Episode: 815

Episode Title: The Power of Advocacy 

How can self-advocacy change the academic and professional outcomes for neurodiverse people? Let’s talk about it, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 815 show:

It’s Friday on The Perna Syndicate and today we are talking about the story of Cymeria Robshaw, an Eye to Eye chapter leader and a young person with learning disabilities. I interviewed Cymeria to find out how a neurodiverse person can learn to self-advocate for what they need in the professional world.

Like my own son, Cymeria has ADHD. Before her diagnosis, she considered dropping out during her sophomore year of college. She struggled to keep up with the reading requirements, paying attention in lectures, and finishing exams on time.

“Overall,” says Cymeria, “the college education system is not tailored to meet the needs of individuals who learn differently.” She recognized that if she was going to graduate, she needed to ask for help.

It was through the Eye to Eye mentoring program that she learned the power of self-advocacy and speaking up for herself. She was able to adopt new habits and tools that improved her efficiency and helped her graduate college as an A student.

Cymeria’s advice to neurodiverse students and workers like herself is not to be afraid to share your story. She says, quote, “People who have learning disabilities can share what works for them. And sharing with those who don’t have disabilities creates allyship but also a greater understanding of how easy and necessary accommodations are.”

I think we can all take this advice to heart for a future where every classroom and workplace embraces neurodiversity as an asset, not a liability.

Thank you for tuning in to The Perna Syndicate this week. I look forward to having you back next week for more insights and inspiration. Until then, take care!