In today’s episode, Holly interviews Dr. Alan Martino. He is an Assistant Professor in the Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies program in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary. He researches disability and sexuality and leads the Disability and Sexuality Lab at the University of Calgary.

Today, we discussed the romantic, sexual, and intimate relationships of people with disabilities. We also examined why society often treats the topic of sexuality differently for neurotypicals compared to people with disabilities, and the harmful stereotypes that affect their expression of intimacy.

In today’s episode, Kecia interviews Dr. Endlich. Eric Endlich, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and founder of Top College Consultants®, guides neurodivergent students nationwide through the college application process. He co-teaches the UC Irvine continuing education course for educational consultants, Working with Students with Learning Differences, and co-manages an 18,000-member Facebook group for parents of college-bound neurodivergent students. Dr. Endlich has served on the Learning Differences/Neurodiversity and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Committees of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and was honored with IECA’s “Making a Difference” award for contributions such as a database of neurodiversity-friendly colleges. A national presenter and professional writer, he is also a researcher on a project to develop college readiness software for autistic high school students and a study to enhance student-teacher relationships for autistic children. Finally, he is a neurodivergent parent and adult.

Today, we discussed his recent lecture for the Tarjan’s Center Distinguished Lecture Series he had in November.

In today’s episode, Holly interviews Blake Warner, a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the Program for Education Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) Clinic and the Tarjan Center. In this episode they discuss what UCEDD is, TEL is, how to promote advocacy, the new Leadership Academy at UCLA, and more!

In today’s episode, Holly interviews Dr. Lauren Clark, a Professor and Shapiro Family Endowed Chair in Developmental Disability Studies in Nursing at UCLA. She teaches community-engaged learning experiences in partnership with the disability community. Her courses are designed to model accessibility in healthcare professions education. Today, Dr. Clark discussed her student’s findings on sexual education, accessibility to health services for individuals with disabilities, and more!

In today’s episode, Holly interviews Tarjan Center’s Distinguished Lecture Speakers from April: Nurit Benry, Nicole Rosen, and Maira Tafolla. Nicole, Nurit, and Maira are all apart of Dr. Catherine Lord’s lab at the UCLA Center for Autism Research and Treatment (CART). This podcast episode they discuss the barriers low-income Latinx families experience in the autism diagnostic process and what providers can do to help!

In today’s episode, Kecia interviews our recent distinguished lecture speaker, Dr. Iyer. Sai Iyer, MD is a board-certified Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician and Health Sciences Assistant Professor, Dept. of Pediatrics at UCLA and serves as the Ronald and Susan Cohen Term Chair in Childhood Development and Cerebral Palsy. Dr. Iyer is also the Associate Medical Director of the UCLA High-risk Infant Follow-up (HRIF) Program. The overarching goal of her research is to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and intervention for developmental delays, promote positive parent-child interactions and develop a deeper understanding of how we can help young children reach their developmental potential.

In today’s episode, Holly interviews Dr. Ben Schwartzman, a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University and the Principal Investigator for the Tennessee Employment Pathways Project. Dr. Schwartzman specializes in helping transition-aged individuals with IDD and their families navigate the process of connecting to paid employment. Today, Dr. Schwartzman explains his work and how he got started.

In today’s episode, Holly interviews Dr. Giselle Salinas, a postdoctoral fellow at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior in the Program for Education Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) Clinic. Dr. Salinas earned her doctorate at UC Riverside in Special Education, where she studied the high school transition planning experiences of young adults with autism and/or intellectual disability (ID) and their parents. As a graduate student, Dr. Salinas worked closely with Spanish-speaking families at a free autism screening clinic, where she guided families in special education advocacy and autism assessments. Her research interests revolve around the transition to adulthood for young adults with neurodevelopmental disabilities, including the experiences of culturally diverse populations.