Join us for a Talk on Neurodiversity

By Jenny Palmiotto

We, at the Family Guidance and Therapy Center, love Love & Autism!

We love it so much that we want to bring it to you year round! For those of you who were torn between two of our breakout sessions, only able to attend the conference for one day, or scheduled something else on the Love & Autism weekend (silly you!), now you get a second chance to check out what you missed. On the second Tuesday of every month, starting on March 12, 2019, we invite you to bring a little Love & Autism into your everyday life, one pop-up event at a time.

Each Love & Autism pop-up event will offer something different, such as the opportunity to practice a little self-compassion, learning more about Relationship Development Intervention (RDI) and how it can strengthen your bond with your child, or practicing a loving approach to setting limits through the use of Positive Discipline. We have will also have pop-up events devoted to education, post-high school transition options, supporting emotional development and so much more!

Event Speaker Morénike Giwa Onaiwu

First up is a chance for you learn about the neurodiversity movement and how it supports the development of healthy autistic identities. Love & Autism is excited about our first speaker, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, who will be kicking off our Love & Autism pop-up events.

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu is a woman of color with disabilities, an educator, a writer, a public speaker, a parent, and a global advocate. She is also a published author, having contributed to the anthology on autism and race in All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the 2014 WEGO Health Award: “Advocating for Another: Health Activist of the Year” and the 2015 Autistic Self Advocacy Network Award: “Service to the Self-Advocacy Movement”.

She is a powerful leader and someone you will want to learn from. But don’t take our word for it, her own writing speaks for itself. Here are just a few quotes from her work, which make us excited to hear her speak:

“Our lives and experiences cannot be splintered or subdivided into neat little categories: race over here, disability over there.”

“According to popular opinion, autistic people didn’t/don’t look like me; autistic people didn’t/don’t sound like me. Autism = (white male presenting) toddler wearing a Thomas the Train t-shirt; autism = (white male presenting) quirky teen gamer; autism = (white male presenting) geeky computer programmer; autism = (white male presenting) adult rocking and staring off into space... a ready scapegoat for all their caregiver’s life disappointment; autism = Temple Grandin, puzzle pieces, ABA therapy, and Autism Speaks.”

“I hope my perspective – which is that of a proud Autistic female who is unapologetically Black, Christian, twice exceptional, advocate, and a mom – will be helpful in our autistic community. There’s been a lot of progress in recent years, but there’s also a lot that still needs to be done; I want to help as much as I can. I won’t always get it right, and I won’t always have the answer, but I will give my best and I will give my all…always.”

Come and join us so that we can all learn from each other together! Remember, Love & Autism events are 15% off for all Love & Autism members.  

Registration will be opening soon.

If you are not on the Love & Autism mailing list and want to receive registration and future event updates via email, please go here. 

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu
Price: $25 (includes snack)
March 12th, 2019
6:30-8:00pm (PST)
3455 Kenyon St, San Diego, CA 92110, USA