Welcome to Why Not Me, Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide, hosted by Tony Mientor.

Broadcasting from the heart of Music City, USA, Nashville, Tennessee.

Join us as our guests share their raw, howlful stories.

Some will spark laughter.

Others will move you to tears.

These real-life journeys inspire, connect, and remind you that you're never alone.

We're igniting a global movement to empower everyone to make a lasting difference

by fostering deep awareness, unwavering acceptance and profound understanding of autism and mental health.

Tune in, be inspired, and join us in transforming the world one story at a time.

Hi, I'm Tony Mantor. Welcome to Why Not Me, embracing autism and mental health worldwide.

Joining us today is Dan Franklin. He's a passionate

autism advocate with 31 years of lived experience. He brings deep personal insight and extensive

self-driven research to conversations about the full autism spectrum. Gifted with a sharp,

thoughtful mind, he speaks candidly about autistic wiring, trauma responses,

masking, scripting, burnout, sensory processing, and the realities of navigating a world built for

neurotypicals.

His mission is clear to push for meaningful, mandatory autism education across society so

autistic individuals are understood, accommodated, and respected,

not misinterpreted or overlooked. He has a wealth of information, so before we dive into our episode,

we'll be back with an uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors. Thanks for joining us today.

Yes, thank you very much. Oh, it's my pleasure. So if you would, give us a little

information on what you do to advocate for autism. Well, I've been doing a lot of autism advocacy work,

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