NONPROFIT SPOTLIGHT

Autism Rocks and Rolls Corporation

BY ANGIE ARLINGTON

Autism Rocks and Rolls Corporation began five years ago when Sam Mitchell, from Owensburg, IN, starting a podcast, Autism Rocks and Rolls. 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.

Sam was diagnosed with autism when he was four. When Sam was growing up, his mother noticed a recurring reaction that others had when they found out that Sam had autism. “They were sad for Sam and our family and often said, “Oh, I am so sorry.” We often thought (and probably said it aloud at times), “Why are you sorry? We’re not.” We have never wavered from that thinking. He was held to a high standard, but he knew what his limitations were, and what his potential was. We looked at him as a typical child in that respect, always thinking, we all have limitations and potential. He was no different. When Sam started talking into a microphone, people started listening. We all were listening.. and...the rest is history,” Gina Mitchell, President of Autism Rocks and Rolls, and Sam’s mother, shares.

Sam is now 21 years old and is still running the podcast. Sam is in his third year of college, studying broadcasting. He plans local events to spread his message, and is an international motivational speaker. To date, Sam has been a guest on almost 700 podcasts, is a TEDX speaker, an international speaker, and a podcaster who has had incredible guests with big platforms, such as 6 WWE wrestlers, Dr. Temple Grandin, NASCAR drivers, and many other interviews 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 are aspiring authors and their first children’s book is in the hands of a publisher.

Gina explains, “The mission of Autism Rocks and Rolls is to take the stigma off of autism and other conditions that many think are disabilities. People on the spectrum are not broken and do not need to be fixed. Those who have conditions or abilities do not want to be pitied. There is nothing to be sorry about.”

The vision of Autism Rocks and Rolls (ARAR) is to help shift the conversation to inclusion. For far too long, people living with autism have been considered disabled, but ARAR believes that individuals on the spectrum do not need to be fixed.

In order to change this common misconception, ARAR is working to develop media, educational, social, and medical content that works to achieve this goal.

“As a corporation and board of 8 people, we feel as though something is missing when a parent receives the news that their child has autism, a person finds out they have autism, or a professional is talking to a person about autism. The conversation that is missing is that autism is brain-wiring and can be celebrated. This is our mission and what we want to change,” Gina emphasized.