Discover your Stress Profile for Neurodivergent Adults - Take the Quiz
Carrin Gilmore has been identifying needs and helping others and herself have the accommodations that best meet their needs to thrive. She has a natural talent for seeing what someone needs and her kind, generous and compassionate heart seeks to always ensure everyone is seen, heard, respected and honored in all things.
When I met Carrin we immediately clicked and her energy is infectious as is her passion for making the workforce a better place for everyone, especially US.
Carrin and I had a wonderful conversation all about work and when you as a special education teacher aren’t having your needs and accommodation met at work. Watch or Listen to Episode 76 here: https://anchor.fm/socialautie/episodes/076--When-Youre-an-Autistic-SpEd-Teacher--YOU-Cant-Get-Accommodations-at-Work-with-Carrin-Gilmore-e1fened
Social Autie: What is your specialty or focus area of Autism Advocacy?
Carrin: I am an advocate who really wants to focus on creating an accommodation and modification process for the workforce. I also help businesses implement doable accommodations, not just "reasonable" and create a person-centric approach to accommodations and modifications. I am also an Autistic Speducator, working with students with disabilities. I work with educators from all walks of life to implement accommodations and modifications, as well as aid in the IEP process with both parents and students with disabilities. I have mentored disabled adults and students as well.
Social Autie: Why did you begin advocating for yourself and others? What makes this personal to you and Your Big Why?
Carrin: I honestly started my advocacy when I taught English in an IEP. I was brought in as an advocate to help a friend's child out. After that, I was hooked. I advocate for myself and for my student's future. I have had to advocate in college and in the workplace due to my own disability. I had no choice but to advocate is how I truly felt/feel still.
Social Autie: What is/are the top tip(s) or insight(s) you have discovered for advocating for a) others and b) yourself?
Carrin: I think my biggest tip is that we will not all agree, but as long as we're all coming together, with good intentions, that's what really matters. Autism is a spectrum, so things that may work for some, don't work for others. It's a complex thing, helping those, so we have to be both person-centric, and system-centric simultaneously.
I honestly started my advocacy when I taught English in an IEP. I was brought in as an advocate to help a friend's child out. After that, I was hooked. I advocate for myself and for my student's future. I have had to advocate in college and in the workplace due to my own disability. I had no choice but to advocate is how I truly felt/feel still.
Connect with Carrin Gilmore on Instagram @LetsTalkAboutAutism or on LinkedIn @CarrinGilmore
Must be Logged In to leave comments.
No one seems to ‘get it’. Friends and family think you just need to push through or "self-care" more. Internally, so many people in late identified life (me included) feel broken, ashamed or like they are failing or have never reached their full potential, when all along they've had a brain and sensory system that is different from the masses. It can take a lot of strength to keep going.
(It was years before I realized I had been on The Chronic Cycle Burnout Loop)
Living Burnout, Shutdown and Meltdown FREE for going on 4 years now has taught me more than I ever dreamed possible and the most powerful experience in Restoration has been regaining skills and abilities I thought were lost permanently to Burnout decades ago.
But that's not all - don't miss your one time SPECIAL BUNDLE offer and upgrade to include the Companion Workbook Collection and get the book for only $2.99!