The David Kaufer Podcast: The Lighter Side of the Spectrum

Beating the Odds: Zach’s Due Process Win Vs. Fairfax County Schools

David interviews advocate Elizabeth Zielinski and parent Jill Janson about Jill’s son Zach, a non-speaking speller, winning a due process hearing against Fairfax County Public Schools on every issue presented. After spelling was added to Zach’s IEP in middle school, the high school team delayed, obstructed, and failed to implement a trained, trusted communication partner, placing him in self-contained life-skills classes, denying electives and homework acceptance, and contributing to failing grades and school refusal. The family first prevailed in a Virginia Department of Education state complaint for failure to implement the IEP, but the district continued delaying corrective action and compensatory services. An IEE by an approved neuropsychologist using the letterboard documented exceptionally high abilities and supported placement in general education. After ESY registration and training commitments were mishandled, the family hired attorney Grace Kim and filed due process. Zach insisted on a public hearing to help other spellers, testified for hours, and the case became a public record emphasizing that non-speaking is not non-thinking and that communication access is essential. Tips include documenting early references to letterboards without branding demands, using FOIA, and careful written communication.
 
Topics
00:39 Case Victory Overview
03:28 What Went Wrong
05:45 IEP Language Strategy
07:12 Intimidation Tactics
14:14 State Complaint Win
18:56 Freshman Year Fallout
21:02 Homework Rejected
23:30 Communication Demo Drama
27:39 Sophomore Year Stalling
30:44 ASHA Position Debate
34:45 Education vs Medical Lines
35:49 Deflating Expert Power
36:52 Emotional Rollercoaster
37:28 IEE Reveals Potential
41:09 Testing Trauma Story
44:42 ESY Breakdown Sparks Legal
50:19 Due Process Timeline
51:32 Hearing Conditions Evidence
54:34 Legal Strategy Dysregulation
58:01 Zach Testimony Marathon
01:02:17 Takeaways Worth Fight
01:08:44 Tip of Week Advice
01:13:38 Final Thanks Closing

Mary Brown and the triumphs of her Non-Speaking Son

David interviews Mary Brown, mother and communication partner of non-speaking autistic writer Woody Brown, whose debut novel Upward Bound (Hogarth) gained national attention and was a Read With Jenna pick. Mary recounts Woody’s early diagnosis at age two, low expectations from doctors, and her shift to assuming competence after seeing Soma Mukhopadhyay and Tito, leading to years of letterboard-based learning at home alongside therapies and public school special education. She describes advocacy for a high school diploma, a post-high-school crisis, and Woody’s community college success, where she ultimately served as his in-class support and built strategies for tests, papers, scheduling, and independence. Woody studied abroad at Oxford, transferred to UCLA (starting on Zoom during COVID), and began creative writing under Mona Simpson, developing Upward Bound and winning honors and writing prizes. At Columbia MFA, novelist Paul Beatty connected him with agent Sarah Chalfant (Wylie Agency), resulting in a two-book deal, and Mary addresses skepticism around his communication and a Today Show B-roll controversy, emphasizing apraxia, regulation needs, and routines including daily reading and meditation.
 
Topics
00:00 Meet Mary and Woody
03:07 Early Diagnosis and Low Expectations
05:17 Soma and the Turning Point
09:05 Learning the Letterboard at Home
10:27 Fighting for Diploma Track
14:19 After Graduation Panic
16:29 Community College Breakthrough
19:42 Disability Office and Testing Battles
28:14 Oxford Moment and Transfer Dreams
31:24 UCLA Zoom and Creative Writing
32:55 Mona Simpson Mentorship
35:49 Columbia Acceptance Call
37:12 Assume Intelligence
39:17 Apraxia Not IQ
40:23 Building Inner Life
41:52 Writer Emerges
43:16 Facing Naysayers
44:32 B-Roll Controversy
48:02 How He Types
53:18 Columbia Book Deal
57:39 College Prep Tips
01:10:04 Routines After School
01:12:11 Closing Thanks
 

Kelley Colihan Robertson on Journalism, Unreliable Speaking & Text-Based Communication

David welcomes guest Kelley Colihan Robertson, a former CNN journalist and documentary producer turned autism mom and communication rights advocate. Kelly shares her son Vance’s early signs, later autism diagnosis at age five, therapies, and difficult public-school experiences amid family stress after divorce. She describes newsroom life at CNN, how journalism shifted toward doing more with less and more punditry, and how autism coverage often reinforced assumptions about non-speaking people. Kelley recounts discovering text-based communication through Spelling to Communicate in Atlanta and her slow realization of unreliable speaking, anxiety and regulation during early practice, and the non-linear progress of communication. They discuss media skepticism and controversies around Woody Brown and an Amy Lutz New York Times op-ed, emphasizing the need to listen to nonspeakers. Kelly offers tips to slow down and presume competence, and they plan a future part two and possible autism news roundup.
 
Topics
00:40 Meet Kelley
03:28 Autism Journey Begins
05:10 Late Diagnosis Signs
08:29 School Struggles
10:28 Co Parenting Reality
13:44 Inside CNN Newsroom
18:40 Journalism Then Now
24:25 Autism Media Coverage
27:11 Discovering Letterboards
27:35 Writing the Book
32:50 Text Based Communication
34:01 Spelling vs Communication
35:00 Correcting and Letting Go
35:41 Parent Anxiety and Coaching
37:02 Regulation and Steady Support
38:38 Fluency Takes Time
40:04 Woody Brown Media Controversy
46:12 New York Times Op-Ed Critique
52:04 Centering Nonspeakers Voices
54:12 Schooling and Presuming Competence
57:26 Tip and Fact or Fiction
01:01:42 Wrap Up and Book Plans

Scott Sherwood on Lily’s Voice, Spelling & the Exhaustion of Being Doubted

David welcomes radiologist and author Scott Sherwood to discuss the exhaustion families feel when non-speaking autistic people’s intelligence, competence, and authorship are constantly questioned. Scott shares Lily’s early autism diagnosis, years of intensive therapies (including ABA and speech methods), and how flawed assumptions and motor demands in testing can misrepresent cognition, especially with apraxia/dyspraxia. He describes discovering RPM at age 12, later pursuing spelling-based communication supports, moving to Atlanta for a larger speller community, and using strategies focused on regulation and motor coaching. They critique skepticism around spelling/FC, shifting goalposts such as message-passing tests, underrepresentation of non-speakers in research, and systemic funding gatekeeping tied to ABA and professional organizations. In “Autism Fact or Fiction,” Scott challenges stereotypes about non-speakers lacking nuance, emphasizing their strong grasp of sarcasm and metaphor. Both end on hope: “sheer numbers” of spellers increasingly sharing their voices.
 
Topics
00:37 Meet Scott and Lily
04:26 Early Diagnosis and Therapies
06:44 ABA Doubts and Data
09:32 Apraxia and Research Gaps
13:33 Ten Years of ABA
16:54 Listening Without Looking
21:16 Discovering RPM Spelling
25:57 Training and Motor Loops
28:13 Moving to Atlanta for Support
29:37 Hand Over Hand vs FC
30:57 Fading Supports to Keyboard
31:17 Spelling Proof Double Standards
32:17 Autism Fact or Fiction
32:59 Non Speakers Get Sarcasm
34:13 Media Bias and Authorship Claims
37:49 ABA Power and Funding Gatekeepers
41:58 Seeing Spelling in Real Life
43:45 Testing Traps and Goalposts
50:24 Dyspraxia and Regulation Partners
52:34 Autistic Brain Wiring Explained
55:11 Hope Through Sheer Numbers
57:07 Final Takeaways and Wrap

Autism News Update: the ‘Profound’ Label &, Communication Rights

David and producer/co-host David Yas recap recent autism-community developments after Autism Acceptance Month, focusing on the new Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) meeting under HHS Secretary RFK Jr., who replaced prior members and appointed fewer autistic members overall, including non-speaking advocates Elizabeth Bonker and Caden Larson. The IACC discussed and passed a recommendation to recognize the term “profound autism” for high-support-needs autistic people, despite objections from Bonker and Larson and concerns that the label could reduce expectations, opportunities, and access to communication supports, especially given apraxia and evolving abilities. They question whether the term mainly redirects federal research funding toward causation rather than services and rights. The episode also highlights the New York State Communication Rights bill fight, featuring non-speaking advocates lobbying to remove amendments, and references a Nature survey showing widespread belief in unproven health claims, connecting misinformation to current political rhetoric around autism.
 
Topics
01:02 Monthly Recap Setup
02:18 IACC Meeting Explained
04:25 What Is Profound Autism
09:05 Label Risks and Timing
13:29 Apraxia and Support Needs
14:59 Vote and Advocate Pushback
18:27 Services vs Research Motives
20:32 Spectrum Labels and Levels
25:14 MAHA Influence and MAPS
26:55 Why RFK Focuses Here
27:10 Holistic Fix Narrative
28:23 RFK and MAHA Branding
30:14 Services Over Labels
31:03 Communication Rights Fight
34:30 Spelling Advocacy Momentum
39:46 Misinformation Survey Shock
42:26 Cult of Alternative Facts
45:36 RFK Autism Grift
48:45 Neurodiversity and Acceptance
51:15 Wrap Up and Next Steps

Brooks Hamilton: Honoring Helen Keller’s Legacy & Communication Rights

David welcomes Brooks Hamilton, Helen Keller’s great-grandniece, to discuss Keller’s legacy as a lesson about access, support, belief, and a path to communication, and why many nonspeakers are still doubted and denied communication. Brooks describes growing up with family stories of Helen’s communication methods and how that shaped her commitment to “go the extra mile” to connect with others. She shares how she once assumed nonspeakers were cognitively impaired based on what teachers and experts said, then had an “aha” moment learning about presuming competence, apraxia, spelling, and neuroplasticity, calling current practices a civil-rights issue. They compare Keller’s intensive supported learning with modern spelling-based communication, criticize ableist testing and “message passing” parallels, and discuss self-serving incentives in therapy. Brooks explains her volunteering in therapeutic recreation, learning motor coaching and co-regulation, pursuing communication-partner training, and advocating for New York’s Communication Rights bill.
 
Topics
00:37 Why Helen Keller Matters
01:33 Brooks Hamilton Intro
02:49 Growing Up With Legacy
04:26 Family Stories Of Helen
06:45 Presuming Competence Lesson
07:34 Unlearning Ableist Assumptions
10:21 Parallels With Stone
11:24 How Helen Learned Language
18:20 Ableism In Communication Testing
23:36 Becoming An Ally
27:38 Volunteering And Motor Coaching
31:26 Autism and Apraxia Gap
32:38 Prompting Double Standards
33:41 Training as Communication Partner
35:51 Why Training Matters
38:00 Accuracy and Patience
40:51 Spelling in Schools Logistics
42:37 New York Bill Fight
45:35 Helen Keller Legacy
47:45 Tip Presume Competence
50:18 Future Advocacy Plans
53:50 Fact or Fiction Segment
58:08 Family Support and Wrap
 

Heather Burroughs on Presuming Competence & NY’s Communication Rights Bill

David interviews Heather Burroughs, a school psychologist and advocate shaped by growing up with an autistic sister and later fighting for her non-speaking daughter Devin, who has a rare genetic condition. Heather recounts an eight-year federal court battle after a school district refused to allow Devin’s service dog as a reasonable accommodation, spending major resources to argue Devin lacked competency; media attention, including a billboard, helped draw Department of Justice involvement. She describes how traditional services like years of speech therapy failed to unlock communication, while motor-based spelling/letter boards revealed Devin’s complex language and preferences, underscoring the “non-speaking is non-thinking” myth. The conversation centers on New York’s Communication Rights Bill, its national ripple effects, and concerns that added language requiring “validation” and full independence would undermine access, including for people in group homes. Heather’s tip urges shifting IEP narratives from deficits to what’s possible with support.
 
Topics
00:38 Meet Heather Burroughs
03:21 Advocacy Roots
05:10 From Shy to Seen
07:22 Why Systems Must Change
08:57 The Service Dog Fight
11:16 Courtroom Pressure Tactics
13:52 Discovering Spelling
17:20 Why Communication Rights Matter
21:03 Billboard Advocacy
22:48 How the NY Bill Started
27:00 False Accusations Myth
32:33 Therapy Gaps and Discrimination
34:04 Systemic Bias and Big Business
36:52 Deficit Talk Trap
37:58 ABA Incentives Clash
39:10 Unlocking Communication
44:12 Dysregulation Coaching
45:31 Rights and Enforcement
47:40 Resources and Rallying
49:03 Tip Shift the Narrative
53:02 Fact or Fiction Myth
56:25 Parent Confession Target
01:01:54 High Note Breakthroughs
01:05:26 Closing Thanks and Fight

Lori McIlwain, founder and president of the National Autism Safety Council

David welcomes Lori McIlwain,  founder and president of the National Autism Safety Council, to discuss autism safety with a focus on preventing harm while preserving dignity. Lori shares how her son’s repeated school elopements led her to collect fatality data, revealing distinct patterns including frequent drowning and a tendency to head toward nearby water, which informed “search water first” guidance and advocacy for national attention and policy change. They describe gaps then and now, including parent blame and arrests, law-enforcement policies that prioritize searching homes, and limited mental-health supports for higher-support-needs individuals, while highlighting simple, effective accommodations in care. Lori also addresses early suicide ideation, especially in autistic females, stresses daily mental check-ins, and emphasizes ongoing first-responder training. Her tip: define and communicate a child’s required supervision level across caregivers. 
 
Resources are available at autismsafetycouncil.org and searchwaterfirst.org
Contact David at david.kaufer@me.com
 
Topics
00:37 Why Autism Safety Matters
02:25 Lori Story Begins
04:07 Data And Drowning Pattern
06:28 Partnering With NCMEC
09:50 Resources And Policy Wins
11:57 Progress And Current Gaps
14:57 Beyond Elopement Risks
15:42 Talking Suicide Early
20:47 Girls Masking And Burnout
23:44 Therapy Access Gaps
25:50 Simple Clinical Accommodations
27:38 Trauma And Counseling Needs
28:25 Virtual Communication Support
29:20 Nervous System Sick Days
30:58 Safety With Dignity
35:05 First Responder Training Moments
37:08 Tip of the Week Supervision Levels
40:40 Community PSA What Do You See
45:34 Factor Fiction Parent Blame
50:50 Resources and Final Wrap

Looking at Late Autism Diagnoses with Dr. Claire Jack

David interviews Dr. Claire Jack, a psychologist, writer, and host of the Autistic Minds podcast, about identity, late diagnosis, masking, and burnout. Dr. Jack describes learning about autism in her late forties after a therapist suggested it following a meltdown, then researching, blogging, writing books, and attracting autistic clients. She reflects on childhood signs (intense imagination, shyness, migraines, sensory sensitivities) that were accommodated rather than recognized, and explains how diagnosis reframed lifelong struggles, reduced self-criticism, and helped her set boundaries and act on her own terms. They discuss why autism is often missed in girls and women, how masking includes hiding stimming and rehearsing social language, and how ABA-related pressures (e.g., forced eye contact) can be harmful. Dr. Jack notes that feeling different isn’t always autism and shares a tip on noticing early signs of emotional dysregulation to prevent meltdowns and reduce shame. She addresses menopause-related sensory and healthcare-communication challenges for autistic women, shares a “kidnapped bus” misunderstanding illustrating predictive processing, and David shares his nonspeaking son Stone’s letter advocating for inclusive poetry contest participation.
 
Email David at david.kaufer@hey.com
Find Claire at https://www.autism-assessment-online.com/
 
Topics
00:38 Meet Dr Claire Jack
01:56 Late Autism Discovery
05:14 Childhood Signs Missed
07:56 Diagnosis Reframes Life
11:26 Why Adults Seek Answers
13:26 Autism in Women
16:48 What Masking Means
21:32 When Masking Exhausts
24:01 ABA and Eye Contact
26:09 Eye Contact Shifts
26:34 Feeling Different Debate
28:07 Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
29:27 Tip Emotional Regulation
34:26 Menopause Differences
37:41 Confession Bus Hijack
45:04 Light Spectrum Story
48:50 Final Advice Wrap Up

Guy Stephens on Trauma, Policy, and Safer Supports

David welcomes Guy Stephens, founder and executive director of the Alliance Against Seclusion and Restraint (founded 2019), who explains how repeated restraint and seclusion of his son—starting at age six and escalating in 2018—led him to advocacy after learning these practices violated Maryland’s legal thresholds and can cause lasting trauma, injuries, and even deaths (including the 2018 death of 13-year-old Max Benson). Stephens argues restraint should be exceedingly rare and seclusion never appropriate, emphasizing upstream prevention through trauma-informed, neuroscience-aligned, neurodiversity-affirming, relationship-driven, collaborative approaches and alternatives like reframing behavior. The conversation also covers weakened federal complaint capacity, concerns about the national autism coordinator’s background, recent legislative progress (including Maryland’s seclusion ban and Washington’s limits), and parent guidance on recognizing euphemisms, requesting reports/footage, and pursuing IEP actions or complaints.
 
Topics
02:19 Meet Guy Stephens
04:07 A Father’s Wake Up Call
05:31 School Trauma Escalates
07:50 A Promise Becomes A Mission
09:47 What The Data Shows
12:09 Trauma Injuries And Deaths
16:09 Safety Arguments And Real Standards
21:20 Upstream Prevention And Limits
23:37 Federal Oversight At Risk
25:50 DOJ Investigations And Settlements
27:33 New Autism Coordinator Concerns
28:17 Human Rights Concerns
29:06 Restraint Seclusion Data
30:45 Banning Harmful Practices
32:26 Five Upstream Principles
38:14 Programs That Shift Culture
39:36 Parent Rights And Questions
44:35 Confessions And Lessons
49:19 Hopeful Policy Progress
50:39 Tools Data And Wrap Up