DAve Fincha Barry Prizant Autism and Relationships

EPISODE 99
De-pathologizing Series • Episode #3
Dave and Barry Discuss
Autism and Relationships

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Show Notes

A great and harmful myth perpetuated for decades is that autistic people are incapable of deep connection, empathy, and loving relationships with others. Over the years, diagnostic criteria have included wording to this effect. We now know that this generalization is
inaccurate, largely due to an understanding that autistic children and adults may “show up” in different ways in relationships. As with all people, however, the desire to connect and develop trusting and loving relationships is clearly a part of the autistic experience. Dave and Barry discuss these issues from a historical, clinical, and first person perspective.

Check out the episode “Un-Marry Me”, from Modern Love Podcast (The New York Times), featuring Dave and his wife, Kristen. 

Stream more episodes from our De-Pathologizing Series

Featuring

BARRY PRIZANT

BARRY PRIZANT, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Barry Prizant is a speech-language pathologist with more than 50 years experience as a researcher and international consultant for autistic and neurodivergent individuals and their families. He is an Adjunct Professor of Communicative Disorders at the University of Rhode Island and Director, Childhood Communication Services (a private practice).  Previously, he served as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Brown University School of Medicine, and held a tenured professor appointment at Emerson College. Publications include 5 books, most notably Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism (2015; 2022) and The SCERTS Model manuals, an educational approach implemented in more than a dozen countries. He has published 150 scholarly chapters and articles and serves on numerous professional advisory boards for journals and professional organizations. Barry has presented more than 1000 seminars and keynote addresses internationally, including two invited presentations at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day. His career contributions have been recognized with honors from Brown and Princeton Universities, the Autism Society of America and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Visit Barry’s website here

Uniquely Human, the book (Updated and Expanded edition!)

Dave David Finch square

DAVE FINCH

Dave Finch is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband. As a writer and creative consultant, his work has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NPR, SiriusXM, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Howard Stern Show, and the award-winning Netflix series, Atypical. Based in Denver, Dave’s company, Elevated Studio, produces this podcast and other recognized series.

Visit Dave’s website here

…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) What factors in the history of autism has contributed to a blatant misunderstanding about autistic people’s desire to connect and maintain relationships? Do you still see this myth being perpetuated in your encounters in educational and employment settings?

2) It is now accepted and understood that some autistic individuals’ behavioral patterns might be misinterpreted as a lack of interest in connecting and maintaining relationships with others. Offer some examples of specific patterns of behavior you are aware of that may lead to this misconception, and how can we help all partners to understand other ways that an autistic person may seek connection and express connection to others.

3) What was most striking about Dave’s description of his experiences in relationships? What are the major takeaways that you can apply in your life as a parent, educator, or autistic individual?

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.