1 in 31: Autism Today

Kimberly Popolizio - i2Evolve Art Studio

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Kimberly Popolizio. Kimberly is the owner of and instructor at i2Evolve LLLC. She is also a NYS K-12 Certified Art Educator, and holds Trauma-informed Creative Art & Sand Play Therapy Certificates from SUNY Albany. i2Evolve is an art studio located in the Hudson Valley region of New York. They partner with schools and organizations who want to bring art into their everyday lives. They provide studio classes, private sessions, summer camps and workshops, parties, paint and sip events, and more! The i2Evolve Art Studio team was recently trained by Anderson Center for Autism to become an Autism Supportive Environment as well!
Tune in or learn more or visit: https://i2evolve.com/

Jan Schlueter - Neurodiverse Technologies

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Jan Schlueter. Jan is the CEO and Founder of Neurodiverse Technologies, an innovation-led company creating assistive tools for neurodivergent individuals, with a focus on meaningful independence, confidence, and opportunity. From learning to drive to navigating the workforce, they design technology that adapts to each mind, not the other way around. Rooted in inclusion and real-life impact, they believe that with the right support, every individual can thrive. Tune in to learn more about Jan and SANDI - their interactive desktop simulator, or visit: https://neurodiversetechnologies.com/

Alex Astrella - Blu Star Productions & Film Festival

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Alex Astrella. Alex is a visual artist based out of Orange County California. He is the founder and CEO of Blu Star Productions, a company founded by an artist with a disability for artists with disabilities. Alex was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder at the age of 2. He joins us to discuss Blu Star and their inaugural film festival (May 2, 2026) which will showcase the work of neurodivergent filmmakers. Their goal is to empower disabled artists and creators across the globe with the resources needed to showcase their groundbreaking talents. Tune in to learn more or visit: https://www.blustarproductions.com/

Mariel Piña - Rockland County Department of Mental Health

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Mariel Piña. Mariel is the Coordinator of Planning and Adult Services for the Rockland County Department of Mental Health (RCDMH). Mariel joins us to discuss the All-Abilities training RCDMH underwent and subsequent partnership with Anderson Center Consulting and Training. RCDMH is now offering a series of free trainings to organizations and businesses in Rockland County to build autism-friendly environments across all sectors of the community. Mariel also discusses the Rockland Works Career Center - Rockland’s one-stop employment and training resource, supporting both the employment and training needs of job seekers and the staffing needs of local employers. 

Tune in to learn more or visit: https://www.rocklandcountyny.gov/departments/mental-health/mental-health-training

Brigitte Shipman - Mother's Guide Through Autism

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Brigitte Shipman. Brigitte is a speaker, author, certified life coach, and host of the Mother's Guide Through Autism podcast. She is also mom to two adult sons, one on the autism spectrum. Her mission is to help parents—and anyone navigating life’s “tsunamis”—move from heartbreak to healing, from overwhelm to empowerment. Briggite shares real stories and practical insights that inspire healing, connection, and hope for families—and for anyone navigating life’s unexpected challenges.

Tune in to learn more or visit: https://www.mothersguidethroughautism.com/

Victoria Thiery - Know Limits

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Victoria Thiery. Victoria is a writer, producer, and director. She works alongside her husband, Austin.  Victoria specializes in character development and final edits, with a keen eye for emotional consistency, narrative cohesion, and refining stories until they feel honest, intentional, and complete. She joins us to discuss their latest project: Know Limits. Know Limits is a narrative television project centered on Colin, an autistic lacrosse superfan who uncovers corruption within professional lacrosse. Tune in to learn more or visit: https://thethierysfeature.com/

Chip Vincie - Sibling Perspective

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Chip Vincie. Chip's brother has been in the care of Anderson Center for Autism's for over 40 years. Chip joins us to discuss his journey to become his brother's legal guardian in 1999. Chip is an advocate for autonomy, but still helps to make decisions  regarding and advocates for his brother when needed! Tune in to learn more, or see Chip's list of resources/helpful documents below.

Chip's Guardianship Resources:

https://www.nycourts.gov/CourtHelp/Guardianship/17A.shtml - this is a not-bad guide to how the process works and what you need to get together. Includes instructions on the forms and links to downloadable PDFs.

Todd Fischlin is great and was my attorney. https://fishlinlaw.com/attorney-profile/

The New York Bar Association Referral Service will give you up to 3 referrals, based on what area of the law you need help with. You can consult with each of them for free for up to 15 minutes to figure out who's the right one for you. There's a suggested donation (the referral service is a nonprofit) but it's low. https://nysba.org/new-york-state-bar-association-lawyer-referral-service/

FORMS:

* 17A Guardianship petition - this is the form where you ask to petition to be guardian (or move from standby to main guardian), including the contact info for you, your loved one, and the contact info for anyone who *could* have a competing claim
* Combined Oath/Designation - this is a one page form where you swear you'll be a responsible guardian, and also which county surrogates court can accept processes if you're not around
* Affidavit of Proposed Guardian - this is where you provide information about yourself - your address, education (where you went to school and what years), why you would be a good guardian

Standby Guardianship Forms: The standby guardian will also have to submit these forms:
* Combined Oath/Designation
* Affidavit of Proposed Guardian

 * Affidavit of Examining Psychiatrist or Physician - this is what the doctor will have to fill out with the appropriate code for the disability

* Waiver of Process Consent - anyone who *could* also become a guardian should fill this out, basically saying "I'm not going to pursue this claim".  Ideally, you'd get the person to fill this out ahead of time. In my case, my ex-wife was originally the standby guardian, but we'd divorced and I'd remarried by the time my mother had married. I asked my ex if she would fill out this waiver ahead of time, and she agreed and filled it out, had it notarized, and got it back to me.

* Notice of Petition - a one-or-two page form informing the court that you're making this petition for guardianship, and listing the standby guardian(s) (you can have several), and who else should get a notice of petition (if someone could contest your claim)

* Affidavit of Mailing of Petition - this basically states that you in fact mailed all the people who should get a notice (like someone who has a potentially competing guardianship claim) - I didn't have to fill this out.

* Form 3909 - this is where you have to list all the addresses that you and the standby guardians have lived at for the last 28 years, as well as any aliases you've used, like your maiden name. In my case, I changed my last name to my stepfather's.

* To be on the safe side, I included my change of name documentation (I think nowadays they just issue a new birth certificate)

* If you're moving from standby to main guardian, you will want to include:
    -- A copy of the original "Notice of Guardianship" that the state sent the guardian
    -- the death certificate of the guardian. 

    -- Just as an aside, when someone dies, whoever is stuck with the arrangements should request at least 10 death certificates. The funeral home will give you a certain amount as part of their costs, but will charge you above that. It's not expensive and every bank, insurance company, and other institution will want an original

FILING OUT THE FORMS:

The good news is that these forms are now available as PDFS that can be filled out on your computer, and some counties have electronic filing.

NOTE that these forms change sometimes and so does the number of forms required, so please hit up the website above for the latest info.

I would recommend filling out the forms yourself and then letting the lawyer look at them before filing. Filling them out yourself will save you legal fees but getting them to check your work will ensure you're not missing anything.

Deven Unadkat - StationMD

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Dr. Deven Unadkat DO, MPA, FACEP. Dr. Unadkat is the President & Chief Medical Officer of StationMD. He is also a board-certified emergency physician, recognized physician leader, and a founding partner at StationMD. He has practiced clinically over the past 18 years in large academic centers, community hospitals, free standing emergency centers, and has been delivering care via telehealth to patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) throughout the country. StationMD’s mission is to provide the highest quality of medical care for individuals with I/DD, fostering independence and improving quality of life for our patients and those providing their care. Tune in or learn more at https://stationmd.com/

Michael Gilberg - Special Education and Disability Rights Law

This weekends 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Michael Gilberg. 

Michael is known as 'an advocate for children with disabilities who walked in their shoes.'. He has many years of both Special Education and Disability Rights Law and Advocacy Experience. Attorney Gilberg also has his own personal experience as someone on the Autism Spectrum. He received his J.D. from Pace University School of Law in 2007 after receiving both his B.A. and M.P.A. also from Pace University. Attorney Gilberg spent his entire educational career prior to college in special education, despite not ever being given the proper identification and diagnosis. Tune in to learn more about his story, and the services he offers to families, or visit his website: https://www.michaelgilbergesq.com/

Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen - Empire State University

This weekend's 1 in 31: Autism Today guest is Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen. Dr. Allen is a thought-leader in the Autism field. She is  an  Assistant Professor at SUNY Empire State University in the Applied Behavior Analysis Master of Science program and the Assistant Director of the SUNY Empire Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES). She is also a Licensed Psychologist (NY, MD), Licensed Behavior Analyst (NY), Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Dr. Allen discusses many topics including how to support neurodivergent individuals in schools, in the work-force, and in the community. Tune in to learn more!