Episodes

Swarit Gopalan is a 12-year old autistic nonspeaker who uses a letterboard to spell and a keyboard to type to communicate. He lives with his family in Florida and goes to Invictus Academy for school. Swarit is a talented writer …

In this year-end episode for 2023, host Carolyn Kiel reflects on the big milestones that Beyond 6 Seconds achieved in 2023 and some of her goals for the show in 2024. Below are links to the resources mentioned in this …

Aditi Gangrade is a film director and writer based in India. She is autistic and has ADHD and PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). She is the co-founder of Much Much Spectrum, an inclusive storytelling content and insights wing of Much Much …

Bayley Garnham is a personal trainer from Auckland, New Zealand. As a teenager, Bayley spent 7 years competing in Olympic Weightlifting at a national level. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Sport and Recreation, with a major in Sport and …

Charlie Ocean is an award-winning LGBTQ+ speaker, trainer, and consultant who is neuroqueer and nonbinary. They have a background in social work and over 15 years of experience with LGBTQ+ community organizing. To date, they've trained thousands of...

Marisa Hamamoto is the first professional dancer to be named as one of People Magazine’s "Women Changing the World." Her award-winning nonprofit and professional dance company, Infinite Flow, employs disabled and nondisabled artists with a mission to foster inclusion. Marisa …

Jhonelle Bean is a 28-year-old disability advocate living with Tourette Syndrome and PTSD. Jhonelle shares her experience with Tourette Syndrome through social media to educate others and help destigmatize the condition, especially within communities...

Ross K. Foad is a professional actor and voice artist in the United Kingdom. A second generation actor, he was just 18 months old when he made his acting debut, but would get his proper start in acting on the …

Amber Louise Ainsworth is a dissociative identity disorder (DID) system from the UK. Since realizing they are a DID system at age 38, they’ve been working through their healing...

Nate Shalev is a leading expert and advisor on inclusivity helping to create workplace cultures where both businesses and people thrive. They were named a LinkedIn Top Voice and have been highlighted in the Harvard Business Review, the New York …

As a young autistic girl, Swara Swami could sing before she could speak. Now Swara is a music therapist and singer who advocates for mental health and autism awareness on her social media. Swara has her Bachelors in Music Therapy …

Lydia Wilkins is a freelance journalist and author based in the UK who covers disability and social issues. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Metro, The Independent, Refinery 29, The Daily Mail and PosAbility Magazine. She writes …

Elena Chambers is a disability advocate, writer, poet and photographer. On her blog, , she writes about disability in a social context, societal-level ableism, and her personal experience of growing up with a learning disability. She also posts on...

Maria Davis-Pierre is a licensed mental health counselor, autism awareness advocate and founder of the organization Autism in Black. As the parent of two autistic children, and being autistic herself, she uses her professional expertise to connect...

Sarah Brown is a New York City based podcast producer and editor. She has worked on shows such as Minority Korner, Get on Up, #Matter and Fixing the Future. She also produces her own show called The Queerience, which is …

Kaishawna is a 21 year old Deaf Black Autistic woman, clarinet player and college student who is studying to become an educator for neurodivergent and disabled students. She communicates using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)...

Patty DeDurr is a mom, healthcare worker and award-winning author of two children’s books: "This Kid Can Hyperfocus" (a story about ADHD) and "This Llama Can Write" (a story about dysgraphia). She provides educational information and resources about...

Content note: This episode describes instances of medical trauma and mental health crises, and mentions violence and death. Kate Wallinga is a forensic psychologist and crisis clinician by training, and currently hosts the podcast “Ignorance Was...

Adam Mico found supportive community, authentic connection and career growth as an autistic professional within the Tableau DataFam (data family).

Janelle Johnson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), is a wife, mother, and Founder of Bridges Family Life Center, a Systemic Therapy and Consulting group practice near Raleigh, North Carolina. An award-winning educator and innovative...

Ben VanHook is an autistic master’s degree student studying public policy at George Mason University, with the hopes of reforming employment and education policy to make them more inclusive for neurodivergent individuals. Ben's passion for creating...

Jordyn Zimmerman earned her bachelor's degree in Education Policy from Ohio University and her Masters of Education at Boston College. As a nonspeaking autistic student who was denied access to effective augmentative communication until she was 18,...

After working as a gifted education teacher, Emily Kircher-Morris became a clinical mental health counselor who supports gifted and twice-exceptional (gifted + neurodivergent) children. She is also the host of The Neurodiversity Podcast and the author...

How do you get an education when you cannot speak, and the school system does not understand your abilities or support your needs? This was the experience of Ben Breaux, a 22-year-old nonspeaking autistic man with epilepsy who uses a …