The Grit and Grind of Autism- Finding Light Along the Journey

It's Been Six Decades...Listen to Us - w/TJ, Nigh Functioning Autism

November 05, 2023 Diana W-G Season 2 Episode 14
It's Been Six Decades...Listen to Us - w/TJ, Nigh Functioning Autism
The Grit and Grind of Autism- Finding Light Along the Journey
More Info
The Grit and Grind of Autism- Finding Light Along the Journey
It's Been Six Decades...Listen to Us - w/TJ, Nigh Functioning Autism
Nov 05, 2023 Season 2 Episode 14
Diana W-G

 Hi, I’m TJ, or Tiffany, creator of the social media platforms, Nigh Functioning Autism. I am a single mother of three neurodivergent teens. I live and work in and around Maryland and Virginia, in the Washington DC area.

 
I am Autistic, diagnosed in my late teens. However, I was diagnosed with other conditions when I was in elementary school, like central auditory processing disorder and ADHD. I also have had epilepsy and OCD since I was a child. I am hard of hearing as well. As such, I use many ways to communicate like ASL, mouth words, high-tech AAC and other ways depending on how accessible my speech and memory is to me at the moment.

I work in special education or more preferred, ‘accessible education’, as a paraeducator for elementary school and a communication teacher/ partner to mostly teen and young adult Autistic nonspeakers.

My passion in the disability space is communication and education rights for people of all disabilities. I specifically love teaching how to implement high-tech speech generating devices in schools and homes. I always say, I would have access to my own speech if I had text-based or high-tech speech generating strategies earlier in my life.

I proudly sit on the board for Lilly’s Voice, a non-profit organization that provides high-tech speech generating devices for nonspeakers under age 18 in the United States. I am also a member of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities council, which is a federally funded, national organization in every state that sets the disability culture, policy, and laws in that state.

Book Recommendations:
Miracle at St. Anna
Leaders Around Me 

Follow me at The MD Autism Project for more content.

Instagram
Facebook
YouTube

Show Notes

 Hi, I’m TJ, or Tiffany, creator of the social media platforms, Nigh Functioning Autism. I am a single mother of three neurodivergent teens. I live and work in and around Maryland and Virginia, in the Washington DC area.

 
I am Autistic, diagnosed in my late teens. However, I was diagnosed with other conditions when I was in elementary school, like central auditory processing disorder and ADHD. I also have had epilepsy and OCD since I was a child. I am hard of hearing as well. As such, I use many ways to communicate like ASL, mouth words, high-tech AAC and other ways depending on how accessible my speech and memory is to me at the moment.

I work in special education or more preferred, ‘accessible education’, as a paraeducator for elementary school and a communication teacher/ partner to mostly teen and young adult Autistic nonspeakers.

My passion in the disability space is communication and education rights for people of all disabilities. I specifically love teaching how to implement high-tech speech generating devices in schools and homes. I always say, I would have access to my own speech if I had text-based or high-tech speech generating strategies earlier in my life.

I proudly sit on the board for Lilly’s Voice, a non-profit organization that provides high-tech speech generating devices for nonspeakers under age 18 in the United States. I am also a member of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities council, which is a federally funded, national organization in every state that sets the disability culture, policy, and laws in that state.

Book Recommendations:
Miracle at St. Anna
Leaders Around Me 

Follow me at The MD Autism Project for more content.

Instagram
Facebook
YouTube