the podcast series
season 2:
AUGUST 2021–MAY 2022
episodes 6–15
“The best way to learn is just from going out and doing something—talking to people, being a part of of an organization, or going to events. It’s not always going to be easy, but the only way to get better at anything is to keep doing it— and have experiences.”
—James
season 5: AUGUST 2024–MAY 2025—episodes 36–46
season 4: AUGUST 2023 – MAY 2024—episodes 26–35
season 3: AUGUST 2022–MAY 2023—episodes 16–25
season 2: AUGUST 2021–MAY 2022—episodes 6–15
season 1: MARCH 2021–JUNE 2021—episodes 1–5
PODCAST EPISODE 15:
Remember Tony? He transferred. Hear all about it.
Remember Tony? He transferred. Hear all about it.
Remember Tony? He transferred. Hear all about it.
Tony Y started this year at the University of Oregon, but he's ending it at Foothill College,
a community college closer to where he's from in Northern California. At the start of his freshman year, he found he loved some things about the U of O and the city of Eugene, but definitely not the weather and maybe not the quarter system. So he decided to see if he might like another school on his original college list, St. Mary's, a smaller private college in California, better. But, he couldn't transfer in the middle of the year, so he moved home and spent the semester at a junior college. He liked it, he felt like the professors were more accessible, and, he plans to enroll at St. Mary's in the fall, maybe even try U of O again, down the line. His advice: if it doesn't feel right, go with your gut.
Tony Y started this year at the University of Oregon, but he's ending it at Foothill College,
a community college closer to where he's from in Northern California. At the start of his freshman year, he found he loved some things about the U of O and the city of Eugene, but definitely not the weather and maybe not the quarter system. So he decided to see if he might like another school on his original college list, St. Mary's, a smaller private college in California, better. But, he couldn't transfer in the middle of the year, so he moved home and spent the semester at a junior college. He liked it, he felt like the professors were more accessible, and, he plans to enroll at St. Mary's in the fall, maybe even try U of O again, down the line. His advice: if it doesn't feel right, go with your gut.
Tony Y started this year at the University of Oregon, but he's ending it at Foothill College,
a community college closer to where he's from in Northern California. At the start of his freshman year, he found he loved some things about the U of O and the city of Eugene, but definitely not the weather and maybe not the quarter system. So he decided to see if he might like another school on his original college list, St. Mary's, a smaller private college in California, better. But, he couldn't transfer in the middle of the year, so he moved home and spent the semester at a junior college. He liked it, he felt like the professors were more accessible, and, he plans to enroll at St. Mary's in the fall, maybe even try U of O again, down the line. His advice: if it doesn't feel right, go with your gut.
PODCAST EPISODE 14:
Grad school & community advocacy
Ben VanHook is a graduate student at George Mason University, studying public policy. He also works in Washington, D.C. as a Programs and Outreach Associate at the Organization for Autism Research, and as the first autistic student representative to the American Psychological Association. In this episode, Ben talks about how his self-advocacy grew into community advocacy, as he navigated his way to and from a high school that could support him; finding an undergraduate program that was a great fit for him at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA., and now, on to graduate school. Finding his own way prompted Ben to think about how he could help others find what works best for them, too. Ben also explains his work on autism appreciation -- not just autism awareness and acceptance of autistic people-- because he believes neurodiversity offers more in every setting.
LISTEN
PODCAST EPISODE 13:
Using campus career services to jumpstart the job search
Jasmine B is looking forward to graduating in May from UC Riverside with a degree in environmental engineering. What she’s not looking forward to is job hunting. For the past five years, she’s been working at a fast-food restaurant to help pay for college, so she has plenty of work experience, but not in her chosen field. Jasmine says her college’s career services advisors have been super helpful and had good news for her: the soft skills she already has in customer service will look good to employers. And she got a lot of help polishing her resume to highlight all she has to offer. Hear Jasmine talk about those resume hacks, her final semesters, and getting ready for the road ahead.
LISTEN
PODCAST EPISODE 12:
Freshman year, 2,719 miles from home. All is well.
Peri A. had to persuade her parents that she’d be just fine if she chose a college far from home. She grew up and went to high school in L.A. But Hamilton College in upstate New York had everything she was looking for – a small school with a strong liberal arts program, accommodations for students on the spectrum, and a sense of community that she loved when she visited. Peri was able to convince her parents that with an aunt and uncle in NYC, she’d have family support near enough if she needed it. Now she’s in her second semester, taking classes in Symbolic and Quantitative Reasoning, Spanish literature, a course in Mythology, and a poetry class. And Peri’s looking forward to a summer internship. She lives in a dorm, in a “split single” room, so she has the space and privacy she craves after long days in class and clubs full of stimulation. Peri also has something to say about the chocolate milk in the dining hall. You’ll want to hear it.
LISTEN
PODCAST EPISODE 11:
coaching from the sidelines
Parents of students on the spectrum are often very involved because that is the only way to make sure school works for your child. Jackie Lorrainne began navigating her son James' school experiences as soon as he was diagnosed in elementary school, and all the way through his college graduation coming up in May of 2022 from the University of Missouri at St. Louis. Along the way she found James a therapeutic middle school and high school, she compromised with him about college choices, and, coached him over the phone about his dorm situation once he got there and eventually decided to transfer to a different university.
LISTEN
PODCAST EPISODE 10:
Plan B was better
James T. had his heart set on attending an historically black college (HBCU). But the dorm set-up and social scene proved challenging. So for the second semester of his freshman year, he transferred to the University of Missouri, St. Louis. He thrived there, socially and academically. He says he "found a home": had an easier time in the dorms with a single room, and participated in a selective internship program. James is now a senior, on track to graduate in the spring. But early on, he bypassed asking for some of the accommodations he was entitled to. James explains how being on the spectrum can make that complicated, and talks about how colleges are figuring it out.
LISTEN
PODCAST EPISODE 9:
“WHEN PROFESSORS ARE HELPFUL, IT REALLY HELPS.”
In this episode, Caroline talks with one of her professors at Cal State Fullerton, JudelMay Enriquez, about the ways they worked together. Caroline was struggling in a methods and research class. Even with accommodations, she found she got more support by visiting her professor during office hours to let her get to know her, and her learning style better. She also picked up strategies for keeping up in the course. They also discuss how professors can reach out to students on the spectrum who may benefit from academic support.
PODCAST EPISODE 15:
Remember Tony? He transferred. Hear all about it.
Remember Tony? He transferred. Hear all about it.
Remember Tony? He transferred. Hear all about it.
Tony Y started this year at the University of Oregon, but he's ending it at Foothill College, a community college closer to where he's from in Northern California. At the start of his freshman year, he found he loved some things about the U of O and the city of Eugene, but definitely not the weather and maybe not the quarter system. So he decided to see if he might like another school on his original college list, St. Mary's, a smaller private college in California, better. But, he couldn't transfer in the middle of the year, so he moved home and spent the semester at a junior college. He liked it, he felt like the professors were more accessible, and, he plans to enroll at St. Mary's in the fall, maybe even try U of O again, down the line. His advice: if it doesn't feel right, go with your gut.
PODCAST EPISODE 14:
Grad school & community advocacy
Grad school & community advocacy
Grad school & community advocacy
Ben VanHook is a graduate student at George Mason University, studying public policy. He also works in Washington, D.C. as a Programs and Outreach Associate at the Organization for Autism Research, and as the first autistic student representative to the American Psychological Association. In this episode, Ben talks about how his self-advocacy grew into community advocacy, as he navigated his way to and from a high school that could support him; finding an undergraduate program that was a great fit for him at Mercyhurst College in Erie, PA., and now, on to graduate school. Finding his own way prompted Ben to think about how he could help others find what works best for them, too. Ben also explains his work on autism appreciation -- not just autism awareness and acceptance of autistic people-- because he believes neurodiversity offers more in every setting.
PODCAST EPISODE 13:
Using campus career services to jumpstart the job search
Using campus career services to jumpstart the job search
Using campus career services to jumpstart the job search
Jasmine B is looking forward to graduating in May from UC Riverside with a degree in environmental engineering.
What she's not looking forward to is job hunting. For the past five years, she's been working at a fast-food restaurant to help pay for college, so she has plenty of work experience, but not in her chosen field. Jasmine says her college's career services advisors have been super helpful and had good news for her: the soft skills she already has in customer service will look good to employers. And she got a lot of help polishing her resume to highlight all she has to offer. Hear Jasmine talk about those resume hacks, her final semesters, and getting ready for the road ahead.
PODCAST EPISODE 12:
Freshman year, 2,719 miles from home. All is well.
Freshman year, 2,719 miles from home. All is well.
Freshman year, 2,719 miles from home. All is well.
Peri A. had to persuade her parents that she'd be just fine if she chose a college far from home. She grew up and went to high school in L.A. But Hamilton College in upstate New York had everything she was looking for - a small school with a strong liberal arts program, accommodations for students on the spectrum, and a sense of community that she loved when she visited. Peri was able to convince her parents that with an aunt and uncle in NYC, she'd have family support near enough if she needed it. Now she's in her second semester, taking classes in Symbolic and Quantitative Reasoning, Spanish literature, a course in Mythology, and a poetry class. And Peri's looking forward to a summer internship. She lives in a dorm, in a "split single" room, so she has the space and privacy she craves after long days in class and clubs full of stimulation. Peri also has something to say about the chocolate milk in the dining hall. You'll want to hear it.
PODCAST EPISODE 11:
coaching from the sidelines
coaching from the sidelines
coaching from the sidelines
Parents of students on the spectrum are often very involved because that is the only way to make sure school works for your child. Jackie Lorrainne began navigating her son James' school experiences as soon as he was diagnosed in elementary school, and all the way through his college graduation coming up in May of 2022 from the University of Missouri at St. Louis.
Along the way she found James a therapeutic middle school and high school, she compromised with him about college choices, and, coached him over the phone about his dorm situation once he got there and eventually decided to transfer to a different university. Jackie just successfully defended her Ed.D. dissertation, based on her experiences seeking resources and supports as the mother guiding a young Black man with autism seeking success in school. For all of these reasons, this episode is a must-listen.
PODCAST EPISODE 10:
Plan B was better
Plan B was better
Plan B was better
James T. had his heart set on attending an historically black college (HBCU). But the dorm set-up and social scene proved challenging. So for the second semester of his freshman year, he transferred to the University of Missouri, St. Louis. He thrived there, socially and academically. He says he "found a home": had an easier time in the dorms with a single room, and participated in a selective internship program. James is now a senior, on track to graduate in the spring. But early on, he bypassed asking for some of the accommodations he was entitled to. James explains how being on the spectrum can make that complicated, and talks about how colleges are figuring it out.
PODCAST EPISODE 9:
“WHEN PROFESSORS ARE HELPFUL, IT REALLY HELPS.”
“WHEN PROFESSORS ARE HELPFUL, IT REALLY HELPS.”
“WHEN PROFESSORS ARE HELPFUL, IT REALLY HELPS.”
Caroline talks with one of her professors at Cal State Fullerton, JudelMay Enriquez, about the ways they worked together. Caroline was struggling in a methods and research class. Even with accommodations, she found she got more support by visiting her professor during office hours to let her get to know her, and her learning style better. She also picked up strategies for keeping up in the course. They also discuss how professors can reach out to students on the spectrum who may benefit from academic support.
PODCAST EPISODE 8:
so far, so good
so far, so good
so far, so good
Tony Y. is three weeks into his freshman year at the University of Oregon, and so far he loves the vibe in Eugene, the great food in town, and his first-quarter classes: The Politics of Business, algebra, trumpet studio, and he's in the marching band.
Hear more about how Tony is settling in, his unique living arrangement, and his advice on how to talk to professors. Another hack: Get a Safeway card, don't DoorDash every meal.
PODCAST EPISODE 7:
Inclusive College Opportunities
Many colleges and universities are opening up more offerings for students on the spectrum who are seeking a college experience without pursuing a degree. These certificate programs are often a good fit for students who are curious about a range of subjects, seek social settings, and want to gain independent living skills but may have intellectual disabilities or other challenges. In this episode, we hear from Charlie who is a student at the University of Nevada, Reno, and Jessica Keefhaver who runs the Path to Independence project there.
PODCAST EPISODE 6:
choosing the right college
Choosing the right school can require lots of research, especially when you're on the Spectrum. It's not just finding a college with majors you are interested in, but also figuring out which schools have support services and programs that match your needs. Eric Endlich has created a huge database on his website that lays it all out. He also advises students privately in his college counseling business that he founded because he saw too many students on the spectrum going off to college and having a hard time. He thought he could help, and now he's switched his focus from psychotherapy to college admissions. Hear what he has to say about the range of options out there, and how to choose a college.