Ryan Lundy was diagnosed with a nonverbal learning disability as a child and with autism at 40. In between, he got through school with a 504 plan, a resource teacher, a private tutor, and a lot of family support. Today he teaches physical education at a school for students with special needs, coaches adaptive tennis, and has just been accepted into the Autism Speaks Advocacy Academy.

He has sat on both sides of the desk. He was the student who needed the support, and he is now the educator providing it. There are not many people who can speak to both.

In this episode:

What NVLD actually is, and why the name confuses almost everyone who hears it

Why Ryan pursued an updated assessment at 40, and what the autism diagnosis clarified

What strong verbal ability concealed from his teachers and clinicians for decades

The supports that got him through school and college: PT, OT, speech, tutoring, a 504 plan, a resource teacher, and extra time

How a PE teacher figures out what a student who does not speak is telling him

What he wants families to do differently, and why starting early matters so much

How to evaluate an adaptive sports or recreation program, and what to watch for

Whether a job interview is really a social test, and how Ryan actually got hired

Disclosure at work, and what one manager did that made the difference

Living at home at 40, and the honest uncertainty about what comes next

Becoming an advocate, and learning how to sit down with lawmakers

"My parents are still concerned that when they're not here, what, how am I gonna survive?"

CONNECT WITH RYAN LUNDY

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-lundy/

Ryan is available for speaking engagements and is responsive on LinkedIn.

CONNECT WITH BIOHACKING AUTISM

Website: biohackautism.com

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @biohackautism

TikTok: @biohackingautism

YouTube: @BiohackingAutism

LinkedIn: /in/nadiaelkhatib

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RESOURCES MENTIONED

The NVLD Project

https://nvld.org/

Awareness, research, and education on nonverbal learning disability, plus the ambassador program Ryan is part of.

Autism Speaks Advocacy Academy

https://www.autismspeaks.org/AdvocacyAcademy

The year-round volunteer training and leadership program Ryan was recently accepted into, built for people who want to do federal and state advocacy work.

Autism Speaks

https://www.autismspeaks.org/

Advocacy, resources, and support across the lifespan.

Els for Autism

https://www.elsforautism.org/

The Florida campus where Ryan works the camps and serves on an advisory board. Speech and occupational therapy, parent trainings, and resources for families who do not live nearby.

Love Serving Autism

https://loveservingautism.org/

Adaptive tennis, pickleball, and padel for people with autism, founded by speech-language pathologist Lisa Pugliese-LaCroix. Programs across multiple states.

Atlantis Academy

https://chancelight.com/locations/brands/atlantis-academy/

The South Florida school for students with special needs where Ryan teaches physical education.

ACEing Autism

https://aceingautism.org/

National tennis programming for children and adults with autism. Ryan found it through his own research.

Special Olympics

https://www.specialolympics.org/

Year-round sports training and competition. Ryan coached basketball, tennis, and track with them in Pennsylvania.

The Miracle League

https://www.miracleleague.com/

Baseball for children and adults with disabilities, built so that every player bats and every player scores.

TOPSoccer

https://www.usyouthsoccer.org/topsoccer/

Free, low-pressure community soccer through US Youth Soccer. Ryan takes clients to the program near where he lives.

TERI, Inc.

https://www.teriinc.org/

The California campus Ryan names as the one comparable facility he found when researching where families move for services.

RELATED EPISODE

Jobs for Adults With Autism: What This Investor and Father Learned in 15 Years, with Brian Jacobs

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jobs-for-adults-with-autism-what-this-investor-and/id1882362264?i=1000774681949

Ryan pushes back on an idea from this conversation, that a job interview is really a social interview, and explains why it did not match his own experience.

MEDICAL DISCLAIMER

This episode is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider before making changes to your health protocol or your child's protocol. This conversation includes one guest's personal account of anxiety, depression, therapy, and medication. It is his experience alone and is not a recommendation, a diagnostic guide, or a prediction for anyone else.

ABOUT THE SHOW

Biohacking Autism with Nadia Elkhatib looks for real solutions for people with autism and the ones who love them. Each week Nadia talks with clinicians, researchers, educators, and adults with autism about integrative and functional approaches, adult outcomes, employment, and what actually helps families.