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What's Happening MoCo?
An authentic, unscripted update from County Cable Montgomery highlighting items that help residents of Montgomery County. This program features interviews with elected officials, employees, public servants, and residents. This program is produced by the Office of Community Engagement from the Department of Technology and Enterprise Business Services. Interviews are recorded live and presented with very few edits to ensure the integrity and authenticity of the conversations.
What's Happening MoCo?
What's AUSOM about Accepting Autism? Revisited - Recorded 2024
This podcast episode was recorded in April 2024. This conversation with the Autism Society of Maryland explores how neurodiversity presents uniquely in each individual and why the shift from merely "awareness" to genuine "acceptance" matters deeply.
Executive Director Melissa Rosenberg shares how their organization expanded from Howard County to now serve Montgomery and Anne Arundel counties, providing free resources, support groups, and community connections to families navigating an autism diagnosis. With autism affecting approximately 1 in 36 children nationally and 1 in 43 in Maryland, their work addresses a growing need for specialized support at every life stage.
The podcast takes a powerful turn when Resource Coordinator Kristen Letnick, who is autistic herself, offers insights from both professional expertise and lived experience. Listeners will discover the comprehensive resources available through the County's Autism Waiver Program and how the Autism Society helps families navigate complex support systems.
Connect with the Autism Society of Maryland at www.autismsocietymd.org or by phone at 410-290-3466 to access their multilingual resources and support services.
This episode of the what's Happening MoCo podcast was recorded April of 2024. It is repeated to help raise awareness of Autism and Autism Awareness Month.
Speaker 2:Good day and welcome to what's Happening, moco, a podcast from your award-winning government television station, county, cable Montgomery. Now here's your host, derek Kenney. Good day and welcome to what's Happening, moco. Today we are talking about an awesome subject, about a great people in our county, in our country, in our world people with autism. And today, it's no doubt and there's a reason why we're saying awesome, because we're with the Autism Society of Maryland, a group that's dedicated to helping raise awareness about resources available to people with autism and their families. How are you today?
Speaker 1:I'm doing well, thank you. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 2:All right, all right, please give us your name, melissa Rosenberg. Yes, and you're the executive director of the awesome organization I am, the Autism Society of Maryland. Absolutely. Tell us a little bit about what you do as executive director, and what does the organization do for people with autism and their families?
Speaker 1:Sure, Well, we are a nonprofit organization. We're part of the Autism Society of America, which is also located in Montgomery County, right in Rockville. We're part of a network of 70 affiliates across the country, various sizes, and so we are currently serving Howard, montgomery and Anne Arundel counties, and we were formerly the Howard County Autism Society, but after a period of a lot of growth, we expanded and added the two additional counties, so we provide resources, support, information, social opportunities for individuals with autism and their families. We also work with providers, educators, government agencies, anybody who would like to know more about autism or share resources, anybody who needs support.
Speaker 2:Wonderful, wonderful, and I don't want to assume that everyone knows what autism is. Some people may refer to autism as on the spectrum. Is that a proper term, and why would someone use the term on the spectrum when referring to autism?
Speaker 1:Autism spectrum disorder is sort of a general diagnosis and within that we talk about autism and there are different ways to describe people and different ways that people who are autistic like to words that they like to use, whether they want to be described as somebody with autism spectrum disorder, if they are autistic, or a person with autism, and so there are different ways to use just to use words.
Speaker 2:And what would be the preferred way to refer to a person with autism these days? You?
Speaker 1:know generally. We just ask you know what are how? How do you like to be described? But for our organization, when we're we're referring to the community, we'll say on the first reference, a person with autism, and after that we use the word autism or autistic. We also use words like neurodiversity, which refers to people with autism, but also ADD, adhd, mental health challenges, learning differences, anything where you're thinking and learning in a different way.
Speaker 2:Wow, and I think these days we have such diversity of influences on our lives that neurodiversity is almost second nature. Now, what are some of the characteristics that a person might find in someone that identifies as autistic?
Speaker 1:Right? Well, I think number one is that everybody who has autism is very different. You're not going to find two people who are alike, and that's sort of the interesting part about it. So, in general, it can impact the way a person communicates, the way they process information, the way they respond to information. The way a person communicates, the way they process information, the way they respond to information, the way they self-regulate. You'll find people with autism who are maybe non-speaking, some may have also intellectual disabilities not all. Some may have very high IQs and just everything in between, and different areas are impacted in different ways, and so that's why we say, if you meet one person with autism, you've met one person with autism. And that just to remember that everybody's very different.
Speaker 2:Wow. And speaking of meeting one person with autism, I believe there's a stat that says that autism is one of the fastest growing sections of neural. I guess challenges or distinctions.
Speaker 1:Right, it is one of the fastest growing disabilities around the world and certainly in the United States. The last numbers from the CDC were 1 in 36 children estimated in this country and 1 in 43 here in Maryland.
Speaker 2:Okay, now, before we say, as we described as a disability it's not your everyday run of the mill disability by virtue of the fact that there is a gradient of ability that's associated with people with autism. What are some of the pop culture people that people listening may gravitate toward right away? Who are some people that, either historically or either in secular media that would be diagnosed with having autism?
Speaker 1:Well, I think that there are more and more media portrayals of individuals with autism. So you see shows like Love on the Spectrum. I'm trying to think of other ones.
Speaker 2:Oh, the Good Doctor, the Good Doctor, the Good Doctor, the Good Doctor about a fantastic young doctor who has an uncanny knack for literally assessing a situation, searching his memory, which I believe he has, a photographic memory for facts and figures and diagrams. That helps him to diagnose and save lives as a doctor. And then there's the genius, I believe from the what's the name of that show? Rain man from many years ago, the movie.
Speaker 1:And I think one of the things we have to just be cautious about. While it raises awareness to see more characters and more stories about the autism community on media, it also has the potential to maybe give people an impression of one kind of person. And again we get back to. Everybody's so very different. So we just have to kind of keep that in mind, that that's you're seeing one individual and that there are many, many, many other ways that it impacts somebody's life.
Speaker 2:And that's terribly important.
Speaker 2:I'm glad you shared that Even for me, because I'm excited because I've really come to love the Good Doctor as a show. But there's a lot of work. Even in the show they showed a lot of the work that went into shaping the young gentleman, the young doctor, into the man he is today and the work he continues to do to become a proficient and a well-acknowledged doctor. What do people look to? The Autism Society of Maryland. For once they've gotten the diagnosis that they have a person with autism in their family.
Speaker 1:Right. So if somebody calls us, let's say if it's a parent with a young child, they may have just received a diagnosis or are awaiting a final diagnosis. So we're going to be there and just be sort of a warm place to land and with information and resources we connect them to other organizations that may be helpful, make sure that they're aware of all of the things that are available within the school system, all the different therapies that are available. It can be very overwhelming to parents who are just receiving this diagnosis, but we want to make sure that they get to all the best information that they know, that they can call us, educate themselves and also connect with other parents. That's very important too. And at the same time we also see a lot of adults who are looking for diagnosis or who have received a diagnosis or perhaps have sort of self-diagnosed. They don't have an official diagnosis, so they're looking for resources as well and that may be for employment, for mental health assistance, for just anything else to help them understand their diagnosis and connect to the autism community.
Speaker 2:Right Now in your position as executive director? What in your diaspora of experience? I think you've had more than what 20 years experience close there. What is the perception or the environment surrounding even the dialogue surrounding autism? How has that changed over the last few decades, then, as to where we are now? Right decades, then, as to where we are now.
Speaker 1:Right, well, I think what we started out with, and this month used to be called Autism Acceptance Month- I'm sorry, Autism Awareness Month.
Speaker 1:So I think there's been a lot of work to make people aware of what autism is. I think most people are aware of the term, at least, and familiar with it somewhat, even if it's just through media. I think where we are now is to bring acceptance of individuals with autism and their families to our community, and then the next step is just inclusion inclusion in the classroom and the employment in the community and how we can tap into all those great talents and be more welcoming and understanding.
Speaker 2:Wonderful, wonderful, and I think you illustrated that fairly well, actually very well. But let's go back to the term acceptance as opposed to awareness, and acceptance is something a bit more active and is asking you something more of people than to be aware of something. They're asking. We're asking people to accept it. Why is that change important for people with autism and their families?
Speaker 1:I think it's all need to be aware, as you know, whether you are an employer, if you are providing recreational activities or community events, about autism. We do a lot of training in the community for swim instructors, folks who do recreational activities, employers, employers. So one of the things that we talk to employers about is how you can be more accepting to a candidate who is neurodiverse Everything from the interview process and the onboarding to making accommodations, which can be very simple, and bringing that person to be part of the team in the workplace. So that's acceptance, not just being aware.
Speaker 2:Acceptance is important and getting accepted into your program. You mentioned earlier that people can call on your organization when they receive the diagnosis or when they're waiting for a diagnosis. How do they contact your organization and what are the first steps like?
Speaker 1:Sure, you can reach out by phone or email, and I also have people who just message us through social media all these ways and we will get back to you. We have a resource coordinator here in Montgomery County that will respond. We also have a Spanish language coordinator. We have a large Latino community that has come together and we're able to provide resources. So we'll reach back out and we'll get information and find out exactly what the person needs and then try to provide the resources or connect them to the next level, whether it's to connect with somebody in the school system, some kind of advocate, anything at all. That would be helpful.
Speaker 2:And the services you describe are so diverse. It seems that you're sharing that, regardless of age, there's a need, yes, and regardless of age, there's a way to meet that need through your organization. In terms of resources. What are some of the resources that you'd or services that you provide for, say, a five-year-old and their family versus someone that's an adolescent or a bit older and their diagnosis? Sure someone that's an adolescent or a bit older in their diagnosis? Sure.
Speaker 1:We have basic sort of like introductory, a letter, a checklist, if you will, for somebody who just has a young child that's been diagnosed, some of the things that you want to get on your radar through the school system, through the state, some national resources. Just so that you're aware, we also have that for transition age youth, which would be 14 to 21, as you're thinking about your young person entering the adult world, and then we have adult resources, so we would share those with you. Sometimes people just want to talk. I think that's very important. We also have a lot of social events picnics. We have a big walk every every fall. We have swim parties, just so people can come and feel welcome, meet other families, because the most important thing is that connection and knowing that you are not alone.
Speaker 2:all right and not being alone. And you're not alone today, no, I'm not. So we're going to shift gears, uh and, and take a break, because one thing we always love to do on the what's Happening MoCo podcast not only answer questions like what's happening, but provide residents with county resources. So we'll take a break and hear about the autism voucher program that the county has for families of people and people with autism.
Speaker 3:Good morning. My name is Karen Gibson. I'm an administrator here at Department of Health and Human Services Aging and Disability Autism Waiver Program. I am one of the administrators here to talk about the Autism Waiver Program and eligibility. The Autism Waiver Program began in 2001, and it has began as a pilot but now it has grown to over 1,500 clients statewide in the state of Maryland. So the Autism Waiver Program is a home and community-based 1915C waiver where the federal government funds a portion of the waiver program and the state of Maryland funds the other portion of the waiver program and the state of Maryland funds the other portion of the waiver program.
Speaker 3:Each kid that is eligible has to come in and meet certain criteria in order to qualify. But the first step into a child diagnosed with autism being eligible is that they have to be on the autism waiver registry list and that registry list begins with a parent calling in to the number and registering their child to be called at some point to apply for the waiver and moving forward. Once a child's name comes off their registry they will be sent to their local school system. For example, in Montgomery County it's Montgomery County Public School System. We have a colleague there, daniel Hammond, who takes the lead in initiating the enrollment and eligibility process for each child coming off of the waiver program. There are certain eligibility requirements. For example, you have to live in the state of Maryland, you have to be enrolled in Montgomery County public school system, you have to have an IEP. The IEP has to have more than 15 hours of special education hours per week and you cannot live in a different state and receive these services.
Speaker 3:Once we've established that, then it moves to the medical eligibility. The medical eligibility requirements is completed per an assessment by the school system psychologist dedicated to the autism waiver program, autism Waiver Program. Once that assessment is done, that assessment determines whether the student is eligible to come on to the waiver program and then the next step in that process is the enrollment. So if a child is technically qualified and medically qualified and eligible, then it moves to the enrollment. So one of our case managers on our service coordination team here at HHS will do the enrollment process. That means that your application is sent off to Maryland State Department of Education and the Maryland Department of Health for processing that particular student into the autism waiver program. So there are many moving parts to becoming eligible but we all work together to make sure that each qualifying student will become and receive those autism waiver services, and I will pass the baton to allow Ms Melinda Budu to explain the services that a potential student eligible will receive.
Speaker 4:Good morning. My name is Melinda Budu. I am the Autism Waiver Program Manager here from Montgomery County Health and Human Services. So under the Autism Waiver for Children with Services the services that they can receive there are several different services. They have IISS, which stands for intensive individual support services. This is a one-on-one, one-on-one service that they can get with a technician to help improving their self-help, socialization, communication, daily living function, functional living management, adaptive skills to reside successfully in the home and out in the community. Another service that they can also receive is called therapy integration, ti, regular or intensive.
Speaker 4:There's two different ones, just based off of the child's needs. They can either it's a structured after-school program they can go on weekends, during non-school days, and it provides therapeutic activities such as they can do art, dance, socialization, just to give them a little bit more activity after school, them a little bit more activity after school. The next service that they can also have is respite care. Respite is provided inside the child's home and we also do have respite camps that they can go to, either respite weekends or weekly during the summer that some of the camps provide, the summer that some of the camps provide, and that's respite.
Speaker 4:Another service is family consultation, which is done in person, and it's just individualized consultation and training provided to the child's family. Adult life planning is another service which is family-centered, focused on educating and supporting the family, assessing adult community services on behalf of the participant. This service usually starts around age 16 through age 21 when the child ages out of the waiver. We also have Environmental Accessibility Adaptations, eaa, which is funds that the waiver program has that can actually help make adaptations to the home for health and safety reasons. And the last service is residential habilitation, regular or intensive, just based on the child's needs. It is just community-based residential placement for children who cannot live in a home because they require highly supervised and supportive environments with goals of returning the child to the home. So those are the services under the autism waiver that each child can have access to once they do come on to the waiver.
Speaker 2:And we're back. We just learned about the VUTSA program from Montgomery County, maryland, for people with autism, and we're still. We just learned about the Vulture Program from Montgomery County, maryland, for people with autism and we're still here with Melissa and we have. We're learning so much about the Autism Society of Maryland and their, their movement, from just being in Howard County but now having a strong presence in Montgomery County. Let's talk about that. And then let's also take a step back and talk about where people can connect with your organization as well from Montgomery County.
Speaker 1:There was an Autism Society of Montgomery County here for many years and it was all volunteer. And as those parents got a little older they decided they wanted to sort of step back and asked if we would be interested in merging our two organizations, which we did in the fall of 2023. Oh, wow, yeah.
Speaker 2:That's right on the heels of COVID.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes.
Speaker 2:Wow, I have to ask the question. I always ask the question. Yes, how was it operating during COVID? The needs didn't end because COVID happened.
Speaker 1:No, the needs just just increased and and we're still feeling that I think people are just still coming out of some of that isolation and some of the impact of lost learning at school. So it was not easy. As with lots of nonprofits, we just kind of pivoted and we made it work. We took everything online as much as we could. We had extra grant funds for individuals who were out of work or had other struggles and we just did whatever we could do in partnership with the counties where we were working.
Speaker 2:Oh, wonderful, wonderful. So thanks for being here in Montgomery County, maryland.
Speaker 1:Thank you we love additional resources.
Speaker 2:Yes, and particular types of resources really gets me excited and, I think, a lot of residents excited as well. Let's talk about the cost for your services in the county.
Speaker 1:There is no cost.
Speaker 2:We provide all these resources at no cost.
Speaker 1:We happily accept donations and support absolutely, but we do make all of our programs and events available at no cost. Oh wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. Now, as executive director, there's many things you do as part of your job. You coordinate efforts, you allocate resources. What are some of the other things that you do behind the scenes to help create an environment where you can offer free services to people with autism and their families?
Speaker 1:Well, I have a terrific staff and I think that's really important. Most of our staff members are either autism parents themselves or they're autistic. I think that gives you a really great insight, and so it's kind of bringing them all together. Certainly some of the fundraising and grant writing that goes on just the organization, the day-to-day operation and making sure everything's running smoothly and all of my wonderful staff members have what they need in order to serve our families and adults.
Speaker 2:It takes a team. It does take a team and then it takes a community and it takes a county to provide all the support needed, right, it does All. Right. Now, you mentioned before that there's different ways to contact your organization. What is your website? I think you may have mentioned it, but let's say it one more time.
Speaker 1:Yes, it's autismsocietymdorg. That's our website. You can reach us through that. Our email is info at autismsocietymdorg, at autismsocietymdorg, and you can also call our office at 410-290-3466. The webpage has a Spanish language page and also Google Translate, so you can access it in over 120 languages.
Speaker 2:Oh wow, 120.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:And with Montgomery County being one of the most culturally diverse counties in the country, not only Maryland. That's very appropriate, Absolutely. Oh wow, that's amazing, so amazing. And for people like myself that are not the best spelling aces out there autism is spelled with A-U-T-I-S-M. There's no Z in there, right?
Speaker 1:No, z no Zism Okay.
Speaker 2:Autism. All right, and you mentioned earlier that you have a full team of people behind you. I do. We're going to talk to one of those team members in just a moment, and it happens to be a team member that is a person with autism, correct? What can you say about this team member, as if she's not in the room? And now I will allow you to introduce your colleague, your teammate, so I get to introduce her?
Speaker 1:Yes, please do. Kristen Letnick is our resource coordinator in Montgomery County. She came to us end of last summer and it's been just a privilege to have her with us. Not only is she wonderful working with our families and individuals with autism, but she's just very eloquent in expressing you know her personal experience and sharing that, so we're really lucky to have her. We're using the magic of media, yeah.
Speaker 2:Listening to the podcast. The next voice you'll hear, other than mine, will be Kristen.
Speaker 1:All right.
Speaker 2:And the magic of media as well. The next person you'll see talking to me will be Kristen as well.
Speaker 1:Very good. So, kristen, come on down.
Speaker 4:All right.
Speaker 2:And we're back with Kristen of the Autism Society of Maryland and, unlike some other people that may be serving people and residents of Montgomery County with autism and their families. You have autism. How does?
Speaker 5:that. How does serving in your role being a person with autism make you feel it's rewarding? Because I'm able to help people on the autism spectrum or like the families that have people on the autism spectrum, and help them, help educate them in things they might not know, and it's kind of like every little step counts.
Speaker 2:All right Now. What has your job been like so far when you first came there, and some of the duties you had then, and what are some of your duties now?
Speaker 5:So I came from a clinical mental health counseling background, so I was a therapist and I did case management and crisis intervention and things like that and that actually helps a lot in this job in ways I didn't realize. I did a lot of researching resources, putting it out there, because that's kind of part of being a case manager too, and I ended up doing that in this job. It kind of taught me supportive listening, active listening skills that I might not have otherwise had since I'm on the spectrum. It kind of like taught me more about communication. So that helps me in this job. Also. It helps me with kind of like boundaries in terms of knowing where I can help and where I need to step back and kind of refer people out and know that you know it doesn't take one person to save everyone. Like you need to have a team to do it.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 5:And you have to know, like when you have to put your ego aside, kind of, and know when this is too much for me, I have to, but these people might be able to help you, that kind of thing.
Speaker 2:How do? How do young people? Because you have a, you have a youthful look. I'm not sure how old you are. Don't, don't, don't share your age.
Speaker 5:I'm older than you, way older than you think.
Speaker 2:How do how do people that are people with autism respond to you? When they see this powerful, professional woman who also has autism, how do they respond to you? Does that, does that affect them at all? Do you find that there's a special connection or are they inspired?
Speaker 5:Well, I mean, I think if they are, they're not going to just say that to my face upon meeting me at first. Like Kristen, you're very inspiring, but I think I have inspired people on the spectrum. But I think I have inspired people on the spectrum. I can kind of just tell that they gravitate towards me. I think, in a way, they see me as a role model, which is great. Not something I was ever expecting, I think also because I am pretty decent at communicating, so I can kind of be like an advocate for them too. Um so yeah, I think so.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I will say you're very decent at communicating, but you're also very personable, so you're actually funny as well. So offline, you guys missed a few, uh, very well-timed jokes. Um, to help to ease things forward. Um, you mentioned earlier that you have a background in counseling. Now what's special about that and that it helps you? I think you may have alluded to it a little bit earlier, but how does that help you in some of the services that you provide now?
Speaker 5:So crisis intervention is something I did a lot in my past work and even dealing with people who are suicidal just under crisis. And while I don't have necessarily that kind of crisis I'm running into in this job, people tend to reach out for help when they're kind of feeling in crisis right Like a lot of people aren't going to reach out for help if they don't need it right then. And people on the autism spectrum and their families have a lot of balls in the air to juggle. So it's kind of like once they feel so overwhelmed, that might be when they reach out. So it's kind of like being able to help them not feel as overwhelmed and help them know that support and services are out there. So there is some kind of some de-escalation a little bit sometimes and it's just it's also helpful in knowing kind of crisis prevention in terms of like looking at some flags in terms of this might turn into a crisis if we don't act now, if they don't have these services, even if it's not one right now, if that makes sense.
Speaker 5:And not not all the requests are like that. Some of them are just kind of like uh, I'm looking for support groups, but at the same time, I feel like when people are looking for something like that, that means they need them for a reason, and they're so. They're just not expressing how stressed and overwhelmed they are.
Speaker 2:Right, and so it's not a one fits all, one size fits all solution. Yeah, definitely To people that come for services. All right, Now you mentioned that families are juggling a lot of balls when it comes to this particular situation. What are some of the things that families are dealing with and that some of the things that people with autism are dealing with when you first encounter them at the autism society?
Speaker 5:So, like Melissa said before, it's kind of like a not one size fits all thing. You've met one person. I mean it's the same with families. There are a lot of different programs and stuff that help, but because every individual and every child on the spectrum is a little different, what works for one person might not work for another, so you never really know what you're going to get in a way and I just forgot what the question was.
Speaker 2:You were, you were, you were actually, you were answering the question.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and then I like forgot what it was. I was just like wait, I wanted to go back to CSR.
Speaker 2:What are some of the the balls? What are some of the things that families are juggling on? Different priorities, different um things to learn that they are coping with as they wait for a diagnosis or after they've been diagnosed with autism.
Speaker 5:So one important thing just an example is it's a lot of challenges to manage when you're not used to it. It's connecting to different services. There might be a financial aspect to that. The waiting lists for services can be years, so you might be going without services. There are some people where they find, especially if you're a single parent, that can be very difficult in trying to take care of your child but also need to, you know, make money and put food on a table, and so sometimes people can't work while they're trying to balance all this, and so the parent ends up taking on all that stress themselves. And you know that's I mean that's why we have the support groups, but so they're just. It's like. So for single parenting it's kind of like everything's just magnified because your child has other needs that you need to figure out how those are going to be met, and it's hard to kind of like take care of yourself at the same time.
Speaker 2:But they don't have to do it alone, because they have the Autism Society of Maryland.
Speaker 5:Yeah, and one of our support groups that are online is actually focused on self-care and run by a social worker, so that's one I like to refer people to. A lot, a lot of these parents that are struggling, especially when they're first-time parents to kids on the spectrum.
Speaker 2:It seems like there's a lot to take on as a parent when there's additional needs that need to be met, aside from some of the traditional things providing and shelter and all those things and it's good that your organization is there with the understanding of where they're coming from and how to meet them there, and you tailor solutions and not provide a one size fits all. What do you want people and this is your moment to share whatever you believe you want people to know about people with autism.
Speaker 5:So that's a loaded question that would take a long time to answer but I will just share a few things.
Speaker 5:Uh, so one thing is uh kind of goes back to what Melissa was talking with you about, um, about the kind of the spectrum and how everyone's a little different and can have different strengths and weaknesses and needs. A lot of people still kind of use the functioning labels like that person is low functioning versus that person is high functioning. And so I think something that's important to know is if you call somebody like high functioning, for example, that can kind of cause a snap judgment, especially with people who aren't as familiar with autism, and they might just get the impression that person has no needs, they don't need any support, that kind of thing. And then vice versa, for the low functioning, oh, they can't handle anything themselves, they need all the supports, they're completely incapable. And neither of that is accurate.
Speaker 5:The environment can cause people to suddenly become lower functioning stressors, trauma, just different things, different things in your life, so it's just it kind of waxes and wanes. So I don't know what the solution is exactly for that. But I know the functioning label isn't, doesn't paint an accurate picture. Well, that's good to know. Thank you for sharing that. I know the functioning label doesn't paint an accurate picture.
Speaker 2:Well, that's good to know. Thank you for sharing that. I really appreciate that. And we have to go back full circle, because I don't think you can say it enough times how do people get resources and how to get access to the resources available from the Autism Society of Maryland? So let's do the website one more time, which is so that is wwwautismsocietymdorg. All right, and the phone number to the call 410-290-3466.
Speaker 2:All right, and they can access those at any time. And, of course, the website comes in a variety of different languages, so language is no barrier to getting access to the services available, and we learned so much today. Thank you so much for sharing from a personal note and also from a very qualified professional note as well. Are there any things that you think would benefit anyone that may have the inkling that their loved one has autism? What's the first indicator that someone might need to be assessed? Gosh, and it's okay if you're not qualified to share it, but what are some of the indicators that, if you're not qualified to share it, but what are some of the indicators that?
Speaker 5:So it just it kind of depends and women can present differently from men. Lack of eye contact tends to be a thing, having special interests, but like really kind of obsessed with those special interests. One of the classic signs is kind of like hand flapping, but not everyone does that. But there can be other little idiosyncrasies people have with behaviors that seem a little like quirky. A lot of times you meet someone and they seem quirky or off somehow and just not presenting as typical. That person might be autistic or they just might be neurodiverse. So there can just be little things and the thing is you might not see them all, because some people on the autism spectrum know how to mask their symptoms, especially females, because a lot of females have been conditioned to be more nurturing and learn social skills and things. So that ends up impacting them because they kind of like it's like being an actress then, but it's exhausting. So you're putting on an act and then you come home and you're just like I'm so tired and I just want to be myself, you know.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's amazing. That's so interesting. It's hard to imagine how much energy goes into and extra effort goes into what's required to build up people with autism from the family support as well as the individual strength that it takes. So we're going to put some applause in here for people with autism right here, and then also for the Autism Society and to you out there, the residents of Montgomery County, maryland, for asking the question what's happening in MoCo, because you deserve the answers. If you like this podcast, if you find anything in this valuable, please like, share and, of course, subscribe. And don't forget to reach out to the Autism Society of Maryland. They have a lot of exciting things coming up and they have a lot of great people working there, so check them out. Thank you, thanks for listening and please subscribe.