My upbringing was marked by significant discrimination, largely because people lacked an understanding of how to provide proper accommodations for my disabilities and neurology. This was partially due to my undiagnosed/unidentified disabilities and the people in my environment lacked access to the knowledge or information that could have provided the assistance I required. I was often told who I was was "wrong" and in need of fixing.
Harnessing both positive and negative experiences throughout my life, I gradually transformed them into advocacy efforts, initially for myself and later for others. My journey led me to a keen interest in disability advocacy spaces and a profound desire to explore the realms of neurodiversity and the autistic experience, ultimately revealing my own autism diagnosis. It took a long time for me to develop a positive (autistic) identity and really begin to love who I am.
I hold a deep fascination for and special interest in autism, specifically when examining it through the lens of social communication. This encompasses disability advocacy, the principles of neurodiversity and the neurodiversity movement, as well as my passion for delving into the study of autistic development. I love immersing myself in the latest research conducted by Autistic researchers and find great joy in exploring the diverse pathways of autistic development.
