Featured Family: Meet The Mitchell Family

IN THE MITCHELL FAMILY, AUTISM ROCKES AND ROLLS!

By DR. DAROLYN “LYN” JONES • PHOTOS BY BOUNANNO PHOTOGRAPHY

Meet Gina and Sam Mitchell! When this mother-son duo received Sam’s diagnosis of autism, they chose not to listen to what Sam wouldn’t be able to do, but instead lean into it and celebrate all of the wonderful things Sam would be able to do.

The Mitchell family is from Owensburg, Indiana. Dad Doug and Mom Gina were born and raised there and have raised Sam there. Gina is an 8th grade English teacher and Doug is an electrician. And Sam is a young man with autism who will be transferring from Ivy Tech to Vincennes University in the fall.

Gina and Sam love to play UNO, watch America’s Got Talent, and travel and both believe in the power of education. The Mitchells have a large and extended family and family friends that all live in that same area and Sam has been loved and supported by all of them. Gina recognizes that this is sadly not what all families experience and this is something that both she and Sam are very grateful for. And why is that support so important? Because like Sam says, “Autism is hard.”

When I was little, I hated loud noises, I had meltdowns if someone moved my toys, I could not focus, I was scared of new situations, and hated my routine. As I got older, those things got better. But also as I got older, the challenges changed. Now, as a 21-year-old man, I can get overwhelmed very easily and feel anxious a lot.

When Sam was a sophomore in high school, he decided he’d had enough of being excluded at school. He decided that he did not care what others thought of him and he started to feel good about the small circle he did have. The next step, according to Sam, “literally saved my life.” Sam joined his high school’s media club and fell in love with podcasting. And after high school, he decided he wanted to keep doing it. It totally changed his life and his family’s life too.

Autism Rocks and Rolls (ARAR) is a podcast that Sam started when he was 16. That led to the formation of an advocacy organization named Autism Rocks and Rolls Corporation.

Sam is now almost 21 years old and still running the podcast. Sam was diagnosed with autism when he was 4. The podcast started as a hobby and Sam simply wanted the world to hear what he had to say about the emotional side of autism.

Today, Autism Rocks and Rolls (ARAR) is a federal 501c3 nonprofit, with a board of eight members. Sam is the Executive Director. ARAR’s mission is to destigmatize autism and change the language we use when talking about autism.

“At Autism Rocks and Rolls, we believe that all humans are differently-abled and those on the spectrum are talented, skillful, and have much to offer society. We want to be a part of the movement to change the negative way of thinking that often exists in our society,” Gina said.

Sam is currently in his third year of college studying broadcasting. He continues to run the podcast, plans local events to spread his message, and is a motivational speaker. To date, Sam has been a guest on almost 700 podcasts, and is a TEDx speaker.

His incredible guests include ones with significant celebrity platforms including 6 WWE wrestlers, Dr. Temple Grandin, NASCAR drivers, and many others that are raw, authentic, and honest. Sam has almost 100 episodes himself and is not slowing down. He plans local events to keep producing resources for the autism community. Sam and his mother Gina, President of ARAR, are also aspiring authors! Their first children’s book is currently in the hands of a publisher.

Sam’s interest in podcasting and Gina’s experience of a recurring negative reaction that people had about Sam when they learned he had autism has grown into an incredibly mature and beautiful synergy. Whenever Gina would tell people that Sam had autism or they would learn he had autism, they would give her looks of pity and respond with, “Oh, I am so sorry.”

Gina would reply, “Why are you sorry? We’re not. We are Sam’s family.” That declaration and resolve spilled over into Sam.

Gina and Sam believed that Sam had skills and talent. They never wavered from that thinking. Sam was held to a high standard. He and his family acknowledge and understand his limitations, but they keep their focus on his potential.

Gina explains that they viewed Sam as a typical child because every child has limitations and potential. And when Sam started talking into a microphone, people started listening. His family listened and the rest is, well, history.

The mission of Autism Rocks and Rolls is to remove the stigma of autism and other conditions that many think are disabilities. People on the spectrum are not broken, do not need to be fixed, and do not want to be pitied. In order to change these misconceptions, ARAR is working to develop media, educational, social, and medical content that works to achieve this goal. The vision of Autism Rocks and Rolls is to help shift the conversation to inclusion.

When I talked with Sam, he said his most important objective is to help people—all people— understand that autism is to be celebrated. Gina and Sam Mitchell are proof positive that love wins, that the love between a mother and a son can produce countless possibilities and potential. Just look and listen in on what they have created together. Sam is on his way to having almost 16,000 downloads.

Learn more about Sam, his family, his stories and Autism Rocks and Rolls by checking out his website and subscribing to his podcasts.

Autism Rocks and Rolls Website https:// autismrocksandrolls.com

Autism Rocks and Rolls Podcasts https:// autismrocksandrolls.com/podcast