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Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people - Life as a Black Deaf Autistic musician, AAC user and student -- with Kaishawna
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Life as a Black Deaf Autistic musician, AAC user and student -- with Kaishawna

Beyond 6 Seconds: Neurodiversity stories from neurodivergent people

05/29/23

53m

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Kaishawna is a 21 year old Deaf Black Autistic woman, clarinet player and college student who is studying to become an educator for neurodivergent and disabled students. She communicates using an Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) text-to-speech app on her iPad, sign language, and sometimes unreliable vocal speech. She is a disability advocate and aspiring author who is working on two novels that feature disabled main characters.

During this episode, Kaishawna discusses:

  • Her experiences using AAC to communicate with others
  • How she experiences playing music as a Deaf Autistic musician, and her love of music theory
  • How she found out she was autistic, and how that led her to become involved with disability rights advocacy
  • The difficulty she had finding community as a Deaf Black Autistic woman, and the racism and ableism she faces
  • What she hopes to teach her students as an educator
  • The two novels she is currently working on

Follow Kaishawna on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player!

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!

Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*

Previous Episode

Patty DeDurr is a mom, healthcare worker and award-winning author of two children's books: "This Kid Can Hyperfocus" (a story about ADHD) and "This Llama Can Write" (a story about dysgraphia). She provides educational information and resources about supporting neurodivergent kids on her publisher's website, Sensing Greatness. Patty has ADHD and dysgraphia herself, and she's determined to help reduce stigma surrounding neurodivergence by increasing representation in literature.

During this episode, you will hear Patty talk about:

  • What is dysgraphia, and what it's like for her to have dysgraphia and ADHD
  • Why assistive technology is important for individuals with dysgraphia
  • What inspired her to write children's books with neurodivergent characters, and how she came up with the plots for the stories
  • The neurodiversity resources she provides for her advocacy work

Learn more about Patty's books, This Kid Can Hyperfocus and This Llama Can Write.

Get Patty's free resources for neurodivergent children on her website, Sensing Greatness.

Follow Patty on Facebook and Instagram.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

This episode features a promo for Differently Brained, the podcast where no brain is the same.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player!

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!

Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*

Next Episode

Sarah Brown is a New York City based podcast producer and editor. She has worked on shows such as Minority Korner, Get on Up, #Matter and Fixing the Future. She also produces her own show called The Queerience, which is a podcast all about the LGBTQIA+ community. Sarah has a genetic condition called Fragile X syndrome that manifests in her as ADHD.

On this episode, Sarah talks about:

  • What Fragile X syndrome is, and what it was like for her growing up with Fragile X and ADHD
  • Her podcasting work, and the types of topics and guests she has on her podcast, The Queerience
  • How she uses routines and other strategies to manage her life with ADHD
  • How neurodiversity has helped her understand herself more, and find communities of people with similar experiences

Follow Sarah and her podcast, The Queerience, on Instagram at @sbrownsays and @thequeeriencepodcast and on Twitter @thequeerience.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube.

Read the episode transcript.

Follow the Beyond 6 Seconds podcast in your favorite podcast player!

Subscribe to the FREE Beyond 6 Seconds newsletter for early access to new episodes!

Support this podcast at BuyMeACoffee.com/Beyond6Seconds and get a shout-out on a future episode!

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*

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