Motivational Speaker and Poet Russell Lehmann joins us for a third time to explore autism through the lens of culture. Having spent most of his life in isolation, Russell has found his voice and independence in recent years. His passion for erasing stigma and stereotypes about autism is shared through his moving, spoken-word poetry. In this discussion, Russell shares the challenges of communicating his needs and preferences and making meaningful connections. Russell offers insights into how those outside the experience of autism can help bridge the gap between cultures.  He shares, “I think it’s ironic that autism is labeled a communication disorder. I understand why but I find myself thinking – Is it me, or is it you guys?” He adds this advice, “Be upfront. Be sincere. Be open-minded, and if you have questions about what to say or do, ask.”

Motivational Speaker and Poet Russell Lehmann joins us for a second time to share his perspectives on the words we use when discussing autism. Having spent most of his life in isolation, Russell has found his voice and independence in recent years. His passion for erasing stigma and stereotypes about autism is shared through his moving, spoken-word poetry. In this discussion Russell shares, “If you don’t know, ask. When talking to someone and you don’t know how to refer to them, ask them. Preface that you are learning. Be honest and respectful.”

All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).

V. Mark Durand is a Distinguished University Professor of psychology at the USF St. Petersburg. Dr. Durand has more than 135 publications. Durand’s research includes the assessment and treatment of severe behavior problems for children and adults with ASD and other disabilities, parent training and the development of treatments for child sleep problems. Most recently he developed a new approach to help families work with their challenging children (optimistic parenting). He and his colleague developed a treatment for problem behaviors (functional communication training – FCT) that is used around the world. His books include textbooks on abnormal psychology that have been translated into more than 10 languages and used at more than 1,000 universities world-wide. He was named a 2014 Princeton Lecture Series Fellow from the (APA). Dr. Durand Past-President of Division 33 (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities/ASD) for the American Psychological Association.

Where to Find V. Mark Durand:

USF: http://asdnet.fmhi.usf.edu/faculty/durand.html

Amazon:  https://amzn.to/3f32hpC

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).

A licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Dr. Debra Berry Malmberg is an Associate Professor of Psychology at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), where she teaches graduate and undergraduate coursework in behavior analysis and clinical psychology. Dr. Malmberg is the founding Director of the CSUN Autism Clinic, a research and treatment clinic for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their families. Dr. Malmberg received her BA from Davidson College and Master’s and Ph.D. from Claremont Graduate University, and her training includes working at the New England Center for Children and the Claremont Autism Center. She has worked extensively with children with autism and related disorders, developing and supervising assessment and intervention programming, conducting diagnostic assessments, designing inclusion programs and parent education programs, and consulting with school districts and international centers. Her research focuses on designing and evaluating behavioral interventions and parent education programs.

For More Information:

• https://www.csun.edu/wellbeing/csun-autism-clinic

• https://www.facebook.com/csunautismclinic

• https://www.instagram.com/csunautismclinic/

• https://www.bacb.com/

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).

Dave Bisbee is a Certified Energy Manager (CEM) with nearly thirty years of experience in the energy industry working with commercial, residential, and public-sector customers. Dave has served as a Project Manager for SMUD’s Customer Advanced Technologies (CAT) program for the past eighteen years testing emerging energy efficient technologies in real-world environments. Dave earned a BS degree in Organizational Leadership from William Jessup University and was awarded the California Military Department Medal of Merit while serving as a Resource Efficiency Manager for the California National Guard.

For More Information: www.smud.org/CircadianLighting

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).