Neurodiversity: Lived Experience, Advocacy and Allyship

This panel will include a variety of perspectives on neurodiversity and developmental disabilities, from autism to schizophrenia. Experts will share their research as well as personal experiences and discuss how to support neurodiverse children and adults and create a more equitable and inclusive society.

• Sneha Kohli Mathur is the author of Understanding the Lived Experiences of Autistic Adults and a lecturer of Applied Behavior Analysis and Psychology at USC. Considering herself an ally to the disAbility and Autism communities, she started Spectrum Success to support individuals on the autism spectrum while educating neurotypical people on how to create a socially inclusive community.

• Elyn Saks is the Associate Dean and Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, professor of Psychology, and professor of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the USC Gould School of Law, as well as the director of the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics. Her memoir, The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness, describes her struggles with schizophrenia and how she has managed to craft a good life for herself in the face of a dire prognosis.
• Olga Solomon is an assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine and Director of Community Education at the USC University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Since 2003 she has served as an advisory board member for the Innovative Technology for Autism Initiative (ITA) of Cure Autism Now and Autism Speaks foundations.
• Moderator: Linsey Grunes is assistant professor of occupational therapy at USC and primarily provides instruction in the foundations of pediatric occupational therapy practice. Her teaching contributions also include the development of a course on autism and neurodiversity for the occupational science minor program. Dr. Grunes has 15+ years of clinical experience in various pediatric settings and has served in various leadership and mentoring roles. In her teaching and clinical work, she is a strong advocate for neurodiversity-affirming practices, including forming strong partnerships with neurodiverse communities to guide priorities and outcomes.