Dear Friends, Today the generosity of strangers became a huge gift for someone in need as the wonderful company, Tobii Dynavox has gifted to Autism Today a prize to giveaway to a child or adult with communication struggles. These devices are described below – and their value is well in the thousands!   Thus we ask… Do you know someone who needs an assistive technology device to help with their communication?  Perhaps a person on the Autism spectrum?  Someone with a trach?  A person with ALS?  A speech–language clinic seeking to have a device to use with clients? This is how you can help! We are asking YOU to play the role as a connector and invite individuals who are in need of a communication device to register for this giveaway! The criteria to register is a snap!  Simply sign up for the Autism Today’s World Autism Summit 2023 and you are automatically entered to the giveaway.  CLICK THE LINK TO REGISTER HERE If you register and win, but decide to not accept this gift, simply let us know!  If you win and wish to regift it to someone in need of this device- terrific!  We want this very valuable communication device to get into the hands of those who truly are in need! So, let’s give away ONE of these great prizes described below.   SC Tablet (IOS Operating System): SC Tablet devices combine Tobii Dynavox technology with a 10.2” iPad to create a powerfully portable communication solution. They are made for AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) and come with powerful, outward-facing speakers, a selection of optional finger-guiding keyguards, wheelchair mount plate holes, and two switch ports. SC Tablet devices come loaded with a choice of apps: TD Snap for symbol-supported communicators or TD Talk for literate adults. Grab them by the handle or prop them up using their built-in stands. Communicate worry-free wherever you go thanks to rugged outer cases fitted with crash corners and snap-on faceplates for added screen protection. Learn more about the SC Tablet here: https://us.tobiidynavox.com/pages/sc-tablet. OR TD I-110 (Windows Operating System): TD I-110 is a durable touch screen speech generating device for those with conditions such as autism. This communication solution is now designed to keep up with even more of life’s adventures. With up to 3 times the processing speed and double the memory and storage, TD I-110 will keep up with your thoughts, pictures, videos and books for up to 10 hours of continuous run time. TD I-110 is tailor made for AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). It’s loaded with TD Snap, our symbol-supported AAC software that simplifies and enriches communication. With extra-loud outward-facing speakers, the option of a handle or wheelchair mount plate, and a wide selection of keyguards, your voice will be always heard on your own terms. This robust device is built for hard knocks, featuring an integrated crash case and a Gorilla Glass touch screen. It’s ready for rain showers and spills with a water-resistant design. Take it on the go and put it down where you like thanks to a sturdy built-in kickstand that can now withstand even more pressure. Learn more about the TD I-110 here: https://us.tobiidynavox.com/pages/td-i-110 Rules are below and can be found at AutismToday.com Here are the rules: Questions about the giveaway may be directed to AutismToday.com Questions about the product may be directed to TobiiDynavox.com We thank Tobii Dynavox for this incredibly generous gift! 

[stockie_text] What is Autism Today? The Autism Today Channel is for you, about you and by you. It is where people to go find the specific help they need for autism and neurodiversity and it is the place where businesses, products and services go to find higher success rates and improved customer retention. This is where you can find a Spectrum of Solutions for your unique situation and we bring the experts, experiences and answers to YOU for FREE. [/stockie_text]

[stockie_text] The Advanced Brain Technologies Series Advanced Brain Technologies has been researching and developing sound-based cognitive training programs since 1998. Its founder and his family have more than 70 years of clinical experience in the field of human brain development that have been applied to the work they do and the products they provide. Headquartered in Centerville, Utah, their network of professional providers spans six continents. Helping countless families and making a difference in thousands of lives around the world, the Listening Program is music for training your brain to help strengthen neurological pathways for better learning, communicating, and processing information. [/stockie_text][stockie_text text_color="#ffffff"] Whether you have a child with special needs or who is on the autism spectrum, struggling with daily stressors, or need rehabilitation after a brain injury, Advanced Brain Technologies is definitely something worth checking out.   [/stockie_text][stockie_text] MANDY DOMAN – ADVANCED BRAINTECHNOLOGIES, THE LISTENING PROGRAM Mandy Doman Mandy Doman is the Chief Operating Officer at Advanced Brain Technologies and is a leading expert in music listening therapy with over twenty years of experience. Passionate about helping children and adults live their best lives, Mandy focuses on finding brain-based solutions to support their therapeutic or educational interventions and overall health and wellness. [/stockie_text] [stockie_text] Mandy is a specialist in developing resources, training, and coaching for an international network of providers who use The Listening Program in hospitals, schools, clinics, private practices, and homes. When she’s not improving lives through music, she spends her free time with her husband, three sons, family and friends. Even with all that and being a dedicated homeschool mom, you will find her up before the sun rises reading, meditating, writing, and working out. In this episode, Mandy tells us about her start in the music listening therapy field, what The Listening Program is and how it works. We discuss the bone conduction technology they use and talk about how it has helped people all over the world. Be sure to watch our video to learn more about Advanced Brain Technology and if The Listening Program might help improve your life or the life of someone you know. And tune in for her next episode that goes into detail about how to successfully use The Listening Program. Stay tuned, stay happy and stay kind. [/stockie_text]VIEW TRANSCRIPT[stockie_text] TRANSCRIPT Advanced Brain Technologies Episode 1: Mandy Doman Sat, May 28,2022 12:09AM • 21:38‍ SUMMARY KEYWORDS: music, sound, program, listening, therapists, support, clinicians, headphones, bone conduction, world, played, families, child, work, people, french horn, engaged, autism, dancing, practitioners‍ SPEAKERS Vincent Dela Luna, Karen Simmons, Mandy Doman Vincent Dela Luna  00:15 Welcome to Mandy Doman from Advanced Brain Technologies, who is using music and sound with bone conduction to help people with autism, and neurodiversity. Hi, Mandy. Welcome. Mandy Doman  00:30 Thank you. Vincent Dela Luna  00:30 Can you tell us a little bit about how you got involved with autism and neurodiversity? Mandy Doman  00:35 Ab solutely. Well, I’ve been in the field for about 20 years and working with practitioners. So a number of occupational therapists speech and language pathologist doctors. And so in the very beginning, we work directly with these clinicians and educators as well, to support what they’re doing, especially for children with special needs. And primarily autism. There’s a lot of research that has been done on how music can be used to calm center and connect a child with autism to the world around them. And we start to see that in their day to day interactions, ability to complete their therapies in a more meaningful way. And so in the very beginning, we just wanted to find a natural way to have the ability to help these kids in their home and supported by a clinician, and it was pretty pro found to see those impact, the impact that it could have on anything from their ability to start speaking to their ability to process the world around them. And you know, really, so that was how we began in the in the field. But before that, my husband is actually the founder of Advanced Brain Technologies. And he’s a third generation in a family of neuro developmentalists. So his family work, they made tremendous contributions to the understanding of child development, and what it looks like to have a child who is neurologically organized. And then the impact that sound and music can have on that individual’s performance day to day in their life. Karen Simmons  02:24 Wow. That’s amazing. It is really, really important. Music is plays such a big part in people’s lives that have autism. Vincent Dela Luna  02:36 Yeah, my, my daughter, as you know, I’ve got two kids on the spectrum. My daughter is 10 and a half nonspeaking. Kind of aggressive behaviorally with with everybody except me. But it’s because I communicate with almost purely with music. So all her instructions all getting her prepped for things, involves a song, a little sing along, and she knows the words to all the songs. And when we start doing it and if I if I’m too slow in a song, she started saying the words. So I know that music has an impact. And I know they’re connected. And it’s all I’ve also noticed how certain sounds calm her, and certain sounds within the same song trigger her. And she and she can get aggressive like I told you, we were just visiting the symphony on the weekend. And she would listen and all of a sudden you would see her just calm and relax and smiling. And then certain sounds in the orchestra when they ‘replayed would agitate her, you know? And then she started rocking and shaking and squeezing my arm. And then she’d calm down again depending on on the music being played. How did how did you use Advanced Brain Technologies to use sound and what what types of music and sound are used in the in your process? Mandy Doman

[stockie_text] The zPods Series Up to 90% of children with autism have a sensory processing disorder, which means that they are very sensitive to their surroundings. Many of these children find cozy nooks to hide out in when they become overly distraught. In fact, architects of autism-friendly environments often incorporate a nook into their design so that these children have an “escape space” in which to decompress. Though the relationship with sensory processing disorder is not fully understood, it makes sense that up to 80% of children with autism also have a chronic sleep disorder. Factors that help them to sleep better include lighting, white noise, and a removal of distractions from their sleep environment. zPods give these children a place of their own without distractions where they can feel safe while they sleep. [/stockie_text][stockie_text] ZPODS EPISODE 1: GEORGE BAILEY Sleep. Often taken for granted until it’s not available. Then it becomes the most important thing in the world. I should know. My daughter has a sleep disorder and can go months without sleeping at night. When you have two disabled children and one is up all night and the other is up all day and you add work on top of that, lack of sleep will slowly drive you bonkers. While sleep is vital to the development and growth of your children, as parents, we know that if they don’t sleep… we don’t sleep. So a child’s sleep helps not only the child, but more than likely, every person in the house hold as well. [/stockie_text] [stockie_text] It is because of this that we are excited to be interviewing George Bailey, who has created a sensory controlled space on top of a bed to try and help individuals experiencing sleep disorders. Constantly evolving, his zPods have a new made-in-the-USA version coming out this summer. They have turned out to be a calming personal space for many people already. Tune in to this episode as George gives us an insider’s look at the zPod and tells us what it’s about and how it helps. Keep checking in as zPods and the Autism Today Foundation partners with locations across North America where our viewers might be able to experience the beds themselves before purchasing it so that they can invest after they know it engages their child. And as a bonus, more and more local governments and insurance companies are financially supporting the purchase of zPods. We’ll keep updating our website as news of this develops. Stay tuned, stay happy and stay kind! [/stockie_text]VIEW TRANSCRIPT[stockie_text] TRANSCRIPT zPods Episode 1: George Bailey Mon, May 30,2022 8:31PM • 30:40‍ SUMMARY KEYWORDS sleep, bed, autism, parents, night, people, son, children, excited, kids, china, door, talk, big, ideas, sleeping, george bailey, autistic, soothing, stackable SPEAKERS Nickie – Mother of Mykah, zKid – Mykah, zKid – Judan, zKid – Natalie, Karen Simmons, Jeff Wade, Vincent Dela Luna, Christina – Mother of Joseph, George Bailey, zKid – Joseph, Leah – Mother of Natalie‍ zKid – Mykah  00:17 My zPod it helps me sleep. zKid – Natalie  00:20 It’s easier for an autistic person to sleep in there. zKid – Judan  00:23 A zPodhelps me sleep better. Jeff Wade  00:25 So zPod allows for complete control of your sleep environment. George Bailey  00:30 The big idea is how do we help people sleep better. I’m George Bailey and I’m the president of zPods. Jeff Wade  00:35 My name is Jeff Wade, and I am one of the cofounders of zPods. zKid – Natalie  00:39 I like that I can close the zPod, and that it’s around me so nothing can come in there. Nickie – Mother of Mykah  00:44 Mykah is ten and she was stayin up for like three days at a time. We tried weighted blankets, melatonin and we’ve tried asleep study because we thought she has sleep apnea. My experience with the zPod has been wonderful. Mykah’s sleep has changed tremendously. I’m getting more sleep because she’s getting sleep. Leah – Mother of Natalie  01:05 Because of her autism diagnosis and herschizophrenia diagnosis, she was up all night zKid – Natalie  01:11 and I wasn’t doing well in school. I used to sleep in the closet. Leah – Mother of Natalie  01:15 That was the only place that she was feeling comfortable at the time.  Since she started with the zPod, her sleeping has improved. The first night she was in bed on time and a sleep. Jeff Wade  01:27 My son Judan… he’s neurotypical, it takes him two hours to get to bed at night. But with zPod, it’s completely transformed his sleeping George Bailey  01:37 with Joseph, he’s autistic. He’s very high energy, high anxiety, Joseph and just bounced around his room all the time at night, Joseph has been using his bed now for almost two years, it has become like a real nook for him just a place where he just feels restored, Christina – Mother of Joseph  01:54 helped him decompress helped him wind down zKid – Joseph  01:56 reading in my zPod, I play games in my zPod ‍ George Bailey  02:00 now that he’s sleeping better, I think that all of us are sleeping better. We’ve taken all of the suggestions that we’ve received from parents about how we can improve this technology. And we’ve put together a really exciting new bed that we’re going to be releasing onto the market. Jeff Wade  02:19 So we’ve partnered with a local manufacturer who’s invested into zPod, Christina – Mother of Joseph  02:23 we’ve got speakers in the new zPods that will allow you to play nature tracks or meditation tracks, George Bailey  02:29 we’re going to be creating what we call a sleep scaping where the sleep environment changes according to your individual preference. What we want to do is we want to give a name to sleep that gets kids excited to do this thing that is critical to their health zKid – Joseph  02:46 I could

[stockie_text] Understanding Humans with Patty Miller Patty Miller, President and Sr. HR Consultant at MillerNet HR Solutions, is a very gifted and experienced leadership and life coach, Patty has been helping people better themselves with the human assessment tool, the Core Values Index, for over 7 years. With over 17 years of Human Resources experience, Patty helps people understand themselves so that they can understand their natural conflict strategies and through awareness know the best time to take a stand or stand down. In Patty’s Understanding Humans Series, we take her skills to a new level. While understanding yourself and your natural tendencies can be used to help you find the best sustainable career, we have found that it can also be used to understand other people and what their natural tendencies are. [/stockie_text][stockie_text text_color="#ffffff"] This can help autism families in many ways. The most obvious is a logical and structured way to help people that have trouble understanding social cues to recognize the natural tendencies of others so that they can better understand the reactions of others. [/stockie_text][stockie_text] THE UNDERSTANDING HUMANS SERIES WITH PATTYMILLER EPISODE 1: WHAT IS THE CORE VALUES INDEX? In episode one, Patty explains where many people on the spectrum fit within the Core Values Index and how they can improve themselves to better understand the world and help the world better understand them. But, to take understanding humans even further, we have found that many families and support structures around autistic individuals exist in a natural form of conflict. While all stemming from a place of love and concern, different types of people deal with situations in many different ways. This can lead to arguments and stress between parents and siblings because of a disagreement in the best way to handle stressful situations. [/stockie_text] VIEW TRANSCRIPT[stockie_text] TRANSCRIPT Understanding Humans with Patty Miller Episode 1: What is the Core Values Index? Tue, Apr 26,2022 1:26AM • 38:46‍ SUMMARY KEYWORDS people, energy, person, knowledge, power, wisdom, core values, underscore, valued, personality assessments, wired, emote, love, index, hr consultant, decision, conflict, feel, action, high SPEAKERS Patty Miller‍ Patty Miller  00:16 I am Patty Miller, I am the president and senior HR consultant with MillerNet HR and Business Solutions. And I’m a very proud coach with Core Values Index. I’ve been using this tool for around seven over seven years. And I investigated a lot of tools out there that I literally wanted to put my money behind. And I landed on Core Values Index because of its extreme accuracy. So you’ve heard of DISC, Myers-Briggs,  Colors, Profiles, all of those other good personality assessments. And that’s exactly what they are. They are personality assessments, they are not an indication of how your innate, unchanging ways are, of how you’re wired. Okay, well, well, with Core Values Index you will, what I really liked so much about it is, is it’s a human assessment tool versus a personality assessment tool. And I have worked with people from all levels of various personalities, we’ve got your extreme introverts, your extreme extroverts, and then everybody in between. And what I really see high value in CVI and I hope others see as well is it’s breaking down some of the societal barriers that that all women have more intuition or that all men have more power. And that is not true at all. That basically, we all you know, we emote in different ways. And we think in different ways, and we problem solve indifferent ways. But the biggest thing is, is we go into our conflict strategy, and that is every human, no matter your language, diversity, anything, we all do that. And if you can learn how to catch yourself in the blessings, the stripes of your Tiger, and knowing when to roar, and maybe when to sit, then that that will help us all with the people that that we work with, especially with the neurodiverse individuals and loves in our life, because they they, they just need our support and our love and our understanding and compassion. And it’s not always easy to be that, you know, when you’re feeling emotionally charged as well, how do you manage that. And so when you can see how you’re wired, and how other people are, you can, you can de-escalate situations far faster. So what I really like about Core Values Index, which has been taken, has been done and taken over a million times globally is the extreme accuracy behind the simplicity of the of the the assessment itself. It only takes 10minutes to complete. And it has 36 blocks of four very positive adjectives. And that is why the accuracy is so high because as humans, we can trick people in a sense, where we want to tell you what we think you want us to know about us. And that’s why the repeat score reliability for all those other personality assessments I mentioned earlier, only have a repeat score reliability between60 and 80%. So with core values index, we call it a human assessment tool, because it is more about the stripes of your Tiger. And fun fact, if you were to shave a tiger’s fur, their skin is tinted the same color as their as their fur. So it’s so you really can’t change who you are. And I believe that you could be mindfully aware of who how you can grow into other areas to make help with more maturity and your own personal growth. But I truly believe that you ultimately can’t change innately who you are and how you be. So that’s why the power and the simplicity of the Core Values Index is so strong, it’s important to start off with the definition of all the four energies. Now I’m being very broad right now speaking about each energy in its entirety of what that definition means. Because sometimes sometimes people come to conclusions incorrectly, when they see the word

[stockie_text] Understanding Humans with Patty Miller Patty Miller, President and Sr. HR Consultant at MillerNet HR Solutions, is a very gifted and experienced leadership and life coach, Patty has been helping people better themselves with the human assessment tool, the Core Values Index, for over 7 years. With over 17 years of Human Resources experience, Patty helps people understand themselves so that they can understand their natural conflict strategies and through awareness know the best time to take a stand or stand down. In Patty’s Understanding Humans Series, we take her skills to a new level. While understanding yourself and your natural tendencies can be used to help you find the best sustainable career, we have found that it can also be used to understand other people and what their natural tendencies are. [/stockie_text][stockie_text text_color="#ffffff"] This can help autism families in many ways. The most obvious is a logical and structured way to help people that have trouble understanding social cues to recognize the natural tendencies of others so that they can better understand the reactions of others. [/stockie_text][stockie_text] THE UNDERSTANDING HUMANS SERIES WITH PATTYMILLER EPISODE 2: WHEN PARENTS DISAGREE In episode two, Patty works with Autism Today Foundation Founder Vincent dela Luna and his wife Chix to show us that if we can learn to recognize the innate natures of others, we can understand the natural ways they are likely to deal with conflicts. With that awareness, there is a greater understanding, greater patience and fewer arguments. Take a look at how Patty uses the Core Values Index and how it might help you and the ones you love have a better understanding of each other. And if you want to talk to Patty directly to help understand others or to help you directly with your career, visit MillerNet HR Solutions at www.millernet.ca. And stay tuned as Patty continues her series to show how Understanding Humans doesn’t have to be as hard as it sounds. Keep up the great work, Patty! [/stockie_text] VIEW TRANSCRIPT[stockie_text] TRANSCRIPT Understanding Humans with Patty Miller Episode 2: When Parents Disagree Tue, Apr 26,2022 1:43AM • 46:29 ‍ SUMMARY KEYWORDS vince, cvi, knowledge, people, thinking, energy, wisdom, love, higher, emoting, situation, buy, work, feel, leader, emotion, mind, trust, understand, happened SPEAKERS Vincent DelaLuna, Chix dela Luna, Patty Miller‍ Patty Miller  00:00 Hi. I am thrilled to be talking today with, with Chix and with Vincent. And and I know Vincent that you are part of Autism Today. And a big reason why you are with Autism Today is you are two proud parents of two amazing children that happened to have autism. And and I know that you have two children and one is more severe, as it’s called, versus the other and that you are looking for tools and techniques to help you navigate the the sometimes the landmines or the not so big of landmines to have harmony, and love and inclusion in your home. And I believe once we go through Core Values Index and describe the various energies, you’re going to understand each other better, you’re going to know how you can you know that that’s the goal of our of our conversation today is have tools and techniques to be able to understand each other, to help each other to look at each other and go I get you, you get me and now you’re parenting as a united front versus on an individual. And then sometimes when you are in when you’re individually parenting together, then that causes conflicts within the team, the family unit is as parents, and it’s hard enough as it is life is hard enough as it is raising children is hard enough as it is. And if you can have as much information to help you navigate through these difficult times and know who you are. And we’re all growing until we’re six feet under. And this would be a really wonderful tool for you both. So thank you for letting me have the chance to do this. Vincent Dela Luna  01:55 Thank you for inviting us. Patty Miller  01:57 Firstly, what the core values energies are a definition of all of the four energies. Vince, I know I did that with you once but for Chix’s benefit I want to make sure that she has everything is well. And I’m also going to want to really kind of focus on the differences between the two of you. And and help you understand because however you are Chix, you’re not right or wrong. And Vince, you’re not right or wrong. But when you can be mindfully aware of how each other comes to a situation based on how you are wired your basically your innate unchanging ways, then that will help you understand each other. And it’ll help you understand life. And it’ll help you understand the dynamics within your family. So I’m thrilled and honored to be able to do this with you. So I wanted to show firstly, Chix’s profile. And I have to underscore that nobody has ever in in the whole million plus people globally that have ever taken this assessment, no one has ever been a perfect square, which means 161616 and 16. And we’ve had some people close where maybe it was 14 and 17. But we’ve never had anybody be a perfect square. Sometimes one would think, well, it’s awesome to be a perfect square, because then you have all of the energies to work with. And there are that that is a pro of having all of those energies. On the flip side because everything is so act are so equal in a sense, you don’t know which personality or which one of you need to bring forward. And what I mean by personality, it’s not like you’re splitting your personalities is which energy do you bring forward into the into the room that is most needed at that moment. Patty Miller  03:43 So for Chix,

[stockie_text] The Akiva Metaverse Series Akiva started when two fathers of neurodivergent children decided to improve the state of global education for children with special needs. This passion project has been in the works for the last several years, however the technology was not mature enough to realize the vision of the co-founders. With the proliferation of virtual reality and the hard work of a team of the most passionate and experienced game developers, data scientists, data engineers, security engineers, cloud engineers, PHD psychology advisors, designers, and quality assurance engineers, it is finally possible to create the learning ecosystem – AKIVA on the Oculus Quest 2 VR Platform. [/stockie_text][stockie_text] AKIVA EPISODE 1: ALEX LANDA We know first-hand how the power of love for one’s child can make a parent do amazing things. Alex Landa is a great example of that. He refused to settle for what doctors and specialists told him to accept and changed the world… or rather, created a world… to help his autistic son and others like him become the greatest version of themselves. At the forefront of technology, using Virtual Reality within the Oculus Quest 2 platform, Alex was able to create an engaging and immersive method of teaching people touched by autism in the highly visual way of learning they tend to excel at. Wisely choosing a platform that allows users to control the software without the use of controllers, the Akiva Metaverse, named after Alex’s autistic son, is open to people with a wide variety of behaviours and capabilities. And coupled with the companion app, parents, therapists and aides can assist the users progression while watching them in real-time. [/stockie_text] [stockie_text text_color="#ffffff"] The Akiva Metaverse has programs designed for younger kids and older kids and is constantly creating new modules to allow the user to progress at their own pace, In their own time. or better yet, to take advantage of the Limited Time 50% discount offered exclusively through Autism Today. [/stockie_text]VIEW TRANSCRIPT[stockie_text] TRANSCRIPT Akiva Episode 1: Alex Landa Thu, 4/288:32PM • 28:07‍ SUMMARY KEYWORDS akiva, metaverse, opportunity, world, companion app, gifts, oculus, specialist, kid, community, avatars, participate, explore, reward, important, people, gifting, siberian tiger, individuals, create SPEAKERS Karen Simmons, Vincent Dela Luna, Alex Landa‍ Karen Simmons   Hello, I’d like to welcome Alex lander the CEO, Akiva Metaverse to our platform Autism Today. And welcome Alex. It’s really a pleasure to have you here. Alex Landa   Karen, thank you so much for having me on. I appreciate the chance to speak with you and with your audience today. Thank you so much for having me.‍ ‍Karen Simmons   It’s so nice to have you here. And I wonder what got you started down this path? Like? Can you tell us a little bit about tell the audience a little bit about what got you here? Alex Landa   Yes, absolutely. So about eight and a half years ago, almost nine years ago, my older son whose name is Akiva was diagnosed with severe autism. We went to two best specialists that we can find in Los Angeles, and independently, each one of them told us that, look, you know, your your kid will never communicate to you, He will always going to need100% help, you know, basically, they gave us what, you know, been labeled as very severe autism. Right. And, you know, given you know, my my roots and my upbringing, I just couldn’t take that at face value. And so my response to that was, while I appreciate you know, your pedigree and your your astute education, you know, I firmly believe that my son will communicate to me, he will play basketball with me, he will do things that, you know, you tell me right now, are impossible, and we sort of stormed out of the office. That’s what, that’s what got us our journey.  This is… Karen Simmons   How old was he? Alex Landa   So he was a little bit over two. But fast forward.  Akiva is 11 years old right now. He is he just started in middle school. He goes in the mainstream schools. So this is the first year where he does not have shadow. He used to have shadow in his, you know, elementary school. He has a best friend whose name is Ethan. And, you know, this is another thing that specialist said that he will never have friends. Right. He is bilingual. He speaks two languages. He’s an avid reader, you know, during the summertime, he read all of my, you know, our professional books around leadership, right? And that’s about thirty-four of them. So, so he’s a great athlete. So in other words, you know, it’s been it’s been an amazing journey so far, he’s done. So great, because he wanted to progress and he wanted to, you know, be the best version of Akiva that he can be right. And, you know, it’s it’s amazing what has happened, but then, you know what, what got me thinking is that how many other parents are going to listen to the diagnosis, they can succumb to that, for many different reasons, you know, I’ve been fortunate that I had resources to put behind and invest into my son. Right. You know, I’ve been fortunate that we have mobilized our entire family to help him through this, right. But a lot of a lot of families do not have those resources. Alex Landa And, you know, and there are other methodologies that do exist, right? In the world, but they’re, they’re unavailable to most for many different reasons, right? Just because it’s difficult to scale or because, you know, there there could be too resource intensive. Right. And so, and so my, you know, my original thought being a technology executive for over 20 years, is how can they use my training, my knowledge, you know, my professional success of building resilient, and systems that scale that perform that delight

[stockie_text] The Akiva Metaverse Series Akiva started when two fathers of neurodivergent children decided to improve the state of global education for children with special needs. This passion project has been in the works for the last several years, however the technology was not mature enough to realize the vision of the co-founders. With the proliferation of virtual reality and the hard work of a team of the most passionate and experienced game developers, data scientists, data engineers, security engineers, cloud engineers, PHD psychology advisors, designers, and quality assurance engineers, it is finally possible to create the learning ecosystem – AKIVA on the Oculus Quest 2 VR Platform. [/stockie_text][stockie_text] AKIVA EPISODE 2: BILL MACDONALD Bill got involved with the Canucks Autism Network over a decade ago and has been its Chairman of the Board for the past few years. Frustration with the inefficient hoops families need to go through after receiving their first autism diagnosis led Bill to Alex Landa where they co-founded Akiva. As parents to autistic children, Bill and Alex understood the need to create a better learning system that doesn’t rely on the one hour a therapist randomly picks to visit the child regardless of their ability to learn at that particular moment. By creating an educational system on a platform owned by the families, people can learn at their own pace, wherever they are most comfortable and at times where they are most likely to find success. It literally puts success into the hands of the individual. [/stockie_text] [stockie_text text_color="#ffffff"]And focusing on the visual engagement most people on the spectrum find success at, the Akiva Metaverse is accessible through Virtual Reality on the Oculus Quest 2. You don’t even need controllers to make it work. Through hand tracking and a companion app, people of varying degrees of capabilities are able to take part in Akiva and they can do so at many stages of life development. While currently designed for both younger kids and older kids, the overall intention is for Akiva to stay with the individual and help them as they age and transition into adulthood. Constantly creating new worlds and stories, Akiva is a great way to immerse the user in an educational ecosystem in a fun and engaging way.[/stockie_text]VIEW TRANSCRIPT[stockie_text] TRANSCRIPT Akiva – Bill Macdonald Interview Thu, 4/28 6:24PM • 19:23 SUMMARY KEYWORDS kids, technology, child, early intervention, therapy, platform, families, autism, vision, spectrum, data, system, resources, grow, aiden, cost, vocational training, alex, efficient, educational SPEAKERS Vincent Dela Luna, Bill Macdonald, Karen Simmons‍ Vincent Dela Luna   Hi, we’d like to welcome Bill Macdonald, who’s been involved in autism for a very, very long time. Bill, can you tell us how you got involved in the world of autism? Bill Macdonald   Certainly I’m the parent of a child on the spectrum. He’s now Aidenis now 18 years old. He got diagnosed at just before he was four, so pretty common time for diagnosis. So we’ve been involved, as is, as has every parent been for some time ever since the day of that diagnosis in some capacity? Karen Simmons   And what brought you into the Canucks Autism Network? Bill Macdonald   Well, really, that was a lucky set of circumstances from a mutual friend of mine, who was familiar with the organization and familiar with the founder Paolo Aquilini.  Paolo had a so non the spectrum, which is how the Canucks Autism Network got founded in the first place. And this mutual friends said you’ve got to get to know Paolo. He knew that my son was on the spectrum. So we met a long time ago, hit it off tremendously. And he told me about CAN, and the Canucks Autism Network was such a unique organization in that it provided educational, well, social, primarily recreational opportunities for kids that just didn’t have that the there was no resources for that, that we could find anywhere. So Paolo, to his credit, saw that and started this this organization. So when I saw it, I was so blessed that I could find this this group of people, and with the support system, and programs, where they didn’t exist anywhere else, because every kid has, needs to have a chance to, to socialize, to participate in sports to be a member of a team, regardless of their level of ability. So I really was fortunate to get introduced to Paolo, he got me on the board about 10 years ago, and I’ve been chairman of the board for three years now. So become a it’s become a big part of our lives and our family, either as a as a, as the chairman or my son Aiden is a participant when my older son is a volunteer. So it’s, it’s grown exponentially over the years. And thankfully, we’re reaching a lot more families a lot more programs around the province. And that’s how I got involved and how why I’m staying involved is because we are I think creating a lot of positive environments for kids and their families in the province for resources that that they don’t otherwise have at no cost to the families. Vincent Dela Luna   How did you get from there to getting involved in this whole new technological world with virtual reality? Bill Macdonald   Well, I think like a lot of parents going through traditional educational therapy process once you once you get the diagnosis. You know, I found a lot of frustrations with the system. A lot of inefficiencies that crazy costs that were associated to therapy and access to therapy. And in the back of my mind, I’d always thought there’s got to be a better way to do this. There’s got to be a way to democratize this process to make it more accessible, more cost affordable. Make it because this problem knows no boundaries, this and this problem doesn’t. It doesn’t differentiate language or location or anything. So how with technology

[stockie_text] Elaine Hall from As We See It Elaine Hall is the founder of The Miracle Project®, and star of HBO’s two-time Emmy award winning film Autism: The Musical. Through her ground-breaking work she developed a methodology that unlocks potential, creates a culture of inclusivity, enhances teamwork and inspires others to discover their purpose. As a media personality and world-renowned keynote speaker, Elaine gives audiences the ability to change their mindset, break through obstacles, and celebrate uniqueness. Elaine is a highly sought-after consultant and coach to TV & film companies, the United Nations, universities, corporations, theaters and faith-based establishments. She specializes in using mindfulness, theater and film to transform the way the world perceives ability. [/stockie_text][stockie_text text_color="#ffffff"] When Elaine’s son, Neal, adopted from a Russian orphanage, was diagnosed with Autism, she did what any parent would do — took all of her skills and resources into her own hands to create the most independent life possible for him. Utilizing theater, music, and movement she joined his autistic world to create a space of deep connection, acceptance and appreciation. [/stockie_text][stockie_text] Through the process, Elaine developed The Miracle Project®, a groundbreaking, now evidence-based program that uses theater arts to integrate traditional and creative therapies in an interactive, social dynamic. Children, teens and young adults, once too shy to even walk into a room of their peers, have now found their voice, developed their talents, and most importantly made friends. [/stockie_text][stockie_text] ELAINE HALL FROM AS WE SEE IT Since then, The Miracle Project® has been profiled in an Emmy Award-Winning HBO documentary, Autism: The Musical. Elaine has written globally acclaimed books: including Now I see the Moon, the official selection for World Autism Awareness Day 2011, and co-written The Seven Keys to Unlock Autism, a transformative book used currently as a textbook at Brown University. Several of her original musicals created with The Miracle Project® are now available to be licensed through Broadway Licensing with a touring company on the horizon. [/stockie_text] [stockie_text]Today Elaine is changing the face and conversation around ability as a forward-speaking voice on neurodiversity. She leads trainings around the globe on “Inclusion from Within®,” and partners with theater groups and universities to create The MiracleProject® in local communities. She regularly is called on by producers, directors, TV and film studios to broaden representations of neurodiversity in the media, to offer insightful conversations around the ability within disability. Her son Neal Katz, now 26 years old, still non-speaking lives independently with support. He has worked in film and TV, as a semi-professional model, and has presented, using his iPad, at the United Nations. He also enjoys his work as an organic gardener in Malibu, CA. Her life, although nothing as she would have planned, has become miraculous. Elaine’s latest project is As We See It streaming now on Prime Video. <Insert As We See It Trailer Here> As We See It is currently one of Autism Today’s favourite shows.  We love that it represents more than just one side of autism. It has the perspectives of not only 3 completely different autistic individuals, but also their aide, parents, siblings, friends and workmates.  There are so many nuances to the story being told and, from a parent’s perspective, it also holds so much truth.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you MUST WATCH IT! And feel free to contact Amazon to ask them for a Season 2! [/stockie_text]VIEW TRANSCRIPT[stockie_text] TRANSCRIPT Elaine Hall from As We See It Sun, Apr 17,2022 3:34PM • 22:29‍ SUMMARY KEYWORDS people, actors, film, disabilities, love, called, scripts, class, created, director, wonderful, jason, world, showcase, talent, project, place, involved, hollywood, series SPEAKERS Vincent Dela Luna, Elaine Hall, Karen Simmons‍ Elaine Hall  00:16 Vince, so nice to see you. Vincent Dela Luna  00:19 Thank you for coming. We love your show. We love what you’ve been doing with As We See It. And what really blows my mind is not only how powerful the show is, as it is not just starring an autistic character, but it’s really just as powerfully about a relation between one guy and his dad, one person and her brother, you know, the relationships of people… what it’s like to work.  There are so many real issues. We’d love to talk about how you got involved, and where the show is going. But also, you’re doing so much more than that. I mean, you get hired by the film industry, to help teach people how to work with neurodiverse actors. And I’d love to learn more about what exactly is it that you do in Hollywood. Elaine Hall  01:16 So thank you, thank you, Vince. I was really honored to be involved in As We See It. And Jason Katims, who’s the executive producer, writer, creator of the series, the series is actually inspired by the Israeli series On The Spectrum. And Jason saw that and then developed this series. It’s a labor of love for him. I’ve known the Katims family for many, many years. And they’re big supporters of The Miracle Project, which is my my own theater and film program. And Jason called me and said, “I’m doing this show. Would you like to be involved?” Immediately, Jason Katims calls and you go, “yes!”  Then tell me what it is. So I, we actually filmed a pilot in the fall of 2019. And then you know, what happened in 2020. So we waited quite a while before we, and we were greenlit by Amazon very quickly, in the beginning of 2020. So we then we had to wait to shoot it. We shot it last February and March, and part of April. So all throughout Los Angeles. And it’s, it was a labor of love from the beginning, from A to Z. I’ve been heavily involved in, in some of the promotion of the film… and of the film… of the TV series. Elaine Hall  03:01 So what do I do? That’s a great question. Because I do whatever project is asked of me to do. And then