Embrace ASD Podcast #02 – Arik Marmorstein

In our second episode, we talk with Arik Marmostein; he is a serial entrepreneur who’s founded Mimoona, RefreshBox, and most recently Spectroomz, a remote freelance blog for autistic talent. Arik lives in Israel with his wife and his autistic son.

Follow Arik:

• Website: Spectroomz.com
• Facebook: AutismJobsBlog
• Twitter: @Spectroomz

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Topics of discussion:

0:38 Greetings and quarantine
1:11 Arik as a serial entrepreneur
3:00 How Arik manages all of his projects
4:43 Ro’im Rachok: Autistics in the Israeli Defense Force
6:40 Major corporations specifically hiring autistics
8:15 Corporations resist neurodiversity
10:14 Autistic work preferences
11:16 Matt’s bad work experience
11:46 Martin’s work preferences
12:00 Arik loved studying law but not practicing it
14:35 Arik’s aspie traits and broad autism phenotype
15:15 Rare mutation turns Arik’s son into an autistic X-Men
16:23 Arik’s son suffers a seizure
17:45 Arik embraces his son’s autism
18:35 Autistics speak on the torture of ABA therapy
19:35 Eye contact can be tough
20:45 Arik’s son’s diagnosis
21:22 Verbal, high IQ autistic kids dig older folks but struggle with other kids
23:10 The issue of a lack of knowledge on autism
24:50 Autism had awful public relations
26:22 Matt’s 25-year-long journey to receive an autism diagnosis
28:23 River otters spotted!
29:18 Autism research focused on children (particularly boys) at the expense of adults
30:00 Gatekeeping achievements
31:40 “If he didn’t have that mutation, he’d be a genius”
32:50 Googling for hope: Autistic geniuses
34:00 Autistics withheld from showing off their talents
34:46 Remote work to help autistics and NTs
35:17 Autistics are more than code monkeys
38:23 The variety of behaviors on the spectrum
39:53 Autistics prefer detailed instructions and minimal social interactions
41:20 The sociological issues of the treatments of autistics
42:55 MDMA reduces anxiety in autistic study participants
46:22 Supposed empathy deficits in autism really caused by co-occurring alexithymia
47:25 Coming out as autistic at work
48:22 Everyday discrimination
50:02 The Moses of neurotypes: How Arik bridges the autistic–NT divide
54:00 Neurodiversity isn’t a priority at most organizations
56:00 Fluorescent lighting sucks
56:26 Accommodations at work
57:36 Bigger organizations lack flexibility
58:45 The mission of Spectroomz
1:00:17 What Arik’s learned from working with autistic people
1:02:08 Nevo’s (Arik’s son) special interests
1:05:38 Arik doesn’t dig the Foo Fighters
1:06:46 Arik and Nevo’s Infinite Playlist
1:08:18 Two very important questions
1:08:51 The best hummus in Israel
1:09:53 The great US hummus hoax
1:10:39 More on Sonya Bot
1:12:00 How Arik created Sonya Bot
1:13:18 Sonya Bot is universal
1:14:28 Sign up for Spectroomz!
1:15:10 Arik’s social media