Neuroversity

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Hasna Nada is the mother of 14 year old autistic child. She has been a passionate advocate for the past 10 years bringing attention to the need for adequate services, more inclusion and genuine acceptance in Qatar for autistic individuals. Hasna is the founder and owner of Child Development Center, the first multidisciplinary therapy center for children with autism in Qatar.   The center provides early intervention, facilitates social skills groups, ongoing parents and community training, and provides professional development for field professionals. 

As part of advocacy and raising awareness Hasna organized several autism conferences and symposiums bringing groundbreaking speakers in autism to Qatar. 

In 2019, along with other parents, professionals and acclaimed autistic professor and autistic advocate Dr. Stephen Shore, Hasna founded Learn Autism. Learn Autism is a digital resource platform to inform parents, caregivers and professionals on how to best support autistic individuals in different settings and phases of life. 

This project was born to empower caregivers in being proactive when supporting their child’s journey and overcoming different challenges. Hasna believes that parents play a crucial role in their child’s progress and that evidence based knowledge can facilitate making informed choices when supporting their child in achieving their potential and living a meaningful life. 

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Courtney Dios grew up with a learning difference in the 90s, and we talk about how she unlearned the messaging she had internalized that she was stupid and lazy, and has now come full circle teaching at the Shelton School, a world renowned school dedicated to designing and sharing the best educational practices for students with learning differences. 

We talk about how she came to end up at Shelton as a 9th grade, what school was like before, and how her experience at Shelton built confidence and self advocacy skills that are still with her today.

And she continues to pay it forward by coming back to Shelton as a teacher and creating the wildly popular elective "Life Hacks", where students learn everything from how to communicate with different personality types to how to change a tire.

By the end of the conversation you'll wonder, like I do, can we ALL go to The Shelton School?

About Courtney Dios:
After graduating from The Shelton School in Dallas, TX, Courtney attended Auburn University, graduating with a major in graphic design and a minor in business.  She is in her 5th year as a teacher at the school that gave her wings and her mission is to pay it forward to all her students as well. 

The Shelton School:
https://www.shelton.org/

To learn more about Neuroversity and ways to support the podcast:
https://www.neuroversitypod.com/

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"Autistic people have been misunderstood as long as autism has existed as a diagnosis and oftentimes, authors write about autism without autistic people’s input. So I wanted to refocus them as the center of their [own] narratives."
-Eric Garcia, about his book, We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation

In this episode, Eric and Jessica talk about his book, his experiences as an autistic college student and so much more.  Some of the topics they discuss include:

• Person first vs Identity first language
• The history of the chronic underfunding of the ADA
• The tendency for autistic people to under utilize the accommodations they are due
• The good and bad portrayals of autism in Hollywood

And so much more!

ERIC GARCIA is the author of "We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation" and the senior Washington correspondent for The Independent. Previously, he was an assistant editor at the Washington Post's Outlook section and an associate editor at The Hill and a correspondent for National Journal, MarketWatch and Roll Call. He has also written for the Daily Beast, the New Republic, and Salon.com. Garcia is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He lives in Washington, D.C.
Follow him on 
Twitter: @EricMGarcia
Instagram: @ericmgarcia14

Buy the book:
https://www.hmhbooks.com/shop/books/were-not-broken/9781328587848

To learn more about Neuroversity and to support the podcast, visit
https://www.neuroversitypod.com/

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Faithe Raphael built a career in the music industry beginning in 1981 with the David Geffen company and then working for rock band, Aerosmith, as the band’s director of tour marketing, publicity, and promotion.   Her experience with "Rock Stars" uniquely qualified her to identify talent and genius.  So, when her seven year old son began having vocal and physical tics, she set out to find the "Rock Stars" of Neuroscience.

This is an introduction to one of the lesser know neurodivergent conditions, Tourette Syndrome.  How it presents, how it disrupts, how it is treated, and what the future could hold.  As I realized at the end of our conversation, I need a little more Faithe in me.  And after listening to this episode, you will too. 

To find out more about Faithe:
https://www.mindfulnessbyfaithe.com/about

To find out more about her book:
https://www.therockstarsofneuroscience.com/

Resources Mentioned:
https://tourette.org/
https://iocdf.org/

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This week on Neuroversity we are learning about Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) with Laura Baskall Smith MA CCC_SLP, aka @SLPmommyofapraxia.
Despite being a practicing speech language pathologist, Laura's training wasn't enough for her to see the signs of apraxia in her own daughter.  Once her daughter was diagnosed, Laura became an expert in CAS, and is recognized by Apraxia Kids for Advanced Training and Clinical Expertise in Childhood Apraxia of Speech.

In this episode you will learn:

• The difference between motor planning disorder and phonological disorder
• The types of therapy that work best for each
• Helpful tips to have a good speech language diet for any child

Guest:
Laura Baskall Smith MA, CCC-SLP is a speech/language pathologist in Denver, Colorado specializing in the assessment and intervention of children with childhood apraxia of speech at her private practice A Mile High Speech Therapy. Prior to specializing in CAS, she worked for 14 years as a school based speech language pathologist. She is the mother to a child with apraxia and author of the book Overcoming Apraxia. Laura has written on CAS in numerous publications and is often asked to give lectures and workshops nationally and internationally. A self described fierce advocate, Laura spreads apraxia awareness and information on her social media handles under the name SLP Mommy of Apraxia.
Learn more about Laura here:
https://slpmommyofapraxia.com/

Buy her book:
https://slpmommyofapraxia.com/product/overcoming-apraxia/

Other resources mentioned:
https://www.childapraxiatreatment.org/
https://www.apraxia-kids.org/

Information about Neuroversity:
https://www.neuroversitypod.com/

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In her collection of essays, "I Overcame My Autism And All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder", Sarah Kurchak shares her experiences growing up autistic, undiagnosed until adulthood, loved by two parents who were doing their best, and her career as a professional pillow fighter.  She also offers insightful perspective on the importance of expanding our culture's understanding of what it looks like to be autistic.  
In this conversation, Jessica and Sarah talk about (among other things):

• If there really is a tension between non-autistic parents and #actuallyautistic adults?
• Self diagnosis and "official" diagnosis and why they are both valid and necessary
• How masking is deeply complicated and built from a space of self protection and how we would all benefit from doing it less
• Alcohol and drug use amongst the neurodivergent
• What it means to be "autistic enough"

Buy Sarah's book here:
https://bookshop.org/books/i-overcame-my-autism-and-all-i-got-was-this-lousy-anxiety-disorder-a-memoir/9781771622462

Learn more about Sarah and her work:
https://sarahkurchak.carrd.co/
https://twitter.com/fodderfigure

Support Neuroversity
https://www.patreon.com/neuroversity

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Consider this the introductory class for Neuroversity.   This episode is about defining terms and setting ground rules for what this podcast aims to do.

In this episode you will learn:

• What does the term neurodiversity mean
• What is the difference between neurodivergent and neurotypical
• Why am I starting this podcast
• Who is this podcast for
• What is the number one rule for Neuroversity 

Join us as we feature interviews with neurodiverse individuals, allies, and researchers.  I'm excited to see where this path will take us, and I hope you will come along.

It's time to enroll in Neuroversity

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Welcome to Neuroversity!  A weekly podcast about neurodiversity with a purpose to expand our understanding of what that term means, elevate the life experiences of the neurodivergent, and advocate for a more inclusive and informed culture.  

Hosted by Jessica Kidwell, a neurotypical wife, mom, sister, friend, ally, and advocate hoping to facilitate the learning that needs to be done and elevate the voices and stories of the ND community.

Full episodes begin 10/15/21!  To follow along, check out our website at 
www.neuroversitypod.com

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