Embracing Autism and Empowering Families

Crystal Jordan navigates the intricate landscape of autism advocacy, highlighting the importance of redefining normal, fostering independence, and the critical role of personalised education in empowering neurodiverse individuals.

In this episode of The Inclusion Bites Podcast, Joanne Lockwood and guest Crystal Jordan explore what it means to "redefine normal" within the context of autism and neurodiversity. Crystal, an autism advocate and author, shares her journey of turning her personal experiences into a mission for inclusion and empowerment. Joanne and Crystal delve into the challenges and triumphs of advocating for autistic individuals, especially those who are nonverbal, and discuss how societal perceptions of "normal" often fall short of embracing the individuality and potential of neurodiverse individuals.

Crystal Jordan is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is a dedicated autism advocate, philanthropist, and author. Inspired by her son Zachariah, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two, Crystal has devoted her life to creating a world where neurodiversity is embraced. She founded Zachariah's World, a brand that focuses on autism awareness and inclusion through books, apparel, and advocacy. Joanne and Crystal discuss how Crystal's advocacy journey began and the importance of creating environments where autistic individuals can thrive. Crystal's work is driven by her desire to ensure that her son and others like him can lead fulfilling lives with access to education, employment, and societal acceptance.

Throughout the episode, Joanne and Crystal tackle issues such as the importance of individualized education plans (IEPs), the role of advocacy in securing necessary services, and the need for more resources and support for autistic individuals and their families. They also highlight the everyday challenges and rewards of raising an autistic child, including finding joy in small milestones and fostering independence. Crystal shares humorous and heartwarming stories about her son Zachariah, shedding light on his unique personality and the ways he navigates the world.

A key takeaway from this episode is the critical role of advocacy in creating inclusive environments for neurodiverse individuals. Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by autistic individuals and their families and the importance of pushing for systemic changes that promote acceptance and inclusion. Crystal's story is a powerful reminder that everyone deserves the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their neurodiversity. The episode encourages listeners to become allies and actively support the cause of inclusion through understanding, patience, and advocacy.

The Importance of Advocacy in Elder Care: “You have to be brutally firm with people in order to get not not rude, but just really, really firm.”

Caring for an Adult Child with Down Syndrome: “They’re very aware of the fact they won’t be able to go on providing care and advocacy for their son for the rest of their lives.”

Viral Topic: The Crisis Facing Adults with Down Syndrome: “What’s happening now is because of the health care advances, people with, downs are now living longer and potentially most of them are now outliving their parents. So we’ve got a crisis with the with people with downs where they will not be able to see that they haven’t got independent living or they’re not independently capable of living.”

Supporting Nonverbal Autistic Adults: “What I don’t see is adult autistic people being advocated for on television nationally. I don’t see the awareness of nonverbal autistic people in their twenties, thirties, and forties and how we support them.”

The Importance of Empathy in Advocacy: “We haven’t created, I would call it, an empathy bridge. We haven’t got people to connect in an empathetic way to the the problems so that they become bought into providing the solution.”

Parental Pride: “There’s nothing prouder than to see our 2 children go to university, grow up, get married, have their own house, property.”

Balancing the Needs of Siblings: “It must be must be hard to ensure that your typical child doesn’t feel pushed out or marginalised from their atypical child with autism, where you’re putting all your all your time into that one child.”

Embracing Neurodiversity in Education: “The individualized education programme allows us to create something just for Zach or just for another autistic child, not treat them like everybody else because… neurodiversity… are so individual.”

Understanding Dyslexia: “When we finally had this diagnosis for, dyslexia, we suddenly understood why he’s not able to recognize letters and shapes and things.”

Overcoming Ignorance Together

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