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Living with autism has many challenges.  One of these is making a living as an adult.  Especially for individuals with severe autism, this can seem like a challenging, insurmountable task.  Today we talk to two individuals who have their own personal experiences with autism and thriving with autism.

Colin Weiss is a Research Assistant for the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute at George Washington University.  He studies autism in both children and adults, and develops strategies for adults to use to successfully navigate many everyday challenges.  Besides studying autism, Colin himself is autistic.  He speaks about his own challenges and successes.

Harish Bikmal also experienced autism.  His son, Himal, was diagnosed with a severe form of non-verbal autism at the age of two. Harish and his wife struggled to develop Himal’s talents, until finally they discovered the right fit – painting.  As Himal produced more and more of his paintings, Harish co-founded a startup called Zenaviv with his other son, Saket.  Zenaviv is a small business that helps children and their caregivers and adults with autism develop their artistic talents and make a living off of art.

Today we talk all about what is known about autism, thriving with autism through art, and finding each individual’s unique gift to the world.

Patrons of the podcast at all levels also will receive a discount for anything purchased through Zenaviv’s store now through August 31, 2019!  If you’re not a patron and want to sign up, check out the Patreon page.

Background music you hear are clips from Depart by Analog by Nature licensed under CC by 3.0, Once Tomorrow by Josh Woodward licensed under CC by 3.0, Serenity by Jason Shaw licensed under CC by 3.0, Phased at Podsummit licensed under CC0,  and Glitter Blast by Keven MacLeod  (incompetech.com) licensed under CC by 3.0.