Leading Those with Special Needs | An Interview with Stan Beagley

Stan Beagley and his wife are the parents of four children, including a young adult son with nonverbal autism. He joined the Church at age 17 and served a mission to Paraguay, then attended Dixie State and Brigham Young University. Stan is the President and CEO of the Piano Gallery stores and has served as the chairman of the Carmen B. Pingree Autism Foundation and on the board of directors of Valley Behavioral Health in Salt Lake City, with an emphasis on autism advocacy. He has served in the Church as a Young Mens and elders quorum president, as a counselor in a bishopric, and on the High Council. He is currently the bishop of the Deer Creek Ward in Midway, Utah.  Highlights 3:25 His experience with a son with autism 6:15 Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Autism+ 9:20 Where can a leader even begin to help? * Parents will probably say, "We've got this" when they're really in absolute survival mode * Breaking through the shell to find the struggle 15:15 Helping the autistic person in social circumstances 17:30 Creating opportunities for support; the Ward Disability Specialist 20:45 Recognize that there are some things you should not say; don't try to explain it away 21:20 Autistic Primary class: These kids are here for the people around them 24:50 What to say instead 25:30 Don't skip over the parents for callings because they are capable and could need it as much or even more than others; once they are beyond survival mode, everyone has challenges 30:10 Learning words such as "neurotypical"; don't talk in front of the child as if they aren't there 32:00 To parents: Hang in there. It gets better. 33:00 Being Jake's parent has helped him be more accepting and inclusive Links Disabilities.ChurchofJesusChrist.org The Navigating Autism Podcast