
It Takes a Village: An ABA Podcast
By Kadiant

It Takes a Village: An ABA PodcastJun 04, 2021

Ep. 26 - Interview with Dr. Svetlana Dani
On this episode of It Takes a Village, Amanda is joined by Dr. Svetlana Dani, a board-certified sports medicine physician in San Jose, CA. Together, they talked about what exercise is and how it is different for everyone, not just people with autism. They also discuss how families can encourage or increase physical activity by breaking things down and making them fun, and the need for coaches, PE teachers, and doctors to receive more education on how to support autistic individuals with their physical activity.

Ep. 25 - QUILTBAG Panel
"QUILTBAG" is queer (or questioning), undecided, intersex, lesbian, trans, bisexual, asexual (or allied) and gay (or genderqueer). It's a reimagining of LGBTQIA+ and was coined by Sadie Lee as an inclusive self-designation for minority sexual and gender identities. To round out Pride Month, we were honored to be able to host this panel made up of a few of our amazing team members, to discuss topics and issues that are important to the LGBTQIA+ community. You can also watch the audio on our Youtube channel! β€οΈπ§‘πππππ€π€
Host: Amanda Scoggins (she/her/hers)
Panelists: Nikki Robinson (she/her/hers), Jeremy Roberts (he/him/his), and Shosh Cohn (they/their/theirs)
Thank you to everyone who participated in this panel and to those who listen as well! If you have any feedback or questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to info@kadiant.com.

Ep. 24 - Special Pride Month Interview with Nikki Robinson and Jeremy Roberts
On our 2nd episode during Pride Month, Amanda is joined by Nikki and Jeremy, two of the hosts of Black in Behavior and members of the Black Queer community. Together, they discuss the intersection of being Black and Queer, the history of Pride Month and the Stonewall Riots, and ways families, companies, and supervisors can support the marginalized and the autistic queer community.

Ep. 23 - Interview with Shosh Cohn (They/Them)
On our first Pride Month episode of It Takes a Village, we had the honor of speaking with Shosh Cohn, a Lead Behavior Tech for Kadiant Ohio. Together, Shosh and Amanda discuss a few very important topics: the gender spectrum, how imperative it is that supervisors respect their team's identities, and how to change our interactions, thinking, and behavior to respect others in order to make ABA a more inclusive practice.
Keep an eye out for our other special Pride Month podcast episodes, and check out www.anchor.fm/blackinbehavior to catch Jeremy, Sharon, and Nikki's Juneteenth episode!

Ep. 22 - Interview with Cyndi and Mark of Breathing Spaces
On this episode of It Takes a Village: An ABA Podcast, Amanda interviews Cyndi Mariner, founder of Breathing Spaces, and her trusted advisor and business partner, Mark. Breathing Spaces is a support network for family caregivers in the Bay Area. Together, they discuss maintaining balance during hectic or challenging times, finding a support network that works for you, and the benefits of Breathing Spaces' online asynchronous program.

Episode 21 - Interview with Alexandria Darden
On this episode, Amanda is joined by Alexandria Darden, a law student at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, to talk about human rights and how BLM and Autism Acceptance/Disabilities Acceptance are ALL a part of the larger civil rights movement. They also discuss how law guides culture which guides day to day interactions, and how getting informed about your local legislation in important in order to enact the decolonization and the deconstruction of our ableist society.
If you'd like to recommend a topic or a guest, please email info@kadiant.com!

Episode 20 - Interview with Samantha, Rudy, and Robert of Options for AllβFilm and Media
On this episode of It Takes a Village, Amanda is joined by Rudy, Samantha, and Robert, three of Options for All's Film and Media (OFA-FAM) students! OFA-FAM is an amazing organization that exists to create more opportunities for individuals with development disabilities to live their lives to the fullest. Together, the four of them discuss OFA, working in the film and media industry and all the barriers and joy that comes with it, disability acceptance, and the importance of being people centered.
Our Guests' Social Media Accounts:
Samantha
Robert
Rudy

Episode 19, Part 2 - Interview with Nina Duncan
On this episode, Amanda is joined by Nina Duncan, executive director of Angels on Stage, an organization located in the Bay Area whose mission is to enhance the lives of children and young adults with special needs by breaking down stereotypes and empowering them to develop friendships, independence, confidence, self-esteem, and general life skills through the medium of professional performing arts. Nina shares with us on her experiences with autism acceptance, something we in the autism community celebrated in the month of April. Nina also has a plethora of advice for parents/caregivers on how to set their kiddos up for adulthood success!
To join us on ITAV or to suggest a topic or guest, please email infokadiant.com

Episode 19, Part 1 - Interview with Nina Duncan
On this episode, Amanda is joined by Nina Duncan, executive director of Angels on Stage, an organization located in the Bay Area whose mission is to enhance the lives of children and young adults with special needs by breaking down stereotypes and empowering them to develop friendships, independence, confidence, self-esteem, and general life skills through the medium of professional performing arts. Nina shares with us on her experiences with autism acceptance, something we in the autism community celebrated in the month of April. Nina also has a plethora of advice for parents/caregivers on how to set their kiddos up for adulthood success!
To join us on ITAV or to suggest a topic or guest, please email infokadiant.com

Episode 18 - Interview with Melissa Welch, PhD of the Arc of Larimer County
On this episode, Amanda is joined by Dr. Melissa Welch, a youth advocate for the Arc of Larimer County. Melissa has a PhD in Sociology from the University of South Florida and over ten years of experience working in everything from early childhood to higher education. Together, they discuss what being a youth advocate means, the importance of individuals on the spectrum having a youth advocate, and how you or your child can find one in your own community.
Mission StatementThe Arc of Larimer County promotes and protects the civil rights and overall wellbeing of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through individual and systems advocacy and education to foster lifelong inclusion in every aspect of community life.

Episode 17, Part 2 - Interview with Patti Weiss
On this episode, in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, Amanda got to interview Dr. Patti Weiss. Dr. Weiss specializes in neuropsychological assessments for middle and high school students and also tests young adults for ADD/ADHD and various other focusing/concentration difficulties. In addition, she works with teens and adults with concussion histories as well as personal injury cases. Together, they discussed teen diagnoses, why it's important to get one, how to navigate it, and common recommendations.
If you have any questions or would like to see a topic or guest on a future episode, please email info@kadiant.com.
To contact her: Call (415) 816-6185 or email pattiweissphd@gmail.com.

Episode 17, Part 1 - Interview with Patti Weiss
On this episode, in celebration of Autism Acceptance Month, Amanda got to interview Dr. Patti Weiss. Dr. Weiss specializes in neuropsychological assessments for middle and high school students and also tests young adults for ADD/ADHD and various other focusing/concentration difficulties. In addition, she works with teens and adults with concussion histories as well as personal injury cases. Together, they discussed teen diagnoses, why it's important to get one, how to navigate it, and common recommendations.Β
If you have any questions or would like to see a topic or guest on a future episode, please email info@kadiant.com.
To contact her: Call (415) 816-6185 or email pattiweissphd@gmail.com.

Episode 16 - Interview with Dr. Melinda Docter, BCBA, of Northcentral University
On this episode, Amanda Scoggins interviews Dr. Melinda Docter, assistant professor and ABA coordinator for Northcentral University. They discuss NCU's ABA program, the benefits of choosing their program, and the amazing partnership between Kadiant and NCU that will help grow and develop the number of accredited BCBAs.
Northcentral University's:

Episode 15 - Special Hosts: Nikki Robinson's Discussion with Jeremy Roberts and Sharon McCollum
On this very special episode of ITAV, special host Nikki, a Lead Behavior Tech in Portland, is joined by Jeremy, a Program Supervisor in Atlanta, and Sharon, a BCBA in Sac. Together, they share their experiences working for Kadiant, working in healthcare during the COVID era, their thoughts on the term "BIPOC," and on being unapologetically, vulnerably, and authentically Black.
These 3 had many pages of topics they wanted to speak on, and they only were able to touch upon a few! Keep an eye out for them as they return to talk more about being Black professionals in the ABA field, the accessibility of ABA in the Black community, and a variety of other important topics.

Episode 14 - Interview with Nichole "Nikki" Robinson
On this episode, Amanda interviews Kadiant team member Nikki Robinson, a senior behavior technician in our Pacific Northwest region. She shares with Amanda and our listeners her experiences of being a Black professional in the ABA field, the barriers she's had to overcome to get where she is now, and how far many agencies and other professionals in the field have come in helping create a more equitable environment. She also candidly shares her personal thoughts on what else needs to change in order to reach that equity.
Please note: we understand Nikki is only one individual, and we don't expect her to speak for the entire Black community. We encourage our listeners to do the work and listen to your Black friends and coworkers in order to help address some of the important issues discussed in this episode.
If you have any questions or would like a specific topic discussed on our podcast, please reach out to info@kadiant.com.

Episode 13 - Interview with Larry Aldridge III

Episode 12 - Interview with Derek Jones from Kadiant

Episode 11 - Interview with Jesse Beasley, a Kadiant SLP

Episode 10 - Interview with Saba, a Parent from Georgia

Episode 9 - Interview with Danielle Peters, LMFT

Episode 8 - Interview with Dr. Tracy Guiou and Dr. Allison Womack

Episode 7 - Interview with Michelle San Jose, Kadiant Clinical Supervisor

Episode 6 - Interview with Halee Royal, BCBA, from DataFinch

Episode 5 - Interview with Amy and Hannah from Atlanta

Episode 4 - Interview with Diana Baekey

Episode 3 - Interview with Ashley Hamilton

Episode 2 - Interview with Steven "Stevie" Martinez
