Bridget Hampstead

Well, one of the particular sort of immediately apparent challenges was that the language and the ideas of the neurodiversity movement and the neurodiversity perspective have not quite trickled down all the way to the Deep South. We're here based in New Orleans, and not a lot of people use the language of neurodiversity to identify themselves.

Well, one of the particular sort of immediately apparent challenges was that the language and the ideas of the neurodiversity movement and the neurodiversity perspective have not quite trickled down all the way to the Deep South. We're here based in New Orleans, and not a lot of people use the language of neurodiversity to identify themselves.

And not a lot of autistic and ADHD and dyslexic adults are using neurodivergent language to understand themselves. And so it was hard to develop an audience because of the language we were using. But I didn't want to compromise on the language we were using to describe ourselves because that is what we are and what we're influenced by and what we adhere to. And so I didn't want to let go of that.

And not a lot of autistic and ADHD and dyslexic adults are using neurodivergent language to understand themselves. And so it was hard to develop an audience because of the language we were using. But I didn't want to compromise on the language we were using to describe ourselves because that is what we are and what we're influenced by and what we adhere to. And so I didn't want to let go of that.

And not a lot of autistic and ADHD and dyslexic adults are using neurodivergent language to understand themselves. And so it was hard to develop an audience because of the language we were using. But I didn't want to compromise on the language we were using to describe ourselves because that is what we are and what we're influenced by and what we adhere to. And so I didn't want to let go of that.

And I didn't feel comfortable using different language that I didn't agree with. So we held on to that. And it's been changing even over the last three years. A lot more people are coming or seeking us out using that kind of language. Another challenge was here in New Orleans, there are several organizations that serve autistic youth. And not all of them are neuroaffirming organizations.

And I didn't feel comfortable using different language that I didn't agree with. So we held on to that. And it's been changing even over the last three years. A lot more people are coming or seeking us out using that kind of language. Another challenge was here in New Orleans, there are several organizations that serve autistic youth. And not all of them are neuroaffirming organizations.

And I didn't feel comfortable using different language that I didn't agree with. So we held on to that. And it's been changing even over the last three years. A lot more people are coming or seeking us out using that kind of language. Another challenge was here in New Orleans, there are several organizations that serve autistic youth. And not all of them are neuroaffirming organizations.

But there's a lot of stuff out there and there are a lot of resources, good or bad or helpful or unhelpful for very young autistic people and their neurotypical parents mostly. And so that's what everybody assumed that we did. So we were lumped into, you know, kind of like, oh, well, you're over there with the with the ABA providers.

But there's a lot of stuff out there and there are a lot of resources, good or bad or helpful or unhelpful for very young autistic people and their neurotypical parents mostly. And so that's what everybody assumed that we did. So we were lumped into, you know, kind of like, oh, well, you're over there with the with the ABA providers.

But there's a lot of stuff out there and there are a lot of resources, good or bad or helpful or unhelpful for very young autistic people and their neurotypical parents mostly. And so that's what everybody assumed that we did. So we were lumped into, you know, kind of like, oh, well, you're over there with the with the ABA providers.

And so it was really a struggle to be like, that's not who we are and that's not what we do. We do have a couple of programs that are for youths and families, but most of our work focuses around neurodivergent adults from a neuroaffirming perspective and approach. We had to really fill that out a lot and we keep having to explain that. But it's been good. The response...

And so it was really a struggle to be like, that's not who we are and that's not what we do. We do have a couple of programs that are for youths and families, but most of our work focuses around neurodivergent adults from a neuroaffirming perspective and approach. We had to really fill that out a lot and we keep having to explain that. But it's been good. The response...

And so it was really a struggle to be like, that's not who we are and that's not what we do. We do have a couple of programs that are for youths and families, but most of our work focuses around neurodivergent adults from a neuroaffirming perspective and approach. We had to really fill that out a lot and we keep having to explain that. But it's been good. The response...

When people hear that and then they get it or it spurs a discovery of their own and then they come to us, it's been good. So there was a time where things didn't seem to be landing, but this is our third year and it seems to be hitting a lot more with people.

When people hear that and then they get it or it spurs a discovery of their own and then they come to us, it's been good. So there was a time where things didn't seem to be landing, but this is our third year and it seems to be hitting a lot more with people.

When people hear that and then they get it or it spurs a discovery of their own and then they come to us, it's been good. So there was a time where things didn't seem to be landing, but this is our third year and it seems to be hitting a lot more with people.

You know, we had to kind of let go of trying to compare ourselves to what existed and trying to like make that distinction for people. That was originally how we were approaching it. This is this and we are this and we are different from this. It almost sounded from a third party as like a kind of unnecessary conversation or like a petty conversation.

You know, we had to kind of let go of trying to compare ourselves to what existed and trying to like make that distinction for people. That was originally how we were approaching it. This is this and we are this and we are different from this. It almost sounded from a third party as like a kind of unnecessary conversation or like a petty conversation.

You know, we had to kind of let go of trying to compare ourselves to what existed and trying to like make that distinction for people. That was originally how we were approaching it. This is this and we are this and we are different from this. It almost sounded from a third party as like a kind of unnecessary conversation or like a petty conversation.