Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people

Caroline Smith founded her business, The Introverted Misfit, to help shy, awkward introverts become socially confident versions of themselves so they can have healthy, manageable social lives.

Because of her experience with being autistic, which was the source of many social difficulties and major social anxiety for her, she knows what it's like to build self-acceptance, self-improvement, and a life that works for individualized needs.

Now Caroline helps fellow introverts (whether they are autistic or not) learn how to connect with others, create fruitful relationships, and have a manageable social life – without acting like someone they're not!

During this episode, you will hear Caroline talk about:

• When she realized that she was autistic
• Her experience dealing with social anxiety
• Why she decided to help people become more socially confident
• The role of self-acceptance in making new friends and connections
• Her advice for autistic people who struggle with social cues
• Why it's important not to hyperfocus on your own social mistakes
• The importance of having coping mechanisms for overwhelming social situations
• How her "Misfit Meetups" bring people together to socialize in a low-pressure, fun environment

Kellina Powell, known as the Deaf Queen Boss, is a podcast speaker, best-selling author, and passionate advocate for the deaf and disability communities. She empowers young adults with disabilities to chase their dreams, breaks down barriers around mental health, and educates others about deaf culture and inclusion.

During this episode, you will hear Kellina talk about:

• What it was like for her to grow up deaf from an early age, and her exposure to deaf culture
• How she educates people about the deaf community and mental health issues
• The coaching work that she does for people with disabilities

Tiffany Hammond is a New York Times bestselling author, speaker, and disability advocate. She is the author of A Day with No Words, a picture book about a Black mother and son who use a tablet to communicate with each other and the world around them. A Day With No Words successfully normalizes communication methods outside of verbal speech and provides representation of neurodiversity and autism in a way that affirms and celebrates.

Through Tiffany's platform, Fidgets and Fries, she shares stories about autism, identity, and the fullness of Black and disabled family life. She is the proud mother of two autistic sons and uses her lived experiences to shift narratives around autism and communication.

As a dyslexic child, Sabrina Fandell had to sit in her school's book closet for her reading lessons. Now she sits on the Board of Directors of the International Dyslexia Association - Dallas Branch. She is passionate about fostering inclusive environments and advocating for neurodivergent students in school.

During this episode, Sabrina talks about:

• Her experience growing up as a child with dyslexia, and as a parent of children who have dyslexia
• How advancements in technology and teaching methodologies can help students with dyslexia succeed in school
• Why she got involved with the International Dyslexia Association
• The complicated journey to get her son assessed for dyslexia and ADHD
• The fine line she walks as a parent when advocating for her son at IEP meetings
• Resources and advice to help parents support their children with dyslexia

Ava N. Simmons, also known as Ava The S.T.E.M. Princess®, is a 12-year-old S.T.E.M. Ambassador, Entrepreneur, Toy Designer, Author, and the creator of educational toy brand Team Genius Squad. Diagnosed with dyslexia and dysgraphia in 2021, Ava used S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) and S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) and entrepreneurial activities to help overcome her academic challenges and build her confidence.

To share her learning journey and encourage others, Ava creates engaging S.T.E.M.-based educational videos, authors S.T.E.M. books, conducts peer-to-peer S.T.E.M. activities in the community, and develops S.T.E.M. toys for children ages 5-13, including children who are neurodivergent or in underserved areas. She has conducted thousands of peer-to-peer S.T.E.M. experiments with children in the community, over 700,000 households have viewed her educational videos, she has authored 3 books, and developed 15 branded S.T.E.M. Educational Toys.

Additionally, she is the Host of the PBS Kids Channel Show from PBS North Carolina called Mini Fab Science Lab, and her STEM-STEAM kits are featured in the Scholastic Catalog.

During this episode, you will hear Ava talk about: ● Her experience in school as a student with dyslexia and dysgraphia ● How she got interested in S.T.E.M. at a young age ● How Team Genius Squad helps make S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. more accessible to kids everywhere ● Where she gets ideas for her experiment kits ● The origin of her PBS Kids Channel show, Mini Fab Science Lab

Learn more about Ava: