Contributor: Liza Citron

I'm a college student going for a degree in social work, and work with NeuroDiversity Consulting to shed light on issues through that lens. 

I am also neurodivergent, having been diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (and working on a re-diagnosis) in my very early childhood. Most of my life has been spent seeing things through that different -- not wrong or broken, but different -- lens and filter. 

I was that girl who would go on and on about particular interests -- some of which changed from year to year -- and devoured books in my spare time. I was the one trying to wrestle in this neurotypical-ruled world with my differences, and with how they changed my outlook on life. That dilemma evolved into my interest in special education and advocacy. Children receiving special education services can benefit from having a staff member in their corner who went through similar struggles. My experiences help me understand, and I care enough to help tailor curriculum and learning methods to meet student needs. I struggled with many elements in my elementary school life. I want to help in any way I can so students don't have to go through that themselves. If I can help even one student, that's worth it for me. 
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What/who (else) am I? In short, I'm not only a neurodivergent social work student, but a musician, writer, artist, disability advocate, and much more. I'm autistic, but that's not all I am -- it's just the way I see the world.

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