Dan Franklin: empowering Autism through awareness and understanding

Miatore, broadcasting from the heart of music city USA National Tennessee.

“Join us as our guest share their raw, powerful stories.”

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We're igniting a global movement to empower everyone to make a lasting difference by fostering deep awareness, unwavering acceptance and profound understanding of autism and mental health. Toon in, be inspired and join us in transforming the world one story at a time. Hi, I'm Tony Miatore. Welcome to Why Not Me, Embracing Autism and Mental Health worldwide. Joining us today is Dan Franklin. He's a passionate autism advocate with 31 years of

lived experience. He brings deep personal insight and extensive self-driven research to

conversations about the full autism spectrum. Gifted with his sharp thoughtful mind,

he speaks candidly about autistic wiring, trauma responses, masking, scripting, burnout, sensory processing, and the realities of navigating a world built for neurotypicals. His mission is clear to push for meaningful mandatory autism education across society so autistic individuals are understood, accommodated and respected, not misinterpreted or overlooked. He has a wealth of information so before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an

uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors. Thanks for joining us today.

Yes, thank you very much. Oh, it's my pleasure. So if you would give us a little information

on what you do to advocate for autism. Well, I've been doing a lot of autism advocacy work, you know, been in contact with, you know, the state centers office and a lot of autism organizations to try to understand autism more and to try to contribute to, you know, gaining more mandatory training and education with places like public transit, police officers, prosecutor offices, schools and just anywhere in the general public that may encounter folks

on the autism spectrum because I feel that it's very misunderstood, you know, this world sadly has built around neural typicals and for people like me who are level one functioning regarding autism. So when you travel, do you find it challenging? It's challenging because, you know,

“you have to learn these ways to mask autism so to speak. But then when you do that, you don't get”

viewed as being autistic from other people because they just don't understand how the autistic brain works or tendencies with it. And so I've been doing a lot of research to even understand myself more, but also to understand, you know, how I can help others understand autism. Okay, let's dig into that a little bit. When was it that you was diagnosed as autistic? Well, I was diagnosed with autism at the age of three and it's been quite the journey, as I say, you know,

I'm glad to learn how to kind of adapt and adjust to this world and things. And I just feel that the system is broken. You know, you see so many folks on the autism spectrum that they're tied up in the legal system and you see just how much the legal system misinterprets and doesn't factor autism into things. You know, like even judges, I forgot to mention previously, they I feel need more mandatory education and training regarding autism because autism is completely

different than mental illness in my opinion. And if autism is a factor in things, it needs to be fully explained to the right people so that there's a clear full understanding in how autism plays a factor in things. And that it's not used as an excuse, like a lot of people might say, you know, think or try to portray it as. Okay. Now you have lived experience. You've been through a lot of things. You've seen different things. You have a good feeling, but what's going on in the world.

There are many people out there that are trying to learn about autism. There are many people that are autistic that are still trying to learn about autism. What can you tell them from your lived

“experiences that you see that can help better change the perception of what you're trying to do?”

Well, you know, so there was a matter from island county four years ago that I don't really

front of me, and I don't know if it's something I'm even supposed to talk about. With everything

“that happened regarding that, that matter I feel has really pushed me to push for change with”

autism because autism with my case was not factored in and an expert was not called in. And that's kind of just where I'm going to leave it at and things, but I can talk to you on a different time more in the detail list on this podcast. You know, with being done the ways that I was and having gone through the broken system, so to speak, it's just open my eyes to really see that I'm not the only person on the spectrum that has been wronged by the justice system and has gone through the

tremendous traumatic spirits and having it affect mental health decline and just, you know, ruminating on it, so to speak. Then years later, just realizing the ways that autism was not factored in and since then is when I've really learned more about autism than ever before. What were some of the things that you learned and how did you go about learning them? Who helped you? When I had met with Doug, you know, a while back, there were things that I had

“talked with him about tendencies like the masking words like you have to find ways to mask the”

autism to kind of appear normal and fit in. But then at the same time, it comes at a cost because then when there's a challenging high pressure over stimulating situation, the autistic aspect or pardon things gets completely looked past, so to speak. And so that part is hard, but then the other thing is that I even told Doug too, people on the higher functioning and can learn to speak normal

and all folks in the spectrum have amazing high IQ and levels of intelligence, but they can really

struggle with the interaction socially in things. Yes, they can have a very difficult time in that form for sure. Now, what other things did you see or hear that you learned about it? The biggest thing is also like the scripting part as well with it to where it's like, you know, there's two aspects that I like to explain that I've learned. Emily, you've words and phrases that you've heard other places, but you may use it out of context or not even know the meaning, but because you're

feeling pressured to speak or say something, then you might say it but not understand it to later, but then the other aspect with the scripting I like to tell people is you may understand it, but you may not know if it's the right time or place to say it or if it makes sense with the conversation or topic at hand, you know, and so there's that. Yes, that's very interesting. Now,

“you said there were several things. What other challenges did you find that were important to”

be discussed? The other part that I also talked to Dog about was the deliberation challenges when underdress, you know, and Dog had explained that when a person on the spectrum is underdress, there's something in the brain with the frontal vortex part of the brain that blocks or clouds the ability to deliberate. In other words, you know, you have challenges thinking before you say and do things, but there again, if you that time show that you can be intelligent and self-aware,

that it's always expected that you're supposed to be, and then so it's just, it's very challenging

for people to understand, and so I've learned a lot about that, and you know, autistic burnout, and sensory overload and sensory processing issues/challenges and things, and the difficult condition to live with, but at the same time it can be a gift in many ways too. What are some of the challenges that you've overcome? You can sit back now and look back and say, hey, I used to do this, but now because of everything that I've gone through, this is how I handle it. So what are some

of those challenges? Well, I know when I was younger, you know, as I told Dog before too, I don't feel that my brain was as developed as it is now with, you know, experiences of things and knowledge and things like that. Back when I was younger, I feel that I was more vulnerable and goalable to being taken advantage of and things and being set up and being used and taken advantage of, and then as I've gotten older, I've learned to recognize when that's happening,

and how to not let it happen. The social interactions have also been very challenging because I'm a very outgoing social creature, but then there are also times where I get, you know, overwhelmed because so much energy gets spent on masking autism to where you can't really put your energy and to use the ways that you want because you're so focused on masking. So then, you know,

you're off or not understand everything and then you might get shut out or outcast that are not

“included on things or whatever, or you might get talked about people might try and slander you”

to try and gain that sort of power and control and that narrative driven aspect. So to speak in its heart, you know, and so I've had to do, as I said earlier, a lot of research about autism, to not just understand myself better, but to understand how I can advocate, you know, where I met Doug was at D3, the decriminalized developmental disabilities organization, and they have their once-and-month meetings that I attend, and they've been responsible for passing laws and policy

changes at the state level regarding autism nationwide, trying to get that education and knowledge and aspect of things out there. And so just meeting with them has even given me so much confidence to want to, you know, be a part of that. See how I can talk to like the state centers, office and autism organizations to really open people's eyes on that real true advanced aspect of autism that I don't feel has really been introduced. And I don't want it's important to understand things

so that the right support can be gotten, but also the right understanding can be made so to speak. The legal system is needed, or mental health, and things like that. You've mentioned that you're an advocate and that you spend time speaking with senators and legislators, from those conversations, whether at the state or regional level, what have you actually seen

“that gives you hope? And where do you think that the lawmakers can make a very meaningful difference?”

What stands out to you? What do you see happening that truly can move the needle in the direction you need? Well, it's hard because, you know, I've talked to Hayden from Senator Patty Murray's office, and I talked to him once before, and I know that Doug and people from D3 were going to set up another meeting to have, you know, us all meet with him because the thing is, if you only have one person that's kind of pushing for these things, it's not going to be as

likely to be heard or factored in or recognized or have things done versus if you have more than one person that's kind of pushing for these things. And so I mean, I tried to do my part, but we

need to get more voices in on the matter, and I feel that it's very crucial that people on the

spectrum are definitely included in these things because when they can hear it from the client, the most, and from the autistic people directly, that's going to make some of the biggest differences out there because they can hear from those people directly and see how it's such a challenging condition to live with and how easily misunderstood it is, unfortunately. Yes, that's for sure. I hear that from every person I speak with is that people just do not

“understand how you have to live and what you have to go through in the challenges that you face.”

But I feel that just gaining the education about autism is the first step because you can't really advocate and push for change. Then do the things necessary if you're not educated in no these things. And so the biggest thing for me has been to understand autism more and the brain and how it responds under pressure to certain things or how it might give trauma based responses because of the past or things like that. Yeah, now there are people that work with police and

first responders they go out and tell them their stories and try and educate them. Have you done any of that at all? You know, I actually gave a speech at the Bellingham City Council on back on June 23rd at the seven minute market. It was about three minutes long because they only allowed everybody three minutes to speak because of the amount of people that want to speak. And they want to get everybody included. I know that there's this gown named Beverly who works

with the arc of walk in county and they have been an amazing support and helped to me as well.

I know that there's the arc of Washington state that I've even attended this Zoom meetings for and there's been the national art that I've been in contact with a little bit. But I know this gown Beverly, she wants to go down to the Bellingham Police Department, eventually it brings me with her in kind of educate them about autism and how to appropriately recognize and respond and how to de-escalate versus escalate and understand that certain folks in the spectrum may have

had previous traumatic interactions with police and so if they're resistant to things, it's not that there's something to hide so to speak. It's clearly a trauma-based response to things and then you're stinking that maybe instead of sending a police officer maybe there needs to be an autism-trained crisis worker. I think that's a great idea that you can get out and give

to post for as well, especially in Washington and hopefully across the nation, but I feel that

there needs to be autism foundations built. Like there needs to be autism trauma-based, certified specialists and counselors that understand autism and trauma and how to best properly deal with them, there also needs to be specific autism lawyers and things and whatnot so that people can be best assisted in things. There also needs to be a reform with the justice system like an autistic person gives a false confession or is done wrong by the justice system. Well, where's their ability

to have justice for being wrong? Been having the mental health suffering and the job opportunities

“lost and all these things, where's that ability? Where's the recognition how they were wrong?”

I've also learned that if an autistic person feels injustice, they're going to sit there and rumenate, but they're not going to stop feeling injustice until they can get the justice that they're seeking. Yes, those are all good points. Any other things that you feel that are needed. I just feel that there needs to be more mandatory training. There just has to be because then the general public would understand how to recognize and work with it more, but then the autistic community would feel

more comfortable and accommodated to and understood that I feel that the pan's suffering would end all around, but without the proper training, it's not going to end for as far as the pan the suffering goes. We got to start doing this. You know, and I saw I'm just doing what I can as far as working with these organizations and trying to get a lot of people with me to push for these

“things, but I can only do what I can do. Yes. That's right, but the main thing is you are doing it.”

Yeah. Do you have the opportunity to get together with other people this way? You can put your heads together, come up with new fresh ideas, then pitch them to the people that can help make change. Yeah. You know, one thing that I've even talked with Beverly from the Arctic Walk in County here in Bellingham, Washington, about in a few others, too, is I've got so many pages bookmark and screenshot about autism and the brain and executive functioning challenges and cognitive

deficit challenges and things, and I want to be able to put like a meaningful PowerPoint presentation together for the general public, and I would love to be able to give it to people and have people share it with everybody so that people can really see advanced aspects of autism, so to speak that her currently just not educated or understood, you know what I mean? And so I wanted to do that because being on the spectrum has been hard, being able to find the strength to interact and do

things, trying to put my sentences together and be competent at time, and that's the other thing that I forgot to mention is folks on the autism spectrum just because at times they can show

amazing instances of competency does not mean that they're always competent right then and there

or at the time that things occur. And so that's another thing that needs to be factored into things is that aspect of things, but I know that I just tried to be able to attend these meetings and do the research because I know I feel that the more people I can talk to and it's at least a step in the right direction to make the right changes done. Without the right work it's not going to get done. Yeah that's absolutely correct. How do you address this? I was speaking with a guy

about six foot to 250 pounds. Really rugged looking guy. Yeah. He made a comment to me and went like this. If I told someone that I had cancer they would say, "Oh how can I help you? How can I help you?" But if I tell them I'm autistic they say, "You don't look autistic?" Yeah. How do you address that? Here's a guy that looks like everyone else and you try to

“explain the differences that his brain works and they just don't get it. So how do you handle that?”

Well so that's the thing. So it's all about the headspace of the mindset and digs. So basically

you know you can tell it to somebody but if they are ignorant of autism as I say or want to be and don't want to understand then it's not worth wasting your time and breath with that person or people because you're just going to train your energy and become frustrated. And so it's not about finding the right people but then you also might get frustrated because they just simply misunderstand and so then it's like do you get frustrated and get worked up and really emphasize

that yes I'm autistic and this is how and then when they sit here and they still are resistant so to speak then it's like you know you might have an episode you might have a meltdown or you can just choose to you know whatever I'm just not going to speak to you you can say and think

speak how the responses given and even when I was younger I didn't even want to tell people I was

“autistic because I was afraid of you know certain things happening to me or getting looked at as”

offer whatever but as I've gotten older I've learned to become comfortable with this. Now I would hope that by sharing it with people that I have that they would become sympathetic and understanding

but unfortunately that's not always the case like we would want but the biggest thing is as I'd

even been told too well I would have never known you were autistic unless you told me. Yeah and I've heard that from so many people I spoken with. And it's like well I wonder why that is because you just don't take the time to do the research and understand autism like me and you haven't lived it and you don't have someone who's autistic but a lot of the problem is with this world is they don't think that you're autistic unless you're nonverbal or your hand

flat and so to speak and that's a problem and you know something that I'd even done with like understanding autism more is even like an example is people on the spectrum especially level one

can get wrongfully misjudged and assumed to use autism as an excuse and that's not true but so then

the simple solution to understand it more is either research and look it up so I'll do things like go on the internet and search why does an autistic person get wrongfully assumed or misunderstood to use autism as an excuse when that's not the case and the answers are right there why do autistic people get wrongfully accused of manipulation so to speak when that's not the case it's like the answers are right there you know. Sure that's the case so many times all they have to do is

look it up and find out. Now where you're autistic I'm sure you've had several times where you've been overwhelmed close to a meltdown or even having a meltdown so how did you

handle that or how do you handle that when you feel it coming on so that way you can get away from

others and handle it yourself so that they don't have a clue as to what's going on. Well you know it's it's hard because it depends upon the headspace and a lot of things at the time that things occur and sometimes you so overwhelmed that you just cannot control the episode of the meltdown or you may have felt so injustice and misunderstood that you may walk to leave a barquish voice mail or send a barquish email so to speak and I was even learning that when an autistic

person leaves a voice mail for a place or sends an email it's not with malicious intent it's to express emotional distress and not get interrupted or you know halted and I know that another thing

“I want to include that's important to things is the problem is with like when an autistic person does”

things like that it's a way to cope with things but also when they feel wronged with these kinds of things the way for them to stop fixating and rumenating is to kind of get it out of them how they could or can and feel heard whereas they're in direct situation at hand they might not have that opportunity but then when you go on the internet and someone else who's neurotypical minded or simply ignorant of autism you know they're not gonna understand these things so even something

I've done is I've gone on the internet and search why does an autistic person leave a barquish voice mail or send a barquish email so to speak to a place that they feel has wronged them or given them injustice and there's a whole list of things and it's not meant to be on us necessarily harassed maybe that's a little part of it but it's more so to get out the emotional distress and feel heard because otherwise they're just going to sit there and illuminate and fixate on it

and it's just going to consume their soul in their lives. In closing what do you think is important for the listener to hear about what you're trying to do the message you're trying to put across to everyone not only about your autism but about the autistic society and what they need so that people can understand that they're just trying to live a life like everyone else. What's important

“for them to hear? Well I think a big thing that I wanted to mention is the word approach you know”

the way that you approach an autistic person is gonna make a world of difference how the overall interaction goes and how they perceive it and how receptive they can be to what you're saying and whether they're gonna shut down to you or the situation at hand the approach is very key but then also there needs to be the actual generosity to want to help people not just going in

autism and understand that not all high functioning autistic people are the same not all lower

functioning autistic people are the same it's all based upon the level of support past trauma and it's like you know if we've not this world and people on the spectrum to get better and thrive we need to make it a safe functioning environment to where they are understood and they are accepted for who they are and we stop trying to change them to it yeah to neurotypical you know world

“and society like if a person is in a wheelchair they have to have accommodations made you have to”

be able to build a ramp for them to get up when there's stairs and they can't get up that and they

need to be able to accommodate and build a ramp well where's the same kind of aspect or approach with people on the autism spectrum it's a big work and progress but we just have to keep pushing for you know trying to understand autism more understand that autism is not just hand-flaping in non-verbal and things there's a whole spectrum understanding everything that goes with it

“and like stop trying four things on them and stop making them uncomfortable because it's like”

if people would just let folks in the spectrum thrive and be able to express themselves they would be amazed how much intelligence and high IQ that these folks offer and possess and how they can offer so much to the world but when they're not giving up opportunities then they just shut down they have meltdowns they go into anti-social isolation mode and then they don't feel like they're

helped you know they feel helpless depressed everything and then they never get a chance to be able

“to thrive like the rest of the world and then the mental health decline just takes over and then”

you never get the CD's folks offered these great things about themselves so don't worry no would you like to have the listeners contact you I would love for them okay give us your contact info then if they want you know they can email me it big dog b i g d a w g one two two nine nine four yahu dot com big dog who's my football nickname grown up even though I've become a custom to playing basketball in recent years the rest of us just by birthday well this has been great

great information great conversation I really appreciate you taking the time to join us today hey thank you Tony you have a good rest of your day and take care and yeah let's talk soon thank you it's been my pleasure thanks again thanks for taking time out of your busy schedule to listen to our show today we hope you enjoyed it as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you if you know someone who has a story to share tell them to contact us at whynotme.world one last thing spread the word

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