For the longest time, I did not feel comfortable identifying as someone who is different from others mostly because it did not feel helpful to do so. When service providers respond with “you seem to be doing fine” or say that the supports are “not meant for you”, it creates barriers to asking for help. Growing up in a culture that discouraged identifying with certain groups contributed to my reluctance to seek out or engage in the support systems that are in place.
Today, I push back on that reluctance by leading the Neurodiversity Collaborative, a grassroots organization for supporting people with lived experience navigate neurodiversity, including families and frontline care professionals delivering health and social services in Canada.
Through my work, I’ve learned that both the person receiving care and their circle of care continue to navigate the trauma resulting from limited access to proper support. There is a need to recognize that neurodiversity is not something that people ‘grow out of’ and that individuals need to be supported throughout various stages of their lives.
Being a part of the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence’s Leadership Institute for Developmental Services helped me solidify and give the grassroots initiative that I lead a name.
I really appreciated that the leadership institute accommodated my learning needs without requesting that I disclose detailed personal health information. With their support, I was able to participate fully throughout every session as my authentic self. My hope for the future is that the leadership institute continues to be offered, so that other aspiring leaders recognize the value of their work and so it can encourage more people to see the disability and caregiving sector as fun, exciting and extremely rewarding.
