Tony Mantor

Welcome to Why Not Me?

Embracing Autism and Mental Health Worldwide.

Joining us today is Jennifer McGee.

She's a visual artist of over 25 years who travels the country promoting her business Body Pizazz to various events.

Now, her greatest masterpiece is her autistic nephew, Isaiah, whom she welcomed into her life as his devoted guardian at age 15.

This led to her book, Izzy Can't Talk, which follows young Izzy, a non-verbal boy, using sign language, pictures, and a speech pad to connect in a heartfelt way.

She will also talk about her upcoming sequel, Izzy Can't Talk, But He Can Make Friends, which celebrates inclusion and the magic of connection.

Today, she shares her journey from artist to advocate, inspired by Isaiah, which has set her on a path to amplify the neurodiverse voices proving art can heal and unite.

So before we dive into our episode, we'll be back with an uninterrupted show right after a word from our sponsors.

Thanks for coming on.

Yeah.

So if you would tell us how it all started.

That makes total sense.

Did you know he was autistic before you adopted him?

Yeah, absolutely.

I think this is really interesting.

This is a completely different scenario.

Most parents find out that their children are autistic at a very young age.

Now, you have an autistic nephew that's 15, and you're just starting to find out what autism is all about.

I think many people would admire you for the road that you took with this.