PODCAST · business
The Autistic Mile
by Jim Gaffney
A meaningful new platform dedicated to advocacy, understanding, and connection within the autism community. The podcast is designed to spark thoughtful conversations and provide helpful dialogue that sheds light on the real experiences, challenges, and strengths of autistic individuals and the families who love and support them. Through authentic stories, practical insights, and heartfelt discussions, The Autistic Mile aims to further awareness, foster compassion, and build a stronger sense of community. As an extension of JSA’s mission to support individuals with autism and their families, the podcast will serve as a voice for encouragement, education, and positive change.
Episodes
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 14 (Lunar/Soleil)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a personal level—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect emotional...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 13 (Ralsei)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a personal level—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect emotional...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 12 (Hikari)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a personal level—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect difficult...
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Denied By Design? Inside the Fight for ABA Coverage
Denied By Design? Inside the Fight for ABA Coverage What happens when a child is receiving ABA therapy—and an insurance decision suddenly puts that care at risk? In this episode of The Autistic Mile Podcast, we take a closer look at the increasingly difficult fight some families face when seeking...
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Struggles Being Honest Without Being Rude
Honesty can be a virtue—but sometimes the truth still needs tact. Some autistic individuals can struggle with being honest to a fault. A person may say something they believe is objectively true without realizing that, even if the statement itself is accurate, the way it is expressed can still…
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Coping With Uncertain Outcomes
Not everything in life can be predicted, prevented, or controlled—and for many autistic individuals, that uncertainty can be especially difficult to live with. Outcomes can sometimes be shaped by other people, random chance, or details that simply weren’t visible until it was too late to do...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 11 (The Backwards House)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. For the first time, Shane Gaffney steps away from focusing on a single character and instead examines an entire series: The Backwards House, the oddly wholesome psychological horror comic and YouTube series....
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Anxiety from Unfinished Tasks
Sometimes, an unfinished task can feel much bigger than the task itself. Some autistic individuals can experience significant discomfort when work is left incomplete. An unfinished project, unresolved obligation, or lingering responsibility can introduce a sense of uncertainty that makes it...
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How Small Stressors Accumulate
One small problem may be easy to handle. Ten in a row can feel completely different. Minor stressors can become much harder to manage when they arrive back-to-back with little time to recover. For many autistic individuals, each unexpected disruption, frustrating interaction, sensory irritation…
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Handling outbursts responsibly
Sometimes, even with experience and self-awareness, emotions can still spill over. Occasional outbursts, shutdowns, or moments of emotional overload can be part of life for some autistic individuals. With time, maturity, and better coping strategies, these moments can often become easier to...
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Why Education On Autism Is Important
Autism can seem like a distant subject when it doesn’t directly affect your own life—but chances are, it already touches more people around you than you realize. Learning about autism matters even for people who don’t consider themselves personally connected to the subject. As autism has become...
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Difficulty Letting Go Of Emotions
For many autistic individuals, consistency is more than a preference—it can be a source of emotional stability. It can be difficult sometimes for people on the spectrum to let go of strong emotions, especially when something important to their sense of routine or predictability gets disrupted.…
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How Autism Can Affect Impulse/Inhibition
Sometimes the hardest part of self-control isn’t knowing what you should do—it’s having enough mental energy left to stop yourself in the moment. Autism can sometimes affect impulsivity, emotional regulation, and inhibition. For some autistic individuals, intense emotions can arrive quickly and...
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Difficulties In Social Understanding For Autistics
Understanding what another person is thinking can be difficult enough on its own—especially when the social world already feels confusing. Here, Jim and Shane explore what’s called “theory of mind”, and how some autistic individuals may struggle to intuitively recognize that other people can have...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 10 (Kieran)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a personal level—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect real emotional...
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Having A Disability Doesn't Mean You're Broken
Autism can look very different from one person to another. There’s a wide range of support needs across the autism spectrum. Some autistic individuals may live very independently, while others may require significant assistance with communication, daily routines, sensory regulation, employment…
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Cognitive Inflexibility: Welcome To The Dumpster Fire
Cognitive Inflexibility: Welcome to the Dumpster Fire 🔥 Ever have one unfinished task, unexpected change, or problem that your brain simply refuses to let go of? Welcome to the dumpster fire. In this episode of The Autistic Mile, Jim and Shane dive into cognitive inflexibility—what happens when...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 9 (Miles "Nine" Prower)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a personal level—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect real emotional...
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Online Entertainment: The Great Equalizer
The internet has made it possible for people to build opportunities for themselves in ways that once would have been almost unimaginable. Online platforms have dramatically lowered the cost of sharing your work, ideas, talents, and personality with the world. For people who struggle with...
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Find A Job That Fits You
A job can provide income—but the best kind of work can provide something more. Personal fulfillment matters just as much as financial stability when it comes to employment. Earning enough to support yourself is obviously important, but finding work that also gives you a sense of purpose…
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Podcasting Giving Voice To The Overlooked
You don’t always need a massive studio, a huge budget, or an army of people to make your voice heard. Podcasts differ from larger, high-investment mediums like television. With fewer financial barriers, smaller production teams, and less dependence on corporate gatekeepers, podcasting can give...
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Even Niche Occupations Can Improve The World
Not every important contribution looks glamorous—and some of the most essential work in the world is also some of the easiest to overlook. Occupations and areas of influence that seem ordinary or unremarkable can still leave an enormous mark on society. Farming is a perfect example. It may not...
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To Dread Or Adapt To The Future
The future can feel exciting, overwhelming, or sometimes both at once. Uncertainty can make future possibilities feel intimidating—whether they involve new technology, major life changes, or simply the challenges that come with being autistic in a world that can be difficult to predict. Fear may…
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Learning From Mistakes
When something goes wrong, the mistake itself isn’t the end of the story—what matters is what we learn from it. Technological innovation often involves trial and error. Sometimes a new system, tool, or implementation creates more problems than it solves. But rather than treating those failures as...
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Creative Opportunities Of The Internet
The internet has changed what it means to have an audience—and who gets the opportunity to create for one. Online platforms have given independent creators unprecedented opportunities to share their ideas directly with the world. Artists, animators, musicians, writers, filmmakers, and countless...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 8 (Eliot)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a personal level—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect real emotional struggles,...
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Seek Out Multiple Sources
Not every source is equally trustworthy—and sometimes the most confident claims are the ones worth examining most carefully. It’s important to seek out multiple sources when researching complicated subjects such as autism, artificial intelligence, health, or technology. Rather than relying on a...
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Overcoming Prejudice Through Exposure
New and unfamiliar things are often met with fear long before they’re met with understanding. Major technological innovations and autistic people can sometimes face a similar social pattern: skepticism, misunderstanding, and even prejudice simply because they challenge what people are used to....
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Letting Humans Review AI Results
AI can be a powerful tool—but its best results often come when a human being stays involved. AI-generated work, recommendations, and ideas should still be reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by people before being acted upon. AI can help organize information, generate possibilities, and speed up...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 7 (Sunday)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a deeply personal level—not simply because they’re entertaining, but because they can reflect…
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Don't Be Afraid To Make Mistakes
Making mistakes doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it means you’re learning. Mistakes are a natural part of growth, and how learning to view them as feedback rather than catastrophe can make a huge difference in a person’s quality of life. For autistic individuals especially, perfectionism, anxiety, and...
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County Line By The Autistic Mile
County Line — The Autistic Mile What happens when you spend your life learning everyone else’s roads, rules, and signs—but never quite feel like you belong on either side? “County Line” by The Autistic Mile is a raw country anthem about living between two worlds, trying to fit into places that…
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Knowledge Is Power
Fear is easy to sell—but understanding takes a little more work. Both artificial intelligence and autism can sometimes be framed in alarmist ways by media outlets chasing attention, clicks, or controversy. When complex subjects are reduced to frightening headlines, it becomes easy for people to...
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AI's Potential In Rookie Music Automation
Creativity often comes before technical skill—and AI may be giving more people a way to finally bridge that gap. AI-powered music tools can help people who have ideas for songs, but may not yet have the training, equipment, or technical knowledge to fully bring those ideas to life. From...
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Embracing The Good Side Of Tech
AI can sound frightening when the loudest headlines focus on worst-case scenarios—but fear and hype don’t always tell the whole story. New technology often brings uncertainty, and artificial intelligence is no exception. Sensational claims can make AI seem either overwhelmingly dangerous or…
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Terminator or Teammate? The Truth About AI
Terminator or Teammate? What AI Really Means for Humans Is artificial intelligence leading us toward a Terminator-style future—or could AI become one of the most powerful tools humans have ever created? In this episode of The Autistic Mile, Jim Gaffney sits down with Derek Crager, owner of...
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An Autistic Perspective On AI
AI is surrounded by enormous promises—but understanding what it can’t do may be just as important as understanding what it can. Jim Gaffney and Derek Crager, founder of Practical AI and author of Humans First AI: Save Your Business, Save Your Jobs, discuss artificial intelligence from the...
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AI Assisting Humans Instead Of Replacing Them
AI doesn’t have to be something that replaces human creativity—it can be something that helps people reach more of their own potential. Artificial intelligence, when used thoughtfully, can serve as a tool that supports human creativity rather than competing with it. AI can help people brainstorm,...
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The Ideal-ist: Episode 6 (Eternal Sugar Cookie)
Welcome back to The Ideal-ist, the YouTube Shorts companion series to The Autistic Mile. In this series, Shane Gaffney explores the characters, games, shows, and stories that resonate with him on a personal level—not simply because they are entertaining, but because they can reflect aspects of…
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The Night Is Still Too Short By Shane Gaffney
The Night Is Still Too Short — By Shane Gaffney “The Night Is Still Too Short” is an original song by Shane Gaffney, blending emotion, imagination, and a distinctive creative voice into a musical journey that feels both personal and universal. Sometimes the moments we want to hold onto the…
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Parenting A Child With Special Needs
Parenting a child with special needs can feel intimidating from the outside—but fear of the unknown is often much greater than the reality of learning together. Raising a child with special needs is, like raising any child, a process of adaptation. There may be unfamiliar challenges, new routines...
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Letting A Child Have Reasonable Autonomy
Giving children a healthy sense of choice can be an important part of helping them build confidence, independence, and trust. It can be beneficial to let children—autistic or not—have an appropriate level of control over the decisions that affect them. Even small choices can help a child feel...
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Handling AAC For Speech Hurdles
Communication doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. AAC, or Augmentative and Alternative Communication, can support autistic individuals and others with communication-related disabilities. AAC can take many forms, from picture boards and communication books to speech-generating devices and...
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You're Not Broken For Needing Help
Needing support does not make someone lesser—it makes them human. Asking for help, accommodations, or additional support should never be treated as a sign of weakness or failure. Whether someone is autistic or not, every person has different needs, different challenges, and different…
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Play Dumb & Sabotage: The Power of Doing Less
Play Dumb & Sabotage: When Helping Less Helps More What if one of the best ways to help a child communicate, learn, and grow is to sometimes…help less? In this episode of The Autistic Mile, Jim Gaffney sits down with speech-language pathologist and author Jeaneen Tang to explore the ideas behind...
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How Autism Impacts Work
A supportive workplace isn’t just about giving someone a job—it’s about creating the conditions that help everyone succeed. Autism can shape an individual’s needs in the workplace, from communication preferences and sensory considerations to scheduling, task structure, and the amount of support...
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Autism Is Something The Whole Family Experiences
Autism doesn’t exist in isolation—it often becomes part of the rhythm of an entire family. Autism in one family member can become deeply interconnected with the way the household as a whole functions. Routines, communication styles, expectations, sensory needs, responsibilities, and even how the...
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The Potential Of Those On The Spectrum
Autism can come with real challenges—but it can also shape remarkable strengths. The potential of autistic individuals and how the traits associated with autism can sometimes become powerful assets when a person is given the chance to recognize and develop them. Intense focus, creativity,...
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There's A Light In You
Sometimes, you can see it before they ever find the words to explain it—a kind of light in their eyes. Many autistic children and adults carry a deep desire to do good, help others, create something meaningful, or leave the world a little better than they found it. That drive may express itself...
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Autistic Portrayals In Media
Autism is complex—and that complexity may be one reason authentic autistic representation can still feel so rare. Portraying autism thoughtfully in movies, television, games, and other forms of media can be a daunting challenge. Autism can look dramatically different from one person to another…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A meaningful new platform dedicated to advocacy, understanding, and connection within the autism community. The podcast is designed to spark thoughtful conversations and provide helpful dialogue that sheds light on the real experiences, challenges, and strengths of autistic individuals and the families who love and support them. Through authentic stories, practical insights, and heartfelt discussions, The Autistic Mile aims to further awareness, foster compassion, and build a stronger sense of community. As an extension of JSA’s mission to support individuals with autism and their families, the podcast will serve as a voice for encouragement, education, and positive change.
HOSTED BY
Jim Gaffney
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Autistic Mile have?
The Autistic Mile currently has 98 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Autistic Mile about?
A meaningful new platform dedicated to advocacy, understanding, and connection within the autism community. The podcast is designed to spark thoughtful conversations and provide helpful dialogue that sheds light on the real experiences, challenges, and strengths of autistic individuals and the...
How often does The Autistic Mile release new episodes?
The Autistic Mile has 98 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Autistic Mile?
You can listen to The Autistic Mile on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Autistic Mile?
The Autistic Mile is created and hosted by Jim Gaffney.
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