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CONFERENCE SESSION DESCRIPTIONS AND PRESENTERS
Wednesday, november 13th
Neurodivergence as a Culture – 2:00pm - 3:20pm
Panelists: Desy Whitaker, Jack Turnwald, Jenna Meehan
Moderator: Lou Jent
This panel is to increase cultural competency around neuro affirming language but also to firmly establish that neurodivergence is an emergent sub-culture. We know this because it has created (as all subcultures do) communicative shortcuts for embodied experiences which are shared among varied neurotypes. We will work to debunk the mythology which bolsters stigmatization, because we can attest that people who are different/ multiple neurotypes are in deep relationships of interdependence with/for/and to one another.
Unearthing the Concepts & Tools that Bury Us – 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Presenter: DJ Savarese
Transformative change occurs in the asking. In this session I ask my own questions and, in doing so, encourage you to imagine your ways into a world beyond inclusion. I begin by dismantling the garden walls that confine us, unearthing the concepts and tools that bury us and opening us to new, more expansive ways of understanding ourselves.
Black Neurodivergent Futures in Love, Friendship, and Community – 4:40pm - 6:00pm
Presenters: Kayla Smith, Asiatu Lawoyin and Kaishawna Fleming
Moderator: Ben-Oní
This panel envisions a future where Black neurodivergent individuals lead the way in reshaping how we think about love, friendship, and community. Panelists will share their experiences and insights on creating relational structures that prioritize equity, mutual care, and connection. The discussion will highlight the importance of inclusive, equitable spaces that honor neuroexpansive expressions of intimacy and community, offering radical reimaginings of what love and friendship can look like.
thursday, november 14th
Keynote Presenter: Ly Xīnzhèn Zhǎngsūn, J.D. | 長孫驪新鎮
(Lydia X. Z. Brown)
Cross Neurotype Communication – 10:10am - 11:10am
Presenters: T Land
Neurodivergence is framed not only as a cognitive difference but as a distinct culture with its own ways of connecting and communicating, very often differing from neuronormative expectations and orientations. These differences intersect with other parts of identity, as well as geography. This presentation moves through a comparative analysis of neuroeclectic and neuronormative communication practices, provides a framework for cross-neurotype communication, and pushes the audience to develop more expansive understandings of what it means to be in relationship.