Exploring The Spectrum

Hosted by Julia Mirer, MD, this podcast shares the perspectives of clinicians, researchers, advocates, parents, and autistic individuals who are questioning the stories we’ve inherited and exploring more humane, inclusive ways of understanding and supporting difference — not just for autistic people, but for all of us.

Exploring The Spectrum is a education podcast hosted by Julia Mirer MD, with 16 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Julia Mirer MD hosts Exploring The Spectrum, a education show with 16 episodes published.

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  Episode #15

  Episode 15 - WaiFung Tsang, MSc, DClinPsy - Psychedelic Integration for Neurodivergent Populations

  Sep 7, 202656 min

  Psychedelic experiences can amplify everything from sound and light to emotion and memory, so how can we adapt them for neurodivergent individuals who may already experience the world in an amplified way? Dr. WaiFung Tsang, MSc, DClinPsy is a clinical psychologist, researcher, and co-founder of Onaya Science, joins us to explore what Western psychedelic medicine can learn from Indigenous Amazonian traditions and how these lessons may be particularly important for neurodivergent individuals. We discuss the role of community and ceremony in psychedelic healing, how sensory and communication differences may shape the psychedelic experience for autistic individuals, and why adaptations designed for neurodivergent populations may ultimately represent better care for everyone. WaiFung also shares why the period after a psychedelic experience may be even more important than the experience itself, and how thoughtful integration can help translate moments of connection, authenticity, and insight into lasting change. LINKS: Onaya Science https://onaya.science/ Onaya Instagram Learn More: https://psystandard.com/articles/neurodivergent-clients-and-psychedelics-what-competent-support-actually-requires/ Connect with WaiFung: Linkedin Instagram Music: United Freedom Collective

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  Exploring The Spectrum

  Episode 14 - Claire Sehinson, MSc, IFMCP - Rethinking Healthcare for Neurodivergent Patients

  Aug 17, 202651 min

  What happens when the way you experience and communicate what is happening in your body doesn’t match what healthcare providers have been trained to recognize? Claire Sehinson, MSc, IFMCP is a late-diagnosed autistic, ADHD, and dyslexic researcher, functional medicine-trained practitioner, and educator, who joins us to explore the intersection of neurodivergence and chronic illness. We discuss how differences in interoception can affect the way autistic and other neurodivergent individuals experience, interpret, and communicate physical symptoms, and how these differences can lead to missed diagnoses, ineffective treatments, and medical trauma. Claire shares why treatment resistance may sometimes be a sign that an intervention simply isn’t right for someone’s neurotype, and how shifting away from rigid protocols toward curiosity, lived experience, and greater trust in an individual’s own body can create more effective and compassionate care. LINKS: Connect with Claire Linkedin Instagram Learn More: Claire's Psychiatry Redefined Courses

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  Exploring The Spectrum

  Episode 13 - Lucina Uddin, PhD - Autism, Bilingualism, and the Flexible Brain

  Aug 5, 202636 min

  How does the brain adapt to change, and what can cognitive flexibility teach us about autism? Neuroscientist Lucina Uddin, PhD joins us to explore the brain networks that support cognitive flexibility and why difficulties with adapting to change are common in autism. We discuss how neuroscience is shifting away from searching for a single "autism brain region" toward understanding dynamic brain networks, and what emerging research suggests about bilingualism, executive function, and perspective taking. From the relationship between stress, mental health, and cognitive flexibility to the importance of studying the brain and body as an integrated system, this conversation offers a thoughtful look at where autism research is headed and why we're still in an exciting phase of discovery. LINKS: Connect with Dr. Lucina Uddin Brain Connectivity and Cognition Laboratory

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  Episode #12

  Episode 12 - Honey Rincella - Root Cause Medicine, A Paradigm Shift in Autism Care

  Jul 13, 20261 hour

  Parents are often told they need to advocate for their autistic children. But who is making sure the healthcare system is equipped to support them when they do? In this episode, Honey Rinicella joins us to discuss one of the greatest unmet needs many families face: access to providers who are trained to look beyond a diagnosis and investigate the underlying factors contributing to a child's health. Honey shares her 20-year journey as a parent advocate, and why she came to realize that while supporting parents is essential, educating healthcare providers may be one of the most powerful ways to create lasting change. We discuss her experience raising identical twin boys who presented completely differently, why even the most well-intentioned physicians are often working from an outdated blueprint, and how her work with MAPS is helping bridge the education gap by training providers in root cause medicine for children. Whether you're a parent searching for answers or a healthcare provider who senses there may be more you could be doing for your patients, this conversation is for you. LINKS: Connect with Honey Rincella Medical Academy of Pediatrics and Special Needs (MAPS)

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  Exploring The Spectrum

  Episode 11 (Part 1) - Cindy Rucker Trost - A Mother's Experience

  Jun 8, 20261 hour

  What becomes possible when a mother decides to ignore what the experts said about her son’s future? In this episode, Cindy Rucker Trost joins us to share the twists and turns of her parenting journey with Hunter, highlighting the importance of choosing to believe that your child is capable of more. Cindy discusses the early years where the future was unknown and the present had no instructions, how her family navigated social and educational hurdles, and how patience and perseverance resulted in a reality that no doctor or therapist could have predicted. Cindy’s story serves as a reminder of the power a parent has in shaping a child’s self esteem, and as an inspiration for any parents navigating the complexities of raising a child who experiences the world differently. LINKS: Cindy Rucker Trost Facebook Instagram Learn More: UCLA PEERS Program Child Find Book Mentions: Protecting The Gift Gavin De Becker Hunter’s Performances: https://youtu.be/SqVlbcNy0ag?si=vYqRMzCsNVfsEMMM https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=546795102719168 Hunter's photo shoot to bring awareness to Hollywood on the Spectrum https://seedandspark.com/fund/hollywood-on-the-spectrum#story

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