Adulting on the Spectrum: Recent Episodes
Autism Speaks
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Billy Mayfair.
Billy Mayfair is one of the top professional golfers in the United States and has been a regular on the PGA Tour since 1989. He boasts five PGA Tour victories and is the only player to ever beat Tigers Woods in a PGA Tour playoff. He is currently playing on the PGA Tour Champions.
Mayfair’s five PGA Tour victories include the Nissan Open (1998), Buick Open (1998), Motorola Western Open (1995), Tour Championship (1995), and Greater Milwaukee Open (1993). His two amateur victories include the U.S. Amateur (1987) and U.S. Public Links (1986). In the PGA Tour Champions, Mayfair ranks 49 in the Charles Schwab Cup Points, five in the PGA Tour Points List, and 34 in the All-Time Money List with more than $22 million in career earnings.
Mayfair has been in the Official World Golf Rankings top 50 list, reaching as high as 26. He was the medalist at the 2010 PGA Tour’s Qualifying School and at the age of 15 was on the cover of Boys’ Life magazine as "golf’s junior hotshot."
After dealing with Asperger-related symptoms for most of his life Mayfair was diagnosed in 2019 with autism spectrum disorder, a developmental condition that causes challenges with a person’s communication, social interactions, sleep habits, moods, and attention span, among other things. Previously, during the 2006 season, Mayfair was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent surgery, returning to the tour two weeks later.
Along with his family, Mayfair began a nonprofit foundation tasked with providing support to both amateur and professional athletes and their families who struggle with spectrum-related disorders.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Alex Astrella.
Alex is a special educator and filmmaker from Dana Point, CA. Through his work in both fields, he is passionate about giving back to the community that helped him become the individual he is today. Outside of his work, Alex enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He is always striving to learn and grow each and every day.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Adin.
From his classical piano, choir, opera, and music theory beginnings in suburban south Orange County to his massive solo and full-band indie rock performances after COVID quarantine and college, Adin Boyer is no stranger to living a life fully devoted to music, and discovering himself entirely through music. His sound draws influences from uplifting arena alternative rock outfits such as Coldplay, Kensington, and Keane, and the glorious ambiances of groups like Hammock and Bear’s Den.
Adin first gained widespread international notoriety as a music performance and composition major at CalArts, after his musical comedy videos racked up millions of views on TikTok in 2020.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Russell.
Russell Lehmann is an award-winning and internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, poet, and advocate contextualizing autism, mental health, disabilities, and the overall human condition.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Russell Lehmann.
Russell is an award-winning and internationally recognized thought leader, speaker, poet, and advocate contextualizing autism, mental health, disabilities, and the overall human condition.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Daniel.
Daniel is an umpire, referee, drummer, and bass guitarist. He has been officiating for 8 years in multiple sports(Baseball, soccer, softball, flag football, and bowling). He also has been coaching bowling for 12 years.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Ogi Ogas. Ogi is an autistic mathematical neuroscientist and author. He writes books about the mind. He describes himself as the “Rip Van Winkle of autism.” Ogi learned he was autistic in the 1990s, but then turned his back on the clinical/medical community so he could figure out how autism worked on his own. Obi just started learning about the autism community again last month.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Austin Varco Austin is a 23-year-old racecar driver from San Diego, CA. When he was diagnosed with level 1 autism at age 20, his purpose realigned to learning and understanding himself and acting as a bridge for others' understanding of autism. He's using his racing career as a platform to educate and advocate for those who may not have a voice but have things to say. Austin loves snowboarding, surfing, and being one with nature.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with GW. GW is 22-year-old autistic advocate who's originally from Chandler, Arizona, and currently lives in Eugene, Oregon. His mission is to spread acceptance and awareness of people with disabilities, including those who have ASD and ADHD.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Scott Steindorff. Scott is an international television and film producer and writer. The most recent project that he executive produced is “Station Eleven,” a book-to-screen adaption, which was released on HBO Max .
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Tyler McMichael. Tyler lives in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and graduated from the University of North Texas. He was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (ASD) at the age of four. His favourite music genre is Metal and he loves learning new languages, which is calls an obsession. He can speak Spanish, French, Arabic, and Portuguese. He’s also a Ticket P1 and listens to The Ticket every day.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Ben Hartranft. Ben was diagnosed with Autism at age 2. His journey began when he started raising money for the Eagles Autism Challenge. After a few years of fundraising, he was invited to be a guest on "The Ellen Show" to promote Autism Awareness and raise funds for research.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Jenna about synesthesia and experiencing the world though senses.
Kaelynn has been a Registered Behavior Technician working with children and teens on the autism spectrum for 7 years. She was diagnosed with autism at age 10 and was a participant in the Netflix series, Love On The Spectrum US. Kaelynn was also diagnosed with several learning disabilities as a child and today she uses her experiences to help others with similar conditions.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Dani Bowman about her career running her own animation company and being on "Love on the Spectrum: US". Dani started her company DaniMation Entertainment at age 14 and appeared on the hit Netflix show. Dani's best piece of advice is to always be your "true authentic self".
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Tom and Andrew D'Eri about neurodivergent workers at their family's car wash business.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with film maker Anna Czarska about movies and life in Ireland.Anna has been in and out of the film industry their entire life but finally landed firmly back into it in 2018 when they founded their film and media production company, Sticky Tape Productions.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Dawn "Scully" Sikora. Scully, has Asperger Syndrome and she specializes in studying entomology, which is insects. She's been an autism advocacy since her brother was diagnosed with autism in the early '90s.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Lia McCabe. Lia is the founder of "Autism Wish" a charity initiative providing autistic children with sensory therapeutic items and parent resources. She is also the host of "Embracing Autism" Podcasts. She is an outspoken autistic advocate, and seeks to create a more compassionate and inclusive community.-----The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak to Erin Burnett. Erin is a 23 year old autistic woman from Northern Ireland, diagnosed at 18. She is the author of two books, a fantasy novel for children, and a nonfiction book about autism and the church.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Nell Russs. Nell is an autistic stand-up comedian, and a self-professed history nerd.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with author of nine best-selling books, Jennifer Cook (formerly Cook O'Toole). Jennifer is an autistic advocate who was diagnosed as an adult and has appeared on the Netflix series, "Love on the Spectrum U.S." as an autism expert.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speaks with Joy. Joy is an autistic writer with a particular interest in constructed language, video games and Pokémon. Professionally, she is seeking employment and developing some professional skills before returning to school for creative writing.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Rebecca Alley. Rebecca was diagnosed with autism at age 23 and went through a neurodiverse hiring program to find her job at a large financial institution as a project management officer. She also has a passion for carnivorous plants.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Tony Hernandez. Tony is a bilingual autistic author, writer, motivational speaker, podcaster and international advocate for autism, mental health and other causes. He was born and raised in Puerto Rico currently lives in Florida. Tony works with Autism Speaks as part of the Autism Response Team, which is an information line for the autism community.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Former NFL player Joe Barksdale about his experience being an autistic dad. Joe is a singer, songwriter, producer. Joe played with the Raiders, Rams, Chargers and Cardinals. Concluding an eight year NFL run Barksdale hung up his cleats in 2019 to pursue music full time settling in Austin, Texas with his wife Briana, and two young daughters.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Katie Santoro, who decided to get the COVID-19 vaccine because of her love of travel. Katie struggled to find her niche in the working world. She was diagnosed with autism at 24. Her diagnosis put her on a path to being an autism advocate. She is president of the Unicorn Children's Foundation Junior board, as well as being president for UCF. She is a contributing member for the Els for Autism and Center for Autism at University of Miami. Her life goal is to travel all seven continents.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Cassie Hauschildt, who sought her autism diagnosis after her son Percy got his diagnosis. She is an advocate for autistic individuals of all ages, and provides mentoring services to parents whose children have received a diagnosis. She works for a company that provides resources for therapists, teachers and caregivers of autistic children.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Michael Gilberg. Michael is a special education attorney and autistic self advocate first diagnosed at age 18. Michael devotes his legal career to representing children with disabilities to ensure they get appropriate education that they are entitled to under the law, which he was denied.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Chloe Rothschild. Chloe is a young adult with autism who is on a mission to advocate and teach others about autism from her perspective. Chloe is one of the co-authors of "My Interception Workbook for Teens, Adolescents and Adults." She also serves on the Arc of the United States National Board, and the Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence also known as OCALI, advisory board. Chloe works as a teacher's aide at an autism school three days a week when Chloe is not presenting or working, she enjoys spending time with her friends & family, participating in adaptive ice skating, and dog agility for individuals with autism.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Liz Michaels. Even before the doctors told Liz's parents, they had little faith she could take the normal route through school, she knew something about her was different. When the diagnosis of autism came. She knew what that was. From that point on. Liz made one of her goals in life to help autistic people like herself advocate and understand the world that is autism. Now a college graduate with a certification in early childhood education, she is able to practice patience and kindness and service to the goal every single day.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Eileen Lamb and Andrew Komarow, speak with Amanda Alonso. Amanda is a Latina woman with autism. She's raising her 14 year old son who also has autism. She's a psychotherapist who started as a mental health specialist in the military. She advocates for more acceptance for people like herself and her son.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with advocate, researcher and writer Morénike Giwa Onaiwu about the in-fighting within the autism community, getting diagnosed as an adult, ABA and more.
Hosts Eileen Lamb an Andrew Komarow speak with Dolly Ferraiuolo. Dolly is a licensed clinical social worker in the state of Florida. She is passionate about helping those with sexual health and wellness issues, anxiety, eating disorders, trauma and grief as an individual on the spectrum herself. Dolly also specializes in intersectional and inclusive autism spectrum disorder evaluations and therapy.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Taylor Robb an autism self-advocate who's been active in the pursuit of autism equality for nearly a decade. His advocacy ranges from helping families cope and understand their children's autism to holding positions on state government committees concerning disabilities. He has also worked in the behavioral health field as a behavioral technician for the last four and a half years and has been pursuing his BCBA requirements over the past year.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Dr. Temple Grandin. Dr. Grandin is a prominent author and speaker on both autism and animal behavior. Today, she is a professor of Animal Sciences at Colorado State University. She has been featured on national and international media for her incredible story. HBO even made an Emmy Award-winning movie about her life.
In this episode, hosts Andrew and Eileen, speak with Jeff Snyder, a self-advocate who was diagnosed with autism in 1990. He has achieved multiple successes in life in areas of education, long term employment, independent living, and speaking engagements. He even does a presentation about autistic traits he finds in Disney characters.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
Hosts, Andrew and Eileen, speaks with Peri who is a 24 year old advocate with autism. After many years of her family wanting answers, she was finally diagnosed at 11, which was pretty late despite the obvious signs. She didn't say her first word until the age of six, and didn't say much else after that until she was 10. She wants to raise awareness about being nonverbal in such a strong verbal world.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with autistic advocate Vanessa Castañeda Gill. She founded Social Cipher, a social emotional learning platform that connects neurodivergent youth and their advocates, counselors, teachers, mental health professionals, in an immersive virtual world.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Seth Garner, an autistic college student who is majoring in radiologic technology. Seth also has an interest in music theory and NASCAR. Seth's current hyper fixation is VHS tapes, VCRs and old technology.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Lucy Cross Wallace. Lucy is an undergraduate student studying Russian and Philosophy at Stanford University. She likes coffee, Margaret Atwood, novels and kindness.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Ryan Lee. Ryan is blogger and autistic advocate who writes about and his social challenges the need for acceptance and understanding.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Jillian Nelson. Jillian is a queer, autistic activist from Minnesota, she has dedicated her life to changing the perspective of autism and creating a better world. When she's not working tirelessly, she can be found at local breweries, WNBA games, or anywhere else that promises an adventure.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb speak with Haley Moss. Haley made international headlines for becoming the first documented openly autistic attorney admitted to the Florida Bar. In addition to being a lawyer, Haley is a neurodiversity advocate and author of "Great Minds Think Differently: Neuro-diversity for Lawyers and Other Professionals." And her next book, "The Young Autistic Adult Independent Handbook," will be released in November 2021.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Kerry Magro, an award winning national speaker, consultant and best-selling author about his diagnosis, his work, TikTok and more.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Fiona O'Leary, an Irish mother of five children, three of which are autistic. She has a degree in autism studies and is an autistic advocate.
The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Mark Fleming, President of Equally Fit, a personal training studio for people with disabilities like autism.
*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with autistic author and advocate, Thomas McKean about the early days of autism advocacy and his involvement in the movement.
*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with clinical assistant professor at the Ammon School of Education at Adelphi University and Autism Speaks board member, Stephen Shore, Ed,D. about everything from language preferences, driving, accommodations, advocating and adapting.
*The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
In this episode, hosts Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, speak with Founder and CEO of Beyond-Impact, Tara Cunningham about everything from being diagnosed as an adult to her advice for autistic job-seekers. Tara is an Ashoka Fellow and an internationally recognized, award-winning, neurodivergent CEO and Social Entrepreneur working for people with disabilities.
Let us know your feedback or ideas for future episodes by emailing podcast@autismspeaks.org.
*The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.
This podcast is an interview series that will feature autistic adults from a variety of backgrounds to learn about their life, talents, challenges and the ups and downs of being on the autism spectrum.
In this episode, "Adulting on the Spectrum" hosts, Andrew Komarow and Eileen Lamb, introduce themselves and talk about everything from the "Shawshank Redemption" film to the scent of tennis balls.
Let us know your feedback or ideas for future episodes by emailing podcast@autismspeaks.org.
*The views and opinions expressed in the podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of Autism Speaks.