Who Needs Shoes? Conversations About Autism
by Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD
Authentic conversations about autism, community, and what really matters.My journey with this show began with a deeply personal story. When my son was in preschool, his teacher counted over 100 times in one day that he took his shoes off and told us he couldn't learn until he learned to keep them on. This all-consuming focus on his feet, instead of his growth, potential, and real needs, is why I'm here. Welcome to Who Needs Shoes, where we have authentic conversations with the people who truly understand the autism community. From parents and self-advocates to teachers, therapists, community leaders, and unexpected allies, every episode explores what really matters for thriving in this world.This podcast is not about compliance or fixing; it's about loving our children for who they are and who they can be, not through the myopic lens of others. It’s about celebrating the full spectrum of voices that make our community stronger and discovering what support actually looks like when we
Episodes
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When Personal Pain Becomes Purpose: Kay Anderson on Autism, Cancer, and Building What's Missing
"I was literally living minute by minute, trying to survive." What happens when a breast cancer diagnosis and your child's autism diagnosis arrive at the same time — and you're averaging 30 to 40 hours a week between treatment and therapy, just trying to stay alive? For Kay Anderson, it wasn't…
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The Camp That Was Built for Them: Reimagining Adaptive Summer Programs
There is a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from having to explain your child to the world before the world will make room for them. This episode is about what happens when someone decides to make the room first. At the Greater Brandywine YMCA in Jennersville, Pennsylvania, Erin Lacotta—…
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Every Child Is Our Child: Neurodiversity, Parenting, and the Soul of a School
What happens when two veteran educators, both parents of neurodiverse children, finally sit down and tell each other the truth they have been carrying for decades? In this deeply personal episode of Who Needs Shoes, I sit down with my mentor and friend of nearly thirty years, Mike Pipa, National...
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The Yes Space: Music Therapy, Belonging, and Meeting People Where They Are
"I'm less interested in a diagnosis than in the person sitting in front of me." For nearly 18 years, music therapist Tori Emery has been building spaces where neurodivergent children, their families, and people on the margins of community don't have to change to belong. In this episode of Who…
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The Separate Hallway: 30 Years of Inclusion, Disability Rights, and Human Value
For decades, the American public school system has operated on a binary: you are either "in" the general classroom or you are "out." But my guest today, Michele Gardner, CEO of All In for Inclusive Education, suggests that physical proximity is often mistaken for actual membership. Michele has...
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From Home to Public Policy: 30 Years of Disability Advocacy with Lucy Prawl
In this episode, Tanya Manning-Yarde interviews Lucy Prawl, a dedicated advocate for disability rights with over three decades of experience. Lucy shares her journey from community advocacy to her current role at the PEAL Center, emphasizing the importance of integrating personal experiences with...
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The Child IS the Journey: A Unique Approach to ABA Therapy with Sadiq Locus, BCBA
In this episode of Who Needs Shoes, host Tanya Manning-Yarde sits down with Sadiq Locus, a Drexel and Villanova-educated Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and the founder of PITT LLC (Preparing Individuals Today for Tomorrow). Sadiq shares his powerful evolution within the field of behavior...
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Building What Was Never Mapped: Nadine Wright-Abubakrr's Blueprint for Change
What happens when a high-stakes banking executive realizes the world isn't built for her son? She rebuilds the world. In this episode of Who Needs Shoes, host Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD, sits down with the phenomenal Nadine Wright-Arbubakrr—founder of Nassan’s Place and the New York Giants' 2025...
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Breaking the Cycle: How One Leader is Fighting Low Expectations in Education
"I had to prove to her that I didn't belong there." When Dr. Mary Rice-Boothe was in kindergarten, her teacher placed every Black student in the lowest reading group — without a single test. That moment fueled a 25-year career transforming equity in education, from leading transfer schools in…
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The Architect of His Own Galaxy: Media Creator, Big Brother, and Autism Advocate
What does it mean to be the "Architect of your own Galaxy" when your world is shaped by the needs of others? In this episode of Who Needs Shoes?, Dr. Tanya Manning-Yarde sits down with media creator, autism advocate, and son, Keith Yarde. Keith is an eighth grader with an incredible resume: five...
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Who Needs Shoes: Our Journey of Autism, Advocacy, and Joy
Welcome to the first episode of "Who Needs Shoes," a podcast and YouTube channel dedicated to building community, offering support, and finding joy in the journey of parenting with special needs. Hosts Kerwin Yarde and Dr. Tanya Manning-Yarde share their personal experiences raising their son,...
About this show
Authentic conversations about autism, community, and what really matters.My journey with this show began with a deeply personal story. When my son was in preschool, his teacher counted over 100 times in one day that he took his shoes off and told us he couldn't learn until he learned to keep them on. This all-consuming focus on his feet, instead of his growth, potential, and real needs, is why I'm here. Welcome to Who Needs Shoes, where we have authentic conversations with the people who truly understand the autism community. From parents and self-advocates to teachers, therapists, community leaders, and unexpected allies, every episode explores what really matters for thriving in this world.This podcast is not about compliance or fixing; it's about loving our children for who they are and who they can be, not through the myopic lens of others. It’s about celebrating the full spectrum of voices that make our community stronger and discovering what support actually looks like when we
Hosted by
Tanya Manning-Yarde, PhD