Episode 79: Advocacy and Autism with John Shouse

John Shouse and his wife Janet are parents to 3 adult children, Emma Shouse Garton, and twin boys Evan and Brendan who are now 27.    Evan is on the autism spectrum.   John has been involved at the local, state, and national levels in the disability advocacy community, including stints as presidents of both Autism TN, and The Arc TN.  He was on the national board of The Autism Society of America. He co-authored the book "The Autism Checklist - a Guide for Parents and Educators".   John has a special interest in helping fathers of children and adults with disabilities discover how to be active and engaged parents, and how to find joy in the midst of the challenges of living a full life. Timeline 03:29  The origins of John and his family's advocacy work in the disability community. 06:00 Evan's diagnosis. 11:50  Partners in Policymaking Program 16:40  Tennessee Day on the Hill (3/8/23) 19:00 The importance of telling your story to policymakers. 21:50 Autism Tennessee 25:17. John's advice on self-care. 28:00 Resources: TheVeryStuff.com, "You Gonna Love that Kid" by Paula Kluth, Autism Checklist Guide for Parents and Educators by Paula Kluth and John Shouse,  32:00 Middle Tennessee Dads MeetUp. John can be contacted at [email protected] An edited transcript can be located at www.raisingkellan.org