversations on this podcast, because it is a safe space where we can have those conversations. So, that is one of the reasons I do like to have them here.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, and I think, yeah, in addition to it affecting, you know, just feeling included or welcomed, it's also it affects access to resources. Because what resources are here, people might not be, they might not be the most, I guess, culturally competent, they might not feel comfortable utilizing them, or they just might not be, they might be harmful, you know, to people. So, I think that all of that creates an even wider disparity as far as access to support and the resources that people need.

Philip King-Lowe 

Absolutely. Absolutely.

After this next commercial break, Maddie and I will talk about an example of how Neurodivergents can become proactive to create social support opportunities for Autistics in rural areas. 

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Commercial Break II

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Segment 3

Philip King-Lowe

My second question is going to be challenging for everybody here, but it's the question about, How do we get our Autistic intersectional adult communities engaged in addressing these things? And again, this is a little bit more complex, and if we find it difficult to say so, I don't I think that's an understandable problem. As I mentioned earlier in the first part of this interview, we're living in a climate that's very hostile to minorities and groups of people, and that has only been magnified by the recent election we've had. And so, you know, part of engaging I'm going to give one suggestion is by that Autistics and Neurodivergents could actually help set an example for having some of those open conversations about these things. And that's one of those challenges in rural areas, because finding other Autistics to have those conversations in can be very complex, or complicated, if you want. So, let's see what we can do with this Maddie.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, I have found conversations amongst, like, fellow Autistic people to be sometimes more open. I think, of course, everybody wants to be, to be sensitive and understanding, but sometimes some of the uncomfortableness that's kind of common in, like, the societal kind of expectations of conversation in neurotypical communication can kind of impede conversations about intersectional identities and like the experiences of different communities and living in the hostile environment that we live in now. So, I do think it is important to have those conversations, and that often having them with other Neurodivergent people is can be very productive and almost healing, in a way.

Philip King-Lowe 

My last episode with Shalese Heard about Autistics traveling, and I know this isn't going to be the easiest conversation, but about getting comfortable, being uncomfortable, and this is a bit challenging, because a lot of us Autistics are just not comfortable most time. But point is, is that there is going to be some discomfort. And some of what we can do to engage those conversations is just have an open conversation with each other about what makes us uncomfortable, and to just try to find some common ground within that lack of comfort. You know, why is it that we're uncomfortable living in our rural areas? What is it that's really making it very difficult? Let's talk through those conversations about why it is, and then through our conversations, become proactive. Being proactive includes having such conversations like this, do you have anything to add to that?

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, I think a lot of times when you can kind of sense that hostility that is present, and I mean, kind of everywhere, but in rural areas, it feels like what people are asking you to do is either to kind of disappear or to conform. And I think that that is kind of a common experience among a lot of different communities that can be used to connect, because a lot of times it feels like the solution that people are presenting for their own hostility is for us to kind of neutralize our identities to the extent possible. And so, I think that that's something that could kind of at least start a conversation, but because that is kind of a common experience among a lot of us with marginalized identities. And just having a place where you can recognize those identities and talk about them, even if it gets uncomfortable to talk about them in a way that they're recognized, can be kind of a good place to start, I guess.

Philip King-Lowe 

Well, you are part of MNeurodivergent. Last year you all of my audience, you heard from Mitchell Schaps, who talks about that organization, and you do hear me mention them at during the bulletin board at the end of each show. Has MNeurodivergent been able to help with some of those engaging conversations?

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, so I actually helped start a group, independent of MNeurodivergent that was based in Bemidji, just focused on reducing social isolation and giving Neurodivergent people a place to make connections and build community. And then a little bit earlier in this year, I we officially became a branch of MNeurodivergent in Bemidji, and it has really been helpful, um, to kind of connect with other people and have some of those conversations and just feel like, I mean, I think for a lot of Autistic people, it's just sometimes nice to feel like you have connections in the community, You have a place to go, you're not by yourself.

Philip King-Lowe 

MNdivergent is doing something that I think is absolutely marvelous. Because these are not Neurodivergent individuals who are sitting around or standing around waiting for non-neurodivergent people to start something that's going to be socially helpful. MNeurodivergent is a group of Neurodivergents who are saying, “We’re going to start our own groups of people, and we are going to create those social opportunities.” You know what I love about what MNeurodivergent is doing. And you know, just being in a place among other people where fidgeting is accepting You know, stimming is accepting. Your sensory seeking versus your sensory processing needs are welcome there. Nobody is going to criticize you, gaslight you, or say, well, that's not that shouldn't be a problem. They're going to be receptive. And I would take a guess that what you're doing there with MNeurodivergent is you are creating those spaces to be, and that's part of the engagement. So go ahead with that.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, yeah. I think that having resources for Autistic and by Autistic is one of people, is one of the biggest things that can help in really everywhere, especially in the rural areas, because a lot of, I think the issues with some of the I guess, treatments or supports that are available here is that they are offered to us by allistic people, and while some of them, I mean, they can still be supportive, of course, but it oftentimes just doesn't feel quite right. We feel maybe misunderstood, or that we're not being offered exactly what we need because of that misunderstanding, or sometimes it can feel a little patronizing. I know that there are other organizations that offer social opportunities, and sometimes it can feel a little bit like theirs... It can either, yeah, I can just feel like they maybe don't understand, or kind of not talking to us like they're on our same level, maybe treating us a little bit like we're children, you know. Yeah, infantizing, so infantilizing, that's the word I was trying to think of, sorry, yeah. And so I think it's just really important to have communities of people where we can be ourselves and not have to worry about someone you know, even not on purpose or maybe on purpose, talking down to us, we can just let our natural behaviors out without thinking anybody's going to be looking at us weird, or, you know, taking, yeah, looking at so I think that that's really a huge thing, because the resources that have been the most helpful to me in my adult life have all been, have all come from other Neurodivergent people. So, I think that having this organization MNeurodivergent that's run by Neurodivergent people is kind of amazing. It's just really a different experience than what else is offered to us.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. Well, we're already talking about empowering, and I do think that MNeurodivergent and groups like that are empowering Intersectional Autistic Adult Communities to really change that. I call it. Always say, change the landscape of how things are. You know, again, creating communities of other Autistics, Neurodivergent people, and making room for intersectional identities. I know that the Twin Cities based MNeurodivergent folks and several of the other communities in Minnesota are doing just that. You know, and just to, just to really point out here, this is not something that just folks in Minnesota can do. This is something that other folks in other states can do. And it starts with some Neurodivergent folks actually getting into the conversations about, how do we find each other, and what can we do? The Autism Society Minnesota has their adult coffee clubs, and you know, there are support groups, and, you know, educational, social opportunities, and this is how we begin. This is how we empower Autistic people to really change what's happening also in rural areas. Because I know that AuSM, for example, has had plenty of people who have said to them, we don't have access to a resource like AuSM, the Autism Society Minnesota, where we live. And you know, MNeurodivergent, while it may not solve every problem, definitely opens some real doors that have often been shut closed to us or haven't even been offered, open with any kind of welcoming within those spaces, and MNeurodivergent is changing that in for Autistics in Minnesota you want to expound on that or add something to that. 

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, resources like The Autism Society of Minnesota are really great, and in some ways, we can still have some access to them through, like online you know. I actually get my therapist through the Autism Society. I do like virtual appointments, which is something that's like the first provider that I think has ever helped me feel like I was making process and also kind of understanding myself better. But unfortunately, it is just one organization based in the cities, and while they do serve the whole state, that's just not it's not enough. You know, they're not going to be able to help everyone. And so, in my area, when I did go to look for like therapists or different providers, you can kind of look up to see if there's anybody that is like informed on Autism or Neuro-affirming, anything like that. And there really isn't much that comes up. And even less, I would almost say nothing for adults, the places that offer services are often capping it at 18 or 21 and they are often what I would consider to be maybe outdated, outdated forms of therapy that can sometimes be harmful. So, yeah, having more resources offered by people that are Autistic, or just very informed on Autism, and kind of, like the newer research and what people that are actually Autistic are saying would be incredibly helpful, because the adverse in the current state of it can be pretty, pretty harmful. And I think that a lot of that does come too from supporting people in our community so that they can kind of find they can, if they're interested in it, they can get the education and everything to come back and provide those resources, because if we're not supporting our Autistic people in our communities, then they may not be able to get that experience that they need to provide those resources, or they might, they might do it, and they might not come back because it wasn't a welcoming environment. So, I think that services provided to Autistic-by-Autistic people are incredibly important.

Philip King-Lowe 

Absolutely. Absolutely. And that's one of those things that can be so empowering. We're talking about empowerment just by creating opportunities. And you know, I know there's challenges for a lot of us to actually get up and get something working, but you know, there is no substitute for other Neurodivergent people to share with each other what we're experiencing. And my audience has heard me say on multiple occasions that the best way to advocate is by sharing with other Autistics, sharing together as to the experience of what being Autistic means for us. And you know, the great part about you know that can be really, really helpful in these rural areas is being in a place where, if you don't want to discuss, you just want to be there with other people that you don't have to discuss or explain yourself or defend yourself. You just want to be there with other people, that's perfectly okay as well. You know, in a lot of those places, those social opportunities with other Autistics and Neurodivergent people, that just being there without having somebody pointing a finger at you, or, you know, scratching their heads and saying what's as if to say what's wrong with this person and that sort of thing. No, the Neurodivergent communities that I've seen, and I've seen it in MNeurodivergent and the few social activities I've been with. It really is a place where we don't care what our preferences are, you know, whatever your preferences or your abilities are, that's not important to us. Important. The important point is that you find here a place where you can just be yourself and be comfortable with that, you know. And you know, since a lot of rural communities may not provide that, creating these spaces in those environments is very important, so I think that that needs to be said.

Madeleine Smith 

I think what was surprising for me, and something that I've kind of grown to understand about myself through participating in these MNeurodivergent events and putting them on, is that it's just kind of a relief to have a place where, and maybe this isn't a universal experience, but where you don't have to worry about your own discomfort making other people come uncomfortable, or other people thinking that you're uncomfortable. So, a lot of the things that are kind of neutral, often neutral behaviors for us, like stimming or needing to get up and leave the room, or maybe like missing a social cue, or saying something a little weird, or not saying anything for a long time, we're always worried about, or I'm always worried about how I find myself, worrying about how that affects the other people I'm in the room with. And something that's just been kind of healing is to be in an environment where people aren't taking those behaviors to mean something that I don't intend them to mean, if that makes any sense. So, I like we can just be ourselves without having to worry that we're making other people uncomfortable by just existing. And I think that's something that's really, it's great to have a space where you can do that.

After this final commercial break, Madeline will share some of her experiences living in a rural community and what are some things Maddie has done that have made a difference in her life.  Today’s Autistic Community Bulletin Board will follow.

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Commercial Break III

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Future Shows 

On December 8th, Matthew Lawrence the #Actually Autistic Coach will be my guest for The Autistic Jewish Experience.  This episode dives into the unique intersections of Autism and Jewish identity, exploring how Autistic Jews navigate faith, community and self-advocacy within both Jewish and Neurodivergent spaces.  We will also discuss the challenges of navigating sensory-rich environments and addressing the stigmas in both Jewish and Autistic Communities.  We will be talking about cultural differences and not seek to convert people to any particular religion.  Join us for this exceptional show.

The final episode of season 4 will be Embracing the Intersectional Autistic Culture with Dr. Angela Kingdon who is the host of The Autistic Culture Podcast.  All of the episodes of Today’s Autistic Moment in 2024 have focused on our intersectional Autistic communities. We will explore what embracing the Intersectional Autistic Adult Communities means so that all of us feel like we have a place of belonging in the movement of Neurodiversity.

The Premier of Season 5 in 2025 on January 12th will be Today’s Autistic Moment’s 100th show.  My guests will include sponsors, guests and listeners.  Together we will celebrate what we are achieving, talk about why the sponsors support the podcast, and look at where we are going in 2025.  You are all invited to join us on January 12th.

Thank you for listening to Today’s Autistic Moment.

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Segment 4

Philip King-Lowe 

Maddie, as we prepare to end this interview, are there any other things you might want to say about your experiences in rural communities. You know, your own rural community and how these things have really made a difference for you.

Madeleine Smith 

I think that just realizing that I'm not alone and not like an anomaly, I guess, is very helpful. Through participating in these events and meeting other people, and also because I help or because I put them on, it gives a kind of a sense of purpose as well. But it's just it can be easier to almost give up on yourself or just be really hard on yourself when you're not seeing other people like you, because when you see other people that are exhibiting behaviors that maybe in the past, due to internalized ableism, you've been very hard on yourself for you realize that that's not something you would ever criticize someone else for, as harshly as you criticize yourself. And I think that through being part of these communities and making connections, it just helps a lot with that self-understanding and self-acceptance and finding ways to support yourself instead of trying to change yourself, which I know is an experience that a lot of late diagnosed people have, because before you have that self-awareness, I feel like a lot of life is kind of focused on either withdrawing from the community or trying to change yourself to be able to fit into the community. So, it's just nice to have another option, and I think that it's really impactful. And I would encourage anybody, if there are ways that they can connect with other Neurodivergent people in their area, I would definitely encourage it. I think it's been, you know, that kind of life changing for me, and that it's just a very comfortable kind of low-stake space that I feel like can really help you feel more in line with yourself and like you deserve to exist as you are.

Philip King-Lowe 

Yeah, absolutely. Maddie Smith, this has been a fantastic conversation. I think we’ve; we've given our audience a look at what being Autistic and living in a rural area can be like, and some ideas of how you might, we might change the atmospheres or and or environments there for a lot of Autistics. So, thank you so much for being here today, and we definitely look forward to more conversations with you in the future.

Madeleine Smith 

Yeah, thank you for having me. I enjoyed it.

Philip King-Lowe

Thank you.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai

Today’s Autistic Community Bulletin Board

All of these events and many others with their links can be found at todaysautisticmoment.com/bulletinboard.

The AuSM Coffee Club for Autistic Adults is a space where Autistic and Neurodivergent Adults can connect with each other, foster friendships, and build community while enjoying a favorite beverage or snack. While it is free to participate in AuSM’s Coffee Club, we ask that participants purchase something from our venue.  Please note the time change that meetings now begin at 4pm to 6pm on Tuesday December 3rd at Dogwood Coffee, located at 2700 University Ave, W. St. Paul, Minnesota, Zip Code is 55114.

Understanding Autism virtual classes are offered by The Autism Society of Minnesota. These classes are perfect for Autistic individuals, caregivers, those who want to understand the basics of Autism and support Autistic people. Classes will be on December 9th at 6pm. Classes are free of charge, but you must register to attend.

Are you a professional who works with Autistic people? Such as a therapist, psychologist, occupational therapist, psychiatrist, social worker, case manager, or health care provider?  Join the AuSM Professional Networking Group to work with The Autism Society of Minnesota’s Counseling and Consultation team that offers a resource to help you network with other professionals.  Group sessions are held monthly. See AuSM’s Event Calendar for more information.

Other workshops include Guardianship: What You Need to Know on November 19th.  A workshop called: Executive Functioning Essentials-Practical Tools for Everyday Life on December 5th, and Minnesota Service Navigation on December 17th.

Go to ausm.org to get more information about these and other social and recreational programs, educational events, counseling services and support groups at The Autism Society of Minnesota.

MNeurodivergent is a social club rooted in a vision of bringing Neurodivergent Minnesotans together to build meaningful connections.  Its core principle is to foster an environment where all are treated with dignity and respect regardless of ability or preferences. Go to the bulletin board at todaysautisticmoment.com and click on the Meet Up link to become a member and attend their events.

Today’s Autistic Moment is here because of the generosity of supporters and sponsors.  Please join the supporters by clicking on “Support Today’s Autistic Moment” on todaysautisticmoment.com.

If you work for a company or organization that supports Autistic Adults and the movement for Neurodiversity, I would love to have you sponsor ads on the show.

If you would like to sponsor an ad and/or have questions about Today’s Autistic Moment, please send an email to todaysautisticmoment@gmail.com.

Thank you for listening to Today’s Autistic Moment: A Podcast for Autistic Adults by An Autistic Adult.

May you have an Autistically Amazing day.

♫ ♫ Closing Background Music with credits ♫

All of the guests meet with me on Zoom to record the interviews. The interview transcripts are provided by Otter. The podcast is prepared and edited on WavePad Masters Edition by NCH Software.  The podcast is published by Spotify for Podcasters.  The Music that you hear is licensed to Today’s Autistic Moment by premiumbeat.com.