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THE SJ CHILDS SHOW-Advocating for Autistics, One Story at a Time
🎙️ Welcome to The SJ Childs Show Podcast! 🎉
Join Sara Bradford—better known as SJ Childs—as she bridges understanding and advocacy for the neurodivergent community. This podcast shines a light on autism awareness, empowering stories, expert insights, and practical resources for parents, educators, and individuals alike.
Brought to you by The SJ Childs Global Network, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting autistic individuals and their families worldwide, this show is your weekly dose of inspiration and actionable ideas. Visit sjchilds.org to learn more about our mission, find resources, and connect with our growing community.
Catch us on platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Goodpods—or tune in Fridays at 8:30 AM EDT on the Helium Radio Network’s Life Improvement Radio (Channel 1). Together, let’s foster a brighter, more inclusive world! 🌟
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THE SJ CHILDS SHOW-Advocating for Autistics, One Story at a Time
Episode 296-Finding Purpose and Peace: Gage's Journey from Autism Challenges to Advocacy
What if you could find peace and purpose after facing life's toughest challenges? Join us in this episode as we uncover the inspiring journey of Gage, a passionate advocate for autism awareness who transformed his early struggles into a powerful voice for change. Diagnosed with autism at age five, Gage didn't speak until then and found solace in building snack-box towers. His story is a testament to resilience and personal growth, taking us from a young boy in Pennsylvania to a determined advocate in Florida.
Gage opens up about confronting trauma and depression, particularly during the pandemic, a time that demanded introspection and healing. With the support of his older brother, who introduced him to meditation and personal growth practices, Gage navigated the challenges, learning patience and self-respect through his experiences at a diner. A pivotal move to Florida marked a new beginning, filled with optimism and the pursuit of his dreams. We explore how these experiences shaped Gage's journey towards becoming a motivational speaker, reigniting his passion through opportunities like the ICANN autism conference and Toastmasters.
Dive into the importance of spreading awareness and acceptance within the autism community through platforms like Gage's podcast, Autism Talk. By showcasing uplifting stories of individuals who overcome challenges without adopting a victim mindset, Gage aims to inspire and educate listeners. Be ready to hear heartfelt advice for parents of children with autism and encouraging words for adults diagnosed later in life. This episode is a celebration of potential, collaboration, and the power of sharing impactful stories that uplift and inspire.
Welcome to the SJ Child Show, where a little bit of knowledge can turn fear into understanding. Enjoy the show. Hi, thanks for joining the SG Child Show. I'm so excited today to catch up with Gage, and I was on his podcast a couple of weeks ago maybe a month or so and so he got to know me. But it's time to flip the script and get to know Gage and find out more about him, and it was a wonderful conversation with you that time. So thank you so much for being here.
Speaker 1:It's a pleasure to be here and thank you for asking me to come on. I'm really excited to talk a little bit about autism and I see where the discussion goes. It usually flows in a different way, so it goes all ways, but it's always interesting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and always learn so much from other people's experiences, their advice, their lessons that they've learned that they can share. So that's always nice when you have things that you can take away, plus the great connections, like you said, and opportunities that can come from you know, getting to know or other people listening to the podcast for both of us, on both, both end, because, um, as we get into this discussion, we're going to talk about your own show that you created and, yeah, it just goes up from there. So, before we get into everything, um, exciting and wonderful, give us the introduction of gage and kind of what brought you here today.
Speaker 1:No, what brought me here today? It starts back when I was five years old. That's when I was diagnosed with autism and I grew up showing signs of autism early on. Like I didn't talk until I was five, I would create boxes. Against where the snacks were, I would create boxes and climb on them. So I showed a lot of signs early and, as far as podcasting goes, I've been doing that for the past five years. I started in 2019.
Speaker 1:So I was about 19 years old and and it just started. It wasn't even about autism originally. It was just about a tv show I just wanted to record and talk about and see if where it went, and it went to football and then it led to autism. I got inspiration last year. I um just had this super spiritual experience.
Speaker 1:It came a couple months after I had a severe autism burnout and I went to uh, I went to this retreat, um that I spent a couple months at and I just had this epiphany and a vision that I wanted to bring more awareness and more acceptance and to build a bridge of the community and it's not just me, but everybody, you know. I think it takes community and I felt a vision there with my podcast. I was like you know what I I'm, the past podcast didn't work out. You know they had some success but I didn't feel connected to it. Um, but I can use that for my community and for autism. So so main goal, my podcast, which is called autism talk, is to bring acceptance and awareness to the autism community and, uh, I have guests like you on and people that are in the autism community could be parents, could be advocates, um, and that's sort of saying and it's been, it's been a beautiful experience.
Speaker 2:And it's been a beautiful experience. I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that. And only because I love birds more, I'm a crazy bird lady. If that's what you think, tell us where you're at and what the heck is that bird that's making all that noise behind you.
Speaker 1:Well, actually I'm not sure what's going on, but there's like a, I guess a helicopter in the background, but um, but yeah, I'm in, uh, st pete, florida, and right now I'm in my backyard. There's, uh, the one thing I'm I don't like about here is the sand. I can't stand sand. But uh, I love the palm trees, I love the weather for the most part it gets a little warm out here, but overall it's. It's really nice here. I moved down here about three years ago because I lived up North majority of my life and I came down here for more opportunity because I felt like I hit my wall when I came to up North or where I came from in Pennsylvania, near where the civil war happened in Gettysburg, and I just I felt like I wasn't growing and I was starting to go and kind of get a little depressed. So I was like you know, it's time for a change and I moved to my brother and we went to Florida and ever since like it's just been mind expanding and there have been a lot of connections.
Speaker 2:I've made here, a lot of friends that became family to me and these three years have been incredible kind of our, our heart and not get out of our head, Like you said, you know, kind of that depression and everything that we can really find and create peace and happiness for ourselves. And some people look and they're like, oh, you're so happy, like you're so lucky because you have that or whatever. Oh boy, I worked hard for this happiness. You know it's not always good days there's. You know you put your best foot forward, like everybody has kind of their own motto, if you will or whatever. But I think that just following your instincts and your heart, like that, is so important. So that's great that you did that. What was it like? The community kind of growing up? What kind of services were they, you know? Did you feel they were good or could they have used some, you know, some work, or how do you feel about that now, looking back?
Speaker 1:Definitely some work. I, in their own way, I they did try to help, but it actually turned out to be worse than they were originally intending. That was mostly school. That was mostly school. Um, they would have us use job sites because, uh, they were trying to make us more, a little bit more self-sufficient, but it actually affected us long-term wise. Um, they would have us use job sites like, uh, clean trash off walmart and clean a laundromat, and it was, uh, it took a lot of time off school. So I'll be like I I'd be doing jobs like two to three days a week and it took a lot of time out of school and it just kind of affected kids. Kids knew that. And not only that, but we also cleaned the dust off tops of locker rooms and the hallway, in front of everybody, and also in the cafeteria, maybe during mid-periods. Not everyone would be there, but kids would ask questions and it's kind of hard to avoid those, especially when you're 13, 14.
Speaker 1:And then it caused a lot of bullying and a lot of judgments and it definitely hurt a lot and, personally speaking, it affected my confidence and and even against my own football team. You know, I didn't have too many friends, um, and with my classmates, always felt like, uh, because a lot of them looked up to me, because I went to a lot of classes and I was a football player and I was doing a lot in that as far as being autistic and um, and I felt like I kind of had to protect them and it was very difficult because it was a very confusing time. I was still trying to figure out this whole law. I didn't find out I was autistic until I was like 14, 15, and it was a very confusing time and I felt very angry at the time. I didn't know, I felt like there was something wrong with me and I didn't really think I didn't look at it all too ultimately as a positive thing at the time.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. I think that that's something people can definitely relate with about schools and education and the kind of how do I put this the level of emotional wellbeing that should be the focus rather than the system that they have in place.
Speaker 1:I think it needs to change, cause you look at even a hundred years ago, the schools are exactly the same. There might be small changes, but overall it hasn't changed much and a lot of it is because they want to stick with what works and what's not broken. But actually is broken. There's a lot of it has been very positive and as far as people with disabilities, I'm sure you've heard stories as well, but it has not been very positive for majority of people with disabilities, um, and there could be definitely better systems for that.
Speaker 1:Um, and with the educational system I'm only have seven hours a day. They can't individually help each child all the time, so I can't really blame them, it's more the system. I feel like they put the funding in the wrong areas. I think they should really invest into people that really need the help and into investing more into education. Like, even statistically, what I would do is like add standing desks, like that provides up and productivity, and bring different classes that are more relative.
Speaker 1:You know, even meditation, I say, could be a great tool for people, for younger kids. You know, looking back, I wish, I wish to god they would have had that, because that would have helped me so much in classes when I felt anxiety and I felt depressed, like that would have helped in such a big way, and I just think there's a lot of things that could add into it. Um, that could help the school system very much. So there's a lot of things they can implement that could be different. I just think it's time to modernize the school system because it's an old system that was meant for factory workers originally. It just needs to change.
Speaker 2:I know a lot of people are afraid of change, and change comes with an unknown sense just needs to change. Yeah, and I know a lot of people are afraid of change, and and changes comes with an unknown sense of what could be or what may be next. However, um, you know, it's funny. I just said this a minute ago about people's life mottos and somebody just uh did a post about what's your life motto or what is a sentence that had someone had said to you that's changed your life. And I put a sentence that my husband actually said to me when we were dating if you do what you always do, you get what you always got. And I was just like dang. I don't remember what it was about, but it was a slap in the face and I was just like okay okay, okay, I need to look at this.
Speaker 2:This is so true, um, but it's wise, it's so true and that's what's happening. We're, we're repeating and repeating, and repeating and repeating things. The end, if it doesn't just yeah, it just needs to be like flipped upside down and shaken out and ringed out right All of the things, and then we can build it back together from there.
Speaker 1:And the one last piece. With that, I think it's more about building on strengths. You know, like even disability like once I began to is like wording. I believe words have power and I think it's getting like disability means a lack of ability. I think people with autism, like I think they have a great ability, like there's so many examples of that musk, greta vandenberg and um albert einstein and I think in school they need to work on the strength instead of always working on the weaknesses, because that's going to slow them down and in school you don't have that much time. So I think really they should really be focused on the strengths of those students.
Speaker 2:Yeah, how much could we create in that kind of an environment. I can't even imagine the power and the inventions and the ideas and the opportunities that would come from that kind of a nurture of a wonderful environment like that. For sure so good things to put to the universe. So we need you to work on these things please.
Speaker 1:Just keep benefiting it.
Speaker 2:I love it tell us about um, that transition maybe from, um, you know high school or whatever, to wanting to, to kind of get out of there. Or did you stay in pennsylvania and, like, go into the workforce? What did that look like?
Speaker 1:um, I actually didn't go to the workforce until after the pandemic, um, because I just took a year off just trying to figure out what I want to do. Um, I didn't go to the work first until after the pandemic, um, because I just took a year off just trying to figure out what I want to do. Um, I didn't go to the best environment. I actually ended up going to maryland for a year. Um, not the best decision of mine. I actually, uh, caused a lot of depression and, but it was meant to be, because it really it really I had time. It was during the pandemic, so I had time to really reflect and I was forced to be with myself, which was I was always trying to distract myself and there's so much distractions, you know. And and it really helped me finally let go of all the trauma because, like all the memories of getting bullied and my team just like um, even this one particular memory, I was trying, I was in the huddle and I, when I say number three, it sounds like I'm saying free and I used to get bullied for that and or when I try to say something in the huddle, I'll be get shut down immediately, and I just felt like my voice didn't really matter and and it crawled. It was almost like a PTSD moment. It just kept replaying over and over and over and I was like it was almost like I couldn't stop it and it took a lot of healing to get through that and a lot of letting go.
Speaker 1:And the pandemic really helped me learn to let go, because I got to the point. You know I'm not going to go into detail cause it's a little dark, but, um, I got to a point where I didn't really uh, I wasn't sure if I was going to make it to the next day. And it finally got to the point where it was like either this is it for me or I. I got to live life how I really want to and make my career, carve out my own path, and that was the first start. And then I started asking help. I asked my older brother and he showed me a lot of teachers that he's been learning under and it changed my life. You know, I started meditating and started working out and this is right after my best friend, who is like my older brother, passed away and there's a lot of things that happened in that year and I had to keep pushing through and I'm glad I did, because it brought me here and a lot of things transpired and a couple of years about a year and a half later after that I moved here and it brought me to this moment. So that's kind of where it was.
Speaker 1:And as far as the workforce, it was very difficult. It was kind of a transition. I worked at a diner so that was a hard job to do because I was a dishwasher and a little bit of a prep cook. So it was hard at first and I had a lot of moments of like not having very good bosses. But it taught me a lot about patience and to have a little bit more self respect for myself, to not always allow people to treat me that way. So it took a lot of those experiences but it helped me grow and to be where I am today.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I love that and thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing and I have seen, you know, your videos on your YouTube where you do talk about suicide awareness and you do talk about bringing a voice to those who feel voiceless or feel like they can't be heard or going through you know hard times, so thank you for doing that for others, because it really is such a scary time in anyone's life when they're feeling that they're alone and that they you know have aren't, are being having injustice, and it really is horrible that humans are inhumane.
Speaker 2:I'm not quite sure I understand the how things and where things, everything goes wrong there, but I do like see how, taking that time for yourself like I'm so happy for you and so thankful for your brother who's who stepped in and sounds like he had some really wonderful ways that maybe for healing that he'd had on his own journeys, and so it's, it's so nice that you can take those steps to recover for yourself and um and start a new way of of being for yourself and everything, and I love to hear that you're happy now doing that. So I mean, tell us kind of about the, the move to Florida and like what, when was the kind of like the aha moment and like this is exactly what I should be doing.
Speaker 1:I remember exactly the moment, um, we went to the beach. Um, it was that it was the day we, the day we were looking at Florida visiting. I'm trying to think if it was we were visiting or when we moved there. You know what I think it was when we moved there. It was like the first week. I still remember when I first it was the apartment. It wasn't the best place because we had a lot of cranky neighbors. But I remember just laying on the ground I didn't have no bed yet, my stuff wasn't in yet. I just laid on the floor. I was like I just couldn't stop smiling. I was like I'm finally here, I'm ready for my new journey. Like it just felt like the dream. You know, I was like, wow, I can't believe I'm actually here. And it was the moment we went to the beach, we're in the ocean and there's a sunset, and me and my brother just looked at each other and we're like we made it, we really made it. We're here.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's amazing and that it's something you can have forever. That moment, that memory for you to, you know, and that feeling. And now you know, you know, with manifesting, you just bring that feeling up of being so at peace and so blessed in that moment and you attach it to anything you want in the future and bring it closer. Uh yeah, Steps of manifestation, one-on-one. You couldn't catch that episode. No, I'm just joking.
Speaker 2:Um but yeah, isn't that? Um, really I love that. And now you're pursuing your dreams and your desires, and what does that look like? What are you up to now and what do you have kind of coming up in the pipeline for yourself?
Speaker 1:It's funny, you know, I didn't really. I had this flash of a dream. It was a couple of months I had and then it kind of didn't always transpire, but it was a seed. I actually wanted to be a motivational speaker years ago but I kind of gave up on it and really pursued more to podcasting thing. But I got opportunity recently by an amazing person that is organization team awesomest, lynn Mossimus Lynn um, she, um, she, really um. She got me an opportunity to be a speaker at the ICANN autism conference in April and so I've been.
Speaker 1:I'm really excited for the opportunity. It's uh. I was honestly, when she told me I was like kind of blown away. I was like what it was? Uh, it was a beautiful experience and now it really pushed me, it really drove me down. I'm like because I do plan on having my podcast, so like that will always be my saying, but I want to be a speaker now. You know that's what I'm kind of trained for now. Like today, actually tonight, I'm going to Toastmasters. I've been going like every day, these day, these past, like maybe a month and a half, a little over that.
Speaker 2:Good for you.
Speaker 1:And I'm just trying to be a speaker. Actually, I've been talking to someone that's been speaking for 15 years and I've just been like, hey, what can I do as a first time speaker? He actually gave me his book Speaking to Grow Rich. I'm big in getting into it, but man, it's just so powerful, like I really just started it and I'm like blown away. So it's been a beautiful experience Good.
Speaker 2:That's fantastic. I wish that I could be there. That's fantastic, I'm, I wish that I could be there.
Speaker 1:I was also invited to be a speaker, but I can't travel that far, and you know what I have.
Speaker 2:I might even just do this. I might even just do this, but I have a joke with like two or three other speakers that are going to be there, that everybody just needs to wear an I know Sarah shirt and you can all connect with one another.
Speaker 2:Oh that is funny. No, I I'm, yeah, I'm really bummed that it was a wonderful invitation, but I'm excited. I'll be excited to watch you and to, to you know, hear you again and to see you thrive in that environment that you're working so hard for. And congratulations, toastmasters is a wonderful way to go. My husband did Toastmasters in the past and he's always like you need to look into it and I probably should.
Speaker 1:It can be a lot. You know, um, it's a great saying, I think it's. It depends all what, uh, what your toastmasters looks like, because they're all different kinds. Um, but the one I go to is from a church. I go to, uh, the temple of the living god and and luckily there are a lot of amazing people there.
Speaker 1:I was nervous as heck. You know, like my heart was beating for my chest and a part of me was like, should I just go to the bathroom and leave? But I walked out there, spoke and I felt I'm very critical of myself. So sometimes I don't always see, I always think I did bad. But everyone's like, gage, you did great.
Speaker 1:You know, you did pretty good and cause it was like it was like a papal topics, like a two minute Lego, apples or PC, and I was like, yeah, I was trying to make it more comical and it kind of turned out that way. So it was fine. But the one thing I'm learning is to give myself a little more love and to be patient, because it was only my first time really speaking, because I haven't spoken like six months and and that was only one time, so it kind of goes, dissolves away pretty quickly. So that really felt like my first time and and we'll see how it goes tonight hopefully a little bit better yay, well, and I wish you the best on that and that's going to be wonderful.
Speaker 2:Well, make sure to like stay in touch and get me, you know, your speaking cards and things that I can help promote you as the speaker, too for that event. I would love to do that. I really appreciate that.
Speaker 1:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Absolutely no. That's wonderful. Well, what is some advice that you would leave with our listeners and viewers? How about advice for parents of younger kiddos under the age of 10? And then advice for adults that are, you know, late diagnosed or, as you know, just adult autistic adults that are, you know, just they are now.
Speaker 1:Well, with the parents. I would uh say, if your child, you know, especially ones of all that have autism, um, be patient with them, have an open mind, because they learn differently, they see things differently, um, and just get, be there as support and love them, you know, and just send that love, because someday it can be very difficult and sometimes we forget how difficult it can be to be autistic, you know, and or be labeled as a disability, and especially those going to school, like it's very difficult. From speaking from experience, you know, and from what I heard, hasn't gotten better. Um, so, just be present with them, just, you know, um, just be loving and supporting them. And and if, if they, especially if they have anxiety, I would recommend, like they have, like, uh, meditations for kids and things like that. So I recommend going on youtube, uh, looking up a short video of meditation and, you know, uh, introducing that to your kid. You know, they're not all, uh, kids are not always interested in meditation, so you might have to put in a way that will get them to interact with it, but I highly recommend that. And, yeah, just be there for them, you know, because that's ultimately what I wish. I would have had Someone my parents. They did the best possible they could, but they always weren't mentally there, and so being present with them is the best thing you could offer them. And for autistic adults and those of like, I recommend giving yourself love, because we can be very hard on ourselves and when you feel like you fail at something or like you don't feel good at something you want to be at, I will say this be bad, be good.
Speaker 1:It's a quote I have to remind myself after my first time speaking. No one's coming out of the womb like, yeah, man, I can sing like uh, I can see like stevie nicks and I can work out like, uh, like a bodybuilder. Um, you're not gonna come out like super crazy good, you know it. It takes work, you know, and you might not be good right away, but doesn't mean you can't get better. So it's all work. And, and if you guys are struggling with anxiety or depression, start from meditation. You know it's being present with yourself and not always listening to your head all the time, cause that's where I heard this quote. Not believe, if you're in your head, you're dead. You know you're not really present, you're not really there. It's like when you scroll on a cell phone, you're not really there and you're like where did I just go, you know? So just be present yourself and give yourself love, and that's the best way you, that's the best way to go and the best way to start out.
Speaker 2:I love both of those pieces of advice. I think that's so fantastic and sorry if you hear noise in my background I have a cat digging through a box because of course that's what he needs to do right exactly at this moment. No regard.
Speaker 1:Well, I have airplanes. I don't know why they keep flying around the time I've never heard.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's so funny, gage. This has been such a great conversation. I'm so glad that we could connect and I'm really excited for the opportunities that you have coming up for you and I'm going to be able to kind of watch you grow and yeah, so looking forward to that. And I'm so glad that you took the time to be here with me today and you took the time to have me on your show as well, and I just went on before we came on here and posted it and said go listen to this conversation so that you can come back and listen to my interview with him later. So hopefully that you know, we get some good cross promotion on both of our shows there.
Speaker 2:So let's talk about your podcast, because we can't not talk about the show and what you like to talk about, who you talk to and the name of it, all of the good stuff, so that we can give everybody the info of where to go.
Speaker 1:So it's called autism talk. Um, I couldn't guys, someone else claimed, uh, the ad on YouTube but uh, it's autism talk of gauge. Um, and I had. I talk, like I have daily messages. I give every day, um, or at least like five to six times a week, depending on what's going on with my schedule, um, but I also have guests on that are autistic a parent of a that has autistic child, or a advocate for autism. Um, I had some educators on. I'm actually having one tomorrow.
Speaker 1:She's been educated for, I think, around 30 years or over 20 years, somewhere around that, and so I'm just really want to spread awareness and acceptance to the autism community and I like to have people on that are uplifting, to have a great message, because we all have a reason to complain or be upset, you know, but I like the people that have pushed through that and that don't go into like the victim mindset, like we all can.
Speaker 1:You know I've done it before, but we really, uh, we need more people that are uplifting and that are showing the path, like you can do this. You can do more than you possibly, than you think you can, you know, and I'm grateful that my I can bring that and to bring any messages I've learned on my path that can help you and I'm just super grateful to be able to do that and, and I'm hoping, autism talk and become something that's well known, same if your pocket. You know, these are the podcasts that I want to be well-known and to get the attention it deserves, because we both work very hard countless hours. So I'm grateful for these podcasts and these talks.
Speaker 2:I couldn't agree more 100% and I put it down YouTube Autism Talk with Gage Autism Talk, gage G-A-G-E for those of you who are listening. Thank you so much for your time today and I just wish you the best, but we're going to be in touch all the time anyways, so I'll know what's happening and I'll make sure you know we can come have you back on for a catch up later and after that event maybe, and you can tell us what your experience was.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I would love that. You know it's always a pleasure to come on here and I'll look forward to it.
Speaker 2:Hey, thank you so much for your time today. We'll be in touch, thank you for inviting me on. Absolutely.
