The Autism Experience
By Ken Vu
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed here are reflective of MY INDIVIDUAL BELIEFS and NOT of all autistic individuals.
NOTE: Some occasional swear words and mature, sensitive themes here.
Happy listening! 🖐
LINK TO PORTAL: linktr.ee/theautismexperience
The Autism ExperienceAug 19, 2021
S3E5: Season Finale
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to another episode from "The Autism Experience" and the finale of this season of this podcast!
I'm here to announce that I'll be taking an indefinite break from this podcast as well as scaling back a lot of my social media involvement. It's been a hard choice for me to make, but lately, I've been busy with college as well as focusing a lot more on my own life that I sometimes don't have time to be on social media a lot. After all, I'm only 24 years old with a lot of life ahead of me to look forward to and learn from.
Thus, thank you all for tuning in to my show and my social media and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the eyar and I hope to come back on sometime! Have a great day and take care!
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram and TikTok:
Instagram: @theautismexperience
TikTok: @theautismexperience
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
anchor.fm/theautismexperience
RELEVANT LINKS
- ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
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S3E4: An Overview of My Personal Journey
S3E3: The Value of Quality Friendships and Personal Development
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to another episode from "The Autism Experience".
In this episode, I talk about how I prefer to have a small amount of quality friendships over an abundance of fun, but shallow interactions; I relate this thought to my sensory needs as I personally struggle with keeping track of multiple friendships and maintaining them.
In addition, I relate these themes to how society sometimes has an obsession with avoiding loneliness and why loneliness (in reasonable amount) is helpful to me. While being single seems frightening, I find that it gives people the opportunity to focus on personal joy and self-development more - key aspects of life from which the steps to better friendships, personal happiness, and so on are possible.
It's a hard pill to swallow for sure, but it's one that reminds us that there's more to life than just relationships and that we can still be happy, even if we're alone.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram and TikTok:
- Instagram: @theautismexperience
- TikTok: @theautismexperience
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
RELEVANT LINKS
- ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
____
S3E2: Trauma, Self-Awareness, and Working Through Them
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to another episode from "The Autism Experience". This episode is a lot darker and more personal than my other ones so there'll be a more discussions of some mature themes here FYI.
In this episode, I'll open up about some of the darker aspects of my life, particularly in regards to parts of myself I've began to uncover. One of these things involve reframing a lot of my own personal struggles with my insecurities as they relate to my own life experiences, including sexual harassment in high school.
While I've gone through trauma myself, I feel that I still have a responsibility to myself to decide how I move forward with it. Otherwise, I would not only enable the cycle of insecurity for years to come, but end up passing on my own pain onto others (i.e. a common cause of intergenerational trauma). After all, despite what I've experienced growing up, I still feel that I'm more than my own past, however hard it may be to accept and work through.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram and TikTok:
- Instagram: @theautismexperience
- TikTok: @theautismexperience
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
RELEVANT LINKS
- ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
____
S3E1: Three Things I Want to Focus On For This Holiday Break
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hi, everyone! Welcome back to another episode from "The Autism Experience". It's been a while since I last posted on this podcast, partyl as I took a four-month break from the podcast to focus more on school, mental health, and my personal life.
Given that I'm going to be on my holiday break for the most part, I want to share with you all three things I plan to work on spenting my time and energy in for the holidays - journaling, spirituality (i.e. meditation, spiritual healing), and connecting with others as well as myself. Lately, due to my commitment to schoolwork, I haven't had much time to do any form of self-care and human connection.
Thus, this podcast is a way for me to describe how journaling, spirituality, and human connection are all equally valuable to my mental health and well-being and what they each mean to me.
With that said, Merry Chirstmas, Happy New Year, and stay tuned for more from "The Autism Experience next year in January 2022!
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram and TikTok:
- Instagram: @theautismexperience
- TikTok: @theautismexperience
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
RELEVANT LINKS
- ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
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ANNOUNCEMENT: Taking a Temporary Break from the Podcast
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
As an important announcement, I'll be taking a break from the podcast until December 2021 or even January 2022 to focus more on my studies in graduate school and build my career. I'll still post on my Instagram account @theautismexperience, although not as frequently (weekly or bi-weekly depending on my work/school schedule).
Thank you all for listening to this podcast for all these past couple of months! While I still have a lot to learn moving forward about autism and life in general, I've gained so much from interacting with the autism community and sharing my experiences with them!
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram and TikTok:
- Instagram: @theautismexperience
- TikTok: @theautismexperience
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
RELEVANT LINKS
- ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
____
S2E7: My Spiritual Connection with Community Work
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hey, everyone! In this podcast, I reflected on my experiences with a summer fellowship I finished recently that involved addressing environmental and social issues through community work. I related this fellowship to my overall interest in connecting with people above all else and serving something greater than myself.
While I understand not all of you are religious or spiritual, I find non-profit work and community service work to be a great way for me to serve God and the spiritual forces at work that traverse and move this world and bind the universe and humanity together.
Hear more now on my latest podcast!
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram and TikTok:
- Instagram: @theautismexperience
- TikTok: @theautismexperience
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
RELEVANT LINKS
- ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
____
S2E6: Kelly Leslie on Neurodiverse Inclusion in Media, Society, and Education
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hey, everyone! In this podcast, I'm joined by former educator-turned children's book author Kelly Leslie. She's a fantastic guest with more than 30+ years in the education system who now writes children's books intended to bring more attention and representation to neurodiverse children.
Throughout this podcast, we discuss her background as an educator, how she became interested in working with special education students, and the importance of bringing more understanding and acceptance towards neurodiverse students, who are often underrepresented, misrepresented, or largely unnoticed in media.
As a heads up, the audio quality is a little weak as I forgot to connect my microphone properly then. However, despite that slight drop in audio quality, it's still a wonderful conversation as you'll come to find, me and Kelly align so much more than what I initially realized. Check out the full conversation to find out more!
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Social Media:
1. Instagram: @theautismexperience
2. TikTok: @theautismexperience
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
RELEVANT LINKS
- Article I wrote for "Embracing Special Needs": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
KELLY LESLIE'S SOCIAL MEDIA AND LINKS
1) Instagram: @klesliebooks
2) Twitter: @klesliebooks
3) Kelly Leslie's Website: Kelly Leslie Books
4) Buy her latest book Believe in Bruno: AVAILABLE HERE on Amazon!
BONUS - My Interview with Special Olympics Athlete Ben Bluemond
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hey, everyone! In this special podcast, I'm sharing with you my interview with the one and only Ben Bluemond! He's currently a Special Olympics athlete who's competing as a runner, which he did ever since he was in high school. He currently has an Instagram account @bengettingaround where he posts about his achievements as a competitive runner as well as share inspiring stories about his life and journey as an autistic athlete!
In this podcast, Ben talks about what motivated him to be a runner, the challenge he faced as an athlete, and his desire to give back to the autism community through his Instagram posts and his upcoming YouTube series Adulting with Autism! Watch the full conversation to hear more details!
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram and TikTok:
Instagram
TikTok
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
____
RELEVANT LINKS
1) Article I Wrote for "Embracing Special Needs": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
2) Ben's Article for "Embracing Special Needs": How I've Faced my Challenges
3) Ben's Instagram: @bengettingaround
S2E5: My Reflections and Advice on the College Experience
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hey, everyone! In this podcast, I'll be reflecting on my experiences in college and answer a few questions about my time in college. I'll go over why I decided to go to college, some of the challenges I've faced in college, how I overcame those challenges, and what advice I have for anyone interested in or currently attending college.
While I'm still in college myself for my Master's Degree, I hope this podcast proves to be useful in not only understanding my experiences in college, but have experiences you can relate to and/or possibly learn from.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theautismexperience/
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
____
RELEVANT LINKS
1) ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
BONUS - Reading My FutureMe.com Letter from 2018!
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
In this bonus podcast, I'll be reading and reflecting on a letter I sent myself through FutureMe.com, a website where you can send letters to yourself in the future. Just sign up using your email address, write up a message, set a date in which you want to receive your letter, and watch it hold onto it until that date!
Overall, it was a great opportunity for me to look back at my past and what I've done so far and think of how much I've lived up to the dreams and aspirations I've established for my future self in that letter.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theautismexperience/
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
____
RELEVANT LINKS
1) WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR FUTURE SELF: FutureMe.com
2) ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
S2E4: My Mother on Raising an Autistic Child (ME)
Hey, everyone! Happy Mother's Day! For today, I wanted to share with you an interview I did with my mom three months ago. In this interview, I discussed with my mother her experiences raising an autistic child, the challenges she faced raising me, and some valuable things she gained and learned from raising me. This interview will give you a look at what part of my upbringing looked like.
As a heads up, this interview was recorded back when I was still inexperienced with podcasting. Therefore, the audio and interviewing quality may be inconsistent at times. Plus, you can hear me sniffling a lot in the background, which can be very distracting. Despite these challenges, these are still important conversations worth hearing out so I hope you all enjoy them.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram:
www.instagram.com/theautismexperience/
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
anchor.fm/theautismexperience
____
RELEVANT LINKS
1) LINK TO PODCAST I DID WITH @hitaandayu
Anchor: Parenting Made Special Podcast (Featuring ME)
Instagram: hitaandayu
2) ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
BONUS - My Reflections on the End of Autism Acceptance Month
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
In this special podcast marking the end of Autism Acceptance Month today, I spend time reflecting on what it means to be an autism advocate. I also share my thoughts and hopes for the future of autism acceptance. After all, autism acceptance isn't just for month. It continues on after April through the love, compassion, understanding, and support we show for those in the autism community and each other.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theautismexperience/
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
____
RELEVANT LINKS
1) ARTICLE I WROTE FOR "EMBRACING SPECIAL NEEDS": The Narratives We Tell Ourselves
S2E3: Quyne and Ken on the Value of Family and Friendship in a Child's Success
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hey, everyone! Happy Autism Awareness Month! In this podcast, I'll be talking with my sister Quyne about our experiences growing up together (as an autistic brother and bipolar sister), the value of good parents in a child's growth, and the meaning of genuine friendship. While the conversations veer away a bit from autism, I think they provide a lot of information on the importance of family and friendship in a child's success - an idea that's also relevant to supporting autistic kids.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theautismexperience/
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
____
RELEVANT LINKS
1) Social Media Info for Quyne
- Instagram: quynemariah
- YouTube: Quyne
- Facebook: Quyne Mariah
- LinkTree: quynemariah
S2E2: Mackenzie Govaer on Gender-Related Differences (?) in the Experiences of Autistic People
PODCAST DESCRIPTION
Hey, everyone! In this podcast, I'll be joined by Mackenzie Govaer, a fellow YouTuber who runs the YouTube channel Autistic Musings where she produces short videos on topics related to autism (i.e. cognitive empathy, stimming, etc). Throughout the podcast, we'll discuss and dive deeper into understanding the perceived differences in treatment and experiences between autistic boys and girls. We'll cover some insights we found in research on this particular topic as well as discuss some of the challenges of developing emotional intelligence not just in regards to autistic kids themselves, but for parents, teachers, and anyone else that interacts with them.
THANKS FOR LISTENING!
Follow The Autism Experience on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/theautismexperience/
Find out more information about The Autism Experience at:
https://anchor.fm/theautismexperience
____
RELEVANT RESOURCES
1) Research
- What Is the Male-to-Female Ratio in Autism Spectrum Disorder? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
- Social involvement of children with autism spectrum disorders in elementary school classrooms
- ‘I felt closed in and like I couldn’t breathe’: A qualitative study exploring the mainstream educational experiences of autistic young people
- Autism - is it different in girls?
2) Books
- Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive by Marc Brackett, Ph.D
- Autism in Heels: The Untold Story of a Female Life on the Spectrum by Jennifer Cook O'Toole
3) Charity (Supporting relief for those dealing with extreme snowstorms and outtages in Texas)
4) Social Media Info for Mackenzie Govaer (aka Autistic Musings)
- Instagram: mackenzie_govaer
- YouTube: Autistic Musings
- Facebook: Mackenzie Govaer
- LinkTree: Makcam
S2E1: How Autistics Might Relate to Walter Mitty
FYI: This podcast contains spoilers!
Hey, everyone! Hope you all have a wonderful New Year! Today, in this podcast, I'll go over the film "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (2013) and talk about some of the ways in which autistics might identify with Walter Mitty as personally, I did. I felt that Walter Mitty as a character exhibited a lot of the beliefs and traits that I felt connected to my journey as a struggling autistic person trying to find my place in this world.
In addition to looking at that movie, I'll also cover some important updates regarding the podcast schedule for The Autism Experience in light of my recent acceptance into graduate school.
S1E3: Cognitive Empathy (and My Personal Updates)
FYI: Link to buying the book Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss on Amazon in podcast description!
OFF THE RECORD - How I Wind Down for a Good Night's Sleep
Hi everyone! Welcome to another video in my series OFF THE RECORD. In this video, I tell you guys about how I destress at the end of the day so i can sleep comfortably and get myself ready for the next day. Before I go to bed, I meditate in complete silence and darkness for five minutes, focusing completely on my breathing (allowing the rest of my body to remain still and sort of numb). This method allows me to embrace a moment of complete stillness and calm, especially in an ever busy schedule overwhelmed with information and a lot of moving about. Once those five minutes are up, I stop breathing, I slowly open my eyes, I slowly look around, I listen to a specific sound I can pick out for 10 seconds, and then I gently breathe in and out through my nose (based on the SLLS or Stop, Look, Listen, Smell method used in the military and hunting parties). This trick helps me to refresh my senses and keep myself mentally and spiritually aware and connected with my surroundings.