Neurologists

• Autism
  Going into school, whether it is for early or higher education, can be scary because people can be quick to judge. People think they are complimenting me by saying, “you don’t look autistic†but the thing is, autism is a spectrum and doesn’t have a look. This can be extremely dismissive and anxiety provoking because someone should never have to explain why or how they are disabled because of another person’s ignorance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some sort of disability. Because of this significant number, we need to be more open to teaching kids and young adults about disabilities as well as having fair representation that disabled people can go to school comfortably knowing that they will not be judged or bullied for being “different.â€

Psychiatrists

• Depression
• Mental Health
  It brings me immense joy to be invited to speak to so many schools and colleges throughout the year about disability awareness and inclusion. I feel excited to be part of the disability pride movement and inspire our youth to keep the progress going. One fourth grader mentioned that she was sick of so many talks about anxiety and depression, and appreciated me speaking about other types of visible and invisible disabilities. I couldn’t help but smile at her complaint; what an amazing problem to have — too much information and discussion on mental health! I think the college students I speak to could have used those discussions when they were in middle and high school. Often, college students are so busy and overwhelmed that they only come to hear me speak about disability awareness when it’s part of a class or for extra credit. Some students may also just not care — this is probably because, like me before my accident, disability isn’t even on their radar.
• Anxiety