Please help us welcome Christine Vasui to Spectrum Sundays! Christine earned a bachelor's degree in individualized studies focusing on social work. She worked as an independent living specialist for two and a half years helping individuals with various disabilities set goals and reach their highest potential. She has cerebral palsy and has been living together with her fiancé for the last five years, who also has cerebral palsy. Christine is an advocate for the disability community as an ambassador for Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania, which is an organization that empowers women in wheelchairs to educate, advocate, and promote change in the disability community. Her focus is to fight for better pay for personal care attendants. She believes that even with a disability, anything is possible if you put your mind to it. Christine is also in the process of owning a Habitat for Humanity house. Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Christine! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to learn more about Christine, please follow her on Facebook at Ms. Wheelchair Pennsylvania Ambassador  https://m.facebook.com/105344348666955/. You can also subscribe to her YouTube channel called “ROLL’N WITH CP”. Thank you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. Francesca D'Alessandro: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Meghan Sinisi: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter From a New Perspective: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss America: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss New York: Website - Instagram - Facebook Miss Pennsylvania: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM

This week we are introducing Timothy Rohrer, who is an autism self-advocate, speaker, author, and educator for social inclusion. He is the author of a teaching guide called “How to be a Good Influence to People with Disabilities'' published by the New Jersey Coalition of Inclusive Education and has been seen around the world. Timothy is the creator of a website and YouTube Channel called Tips4Inclusion. He has spoken at schools and major conferences including speaking with the New Jersey Department of Education. He has received a commendation for his work from the New Jersey State Senate and Assemblymen. In August of 2020, Timothy became a managing partner in a non- profit named 5Help Foundation. His goal is to make disability education a part of every school curriculum, so nobody has to feel the negative effects of exclusion like he felt growing up. Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Timothy! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to learn more about Timothy, please follow him on Instagram, Youtube, and Facebook @tips4inclusion. You can find his website at www.tips4inclusion.wixsite.com/disabilityinclusion. Thank you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. Francesca D'Alessandro: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Meghan Sinisi: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter From a New Perspective: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss America: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss New York: Website - Instagram - Facebook Miss Pennsylvania: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM

Katie Santoro is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. As a young professional, Katie struggled to find her niche in the working world and eventually received an autism diagnosis at age 24, putting her on the path to being an autism advocate. Katie is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and is certified in DEI through the University of South Florida. She now works as an associate for Cardinal Health and hopes to contribute her voice to be a trailblazer for DEI within the corporate world. Katie is the president of the Unicorn Children's Foundations' Junior Board and a contributing board member for the Els for Autism Foundation, and the Center for Autism at the University of Miami. In her free time, Katie cares for a 12-year-old girl with autism and a dog with diabetes. She has traveled to 5 continents with a life goal of visiting all 7. During her travels at home and abroad, she liked to read, practice yoga, and hike.  Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Katie! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to learn more about Katie, please follow her on instagram @autistic.thegreeklife. Thank you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. Francesca D'Alessandro: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Meghan Sinisi: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter From a New Perspective: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss America: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss New York: Website - Instagram - Facebook Miss Pennsylvania: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM

Katie Santoro is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. As a young professional, Katie struggled to find her niche in the working world and eventually received an autism diagnosis at age 24, putting her on the path to being an autism advocate. Katie is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and is certified in DEI through the University of South Florida. She now works as an associate for Cardinal Health and hopes to contribute her voice to be a trailblazer for DEI within the corporate world. Katie is the president of the Unicorn Children's Foundation's Junior board and a contributing board member for the Els for Autism Foundation, and the Center for Autism at the University of Miami. In her free time, Katie cares for a 12 year old girl with autism and a dog with diabetes. She has traveled to 5 continents with a life goal of visiting all 7. During her travels at home and abroad she likes to read, practice yoga, and hike.

Welcome back Daymara Baker who is a seasoned businesswoman and lifelong creative spirit with a heart for helping others. She is the cofounder of (NWA) Community Creative Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and a champion for Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, Daymara knew immediately that a social enterprise like Rockin’ Baker would be a powerful multiplier for the community, using something as humble as a rustic loaf of sourdough bread as a catalyst for empowering the disadvantaged, breaking the cycle of poverty and paying forward the gifts of self-sufficiency and fulfillment. Rockin’ Baker is currently run 100% by a neurodiverse team producing high quality artisan breads for leading restaurants in Northwest Arkansas. Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Daymara! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to learn more about Rockin’ Baker, please check out rockinbaker.org. You can also find Rockin’ Baker on Facebook at facebook.com/rockinbaker and on instagram @rockinbaker. For inquiries about Rockin’ Baker, you can email  [email protected] you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. Francesca D'Alessandro: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Meghan Sinisi: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter From a New Perspective: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss America: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss New York: Website - Instagram - Facebook Miss Pennsylvania: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM

This week, we are introducing Daymara Baker who is a seasoned businesswoman and lifelong creative spirit with a heart for helping others. She is the cofounder of (NWA) Community Creative Center in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and a champion for Women’s Foundation of Arkansas, Daymara knew immediately that a social enterprise like Rockin’ Baker would be a powerful multiplier for the community, using something as humble as a rustic loaf of sourdough bread as a catalyst for empowering the disadvantaged, breaking the cycle of poverty and paying forward the gifts of self-sufficiency and fulfillment. Rockin’ Baker is currently run 100% by a neurodiverse team producing high quality artisan breads for leading restaurants in Northwest Arkansas. Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Daymara! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to learn more about Rockin’ Baker, please check out rockinbaker.org. You can also find Rockin’ Baker on Facebook at facebook.com/rockinbaker and on instagram @rockinbaker. For inquiries about Rockin’ Baker, you can email  [email protected] you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. Francesca D'Alessandro: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Meghan Sinisi: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter From a New Perspective: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss America: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Miss New York: Website - Instagram - Facebook Miss Pennsylvania: Website - Instagram - Facebook - Twitter Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM

This week marks the 100th anniversary of the Miss America Organization which has provided scholarships for women all across the country for almost a century. Meghan Sinisi is a candidate for the prestigious job of Miss America along with 50 other women from each state. Meghan represents Pennsylvania as she enters the competition this week and Spectrum Sundays would like to highlight her experiences with hosting the podcast. Welcome Meghan Sinisi, Miss Pennsylvania 2021! Thank you for visiting as a guest, Meghan! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to follow her journey to Miss America, follow her Instagram @missamericapa, @meghantheSLP, as well as her non-profit organization on Instagram @fromanewperspective. You can visit her website at www.fromanewperspective.org. Thank you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. @missamerica @fromanewperspectiveorg @misspascholarshipfoundation @missamericapa @meghantheeslp @awareness_for_neurodivsersity Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM #SpectrumSundays #DifferentNotLess #Autism #AutismSpectrum #AutismSpectrumDisorders #ASD #Awareness #Acceptance #Appreciation #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #AutismAppreciation #SpecialNeeds #Accept #Respect #Empower #Advocate #Service #Neurodiversity #Inclusion

This week we are welcoming back Maisie Soetantyo, who is an openly autistic advocate and inclusivity trainer. In 2019, Maisie started the nonprofit Autism Career Pathways with a mission to increase hiring and long-term retention rates for autistic individuals seeking careers in all types of businesses. Maisie also believes that autistic individuals can redefine meaningful employment as small business owners. After her own autism and SPD diagnoses, she now shares her lived experiences to help parents support, accommodate, and advocate from a place of compassion and positive mindset. Her goal is to create resources for educators, professionals, job coaches and business owners from all over the world to hire and support Neurodivergent individuals in a variety of workplaces. ***This episode was requested to be unedited by Maisie to represent her most true & authentic self for our viewers.*** If you would like to donate towards her mission, you can contribute at https://autismcareerpathways.org/donate/. Your donation will be used to develop, research and market a library of tools and resources – designed with the input of autistic adults – to facilitate the expansion of neurodivergent employment and entrepreneurship. Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Maisie! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to connect with her for support, please check out her instagram pages @maisiesoetantyo for support for parenting and @autismcareerpathways for ND Employability and Inclusivity Consulting. Additionally, check out her website www.autismcareerpathways.org. Thank you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. @missamerica @fromanewperspectiveorg @misspascholarshipfoundation @missamericapa @meghantheeslp @awareness_for_neurodivsersity Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM #SpectrumSundays #DifferentNotLess #Autism #AutismSpectrum #AutismSpectrumDisorders #ASD #Awareness #Acceptance #Appreciation #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #AutismAppreciation #SpecialNeeds #Accept #Respect #Empower #Advocate #Service #Neurodiversity #Inclusion

This week we are introducing Maisie Soetantyo who is an openly autistic advocate and inclusivity trainer. In 2019, Maisie started the nonprofit Autism Career Pathways with a mission to increase hiring and long-term retention rates for autistic individuals seeking careers in all types of businesses. Maisie also believes that autistic individuals can redefine meaningful employment as small business owners. After her own autism and SPD diagnoses, she now shares her lived experiences to help parents support, accommodate, and advocate from a place of compassion and positive mindset. Her goal is to create resources for educators, professionals, job coaches and business owners from all over the world to hire and support Neurodivergent individuals in a variety of workplaces. ***This episode was requested to be unedited by Maisie to represent her most true & authentic self for our viewers.*** If you would like to donate towards her mission, you can contribute at https://autismcareerpathways.org/donate/. Your donation will be used to develop, research and market a library of tools and resources – designed with the input of autistic adults – to facilitate the expansion of neurodivergent employment and entrepreneurship. Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Maisie! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to connect with her for support, please check out her instagram pages @maisiesoetantyo for support for parenting and @autismcareerpathways for ND Employability and Inclusivity Consulting. Additionally, check out her website www.autismcareerpathways.org. Thank you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. @missamerica @fromanewperspectiveorg @misspascholarshipfoundation @missamericapa @meghantheeslp @awareness_for_neurodivsersity Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM #SpectrumSundays #DifferentNotLess #Autism #AutismSpectrum #AutismSpectrumDisorders #ASD #Awareness #Acceptance #Appreciation #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #AutismAppreciation #SpecialNeeds #Accept #Respect #Empower #Advocate #Service #Neurodiversity #Inclusion

Welcome back Virginia Mangialardi to Spectrum Sundays who is the mother of two very active little boys named Michael and Nico. Michael is 6 years old and Nico is 4 years old. Nico was just diagnosed with ASD in February 2021, but she and her family are quickly learning and applying skills he has learned from his support services. This year, she started serving as a committee member for The Autism Speaks walks in the Laurel Highlands and Pittsburgh. Virginia and her husband, Michael, are a team when it comes to family, and are navigating this course as best as they can in support of their son, Nico. Virginia welcomes you to reach out to her, as she would love to help support you and your family in any way that she can as we stumble, walk, and run through this ASD journey together. Thank you for visiting with us on Spectrum Sundays, Virgina! If you enjoyed this episode and would like to connect with Virginia for support, please send her an email at [email protected], find her on Facebook at “Virginia Nicole”, and follow her on Instagram @gtGirlie34. Thank you everyone and we will see you next Sunday! “Spectrum Sundays” is a weekly series committed to bringing together autism professionals and advocates. We would love to share your personal stories! Please feel free to message us or email [email protected] if you would like to be featured on Spectrum Sundays. @missamerica @fromanewperspectiveorg @misspascholarshipfoundation @missamericapa @meghantheeslp @awareness_for_neurodivsersity Music: Sunset On Terra by HYBRID V is licensed under a Creative Commons License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/ Support by RFM - NCM: https://bit.ly/2xGHypM #SpectrumSundays #DifferentNotLess #Autism #AutismSpectrum #AutismSpectrumDisorders #ASD #Awareness #Acceptance #Appreciation #AutismAwareness #AutismAcceptance #AutismAppreciation #SpecialNeeds #Accept #Respect #Empower #Advocate #Service #Neurodiversity #Inclusion