Steph West on Building Starfish Social Club: Social Skills, Neurodivergent Friendship, and Helpful Social Feedback
Host Tony Mantor in Nashville introduces “Why Not Me: Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide” and interviews Steph West, founder and director of Starfish Social Club in San Antonio, Texas, which runs small-group social skills programs for neurodivergent kids and teens (autism, ADHD, learning disabilities) in person and via Zoom.
West describes her path from special education teacher to autism/behavior specialist and “accidental entrepreneur,” the origin of the Starfish name, early challenges with marketing, pricing, and hiring, and how COVID shut down her in-person business but led her to create online classes, develop her own curriculum, and license others to teach it.
She explains how her ADHD helps her understand students and take risks, emphasizes that autistic people are often misunderstood (including around empathy), reframes friendship as “someone we choose to spend time with,” and outlines her interpreter approach between neurotypical and neurodivergent “social languages.”
She shares a story illustrating blunt but respectful feedback and her goals of building students’ social competence, confidence, and connection, and invites listeners to find her at starfishsocialclub.org and take one small step toward their ideas.
00:00 Show Welcome and Mission
01:21 Meet Steph West
02:31 Why Starfish Social Club
04:09 The Starfish Story Name
05:22 Local and Online Reach
06:20 Accidental Entrepreneur Challenges
08:59 COVID Pivot and Curriculum
10:25 ADHD as a Superpower
11:51 Autism Myths and Empathy
12:55 Redefining Friendship
14:21 Helping Parents Understand
16:46 Protecting Emotional Energy
18:56 Goals Competence Confidence Connection
21:10 Why Not Me Mindset
22:28 Helpful Social Feedback
25:26 Finding Steph Online
25:35 A Story That Stuck
28:50 Vision for Clubs Everywhere
30:21 Final Thanks and Sign Off

INTRO/OUTRO: T. Wild
Mantor Music BMI

The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates.

Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed.

Listeners should consult qualified healthcare professionals, such as licensed therapists, psychologists, or physicians, before making decisions about mental health or autism- related care.

Reliance on this podcast's contents is at the listener's own risk.

Why Not Me is not liable for any outcomes, financial or otherwise, resulting from actions taken based on the information provided.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Embracing Autism and Mental Health: A Conversation with Anne Grady
In this episode of 'Why Not Me,' hosted by Tony Mantor in Nashville, Tennessee, guest Anne Grady shares her profound journey navigating autism and mental health.
Anne, an author, speaker, and advocate, discusses her experiences raising her son Evan, who has multiple diagnoses including autism, severe mental illness, ADHD, and oppositional defiant disorder.
The conversation delves into challenges around diagnosis, the importance of resilience, and strategies for coping with neurodiversity and mental health issues. Anne also talks about her books, advocacy work, and the personal and systemic difficulties she has encountered.
The episode emphasizes acceptance, understanding, and the profound impact of sharing stories to inspire and connect people worldwide.
Introduction to Why Not Me
Meet Anne Grady: Advocate and Author
Anne's Personal Journey with Her Son Evan
Challenges and Resilience in Parenting
Understanding Autism and Mental Illness
The Importance of Acceptance and Support
Anne's Advocacy and Writing Journey
Practical Advice for Families and Caregivers
Anne's Current Life and Advocacy Efforts
Final Thoughts and Farewell

INTRO/OUTRO: T. Wild
Mantor Music BMI

The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates.

Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed.

Listeners should consult qualified healthcare professionals, such as licensed therapists, psychologists, or physicians, before making decisions about mental health or autism- related care.

Reliance on this podcast's contents is at the listener's own risk.

Why Not Me is not liable for any outcomes, financial or otherwise, resulting from actions taken based on the information provided.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Danny Combs on Buildable, TACT, and Expanding Trade-Based Careers for Autistic and Neurodivergent People
Host Tony Mantor welcomes Danny Combs to discuss progress since their last conversation on creating meaningful employment pathways for autistic and neurodivergent individuals.
Combs shares receiving a Congressional Mentor of Honor Society Citizen Honor Award and being appointed by Colorado’s governor to the new Colorado Disability Opportunity Office, funded through reissued historic license plates that generate sustainable revenue for disability-focused grants statewide with disabled-led oversight.
He introduces Buildable, a new Tennessee-based initiative launching workshops in Nashville in March with Belmont University, aiming to expand TACT’s trade-skills transition-to-employment model toward full-time programming in the fall, supported by corporate partners like Subaru.
They address challenges including staffing, costs, facilities, and job availability, discuss policy barriers and data gaps like autism prevalence needs assessments, emphasize nonprofit collaboration, employer education, ROI-focused messaging, and the urgent need for future supports as aging caregivers can no longer provide lifelong care.
00:00 Show Introduction
01:02 Meet Tony and Subscribe
01:21 Introducing Danny Combs
02:39 Colorado Disability Office
03:14 License Plate Funding
04:25 Grants and Inclusion
05:05 Buildable Comes to Nashville
06:00 Workshops and Timeline
07:09 Partners and Workforce Shift
08:04 Scaling Beyond Colorado
08:34 Consistency and Franchising
09:30 Startup Challenges Ahead
10:37 State Role and Policy
11:37 Legislation and Data Gaps
15:14 Nonprofits Need Unity
16:56 Nashville Hub Vision
18:52 Employer Perception and Language
21:39 Rethinking Education and Training
22:38 Five Year Future Vision
23:46 Parents and Long Term Care
26:32 Final Message and Wrap Up
27:22 Closing Credits

INTRO/OUTRO: T. Wild
Mantor Music BMI

The content on Why Not Me: Embracing Autism amd Mental Health Worldwide, including discussions on mental health, autism, and related topics, is provided for informational and entertainment purposes only.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not reflect those of the podcast, its hosts, or affiliates.

Why Not Me is not a medical or mental health professional and does not endorse or verify the accuracy, efficacy, safety of any treatments, programs, or advice discussed.

Listeners should consult qualified healthcare professionals, such as licensed therapists, psychologists, or physicians, before making decisions about mental health or autism- related care.

Reliance on this podcast's contents is at the listener's own risk.

Why Not Me is not liable for any outcomes, financial or otherwise, resulting from actions taken based on the information provided.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.