Neuroversity

Send me a Text Message about the show! This one is about your host.  Yep, even after she said she wouldn't make this podcast about her. It's the absolutely true story of Jessica's struggle with elephants and fear and how she saved herself from being stuck in a locked seatbelt.  (With an assist from @autismcafe, Tobe Nwigwe, and herself) Eileen Lamb https://theautismcafe.com IG and T...

Send me a Text Message about the show! The next installment of the Word of the Week series is out! WOW for this time is Dopamine What is it?  Where does it come from?  Why do we need it?  What the heck does it have to do with neurodiversity? Find out all this and how Jessica does her research in this episode. Resources Used: https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/explainer-what-dopamine ht...

Send me a Text Message about the show! You just never know where a slice of pizza will take you. For me, and today's guest, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Join me as I introduce you to one of the best humans around, Carla McDonald.  This is a conversation between two moms about parenting, advocating, learning, laughing, and more. Carla's younger son is autistic and also...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Is he neurodivergent? Does it matter? Is it possible for a Disney character to represent SO much? Uh, yes. Join Jessica for an introductory lesson on Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and how the portrayal of Bruno in the latest Disney movie, Encanto, shines an important light on the representation of neurodiversity in pop culture. Resources mentioned in this epi...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Get ready class, we're moving up to an intermediate level course on brain development and genetics this week at Neuroversity. In my conversation with Dr. Kevin Pelphrey, the Harrison-Wood Jefferson Scholars Foundation Professor of Neurology at the University of Virginia Brain Institute, I begin to try and understand the history of the medical and researc...

Send me a Text Message about the show! In this episode of Neuroversity, Jessica talks with attorney, author, artist and advocate Haley Moss.   Diagnosed as autistic when she was three years old, Haley is passionate about disability inclusion and neurodiversity.  In our conversation today, we focus on her latest book, "Great Minds Think Differently: Neurodiversity for Lawyers and Other Profess...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Time to introduce a new series that will be added to the rotation for Neuroversity in 2022.  Word of the Week.  This will be a regularly re-occuring episode where we focus on a new word or concept that impacts neurodiverse individuals, but can also be found in anyone.  First up, Misophonia, which literally means "hatred of sound" What is it?  What i...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a curriculum designed to meet children where they are, recognize their strengths,  and adjust as necessary to meet the goals desired by the child and the family?   What if educators received adequate training on a non-medical model for helping neurodiverse students reach their full potential, not the imposed expectat...

Send me a Text Message about the show! With an admitted lack of knowledge on dyslexia, host Jessica Kidwell has a beginner's lesson on this disability with Lorraine Hightower, Certified Dyslexia Advocate and Consultant.  In this episode we discuss: The definition of dyslexia and its prevalence The signs and indicators of dyslexia in preschool aged and older children Steps parents should take...

Send me a Text Message about the show! You know that old Dean Martin song right? "It's the Holiday Season, (the holiday season)  So whoop dee do, and dickery dock,  and don't forget to.....check and see if your neurodiverse friends and family are ok." Well, that's how it SHOULD go. This week's episode highlights the ways that holiday gatherings can be particularly str...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Hasna Nada is the mother of 14 year old autistic child. She has been a passionate advocate for the past 10 years bringing attention to the need for adequate services, more inclusion and genuine acceptance in Qatar for autistic individuals. Hasna is the founder and owner of Child Development Center, the first multidisciplinary therapy center for children with...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Courtney Dios grew up with a learning difference in the 90s, and we talk about how she unlearned the messaging she had internalized that she was stupid and lazy, and has now come full circle teaching at the Shelton School, a world renowned school dedicated to designing and sharing the best educational practices for students with learning differences.  We talk...

Send me a Text Message about the show! "Autistic people have been misunderstood as long as autism has existed as a diagnosis and oftentimes, authors write about autism without autistic people’s input. So I wanted to refocus them as the center of their [own] narratives." -Eric Garcia, about his book, We're Not Broken: Changing the Autism Conversation In this episode, Eric and Jessica...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Faithe Raphael built a career in the music industry beginning in 1981 with the David Geffen company and then working for rock band, Aerosmith, as the band’s director of tour marketing, publicity, and promotion.   Her experience with "Rock Stars" uniquely qualified her to identify talent and genius.  So, when her seven year old son began having vocal...

Send me a Text Message about the show! This week on Neuroversity we are learning about Childhood Apraxia of Speech (CAS) with Laura Baskall Smith MA CCC_SLP, aka @SLPmommyofapraxia. Despite being a practicing speech language pathologist, Laura's training wasn't enough for her to see the signs of apraxia in her own daughter.  Once her daughter was diagnosed, Laura became an expert in CAS,...

Send me a Text Message about the show! In her collection of essays, "I Overcame My Autism And All I Got Was This Lousy Anxiety Disorder", Sarah Kurchak shares her experiences growing up autistic, undiagnosed until adulthood, loved by two parents who were doing their best, and her career as a professional pillow fighter.  She also offers insightful perspective on the importance of expandi...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Consider this the introductory class for Neuroversity.   This episode is about defining terms and setting ground rules for what this podcast aims to do. In this episode you will learn: What does the term neurodiversity mean What is the difference between neurodivergent and neurotypical Why am I starting this podcast Who is this podcast for What is the number...

Send me a Text Message about the show! Welcome to Neuroversity!  A weekly podcast about neurodiversity with a purpose to expand our understanding of what that term means, elevate the life experiences of the neurodivergent, and advocate for a more inclusive and informed culture.   Hosted by Jessica Kidwell, a neurotypical wife, mom, sister, friend, ally, and advocate hoping to facilitate the learni...