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Using Storytelling as a Self-Advocacy Tool
I have always tried to advocate for myself, but I noticed from a very young age that I had difficulties doing so verbally. It takes a while for me to organize my thoughts to be able to speak, and I often say that even though my speaking and writing comes from the same brain, it seems like...
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“Putting Me in My IEP”: Encouraging Self-Advocacy in Younger Students
Parents and guardians may not know that students can participate in their Individualized Education Program (IEP) team meetings at any age and not just during post-secondary transition planning in high school. In describing the IEP team, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act states “the...
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Opportunities for Disability Employment
One of the biggest misconceptions we address as financial advisors to neurodivergent clients is that people with disabling conditions cannot work and receive government benefits and supports. Not only that but that government is trying to make sure that you don’t work if you have a disability....
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Autism Without Fear: A Major Flaw in College Autism Programs
I currently run New York University’s (NYU) Connections Program for Global Students with Autism. But I’m relatively new to higher education. I have a much longer history as a consultant, writer, and Executive Director, and back when my non-profits were engaging in the political battles of the...
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Putting My Lived Experience to Good Use
As an autism self-advocate, I wear many hats: writer, public speaker, advisor, educator. One of my roles is LEND Program Faculty at Boston Children’s Hospital and UMass Boston’s Institute for Community Inclusion. The LEND Program (an acronym for Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and...
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A Beautiful Mind – See It Through My Eyes
Liz, as she is affectionately called, has spent her 29 years living a life of resiliency - a life which given inherent challenges makes her journey that much more remarkable. During her childhood, Liz received early intervention services beginning at nine months when it was suspected that she might...
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Addressing a National Shortage of Autism Specialists
I remember the day as if it was yesterday – Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2003. It was my birthday, and I had just met with my 21-month-old daughter’s pediatrician to discuss her “global developmental delays.” In the most caring way, he told us, “You will need to see a developmental-behavioral...
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Are Autistic Students Traumatized in Schools?
According to a 2017 study, “77% of autistic high school students play a very limited role or no role at all in post-secondary planning compared to 47 % of students with intellectual disabilities and 27% of students with all other disabilities” (Gillespie-Lynch, K. et al., 2017). Why do so...
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Student with Autism Proposes Colleges Provide More Support Enabling People with Disabilities to Earn a Degree AHRC NYC: Program Fuels Desire to Help Others Pursue Higher Education
AHRC NYC Program Fuels Desire to Help Others Pursue Higher Education Meghan Mattei models herself after pioneers such as Erin Brockovich and Temple Grandin. “I want to be a self-advocate and advocate for children and adults with disabilities,” she says. “I will fight for our...
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“Infinite Solution Finders:” AHRC New York City’s Educational Advocacy Guides Parents of Students with Disabilities
Rosemeri Linares embraced the challenges and the need for knowledge when she found out her son Adrian was on the spectrum. “Adrian was diagnosed with autism a little before he turned two. I had to quickly learn all the things that come with having a child with a disability,” she recalled. “I...
