ep-021

EPISODE 21
Supporting Happy and Positive Sexual Lives – Michael John Carley

Play the Episode…

…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

1) Why did Michael write the “The Book of Happy, Positive and Confident Sex for Adults on the Autism Spectrum”? What specific examples does he give from his previous history as Executive Director of GRASP that he felt made such a book necessary?

2) Michael discusses a number of fear-based taboos about sex that some people on the spectrum may take literally. Discuss some examples and how Michael’s book attempts to avoid generating fear around the topic of sex.

3) Michael has clear opinions about mixing the topics of sex and relationships. What does he say about this, and do you agree or disagree?

Featuring

michael-john-carley headshot

MICHAEL JOHN CARLEY

Michael John Carley is the Consultant for Disability Inclusive Culture for the Office of Global Inclusion, Diversity and Innovation at New York University (NYU). He is the author of “Asperger’s From the Inside-Out”, “Unemployed on the Autism Spectrum” , “The Book of Happy, Positive, and Confident Sex for Adults on the Autism Spectrum…and Beyond!” (Neurodiversity Press), and over 60 columns—including “Autism Without Fear,” which for four years ran in the Huffington Post.

He was the founding Executive Director for two disability non-profits in NYC; including GRASP, which he ran from 2003-2013 and which quickly became the largest membership organization in the world for adults on the autism spectrum. Outside of his duties for NYU he consults for other schools and businesses, holds a private practice for individual clients,

Show Notes

Michael John Carley discusses the great possibilities that sexual behavior offers for persons on the autism spectrum, based on his new book, “The Book of Happy, Positive and Confident Sex for Adults on the Autism Spectrum…and Beyond!” In our discussion, we touch upon the complexities that autistic people face when confronted with societally-imposed fear-based taboos about sex, and how to circumvent such problems to support full engagement in this most human of activities.

Listen to our first conversation with Micharl John Carley, in Episode 9: Honoring the Culture of Autism.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.