Sam Mitchell Amplifying the Voices of Exceptional Needs
By Margo Marie McManus
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n October 2019, autistic teenager Sam Mitchell released the first episode of his podcast series, Autism Rocks and Rolls, on Podbean. Diagnosed at four years old, Sam has grown up with an experiential awareness of autism’s challenges, gifts, and social perception. He recognizes the need for autistic visibility and advocacy. “I take this responsibility very seriously and will speak for anyone,” he says, “I understand. I live it each day. I want people to know, I am with you, I see you, I hear you, I will include you.” As the host of Autism Rocks and Rolls, Sam is able to broadcast his own voice while offering a platform for others in the exceptional needs community to do the same. Sam was first introduced to podcasts after joining his high school’s media club his sophomore year. The club runs a student-led podcast known as Thundercast that focuses on topics affecting the school’s student body and surrounding area. During his time on Thundercast, Sam realized how much he enjoyed the experience and that he had a talent for hosting. He decided to make his own podcast the following year so he could use that talent to help others. “Thundercast helped me with the basics of running a podcast and also how interviews are structured. Once I understood the basics, I went into my own direction and am loving how it has happened,” he explains. With the guidance of his mentor, Scott Carmichael, and the full support of his family, Sam was able to make his podcast a reality. He was given a soundboard as a birthday present, then worked out the technicalities of exactly what he wanted to do: make a podcast that could help destigmatize autism and encourage listeners to embrace it. Though he first feared
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the possibility of his project flopping, Autism Rocks and Rolls proved successful; it now has over five thousand downloads. The podcast has led to new opportunities. Sam has made many guest appearances on other podcasts, and has met both Dr. Temple Grandin and WWE Hall of Famer Mick Foley. He has become business partners with his mother, selling sponsorships, ad space, merchandise, and podcast coaching. He also does some public speaking. However, his commitment to his business can make balancing other parts of his life difficult, and sometimes he gets overwhelmed. “When I am at school, I focus on school. At home, after my homework, I focus on my second job right now: my show. My mom and I not only write, produce, and network, but we have other projects going on that connect to the podcast. I think about my podcast all the time. This sometimes gets into the way of socializing, but I love it, and I know I am building my future,” he affirms. One benefit of his passion means he never suffers a mental block when working or planning for his podcast. He enjoys being “the boss of [his] own show” and claims the abstract format of a podcast is appealing because it aligns with how he thinks. He can make it entirely his own. Sam draws inspiration from his daily life with autism by following a planning strategy he calls APE. A stands for autism behaviors, P stands for perspective or interviews, and E is for entertainment or analogies. This gives him a general framework for his content. He later records, edits, and publishes the episode. Though he loves putting everything together, Sam is happiest when editing and perfecting his work with Audacity. The one thing he dislikes is the need to be very conscientious of copyright laws. Though he understands their importance, it can be frustrat-
