Joe the camera guy from WCCO

WCCO-TV folks were here last week interviewing me for a story about Cozy Calm and my weighted blankets, which ended up turning to autism also.

I have learned how to media interviews.  When I was in public radio, I was on the asking questions end of the microphone, so it didn’t require much interaction.  But, being on the answering questions end of the microphone, I had to learn.

It started in radio through voice classes primarily for clarity, vocal variety, and pauses.  I still use those skills in daily life even though I can still slip into monotone with my family and friends, but they don’t require vocal variety from me.

Over the years, I taught continuing education courses, so I learned how to teach, which involved speaking and how often to make eye contact.  Then I learned public speaking, which involved all I had learned before, with new skills such as scanning the room and using hand gestures to name a couple.

These are all scripts I have learned that have helped me get along in the world.  For those who haven’t had to learn social skills in a literal way, it can be compared to learning math.  There is a way to do it, so you learn the rules.  Ditto for social skills.

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Yours truly is on ABCNews.com with my photo even!  The reporter, Katie, was doing a story on the American Psychiatric Association’s proposal to remove the Asperger’s diagnosis and grouping it under the autism label for the DSM-5.  The DSM-5 is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

In the story, the experts had their differing opinions, but I wasn’t one of them.  Instead Katie chose to use my positive words for the beginning and closing of the article.  I like positive.  Good call, Katie!

- Eileen.

Twin Cities! KSTP-TV Ch 5 Wed Jun 9 3pm ( tomorrow )  Yes, Minneapolis / St. Paul, Cozy Calm, namely, Eileen Parker will be on TV talking about the Cozy Calm Weighted Blanket.  The show is Twin Cities Live, and yes, it is live, which means they can’t edit bloopers!

If you are in the Twin Cities metro, turn your station to channel 5 at 3:00 p.m., and you’ll see Eileen nervous as heck and cuddling her weighted blanket for confidence.

Hear me Wed 17th @ 2:00 p.m. ET

I’ll be getting down to woman’s business on Diva Talk Radio this Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. ET.  To listen and call in with questions via webchat or call in with questions at http://DivaTalkRadio.com/live

It’s a 30-minute interview about business, the Cozy Calm Weighted Blanket, and what it’s like to be a business owner with autism.

I was on CNN Health!

CNN Reporter Elizabeth Landau called me at work one day because she found me via this blog.  Boy, was I surprised.  The article is entitled, Move to merge Asperger’s, autism in diagnostic manual stirs debate.

Let me know what you think about this issue.