Beneath the Resume

Robert “Bob” Schmus was diagnosed with autism and ADD at the age of 15. Now in his late 30s, he works as a licensed clinical social worker in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and speaks openly about his neurodivergence in the context of his professional life and the work...

Nat Hawley’s story begins long before he had the language to describe neurodiversity or inclusion. Diagnosed with autism and dyspraxia around the age of three or four, and later with dyslexia at sixteen, he grew up in a world that often misunderstood how he learned...

V Garcia has known they were neurodivergent for as long as they can remember. Even though the formal diagnosis came later in life, they believe it should have been done as a child. What they remember clearly is the bullying and dehumanization that came when they...

Deborah Shukyn-Plageman’s understanding of her own neurodivergence came late in life. She was formally diagnosed with autism, ADHD and identified as twice exceptional or gifted at the age of 60. Long before that, she had already built an extensive academic and...

Gillian Forth’s story with neurodiversity began when she was seventeen, sitting in a psychologist’s office and receiving a diagnosis that felt vague and strangely disconnected from her lived reality. She was told she had a non-specified non-verbal learning disability....

When Steven Atme received his autism diagnosis as a child, he and his parents began a shared journey of understanding and growth. That path, built on patience, curiosity, and compassion, later guided him from his first job at McDonald’s and his many volunteer roles to...

When Sydney Elaine Butler was six years old, they were diagnosed with autism. At the time, they did not understand what that meant, only that certain things in life felt harder for them than for others. Years later, at 21, they also received a diagnosis of complex...

For years, Colin Murphy sensed he processed information differently. Diagnosed with dyslexia at around age 12, he has lived with it for nearly three decades. In recent years, he has also recognized traits of ADHD in himself. While he has not received a formal...

When Roger Jones received his diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Level 1 and ADHD (inattentive type) in October of last year, it was like the missing puzzle piece finally fell into place. “My brain tends to buzz with many different thoughts simultaneously,...

For most of her life, Amrrita Chopraa had no words to explain the challenges she faced. Within the cultural context of India, where she was raised, autism and ADHD were rarely spoken about and awareness was limited. It wasn’t until April 2023 that she finally received...