#4: Dr. Bill Wong - Being a TEDx Speaker & Fighting On as an Autistic Adult

In this episode of the Sensory Friendly Solutions Podcast our Host Matt George is chatting with the great Dr. Bill Wong, TEDx Speaker, Occupational Therapist and OTA/OT Program Adjunct Faculty Member.

Dr. Wong wants to help all people living with autism "Fight On."

Interested in watching Bill's TEDx talk and learning more?  Click here.

How does TED describe Dr. Wong?

"Born in Hong Kong but raised in the United States, Bill Wong, OTD, OTR/L didn't speak until he was nearly three. Although he demonstrated restricted and repetitive behavior, his pediatrician refused to diagnose him with autism because of his high IQ. It wasn't until after obtaining an undergraduate degree in statistics and finding limited job prospects that Bill was finally diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome and discovered his passion in occupational therapy.

Since 2010, Bill has completed a Master's degree in Occupational Therapy and received his clinical doctorate. Now an established clinician with a specialty in autism, he is also a well-known presence on social media - an avenue he uses to share his successes and challenges as an individual with autism. Moving forward, Bill plans to use his passion to engage students in Chinese speaking countries with education in their native language, while continuing to establish himself as a leader in OT and autism communities."

EPISODE GUIDE
6:46 Bill on why this year has been so strange in California
7:42 How Bill had to pivot during COVID
11:01 Bill on Zoom Fatigue
14:04 Bill on his incredible professional journey
17:58 When Bill found Occupational Therapy
22:27 Alarm bells go off
22:40 Bill's amazing epiphany 
23:55 Bill's autism diagnosis
25:09 How his parents reacted
28:20 Bill on finding his mentor
30:27 His commitment to others in his situation
34:32 Bill gets nominated for a TEDx Talk
38:51 Listener response to the TEDx Talk
40:10 Bill on camouflaging
46:08 Christel's reflections 
56:35 Innovation segment 

Thanks for listening - Christel Seeberger and the Sensory Friendly Solutions Team.

Full blog posts and transcripts for each episode can be found on our website.

Podcast leadership is provided by Sensory Friendly Solutions Founder & CEO Christel Seeberger.

This podcast is produced by Matt George. is engineered by the great Zachary Pelletier and is part of the Unsettled Media Podcast Network.

Thank you to our sponsor TakingITGlobal, ensuring that youth around the world are actively engaged. Head to risingyouth.ca to learn more and to become the next RisingYouth grant recipient.