The David Kaufer Podcast: The Lighter Side of the Spectrum

David Kaufer and producer David Yas mark the podcast’s approaching two-year anniversary and discuss communication rights for non-speaking autistic people, focusing on access to methods like S2C, RPM, and FC and opposition from ASHA’s 2018 positioning statement and the message passing test. They argue the test is unfair, unvalidated for proving authorship, and used by school districts to deny accommodations, while critics frame the issue around potential facilitator influence and false abuse allegations. David describes the intensive role of a “communication regulation partner,” cites growing lived evidence of successful communication and education outcomes, and notes ASHA’s current convention programming as a coordinated campaign against these methods. He shares advocacy updates, including efforts to introduce Washington State legislation modeled on New York’s, informally called Stone’s Law. The episode closes with personal “light on the spectrum” moments and Stone’s statement outlining why a communication rights law is needed for dignity, education, fair testing, and safety.
 
Topics
01:34 Anniversary Reflections
04:41 Communication Rights Focus
06:17 Message Passing Test Debate
13:51 Regulation Partner Reality
19:37 Pressure and Test Validity
23:17 ASHA Paper Response
26:07 ASHA Position Statement Fallout
29:35 Abuse Red Herring
32:50 Policy Revisit Questions
34:13 Lived Evidence Grows
35:18 ASHA Refuses Revisit
35:39 Non Speaker Keynote
37:23 Convention Crackdown Panels
38:22 Money Motives Questioned
40:04 Communication Rights Laws
40:53 Stone's Law Campaign
43:52 Civil Rights Perspective
45:56 Community Connection Wins
48:57 Expert Witness Incentives
52:22 Light on Spectrum Stories
58:47 Stone's Law Video

David interviews Dr. Sylvia Fogel, psychiatrist, Harvard faculty member, autism advocate, and mother of two autistic adults, including a son with profound support needs, who recently chaired the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC). Fogel describes her son’s acute neurodevelopmental regression after illness, years of recurring regressions, later diagnosis of PANS, and improvement after immune-modulating treatment, arguing regression and whole-body medical issues need far more research and better standards of care. They discuss the IACC’s ambitious strategic plan, its emphasis on non-speaking autistic people, communication, motor differences, co-occurring medical conditions, regression, life-course supports, and caregiver needs, alongside criticism about transparency and short public comment timelines, which were later extended. Fogel explains the plan’s rapid development via working groups and urgency tied to Autism CARES Act budget requirements, outlines goals to protect access to text-based communication supports under disability rights guidance, and shares personal parenting lessons and self-care advice.
 
Topics
00:39 Meet Dr Sylvia Fogel
03:41 Roots Behind Advocacy
05:01 Regression And Missed Workup
09:43 PANS Diagnosis Breakthrough
12:37 Therapy Checklist Reality
14:20 Whole Body Autism Burden
16:42 From Clinician To Advocate
19:31 Joining And Chairing IACC
24:29 Who Gets Represented
28:16 Plan Criticism And Process
29:15 Autism CARES Budget Urgency
31:12 Working Groups Drafting Plan
33:37 Transparency And Public Comment
34:25 Comment Period Transparency
35:57 Non Speaker Communication Priorities
39:18 Disability Rights Guidance
40:04 Co Regulation Research
42:47 Caregiver Training Challenges
47:09 Tip Parent Self Care
50:14 Fact Fiction Heritability
52:18 Environment Beyond Vaccines
57:20 Parent Confession Repair
01:00:12 Light On The Spectrum Hope
01:03:16 Where To Learn More
01:05:11 Final Thanks And Sign Off

David welcomes guest rŌbi Hall Kumalo, a Grammy-nominated composer, teaching artist, author, and storyteller who has collaborated with artists including Aretha Franklin, Diana Ross, Harry Belafonte, Rod Stewart, Jewel, and Roberta Flack, and whose children’s work has reached over a million families. Though not an autism expert, rŌbi shares core inclusion principles: adapt activities to fit the child and affirm that people don’t need to be fixed to belong. They discuss David’s son Stone’s communication access and schooling, music’s role in learning and listening, and Robbi’s background growing up on Long Island with Native parents and early influences like Sesame Street and Schoolhouse Rock’s Bob Dorough. rŌbi recounts her multiple sclerosis diagnosis and emphasizes staying present. Her tips: use imagination by “paying attention,” avoid self-diagnosing autism, and hum if singing feels hard.
 
Topics
00:40 Meet rŌbi Hall Kumalo
03:51 Early Memories And Music
07:46 Growing Up Different
11:50 Roots And Family History
14:58 Music History And Credit
19:43 Stone School Advocacy
22:02 Teaching Artist Mindset
25:24 Learning Styles In Practice
27:25 Schoolhouse Rock Connection
28:25 Meeting Bob Dorough
29:23 Schoolhouse Rock Legacy
30:44 Kids TV Then and Now
33:12 Sesame Street Connections
36:38 Music as Communication
40:29 Living With MS
46:45 Mindset and Presence
50:29 Tip Imagination Practice
53:27 Fact or Fiction Self Diagnosis
54:44 Hope Through Humming
56:21 Final Thanks and Outro

David introduces his nearly 21-year-old son Ty, a University of Washington political science junior and twin brother of Stone, a non-speaking autistic young man. Ty recounts early memories shaped by Stone’s wandering and two stressful incidents (a store fire alarm and an ice-rink door opened during a game) that made him feel responsible and anxious about embarrassment or others mocking Stone. He describes how school placement was segregated, why he often hid having a twin out of embarrassment, and regrets teasing Stone’s interests. Ty says jealousy over parental attention was limited, and he was surprised by Stone’s revealed intelligence after spelling/letter boards enabled communication, including advanced knowledge and mental math. Ty condemns the school district’s refusal to allow letter boards, supports legal action, and notes learning to be a communication partner has strengthened his relationship with Stone. He offers advice to parents to give neurotypical siblings attention and ends hopeful about finally talking one-on-one with his brother.
 
Topics
00:40 Meet Ty Kaufer
03:32 Early Childhood Memories
05:40 Fire Alarm Incident
08:38 Hockey Rink Scare
10:49 School Years and Shame
13:37 Teasing and Growing Up
15:23 Attention and Jealousy
17:40 Ducks Game Breakthrough
21:46 Spelling Changes Everything
25:50 School District Pushback
30:02 Twins and Connection
31:17 Learning as Partner
33:58 Sibling Patience Lessons
35:41 Advocating for Stone
38:27 Planning for the Future
42:13 Rain Man and Brotherhood
46:10 Family Travel Adventures
47:47 Tip for Neurotypical Siblings
49:50 Fact or Fiction Sibling Myths
53:36 Sibling Confession and Regrets
56:14 Light on the Spectrum Hope
58:47 Fantasy Football and Farewell

David addresses the long-running debate over supported spelling communication for nonspeaking autistic people, arguing that a crucial form of evidence is the observable life changes after communication access. He recounts improvements in his son Stone’s confidence, autonomy, relationships, and self-advocacy, and welcomes guests Annika Cioffi and Joanne Curcio to share similar experiences. Annika describes her daughter’s early diagnosis, shifts away from ABA toward SCERTS, exploring Brain Balance, and eventually trying spelling after repeated exposure, noting increased eye contact, joy, and clearer guidance on interpreting echolalia and needs. Joanne details her son’s early autism diagnosis, extensive ABA with minimal progress, later-discovered frequent seizures and epilepsy treatment, severe self-injury and aggression during puberty, and eventual dramatic reductions in self-harm after beginning letterboard communication in 2025, alongside improved medical participation and reduced psychotropic medications. Together they propose CRED, a Communication Rights Evidence Database, to systematically collect quality-of-life outcomes tied to communication access.
 
Topics
00:46 Why communication evidence matters
03:09 CRED research project kickoff
05:04 Annika early interventions and school shifts
07:22 Brain Balance and regulation strategies
09:46 Discovering spelling and first attempts
13:21 Joanne diagnosis and ABA years
18:23 Seizures discovery and language loss
21:59 Puberty crisis and darkest period
24:29 Seeing spelling work and taking the leap
30:21 Day one breakthroughs and life after spelling
34:12 Medical autonomy and reducing meds
36:20 Back to Annika changes after spelling
36:43 Eye Contact Breakthrough
38:23 Echolalia Decoded
42:16 Books and Captions
44:47 Breaking Baby Video Loops
47:39 Rethinking Stims and Screens
49:03 Talk Age Appropriately
50:18 Behavior as Communication
56:00 Quality of Life Evidence
01:03:52 Tip of the Week
01:08:00 Hope and Next Steps
01:12:30 Wrap Up and Resources
 

David welcomes Natalie Boehm, founder of the Defeating Epilepsy Foundation. Boehm shares her epilepsy history beginning at age two after a traumatic brain injury, the long-term effects of medications (brain fog, fatigue, mood changes), and how stigma led her to hide her condition before turning to advocacy. The conversation highlights the overlap between epilepsy and autism, noting that about one-third of people with autism have epilepsy, and emphasizes how seizures are only one part of a broader medical, mental health, and quality-of-life puzzle affecting caregivers too. Boehm explains seizure types and basic first aid, discusses misinterpretation of complex partial seizures by law enforcement, and describes emerging technologies and devices for diagnosis and seizure control. She outlines her foundation’s work, including scholarships and seizure dog grants, and stresses caregiver self-care.
 
Topics
00:46 Why Epilepsy Matters
01:40 Meet Natalie Boehm
03:00 Living With Epilepsy
04:44 Autism Epilepsy Overlap
08:02 Brain Fog And Coping
11:54 Non Speaking Misread
15:15 Schools And Stigma
18:14 Seizure Types Explained
20:47 Seizure First Aid
22:57 Auras And Warning Signs
27:05 New Therapies And Control
31:07 Genetics And No Cure
33:57 Diagnosis And New Tools
35:32 Seizure Tech Breakthroughs
37:41 Medication Fatigue And Caffeine
39:17 Why She Started The Foundation
42:06 Advocacy Story Saving A Life
45:02 Independence Versus Safety
48:10 Animals Sensing Seizures
50:23 Scholarships And Future Vision
53:42 Caregiver Tip Avoid Burnout
56:44 Epilepsy Facts And Myths
57:58 Stigma Funding And Healthcare
01:05:44 How To Help And Contact Info
01:06:47 Closing Thanks And Next Steps

David welcomes Stephen Laine, an autism advocate and writer, to discuss how trauma often intersects with autism through repeated distressing experiences. Laine recounts his sons Matthew and Aiden’s early developmental concerns, dual autism diagnoses, and limited access to ABA in Michigan due to lack of insurance coverage. He describes major family transitions including divorce, school changes, COVID disruptions, and becoming the boys’ full-time caregiver in 2021 with help from his mother. Laine details a recent crisis involving Matthew, now 19, whose impulsivity led to multiple elopements, entering neighbors’ homes and stores for DVDs and games, repeated ER visits, and an inpatient psychiatric hospitalization complicated by inaccurate “aggressive” labeling and poor communication. After discharge, Laine increased home safety, took leave from work, and notes progress with no recent elopements and successes like attending a crowded movie. He emphasizes support systems, self-care through writing and running, and counters stereotypes that autistic people lack emotion.
 
Topics
00:51 Autism And Trauma
01:37 Meet Stephen Laine
02:55 Advocacy Chose Me
03:21 Early Signs And Diagnosis
06:05 Therapy Access And ABA Costs
06:57 Divorce School Change Trauma
10:05 COVID Lockdown And Zoom Therapy
11:55 Full Time Single Dad Shift
13:37 Finding His Advocacy Voice
15:34 Adult Services Drop Off
18:09 Elopement Crisis Begins
21:31 Escalation GPS And ER Wait
28:16 Psych Hospital Dropoff
29:03 Misread as Aggression
31:53 Kept in the Dark
34:51 Home Safety Reset
35:27 Post Hospital Healing
37:04 Sibling Anxiety Fallout
40:02 Small Wins Returning
41:57 Caregiver Self Care
43:36 Writing and Stereotypes
45:25 Resilience as a Dad
46:29 Support System Tip
48:28 Fact or Fiction Emotions
50:10 Parent Confession Denial
52:10 Find Steve Online
52:55 Light on the Spectrum
54:48 Closing Thanks and Wrap

David welcomes Denise Allen of the Healing Our Sight podcast to discuss binocular vision, strabismus, and how vision is more than 20/20 acuity. Allen describes growing up without 3D vision, clumsiness and coordination challenges, and how traditional eye care and school screenings often miss functional vision problems. She explains strabismus, common treatments like surgery (which aligns eyes but doesn’t teach them to work together), and how vision therapy trains the brain through neuroplasticity. Allen shares her daughter’s improvement after nine months of therapy, her own path requiring surgery plus renewed therapy to gain depth perception at age 54, and a confession about missing her son’s severe convergence insufficiency until age 15. The episode highlights misdiagnosis with ADHD/learning issues, limited school screening, financial barriers, and key signs for parents to watch for.
 
Topics
01:05 Questioning Assumptions
02:10 Meet Denise Allen
03:48 Growing Up Clumsy
05:49 What Is Strabismus
07:23 Why It Gets Missed
11:29 Discovering Vision Therapy
12:35 Therapy Struggles and Genetics
14:08 Daughter’s Hidden Double Vision
17:40 Surgery Then Breakthrough
20:06 Vision Beyond 20 20
24:35 Neuroplasticity and Training
27:27 Vision Issues Mimic ADHD
28:22 Amblyopia and School Screening
30:09 Autism Misdiagnosis Angle
31:45 Schools Miss Vision Issues
34:24 From Teaching to Podcasting
36:30 Loss and Restarting
37:48 Whole Body Vision Clues
41:04 Doctors Don’t Collaborate
44:44 Parent Warning Signs
49:01 Weekly Segments Begin
49:45 Tip of the Week
51:03 Fact or Fiction 20/20
56:37 Parent Confession Story
01:01:04 Hope Through Neuroplasticity
01:04:11 Where to Find Denise
01:04:55 Final Thanks and Wrap
 
Greg Evigan on Ringo, Abbey Road, and a New Royal Philharmonic Album
 
Cha-Chi and David welcome actor and musician Greg Evigan to discuss his extensive TV and film work, including a standout Columbo villain role in “Bird in the Hand,” plus early career highlights like a 1976 Coca-Cola commercial and work connected to Norman Lear, Don Kirshner, Neil Bogart, and Casablanca Records. He traces his musical roots from piano lessons and New Jersey bands to high school musicals and touring with Jesus Christ Superstar, where he understudied Jesus. Evigan recalls seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan and acting in Ringo Starr’s TV special, and describes recording his original album with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in Studio One at Abbey Road under intense session time constraints. They also revisit his theme songs for BJ and the Bear and My Two Dads, Battle of the Network Stars memories, and direct listeners to Evigan.com for music purchases and autographed vinyl.
 
Topics
01:09 Meet Greg Evigan
02:03 Columbo Villain Stories
03:52 Coke Commercial Breakthrough
05:11 Kirshner Lear Bogart Connection
06:21 Musical Roots and Piano
07:31 High School Bands and Theater
08:37 Jesus Christ Superstar Break
09:54 Abbey Road Album Setup
11:13 Beatlemania and Ringo Gig
12:56 Recording at Abbey Road
16:18 Ringo Special Clip
17:31 Theme Songs BJ and Bear
19:31 Sitcom Theme Memories
19:45 Co Stars and Butkus
20:37 Kids and Animals Rule
21:33 Family and London Sessions
22:39 Kids Careers Spotlight
23:46 Early Bands and Keys
25:06 Parents Records and Nerves
26:18 School Musicals and Mentors
27:15 Arts Education Matters
30:20 Network Stars Throwback
33:58 Where to Buy the Album
35:22 Final Thanks and Sign Off

David welcomes Angela Akers-Castro to The Lighter Side of the Spectrum to discuss raising her son Miles, diagnosed with autism at age five after she persisted despite clinicians dismissing concerns because he was affectionate, social, and didn’t “fit the box.” Angela describes early challenges including elopement, severe sleep issues, limited rural services in Eastern Washington, and later an epilepsy diagnosis after grand mal seizures that initially weren’t treated as epilepsy, plus the ongoing difficulty of balancing seizure medications and safety. After high school graduation, she found adult supports in Washington inadequate, researched how other states fund day programs with Medicaid, challenged misinformation, met with lawmakers, and launched the Facebook page “A Place to Belong in Washington” to share stories and policy information and mobilize families. Her tip: keep asking questions until things make sense; her parent confession: not acting sooner on her instincts about an unhealthy school placement. She closes by describing Miles’ lasting impact despite communication challenges.
 
Topics
00:36 Meet Angela and Miles
01:20 Early Signs and Doubts
04:26 Autism Myths and Misinformation
06:30 Miles Breaks the Mold
11:39 Getting the Diagnosis
14:38 Safety and Elopement Fears
17:06 Family Support and Community Roots
21:23 Epilepsy Warning Signs
26:55 Managing Seizures and Meds
31:04 COVID Disruption and Advocacy
33:55 Seizure Watch Summer Camp
35:34 Advocacy Origin Story
40:13 System Gaps And Case Law
45:28 Public Facebook Pushback
49:21 Ableism And Human Worth
52:17 Miles Community Joy
57:05 Tip Fact Confession
01:02:55 Light On The Spectrum
01:05:11 Join The Facebook Page
01:08:54 Closing Thanks And Links

David welcomes Dr. Antigone Oreopoulos, an Edmonton-based physiotherapist, researcher, and mom of an 11-year-old non-speaking autistic son who communicates via letter board, to discuss how communication for many non-speaking and unreliably speaking autistic people cannot be separated from movement. They explore the disconnect between intention and action, how motor planning challenges can be mislabeled as refusal or lack of comprehension, and why sensory-motor impairment should be recognized as a core autism feature in diagnostic frameworks. Antigone shares powerful descriptions from spellers about bodies that “daydream,” critiques behavior-focused approaches like ABA when volitional motor control is limited, and highlights research (including SPARK data) showing high rates of motor impairment in autism. She explains challenges assessing motor function in level three autism, risks of ignoring physical needs over time, the complexity of pointing/typing for communication, and why IQ-style testing is invalid without reliable communication, emphasizing presumed competence, practical coaching strategies, and frequent breaks.
 
Topics 
00:46 Movement And Communication
01:27 Meet Dr. Oreopoulos
03:37 Her Son And Letterboard
06:09 Autism Through Motor Lens
09:50 Spellers Describe The Disconnect
13:26 ABA And Misread Compliance
17:18 Physiotherapy And SPARK Data
19:58 Assessing Motor Differences
24:37 Long Term Physical Risks
27:52 Pointing Is Complex Motor Work
33:36 Why IQ Tests Fail
35:54 Presume Competence
37:34 Empowering Parents
41:34 Motor Planning Explained
43:36 Sports and Fitness Tools
47:23 Mentorship and Training Gaps
50:19 Tip of the Week
53:07 Fact or Fiction Motor Signs
58:03 Parent Confession and Growth
01:04:12 Wrap Up and Contact