What’s Up With Catalight!

Ep. 15 - A System Built for Behavior, Not Humanity

Autism and other I/DD treatment is often designed around behavior. But people are more than just behavior. They’re humans with families, wants, needs and their own goals. In BCBA training, behavior analysts are taught to think of humans in terms of “organisms” – a clinical, scientific lens that, unfortunately, first shapes how care is delivered. What that lens is blind to is what matters most – the human experience. Lindsey sits down with Dr. Tracy Raulston, a BCBA, researcher and professor at Texas State University, whose work focuses on family-centered care and parent-mediated intervention, to ask the question, “Why is family-centered care such a novel concept to the autism industry?” There’s been a system built for behavior, but not always built to support individuals, parents, caregivers and families. Lindsey and Tracy explore what it really means to center families in care while discussing the limitations of traditional training models, the overlooked importance of working with caregivers and the reality that most care doesn’t happen in a clinic – it happens in homes, in routines and in everyday life. Links:  Catalight Academy – RUBI course: https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic [https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic] Catalight Academy – Live RUBI workshops: https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi-workshop?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic [https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi-workshop?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic] Catalight Academy – RUBI advanced certifications: https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi-advanced-certification?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic [https://www.catalightacademy.org/program/rubi-advanced-certification?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic]   Project ImPACT: Project ImPACT [https://www.project-impact.org/] ABAI conference (5/22/26) – Empowering Families Through Everyday Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA): A Workshop on Parent-Mediated Interventions (PMI) Implementation: Event Detail - Association for Behavior Analysis International [https://www.abainternational.org/events/program-details/event-detail.aspx?sid=96223&by=Workshop&hc=1] ABAI conference symposium (5/24/26) – Expanding Access and Effectiveness in Parent-Mediated Behavioral Interventions: Event Detail - Association for Behavior Analysis International [https://www.abainternational.org/events/program-details/event-detail.aspx?sid=96264&by=ByArea&hc=1] ABAI conference skill building – Writing Effective, Evidence-Based Goals for Autistic Individuals: A Neuroaffirming Approach (5/25/26): Event Detail - Association for Behavior Analysis International [https://www.abainternational.org/events/program-details/event-detail.aspx?sid=97432&by=ByArea&hc=1]

Ep. 14 - Room at the Table: From Food Fights to Family Feasts

Mealtimes aren't just about nourishing the body, they're also about nourishing connection. For most of us, eating just happens. For many children with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities, however, every bite can be a battle – one that affects their physical and mental health along with their sense of cultural belonging. Lindsey sits down with Dr. Yev Veverka, BCBA clinician, researcher, and director of training and consultation services at the University of Washington Autism Center – to explore how make mealtimes meaningful, inclusive and supportive by bringing joy to eating. Whether at home, at school or in a restaurant, mealtimes can be overwhelming and unpredictable for many autistic kids. Dr. Veverka, co-author of “Meaningful Mealtimes: Practical Strategies for All Young Eaters,” empowers educators, parents and support teams to turn mealtimes into opportunities for growth – literally and figuratively. They talk about how small, thoughtful changes can transform mealtimes from a source of stress into a moment of connection. “Meaningful Mealtimes: Practical Strategies for All Young Eaters”: https://www.amazon.com/Meaningful-Mealtimes-Practical-Strategies-Eaters/dp/1681258242 [https://www.amazon.com/Meaningful-Mealtimes-Practical-Strategies-Eaters/dp/1681258242] Yev Veverka – Feeding Matters: Yev Veverka PhD, BCBA-D - Inclusion Representative - Feeding Matters [https://www.feedingmatters.org/committee_member/yev-veverka-phd-bcba-d/]

Ep. 13 - Evidence Will Sometimes Break Your Heart (and That’s OK)

Evidence is evidence, right? Binary. Black and white on paper. Well, not really. “Evidence-based” isn’t as simple as people would like to make it out to be. And, if you truly want to be objective and find real answers, you must be open to the idea that your assumptions may not hold up while simultaneously maintaining an openness to learn. Prolific researcher Micheal Sandbank, Ph.D., joins Lindsey to discuss what “evidence-based” really means. They examine what makes a good study, what quality research entails and ask, “evidence for what exactly?” The two talk about how evidence is being used as ammunition in the autism care industry and how people’s strong, unchanging convictions are creating camps in the field – a schism that is hurting kids and families in need. Dr. Sandbank is a professor at the University of North Carolina and the lead of Project AIM, a comprehensive meta-analysis of all non-pharmacological interventions designed for young autistic children, which was selected as one of the ‘Top Advances in Autism Research’ by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You can find her research here. Micheal was a keynote speaker at Catalight's virtual Elevate Your Impact conference earlier this year. The virtual event, occurring next on March 12 and 13, 2026, is open to everyone around the world with continuing education opportunities for those who qualify. Learn more or register here: https://elevateyourimpact.org/ [https://elevateyourimpact.org/]. You can also apply to be a speaker here: Call for Papers - Elevate Your Impact: Evidence in Action [https://elevateyourimpact.org/call-for-papers]

Ep. 12 - Here Come the Girls

For decades, autism science has failed women. Lindsey talks with internationally renowned British cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Gina Rippon, whose latest book “Off the Spectrum” (titled “The Lost Girls of Autism” in the UK) details how autism research and diagnostic models have historically overlooked women and girls. For far too long, autism was considered “a boys’ disorder,” and misguided stereotypes persist to this day. Dr. Rippon shares how societal expectations, harmful assumptions and masking behaviors have contributed to the underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis of autistic girls and women as Lindsey conveys her own experiences as a diagnostician – going 5 years to start her career without ever seeing an autistic female patient to now when females seeking her diagnosis far outnumber males. The conversation challenges long-held ideas about brains, gender and neurodiversity while asking how science can do better. This episode marks the What’s Up With Catalight! one-year anniversary — thank you to all our listeners for joining us on this journey! “Off the Spectrum/The Lost Girls of Autism” by Dr. Gina Rippon: https://www.ginarippon.com/the-lost-girls-of-autism [https://www.ginarippon.com/the-lost-girls-of-autism]

Ep. 11 - The Owl Brain, The Cheetah Brain, The Possum Brain

Host Lindsey Sneed was unfamiliar with the term 'polyvagal theory' until recently.  After reading “Autism in Polyvagal Terms,” however, she saw how guest and author Sean Inderbitzen is using the body-based approach and lived experience to conceptualize autism in a brand-new way.   The polyvagal theory – centered around how vagal nerve branches control unconscious behaviors – has been prominent topic in the self-help section of bookstores since the ‘90s, but Dr. Inderbitzen posits that we can also use it to better understand the challenges of autism and look at nearly all mental health diagnoses along with the full human condition through the theory’s lens. In doing so, he came up with analogy that, in response to feelings of safety or threat, the vagus nerve triggers one of three brains: the owl (when we’re curious and open), the cheetah (fight or flight) and the possum (shutting down).   He and Dr. Sneed discuss the novel concept, Sean’s motivation to increase access to mental health services and how demonstrating kindness is one of the most important themes of the book.  "Autism in Polyvagal Terms" by Sean Inderbitzen: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324053217 [https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324053217]  To learn more about Sean, hear him speak or book a consultation: https://linktr.ee/seaninderbitzen [https://linktr.ee/seaninderbitzen]