Around the Spectrum
Around the Spectrum is a podcast dedicated to honest conversations with parents, professionals, and caregivers navigating the complexities of autism. Join Wendy Manganaro as she provides real stories and practical guidance to empower families and allies in their journeys.
New to Around the Spectrum?
Around the Spectrum - Welcome to Holland: Finding Beauty in a Different Path (with Michael Vassar)
Around the Spectrum - Get Up, Get Out, Get Active: Inclusive Sports and Raising a Child on the Spectrum (with James Paoletti)
Around the Spectrum - When You’re Both Dysregulated: Parenting a Child on the Autism Spectrum (with Diana Toronto)
This episode focuses on what it actually looks like when parent and child are both working through regulation in real time. Diana talks through her son’s diagnosis journey, the challenges of raising a child who often “looks fine” to others, and the emotional reality that doesn’t always get acknowledged outside the home.
We discuss how dysregulation c
Around the Spectrum – Inside the IEP: What Schools Are Responsible For (with Leila Farshchian)
We cover the basics: who should be in the room, how outside diagnoses interact with school evaluations, and the legal timelines that protect families. We also talk about goal setting and service
Around the Spectrum - Compassion Is the Intervention: Rethinking Autism Care at the Start (with Anna Sturgeon)
We unpack the pressure around the “forty hours”
Around the Spectrum - Not Bad, Just Communication (With Kea Lee)
We talk through what actually works outsi
Around the Spectrum: Consistency Over Chaos: Rethinking Systems in ABA (with Michael Conteh)
• systems thinking for clinics as they grow
• telescope vs microscope approach to problems
• balancing child needs, provider capacity, and family reality
• consistency over intensity for hours and schedules
• early buy-in with insurers and rea
Recent Blog Posts
Progress, Not Perfection: Advice for Overwhelmed Parents After an Autism Diagnosis
Leadership's Impact on Autism Care
About the Host
Podcast Host / Healthcare Fractional CMO / Autism Mom and Advocate
Wendy Manganaro is the host of Around the Spectrum, where parents, professionals, and everyone in between pull up a chair for honest conversations about raising and supporting children with autism. An autism mom herself, Wendy knows firsthand how overwhelming mixed messages, online debates, and professional jargon can feel. Her mission is to cut through the noise with grounded guidance, compassionate insight, and stories that empower, never judge.
With more than 15 years of experience in marketing and leadership across healthcare and education, Wendy brings both professional expertise and personal heart to the table. She has worked alongside clinicians, advocates, and families, bridging the gap between research and real-life applications. Whether she's discussing leadership in clinical settings with a BCBA or guiding a parent through their first IEP meeting, Wendy keeps the conversation smart, human, and relatable.
Outside the podcast, Wendy is a former nonprofit board president and a lifelong advocate for inclusion. She lives in Southern New Jersey with her family, a flock of backyard ducks and chickens, and a belief that when we sit together and listen, understanding grows.