Understanding Neurodiversity

Understanding neurodiversity and the development of healthy autistic identities

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu is a woman of color with disabilities, an educator, a writer, a public speaker, a parent, and a global advocate. She is also a published author, having contributed to the anthology on autism and race in All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2014 WEGO Health Award: “Advocating for Another: Health Activist of the Year” and the 2015 Autistic Self Advocacy Network Award: “Service to the Self-Advocacy Movement”.

She is a powerful leader and someone you will want to learn from. But don’t take our word for it, her own writing speaks for itself. Here are just a few quotes from her work, which make us excited to hear her speak:

“Our lives and experiences cannot be splintered or subdivided into neat little categories: race over here, disability over there.”

“According to popular opinion, autistic people didn’t/don’t look like me; autistic people didn’t/don’t sound like me. Autism = (white male presenting) toddler wearing a Thomas the Train t-shirt; autism = (white male presenting) quirky teen gamer; autism = (white male presenting) geeky computer programmer; autism = (white male presenting) adult rocking and staring off into space… a ready scapegoat for all their caregiver’s life disappointment; autism = Temple Grandin, puzzle pieces, ABA therapy, and Autism Speaks.”

“I hope my perspective – which is that of a proud Autistic female who is unapologetically Black, Christian, twice exceptional, advocate, and a mom – will be helpful in our autistic community. There’s been a lot of progress in recent years, but there’s also a lot that still needs to be done; I want to help as much as I can. I won’t always get it right, and I won’t always have the answer, but I will give my best and I will give my all…always.”

To register for this event, please Go Here.

Speaker: Morénike Giwa Onaiwu
Date: March, 12th, 2019
Time: 6:30-8pm (PST)
Location: EF Internation Language Campus, San Diego, CA