Danielle Sullivan “had me at hello” honestly.  We met through our mutual friend and leader of our Autastic Community, Diane J. Wright.  Danielle and I are both Guides and host Roundtables on The Autastic Community and Danielle has a fabulous course called, Autistic Emotions Explained.  She really is a wonderful coach, podcast host, friend and autistic advocate.  She gives so very generously of her time and talents each month in free webinars and coaching sessions. 

Her passion is helping neurodiverse families communicate and thrive.  She is one of the kindest and most calm souls I know.  She has a tremendous heart and a genius brain that lights me up every time we talk.  Danielle is a true friend and I learn from her all the time.

Meet Danielle…

Social Autie: What is your specialty or focus area of Autism Advocacy?

Danielle:  I run the Neurodiverging Podcast, where I provide information and resources to mixed neurotype families by sharing my own experiences as well as interviews with specialists. I also run Neurodiverging Coaching, where I offer evidence-based, practical interventions and support to (mostly) late-identified autistic and ADHD adults.

Social Autie: Why did you begin advocating for yourself and others?  What makes this personal to you and Your Big Why? 

Danielle:  I was identified as autistic slightly after my son was diagnosed at 2 years-old, when my daughter was just 4 months-old. In many ways, my identity as autistic is tied up in my identity as a parent. And my first couple of years of parenting were *hard.* I had two neurodivergent children with completely different needs and temperaments. I was not getting the support I needed as a late-identified autistic, and there were *no* resources for me. There were plenty of resources for neurotypical parents with neurodivergent kids, some for single autistic people, a rare few for neurodivergent parents. But what about me, and all of the thousands-plus people like me? Those folks are why I started Neurodiverging, and why I work so hard to make resources for people like us.

Social Autie: What is/are the top tip(s) or insight(s) you have discovered for advocating for a) others and b) yourself?

Danielle:  I believe we always need to be focusing on education and collaboration. Long-term change comes from all of us working together, and staying focused into the future. I also believe that taking care of myself must always come first. I can’t give anyone else energy that I don’t have in myself. So many new advocates burn out quickly because they don’t reserve any of their energy for themselves - it’s important to prioritize that!

To hear more from Danielle and her incredible coaching listen to her episode on the Mind Your Autistic Brain Talk Show "Family Relationships and Emotional Intelligence HERE.

Connect with Danielle Sullivan:

https://neurodiverging.com/

neurodiverging.podcast@gmail.com

Don’t miss her newest coaching program for neurodiverse families, Collaborative Families!!