Sonia Dickson/Robin Shipley - Across The Neurodiverse Universe

Sonia and Robin are partners at https://tranzitionsconsulting.org/ and The Evolve Program. They help Neurodiverse Kids and Young Adults transition from high school to college and into the working world. Their work is amazing and really what becomes clear is that when you look at diversity, neuro or otherwise, you learn about everything; how your brain works, how you learn, how you respond to your mental health. And being conscious about how we communicate maybe that’s key to life on this planet and like, stuff. It would be nice if I could actually do this in my own life, but I have to say, just hearing about these amazing people is moving, interesting and inspiring. I didn’t spellcheck any of this, maybe Grammarly will become a sponsor? Also, I have no idea why I pronounce the term Neurodiverse like (NEURO “DIE” VERSE). Am I now going to struggle with the term “NUCLEAR” like people on C-SPAN? For a couple of episodes we’re focuing more on The Mental Health side, the guests are fantastic! Regarding Neurodversity, whether it’s Autism, Aspergers, ADHD or all kinds of issues on the spectrum, people in this program learn that labels mean nothing and focusing on their skills and having real life is experience is not only helping their confidence, it’s helping the schools and companies they are part of. It’s about developing Emotional Intelligence! Sonia talked about Neurodiverse people’s issues in school and in the workforce is that others are questioning their fundamental ability to function. For many people, there is no roadmap or services on the path to transitioning from high school to college, to the workforce and adult life. For part of the Neurodiverse population, you hit 18 and that’s it. And The Evolve Program is helping to bridge the gap between young adults and jobs. Skilled people who may learn differently than others are a tremendous asset to employers. So Sonia and Robin, a big part of their job is to educate and support employers so they can welcome people at their companies. As Robin says “the work is about soft skills, soft skills are the things that make us successful in our lives.” As Sonia says “For many people in this community, they have been told their whole lives what they’re not, and so in this program they’re getting excited about who they are and what they can do.” And so much of this is about our own selves and how we deal the issues inside ourselves that can make people uncomfortable and afraid of Neurodiversity in the workplace. Jennifer talks about labeling, gladiator kids and helping parents and kids learn about how they learn. One of the people in the Evolve program talks about having some confidence and the ability to ask for help. Sonia tells a cool story about half way in, that one of the young people in their program got a job as a PA on a great show. And she came back and told Sonia, “my boss has really poor EQ and very little awareness, you know she should really come to The Evolve Program and maybe we can help her.”Sonia: “I don’t know about her, but I’m glad that YOU get it.”To get involved in EVOLVE and Tranzitions you can write to [e-mail] and find all of Jennifer’s amazing work, media, classes and services here at https://connectedparenting.com/ Stay well and Live It UP!