This episode features an award-winning social justice researcher who specializes in students with disabilities – particularly autism. Dr. Edlyn Pena believes technology is changing the lives of people with disabilities and her research is pushing these possibilities even further. This is a very personal topic for her – as she is a fierce advocate and proud mama-bear of her son Diego who has autism. But you’ll hear how even in third grade, Diego is breaking assumptions of what is possible such as his first published book that hit records on Amazon, called Anatomy of Autism. You’ll learn more about what is autism, the tech tools the Pena family uses for communication and the long-term commitment Dr. Pena has in changing the autism game so her son and others with disabilities can have purpose-filled lives.
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Notes from this Episode
Dr. Edlyn Pena – Autism Research Facebook Page
California Lutheran University: Autism and Communication Center
Damien Pena, Vice President for Student Affairs at Ventura College
Finding Diego
Diego’s First Interview
Ipad App: Proloquo2Go – Symbol-based AAC
Autism Society of Ventura County
Diego’s Book : Anatomy of Autism
1 in 68 college students have autism reference: https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
1 in 50 school-aged children have autism: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhsr/nhsr065.pdf
CLU Center for Autism and Communication
Conference Autism, Inclusion, and Communication Conference
Facebook: @autismandcommunication
Twitter: @autismandcomm
Disability Communication Fund $67,000 grant
Thankful to the Disability Communication Fund for a research grant to study brainwave to speech software. https://t.co/zON0yAuuqf pic.twitter.com/cZkFryabXQ
— Edlyn Pena (@EdlynPena) February 23, 2017
Edlyn’s Website
More about Edlyn
Dr. Edlyn Peña is an Associate Professor and Director of Doctoral Studies in Higher Education Leadership at Cal Lutheran. She is an award-winning researcher who studies social justice issues for students with disabilities, particularly autism, in the preschool through higher education pipeline.
As the founding Co-Director of the Autism and Communication Center and a member of the federal Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, Dr. Peña is best known for her service to the autism community at the state and national level.
Connect with Edlyn
Facebook: @edlynpena and @autismresearcher
Instagram: @diegos_mami
Twitter: @edlynpena
Website: www.edlynpena.com
Email epena@callutheran.edu
About Josie and The Podcast
In each episode, Dr. Josie Ahlquist – digital leadership author, researcher, and speaker – connects tech and leadership in education. This podcast will bring you leaders on-campus and online. From Senior Vice Presidents on Snapchat, YouTubers receiving billions of views and new media professionals. All through the lens of social media and leadership. Josie hopes you will not only learn from these digital leaders but also laugh as we all explore how to be our best selves online and off.
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Josie
Catch past episodes here: www.josieahlquist.com/podcast
