Adulting with Autism
Adulting with Autism isn’t just a podcast — it’s a movement.
We give autistic and neurodivergent adults the platform, voice, and validation they’ve always deserved. Here, we don’t mask. We don’t perform. We belong.
Every episode brings honest conversations with leaders, advocates, and everyday people who are rewriting what it means to thrive as a neurodivergent adult. We talk life skills, independence, mental health, relationships, careers, and legacy — because autistic voices don’t just need a seat at the table… we are the table.
Ranked among Apple’s Top 200 Podcasts (All Categories), Adulting with Autism is proof that our voices are resonating worldwide.
Join us Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays as we move beyond survival, build authentic lives, and create legacies that last.
Because autism isn’t broken. It’s just a different frequency — and the world is finally tuning in.
🎧 Listen on Buzzsprout, Spotify, Apple Podcasts & YouTube
🔗 Explore all links + merch: https://linktr.ee/adultingwithautism
📩 Want to be a guest or collaborate? Message April on PodMatch:
https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/1708097947800879cbdd654ca
🧩 Autistic. Authentic. Unapologetic.
🔥 With over 2 million downloads and listeners worldwide, Adulting with Autism proves our voices belong here.
Adulting with Autism
Autistic Employment Inclusion: Transition Strategies | Ben Schatzel
Autistic post-school employment gaps? Ben Schatzel (Stannum Core Solutions founder, human behaviorist/autism advocate) shares: From therapy roots to tackling the 'service cliff' (2020 workforce pivot), his Spectrum Certified process (universal design visuals, Autism 101 training, skill-matched onboarding) boosts inclusion—phasing subminimum wage (Illinois Dignity in Pay Act) for competitive pay/independence. For autistic young adults listing strengths/weaknesses (score w/ trusted folks for dream roles), parents prepping transitions, or allies reforming labor, this convo's your toolkit—routine resets, trust networks, and 'no man left behind' mindset for ROI (lower turnover/productivity gains).
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro: Ben's Journey to Neurodiverse Hiring
0:59 - Person-Centered Transitions in Employment
2:48 - Communication Feedback Loops for ND
5:30 - Prepare Jobs/Staff for Inclusion
8:35 - Dream Big: Strengths/Weaknesses Audit
11:25 - Policy Disconnects: Subminimum Wage Reform
14:38 - Dignity in Pay Act & Systemic Barriers
17:56 - Autism Unemployment: 10x Higher Reality
20:23 - Healthcare/Independence Challenges
22:17 - Skills for Long-Term Success (Routine/Ask Help)
25:14 - Resources: Voc Rehab/County Boards
28:37 - Where to Find Ben (Site/LinkedIn)
Subscribe on Apple/Spotify for weekly neurodivergent adulting tools—rate/review if strategies mapped your path! Resources/agency in notes. Squad, share w/ a job-seeker (tag 'em below—let's include!). Merch: 'Dynamite' tees for transition days (Linktree in notes). #AutisticEmployment #NeurodivergentInclusion #AdultingWithAutism #BTSNeurodivergent #PodMatch
Navigating autistic employment post-school? Ben Schatzel unpacks inclusion: Decade in therapy/job development led to Stannum Core (Chicago-based, tackling 'service cliff' via Spectrum Certified: Job prep visuals, staff Autism 101, onboarding for manufacturing/tech). From 2020 non-profit pivot to Illinois Dignity in Pay Act (phasing 14c subminimum wage—10x ND unemployment vs. NT), Ben advocates competitive integrated roles (ROI: Retention/productivity up, turnover down). Strategies: Strengths/weaknesses lists (score w/ family/friends for skill-matched jobs—e.g., organization for various industries), routine for independence (ask help networks), social inference training (clear comms vs. ambiguity). For late-dx young adults eyeing careers, parents bridging gaps, or allies pushing reform (healthcare tied to jobs, scams awareness), Ben's 'united victory' mindset flips barriers to belonging. From Adulting with Autism podcast: OT-aligned for executive/sensory differences, transition audits, policy wins.
Links:
- Full Episode: Buzzsprout/Apple/Spotify (subscribe!)
- Ben's Site: stannumcore.com (Spectrum Certified, free consults)
- LinkedIn: @benschatzel (connect for tips)
- Instagram: @stannumcore (follow updates)
- Resources: State Voc Rehab (Google "[state] vocational rehabilitation"); County Workforce Boards
- Merch: Linktree in notes ('Dynamite' tees for job grind
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