78. Avatars for Autism, with Gary Jesch and Leslie Baldwin

Discover what’s possible when connection builds confidence.  Our guests this week are Gary Jesch and Leslie Baldwin. Gary is a live animation performer and the founder of Invirtua, a telehealth learning service that uses animated avatars to interact with autistic children. Leslie is Invirtua’s Senior Partner as well as a member of their Board of Advisors. She was previously a manager and special educator at Texas Children's Hospital.  In today’s conversation, we discuss: Gary’s inspiration for designing his characters Example goals they might target in a session Generalizing skills into everyday life  Academic research that utilizes Invirtua’s technology Tips for parents wanting to improve the lives of their autistic children  Gary and Leslie also demonstrate a live interaction with one of Invirtua’s avatars, a fish named Marley.  To learn more about Gary, Leslie, and Invirtua, please visit invirtua.com. ----more---- Are you a professional seeking to hear directly from autistic voices and improve your practice? Are you a self-advocate willing to share your experiences and educate others? Are you a family member hoping to support and empower your loved one? Whatever your role related to autism is, you can join our Global Autism Community to connect and collaborate with people all over the world.  Sign up today at community.globalautismproject.org. Let’s work together to transform how the world relates to autism.  ----more---- We appreciate your time. If you enjoy this podcast and you’d like to support our mission, please take just a few seconds to share it with one person who you think will find value in it too. Follow us on Instagram: @autismpodcast Join our community on Mighty Networks: Global Autism Community Subscribe to our YouTube channel: Global Autism Project We would love to hear your feedback about the show. Please fill out this short survey to let us know your thoughts: Listener Survey