Wrong Planet

In episode 24 of Autism Talk TV, Dr. Elizabeth Laugeson of UCLA's PEERS program gives alex tips on how to stop teasing. Unlike what you might have been told, just walking away is not the best way to diffuse teasing or a put-dow. In fact, sometimes walking away without saying anything can make things worse!

While it's never OK to be bullied, there's a difference between playful joking between friends and mean-spirited teasing. In either situation, the best thing to do is to discount what is being said by giving a sarcastic response such as "whatever." Tone is important in these situations. Please watch the video so you can understand how to implement these helpful social tools!

Also, after the episode, we have a very special interview from New York City that includes a sneak peek of John Elder Robison's new book, Raising Cubby! Check it out!

Alex Plank Learns how to join a social circle

In the second installment of Autism Talk TV's social skills series filmed at the UCLA PEERS center, Alex learns how to approach a group, find something common to talk about, and be accepted into a group. Hopefully this will show you guys how social skills are actually very easy once you know the language.

Making friends can seem hard but these tips will help you succeed. There are a lot of variations in body language that you can easily learn in order to join conversations. Dr. Liz Laugeson, the director of PEERS, walks Alex through these various topics in an easy to follow step-by-step tutorial.

Enjoy!

In this special episode of Autism Talk TV, Wrong Planet founder Alex Plank gives the keynote talk at the Speak Up and Speak Out Summit in Springfield, Illinois. As many of you are aware, Alex speaks at conferences all over the United States and all over the world in countries such as Denmark.

Unlike most of the conferences Alex speaks at, Speak Up and Speak Out isn't specific to Autism or Asperger's. In fact, the conference was attended by hundreds of people with all types of disabilities such as Down Syndrome, Williams Syndrome, Deafness, and physical disabilities. Parents and caregivers were in attendance as well.

For a full list of Alex's appearances, visit his website where you can also contact Alex to speak at your conference or event.

In this episode of Autism Talk TV, I discuss flirting and dating with Dr. Liz Laugeson from UCLA's PEERS Program. This is the first episode of our social skills series we filmed at The Help Group. And the best part about this episode is that I demonstrate asking out a REAL girl!

Liz first walks me through the process of flirting which involves making eye contact, smiling, and then looking away right when the other person smiles and notices you.

Next we go over asking a girl or guy out on a date which involves finding a common interest and suggesting something that relates to that common interest. There's more to it but you'll have to watch to find out all the tips and tricks relating to body language, eye-contact, and what to say!

Watch the episode to learn about flirting and dating!

Alex, Jack, and Kirsten spend this entire episode talking about supports for people with autism who are attending college or university. This is the third and final part of our episodes at the ASA 2011 conference in Orlando. We talked with Marc Ellison of Marshall University's disability services and Michael McManmon of the College Internship Program.

Also, Jack and Kirsten's relationship and our show were recently featured in a New York Times article by pulitzer prize winning reporter Amy Harmon. You can check out the article here.

Watch Ep. 19 of Autism Talk TV

Alex got the exclusive at the Autism Walk in Los Angeles, CA. He interviews the cast of NBC's hit show Parenthood, starring Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard, and Monica Potter. Parenthood's creator, Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights), has a son with Asperger's / Autism.

Max Braverman is an autistic character in the show. Parenthood covers issues surrounding the parenting of someone on the autism spectrum. This includes things such as obsessions, meltdowns, and issues with social skills. Alex talks with the cast (Monica Potter, Max Burkholder, Sarah Ramos, Miles Heizer, and Jason Ritter) about Autism, acting, and NBC's hit show Parenthood!

Watch the Parenthood Interview!

Alex, Jack, and Kirsten are back with a brand new episode of Autism Talk TV! This is the 2nd episode we filmed at the ASA conference in Orlando, FL. Alex interviewed Shonda Schilling about her new book, "The Best Kind of Different: Our Family's Journey with Asperger's Syndrome." Schonda is married to professional baseball player Curt Schilling. Jack talked with David Geslak about physical fitness and autism. Both Alex and Jack talked with Kerry Magro of Autism Speaks about his role as a social media consultant.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the best episode of Autism Talk TV yet! Watch the HD version if your Internet connection is fast enough to view 3 autistics in 1080p.

Alex, Kirsten, and Jack are back together in Orlando, Florida for the Autism Society Conference. We had a blast at the conference and filmed a TON of AMAZING videos!

Kirsten talks with Dena Gassner about the special challenges that come with being a woman on the spectrum. Alex and Dr. Robert Naseef gave a talk about fatherhood at the ASA conference. They talk about the uniqueness of the relationship between a father and an individual on the autism spectrum. Jack and Alex talk with Claire Dumke about executive functioning. This involves learning to drive, keeping track of things, and other great info.

I sat down with Liz Laugeson of UCLA's PEERS program to talk about how to make friends. Making friends can be hard for individuals with Autism / Asperger's because we have a hard time figuring out social cues.

A lot of the social skills training I've run across focus on concrete skills like introducing yourself. These skills are great in theory but autistics like myself often struggle with figuring out what actually works in practice. The PEERS program, however, seems to be based in real life application of social skills.

I'm sure you're going to enjoy my interview with Liz!

Fly Away is a film by Emmy award winning producer and newly cemented director Janet Grillo. I sit down with both Janet and her upcoming star Ashley Rickards. We talk about the film and Janet's experience as a mother of an individual on the autism spectrum. I enjoyed watching the movie when it premiered in Beverly Hills, California.

Fly Away is a pretty big deal. It's been playing practically everywhere including a limited run in theaters in major cities around the US. And Ashley's new show, "Awkward." is a big hit as well.

I know you're going to get a kick out of this interview so sit back, relax, and grab a bag of popcorn. Oh, and you need to watch the movie online or buy the DVD from New Video or Amazon!

In the latest installment of Autism Talk TV, Alex, Jack, and Kirsten talk about John Robison's new book, Be Different: Adventures of a Free Range Aspergian. Be Different is must-read and I highly recomend ordering it on Amazon. John's first book, an autobiography entitled Look Me in the Eye: My life with Asperger's was an overnight success, landing itself on the New York Times bestseller list.

Unlike Look Me in the Eye, Be Different is a how-to guide aimed at teachers, parents, professionals, and individuals on the spectrum. However, you won't be disapointed if you are hoping to read more of John's firsthand accounts that made up the entirety of Look Me in the Eye as John uses his famous stories to illustrate points in Be Different.

If you missed IMFAR 2011 this year, don't fret! Alex and the Wrong Planet crew did extensive coverage of the conference (the largest scientific meeting for autism research) in San Diego, California. We were given an all access pass to this internationally attended event.

Alex sat down with a lot of interesting people including: John Elder Robison, Clara Lajonchere and David Mandell. In addition to the interviews, there's also coverage of the tech demos and the introduction given by chief science officer of Autism Speaks, Geraldine Dawson.

The 10th Annual The International Meeting for Autism Research (IMFAR) will host nearly 2000 researchers, delegates, autism specialists, and students in the world’s largest gathering of researchers and clinicians devoted to a better understanding of autism.

At the official press conference, scientists discussed key studies to be presented during IMFAR. David Amaral, Ph.D., the President of the International Society for Autism Research, led with opening remarks. Speakers included Eric Courchesne, Ph.D., Antonio Hardan, M.D., David Mandell, Sc.D. and Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Ph.D. Dana Marnane, Vice President of Awareness and Events at Autism Speaks, moderated the conference.

Autism Talk TV is finally back from our extended holiday hiatus. This week we're interviewing Bud Fraze, president of Playability Toys. We met Bud at the ASA conference in Dallas and instantly hit it off.

Bud shows us various toys he's created for children with special needs. You'll get to learn about a Buddy Dog, a Rib-it-Ball, and a Brain Gear. Playability Toys are designed to stimulate an autistic child's sensory needs.

John Elder Robison, author of Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's, has a new book, Be Different, out this March. John reads the introduction of Be DIfferent in a movie which I've illustrated with photos from his life.

He discusses how Asperger's allowed him to accomplish amazing things in his life, including designing the effects for the band KISS and starting a fine european automobile business in Springfield, MA.

My Autism Talk TV cohost, Jack Robison (Cubby) appears in many photos as he is the son of John. I appear in one of the photos. See if you can spot us!