Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people

Content warning: This episode mentions physical and verbal abuse in school, suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt, and drug use.

Oladoyin Idowu is a pioneering dyslexia advocate and mental health professional dedicated to bridging the gap between neurodiversity, education, and mental well-being. Growing up in Nigeria with undiagnosed dyslexia, she experienced firsthand the challenges of navigating an education system that was not...

Lya Batlle-Rafferty, an MIT graduate with a degree in Cognitive Science, has had a career focused mostly on technology. She has often been a trailblazer as the only woman in a large company performing that type of work. She hosts her podcast, Memoirs of a Neurodivergent Latina, on her nights and weekends.

During this episode, you will hear Lya talk about:

• How she realized she is neurodivergent
• What it was like growing up as a ...

Trystan Reese is an award-winning author and facilitator dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with nearly two decades of experience in the trans community. He also has ADHD and identifies as neurodivergent. Trystan founded Collaborate Consulting to provide training on LGBTQ+ inclusion and has contributed to various anthologies on mental health and social justice. 

During this episode, Trystan and I talk about:

• How he...

This episode is part of the 3rd edition of Podcasthon: a global effort among 1000+ podcast hosts to raise awareness and support for important causes by highlighting a charity of their choice during the same week (March 15-21, 2025). 

Today’s episode features Samar Waqar, the Founder and Executive Director of Kind Theory, a neurodiversity-based nonprofit based in Texas. Using the insights and knowledge of neurodivergent people thems...

Jessica Birch is a national advocate and speaker living on the South East Coast of Australia. Since her late diagnosis of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) at the age of 33, she has turned her attention to awareness building and education to create a better understanding of the prevalence and consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure in Australia.

Jessica shares her lived expertise in an effort to equip individuals, parents/ca...

Content warning: Death of a pet, mentions of institutionalization and electroconvulsive treatment

Beatrice Leong is a Malaysian entrepreneur and documentary filmmaker. After a lifetime of mental health challenges and misdiagnoses, she was diagnosed as autistic at the age of 35, bringing clarity to her lifelong struggles.

Beatrice founded AIDA (Autism Inclusiveness Direct Action Group), an autistic-led advocacy group based in Asia t...

Diagnosed with autism at age 2, Adin Boyer grew up struggling with being bullied, making friends and accepting himself. He finally began to flourish while attending a performing arts middle and high school, when he faced less bullying and leaned into his musical talent and training in classical piano, choir, opera and music theory.

Adin gained widespread international notoriety as a contestant on season 21 of American Idol, where h...

In this year-end solo episode, I celebrate some big milestones that Beyond 6 Seconds achieved in 2024. I also share my views on how major politicized social issues impact the disability community, some actions we can take to advocate for our rights (whether you're disabled or not), and how we can support ourselves and our communities as we head into 2025. 

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript, w...

Content warning: This episode discusses forced sterilization / removal of reproductive rights.

Shéri Brynard is the only person with Down syndrome in South Africa with a tertiary education diploma in Educare. She achieved this without any special assistance or amendments made to the coursework, and despite the fact that her lectures and study material were only provided in English, which is her second language. She is currently a f...

Content warning: This episode discusses suicidality, paranoia, hallucinations and delusions, and mentions drug use and homelessness.

Michelle Hammer is a schizophrenia activist who spends her time passionately fighting stigma. She is a New York City native who is featured in the WebMD documentary “Voices,” which was nominated for a Tribeca X Award at the Tribeca Film Festival. 

Michelle was diagnosed with schizophrenia at 22 after ...

CW: Mentions of suicidality.

In the third grade, LeDerick Horne was labeled as “neurologically impaired” – a label that followed him through his schooling until he was eventually diagnosed with dyslexia. Today, LeDerick is a dynamic spoken-word poet, a respected author, and a passionate advocate for people with disabilities. He has performed at prestigious venues such as the White House and the United Nations. His workshops, speech...

Jack Pabich is a Quality Assurance Support Analyst who found his current job through an autism employment program run by CAI Neurodiverse Solutions. He is responsible for processing requests of potential conflicts of interest, ensuring parties are correctly assigned to the location within the database, and rearranging information to improve database efficiency. Jack’s attention to detail is his biggest strength and he uses it to pr...

Amee is a dedicated health care provider known for her expertise and compassionate care. Beyond her professional achievements, she is a passionate mental health advocate and openly shares her personal journey living with epilepsy on her Instagram @behindthebindis. She is a powerful voice for those who feel they cannot speak up for themselves, working to raise awareness and foster understanding about mental health and invisible illn...

Dr. Kana Grace is a research psychologist, advocate, Specialist Mentor, and educator, specializing in the mental and physical health of neurodivergent people. Currently, Kana is an Honorary Research Fellow at the Centre for Research in Autism and Education (CRAE) at the Institute of Education, University College London (UCL), where she completed her PhD.

Kana has lived experiences with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Tourette syndrome, dys...

CW: Mentions of suicide and experiences with the criminal justice system as it relates to FASD.

Patti Kasper is a Neurobehavioral Coach and Trainer who provides staff development training and coaching services to support people affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD). With over thirty years of experience in the fields of addiction, mental health, and child welfare, Patti draws on her personal experience with FASD, her d...

In this episode, I'm sharing an interview from the podcast Art Heals All Wounds, where host Pam Uzzell talks with her daughter Allegra about Celebrating Neurodiversity, Beauty, and Belonging. I also added a short intro to this episode where I share some thoughts on belonging and how I've been looking for and finding community. 

Check out the Art Heals All Wounds podcast for other stories about how art is a catalyst for healing and ...

Ian Otto is a Senior Producer with experience in animation, motion design, immersive, visual effects (VFX) and post production. After working in Berlin for many years, Ian now lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he is Senior Producer with WOODBLOCK, an animation studio for Design, Film and Immersive content. Recently, Ian began writing and speaking publicly about his experience as a person with Tourette syndrome who works in the cr...

Mrinal Gokhale is an author, speaker and creative consultant based in Wisconsin. She has collaborated with organizations and media outlets such as Brown Girl Magazine, ADDitude Magazine, Medical College of Wisconsin, and more. Her most recent book is titled “Taboo: South Asian Mental Health Stories.”

During this episode, Mrinal talks about:

• What inspired her to write about mental health in South Asian communities
• How she found...

CW: Mentions of suicidality

Crystals Multifaceted is the founder of Multifaceted Journeys, where they use their lived experience of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) / plurality and healing with complex trauma and dissociation, to bring education to providers and facilitate groups for plurals. Crystals has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology.

They serve as a moderator on The Refractory, a think tank f...