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Sri Juneja's avatar

Thank you for using a wonderful analogy of a traveler —one that anyone can understand and “get.” I’ve learned so much from our interview and the insights you shared today. I think I have a lot of learning to do and I am so glad there are so many great resources (you being one of them) available to me!

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Kathryn Barbash, PsyD's avatar

Thank you so much Sri, it means a lot. And I am continuing to learn, so I certainly appreciate others interested in learning too.

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Cindy Ojczyk's avatar

Awareness, acceptance, appreciation, empowerment, advocacy. I didn't realize that the process we went through when our girls were diagnosed with ADHD had a format, but that was it. Thanks for the framework. I've noted it for my reflections!

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Kathryn Barbash, PsyD's avatar

Yes, I love the framework from Autism Level UP, it is really helpful.

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Emily L. Kendall's avatar

Thank you so much, Kathryn. Another reader commented on the traveler metaphor you beautifully described at the beginning, and I just wanted to second that I found that so powerful. I am a parent of a son with Down syndrome, and this offered another layer of insight to see my son's world. I am hopeful it serves as a relatable way to describe to other travelers without the specific lived experience what it's like.

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Kathryn Barbash, PsyD's avatar

Thank you so much Emily. I am so glad you connected with it.

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Apr 9, 2024
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Kathryn Barbash, PsyD's avatar

Thank you for sharing. I feel so strongly this is part of the value of having space for people to share their stories--because we often can find connection.

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Apr 9, 2024
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Kathryn Barbash, PsyD's avatar

Love your "weirdness like a badge of honor!" We view our home similarly--it's a safe place and we make accommodations at home that allow our kids to have the internal resources to navigate the outside world.

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Apr 8, 2024
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Kathryn Barbash, PsyD's avatar

Ruth, it feels so complicated and I agree there is a lot of division in the space. As an allistic parent to an autistic child, I have learned so much from autistic voices and I struggle with a lot of the autism parent discourse too AND I have been a professional that has worked with families who are struggling to process their child's autism identification and sometimes are led astray by other voices. It's all so complex. I really appreciate you sharing your experience.

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