Ep. 16 - Needless Suffering

Ep. 16 - Needless Suffering

Sometimes behavior isn't a behavior problem. Sometimes aggression is actually dental pain. Sometimes refusal to eat is acid reflux. Sometimes a sleepless night, or a sudden outburst or a dramatic change in mood is a person's only way of communicating that something is wrong. Sometimes these are actually underlying medical issues that practitioners and physicians simply aren’t seeing because they don’t have the right training.   Lindsey sits down with Dr. Craig Escudé, one of the nation's leading experts in healthcare for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), to explore a blind spot hiding in plain sight: the gap between behavioral and medical care. Drawing on nearly 30 years of experience, Dr. Escudé explains why behavior is communication, how clinicians and physicians alike can miss critical underlying health issues, and why many medical professionals receive little to no formal training on caring for people with I/DD. The consequences can be profound – from unnecessary suffering to missed diagnoses and preventable hospitalizations. Lindsey and Craig discuss the dangers of diagnostic overshadowing, the importance of seeing people as people first rather than diagnoses, and the systemic changes needed to ensure more equitable care. With approximately 1 in 6 people in the United States living with one or more developmental disabilities or delays, the need for better training, stronger collaboration and integrated care has never been more clear. Resources mentioned in this episode: - Curriculum in IDD Healthcare eLearning course: Curriculum in IDD Healthcare eLearn - IntellectAbility [https://replacingrisk.com/curriculum-in-idd-healthcare-elearn-2/] - IntellectAbility’s free IDD Perspectives webinar series:  Webinars - IntellectAbility [https://replacingrisk.com/webinars/] - Free resources and articles from IntellectAbility: Intellectual Disability Services, Intellectual Disability Definition [https://replacingrisk.com/idd-resources/#downloads] - Dr. Craig Escudé’s book: Clinical Pearls in IDD Healthcare: Second Edition - IntellectAbility [https://replacingrisk.com/product/clinical-pearls-in-idd-healthcare-second-edition/] - Dr. Craig Escudé’s podcast: IDD Health Matters Podcast [https://linktr.ee/iddhealthmatters] - Catalight hospitalization study: Large-Scale Study Finds Autistic Youth Far More Likely to Be Hospitalized for Mental Health Conditions - Catalight [https://www.catalight.org/press-release/large-scale-study-finds-autistic-youth-far-more-likely-to-be-hospitalized-for-mental-health-conditions] - Catalight sleep study: Study Links Poor Sleep to Increased Risky Behavior Among Autistic People - Catalight [https://www.catalight.org/press-release/study-links-poor-sleep-to-increased-risky-behavior-among-autistic-people]

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]