Rephonic
Artwork for Autism Odyssey

Autism Odyssey

Betsy Hicks Russ
Autism
Mental Health
Nutrition
Gut Health
Neurodiversity
Apraxia
Self-Care
Telepathy
Parenting
Presuming Competence
Caregiving
Communication
Picky Eating
Non-Speaking Autism
Spelling To Communicate
Plant Medicine
Community Support
Joey
Telepathy Tapes
Family Dynamics

Autism Odyssey is a warm, uplifting, and often humorous podcast exploring new ways to understand and support the autistic experience. Host Betsy Hicks-Russ shares heartfelt stories, practical caregiver tips, and soulful insights on presuming competence, alternative communication including the letterboard, and nurturing body and mind through nutrition and awareness. Each episode invites listeners t... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes51Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Society & Culture

Listen to this Podcast

Artwork for Autism Odyssey

Latest Episodes

Hosted by Betsy Hicks-Russ, Katie Asher, Sara Intonato and Becca Cramer interview Dr. Elizabeth Torres, a multidisciplinary neuroscientist, discussing the flaws in current autism diagnosis and treatment, emphasizing the importance of scientific rigor... more

YouTube

Betsy Hicks-Russ and Julie Swanson, aka the Life Skills Lady, shares insightful ways parents, educators, and caregivers can teach essential life skills, address barriers, and leverage accommodations to improve adult outcomes for autistic individuals.... more

Betsy Hicks-Russ interviews David Kaufer, who discusses the biases and misconceptions surrounding non-speaking autistic individuals and their communication methods. Kaufer highlights the flaws in message passing tests, the role of expert witnesses in... more

For many families of non-speaking autistic people, the search for communication doesn’t begin with choice—it begins with desperation. Years of therapy. Years of assessments. And still no reliable way to hear their child’s thoughts, preferences, or in... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Similar Podcasts

People also subscribe to these shows.

Recent Guests

Elizabeth Torres
Multidisciplinary and computational neuroscientist, peer-reviewed researcher
Episode: The Presume Competence Series part 4 with Dr. Elizabeth Torres
Julie Swanson
Autism Special Education Advocate, Life Skills Lady
Life Skills Lady
Episode: Life Skills Lady - Julie Swanson
David Kaufer
Podcaster and public speaker focusing on non-speaking autism advocacy
Autism Odyssey / Presumed Competence movement
Episode: Presumed Wrong: How Flawed Science Became a Barrier to Non-Speakers with David Kaufer
Natalia Meehan
Herbal enthusiast and sister of Nina, who communicates with plants.
Episode: Healing Herbs with Natalia Meehan
Elizabeth Miller
Advocate for caregivers and founder of Happy Healthy Caregiver
Happy Healthy Caregiver
Episode: The Happy Health Caregiver - Elizabeth Miller
Nicci Smith
An incredible mom, an advocate, and the mother of Tanner Smith from 'Love on the Spectrum'.
Episode: The Mom Behind the Famous Son - Nicci Smith - Episode 42
Carleigh Rochon
Expert in neurofeedback therapy
Bay Area Brain Spa
Episode: Calming the Brain with Carleigh Rochon
Becca Cramer
A skeptic and nuclear engineer exploring communication methods for non-speakers in the autistic community.
Episode: Exploring Spelling and Telepathy; A Skeptic's Journey - Becca Cramer
Kimber Allen
Psychic medium who connects with those who have passed
Episode: A Remarkable Love Story

Host

Betsy Hicks-Russ
Host with a focus on autism advocacy, practical caregiving tips, and presuming competence.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 28 ratings
  • My eyes are open wider

    Subscribed to their podcast as I am thirsty for more ways to better support my older brother living with autism and other disabilities. Betsy brings on great guests and I learn and do better after listening to each. Plus Betsy’s mindset of taking action while infusing self care for herself speaks to me.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Happyhealthycaregiver
    United States6 months ago
  • An important Podcast!

    This is such an important podcast. And Betsy is an excellent interviewer! She creates a space for compassionate discussion allowing room for the unknown.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Redwards73
    United States7 months ago
  • Thank you!

    If you are in this journey, listen to this podcast, it’s informative in a way that I can only explain as hopeful and calming. Thank you Betsy and guests for taking the time to make this a possibility. Can’t wait for more!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Anaili_3
    United States10 months ago
  • Open and thoughtful

    This is such an important podcast. And Betsy is an excellent interviewer! She creates a space for compassionate discussion allowing room for the unknown.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Redwards73
    United Statesa year ago
  • Best podcast out there for those who love someone with autism!

    As a mom to a young adult with autism, I love this podcast so much. Betsy’s guests are always interesting and I learn so much from every episode. Never preachy, just good conversation, great information.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Ilonka Michelle
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

- Compassionate hosts and thoughtful guests drive hopeful, practical conversations.
- Listeners appreciate actionable insights for caregivers and families.
- Guests bring diverse expertise without feeling preachy.
- Interviewing is engaging and respectful, creating space for the unknown.

Top Society & Culture Podcasts

The Ezra Klein Show
The Ezra Klein ShowNew York Times Opinion
Stuff You Should Know
Stuff You Should KnowiHeartPodcasts
Freakonomics Radio
Freakonomics RadioFreakonomics Radio + Stitcher
This American Life
This American LifeThis American Life
Radio Rental
Radio RentalTenderfoot TV & Audacy
Behind the Bastards
Behind the BastardsCool Zone Media and iHeartPodcasts
Humans
HumansHank Green

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Presume Competence Series part 4 with Dr. Elizabeth Torres
Q: Why is the traditional Lovaas/behaviorist model considered problematic when evaluating non-speakers, and how should we approach ethical, evidence-based care?
The Lovaas model suffered from non-representative samples and a lack of objective, neurobiologically grounded measures; ethical care should integrate movement science, cognitive processing, and autonomic regulation to support autonomy rather than forcing conformity or suppressing expression.
The Presume Competence Series part 4 with Dr. Elizabeth Torres
Q: Can you explain the scientific research process, experimental design, and how to evaluate data for bias in layman's terms?
Science progresses through hypotheses, open methodology, reproducible results, and transparent statistical methods; bias is mitigated by random sampling, open data, and critical peer review that challenges assumptions and tests robustness.
The Presume Competence Series - Episode 2
Q: What do you say to a parent who can't find a practitioner?
You are the change maker and it's worth putting in the work to connect and communicate with your child, even if you have to become a practitioner yourself.
The Unexpected Connection
Q: What has kept you so committed to our family?
Ron discusses the bond he has developed with Joey and the importance of being in the moment.
Breathing Techniques to Help you Relax
Q: Can we teach our kids to use these breath techniques?
It's best to introduce the techniques when the children are calm, so they can remember and use them during stressful situations.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About Autism Odyssey

What is Autism Odyssey about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A warm, practical show focused on the autistic experience, caregiver strategies, and inclusive communication. Episodes commonly explore presuming competence, letterboard-based communication, nutrition and body wellness, and real-world caregiving challenges—delivering practical tips, hopeful outlooks, and thoughtful, sometimes humorous storytelling. Noteworthy is the blend of personal narratives with advocacy and a willingness to challenge traditional assumptions about autism and communication, making it helpful for listeners seeking actionable guidance, supportive communities, or inspiration for navigating caregiving and inclusion.

Across episodes, the show often centers on caregiver resilience, practical life skills for autistic individua... more

Where can I find podcast stats for Autism Odyssey?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Autism Odyssey. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Autism Odyssey and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Autism Odyssey get?

Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Autism Odyssey, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.

What are the audience demographics for Autism Odyssey?

Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Autism Odyssey, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.

How many subscribers and views does Autism Odyssey have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Autism Odyssey has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to Autism Odyssey?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Autism Odyssey:

1. Talk To Me Sis
2. The Telepathy Tapes
3. The David Kaufer Podcast: The Lighter Side of the Spectrum
4. Uniquely Human: The Podcast
5. All There Is with Anderson Cooper

How many episodes of Autism Odyssey are there?

Autism Odyssey launched a year ago and published 51 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Autism Odyssey?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Autism Odyssey?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Autism Odyssey from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.

How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Autism Odyssey?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Autism Odyssey. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Autism Odyssey?

Recent guests on Autism Odyssey include:

1. Elizabeth Torres
2. Julie Swanson
3. David Kaufer
4. Natalia Meehan
5. Elizabeth Miller
6. Nicci Smith
7. Carleigh Rochon
8. Becca Cramer

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

Find and pitch the right podcasts

We help savvy brands, marketers and PR professionals to find the right podcasts for any topic or niche. Get the data and contacts you need to pitch podcasts at scale and turn listeners into customers.
Try it free for 7 days