Collaborator Spotlight: Subject Matter Expert
PCG’s Project Success Resource Center often partners with passionate special education subject matter experts who design and deliver targeted professional development and coaching to educators and parents across the country. Recently, PCG hosted an Equity Webinar Series during which Danyale Sturdivant from Living Autism Out Loud presented a session entitled “Understanding the Hidden Barriers to Teaching BIPOC Students.” This engaging presentation is available to view until the end of November. Check it out!
Danyale recently sat down with PCG to discuss her contribution to PCG’s Equity Webinar Series as well as her life’s work and her son.
Tell us a little bit about yourself
I hold a master’s degree in clinical social work and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the State of North Carolina. I've worked as a social worker for over 20 years in various settings and am also the mother of a 13-year-old son who is on the Autism spectrum.
Tell us about your son
My son was diagnosed at 2 ½ years old and received early intervention services starting at 16 months. I experienced a huge learning curve with autism since my son is the only child in the family who has autism. It took me awhile to understand the diagnosis, and I also had to help my family understand it. We are African American and some people, including professionals, do not understand the unique challenges people of color who have autism face.
What was your journey like after your son’s diagnosis?
Often, Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) are misdiagnosed with behavioral diagnoses which causes them to miss out on early intervention services. These services were very important for my son to be able to progress and make up for some developmental milestones that he’d missed. During early intervention, he slowly became used to occupational, physical, and behavior therapy. One area that was a challenge for me as a parent was the missed milestones. There is a stereotype that women of color are strong, and that we don’t need help. Because of this I didn't get the chance to grieve the loss of my desire to parent a typically developing child. All I could focus on was what he needed to ensure he had all he needed to be successful.
Describe your son’s developmental path
My son didn't talk much during the first few years, so it was a struggle. As far as social skills are concerned, he played by himself rather than interacting with other children. I was unsure of what the future would look like. I had to figure out how to make the world a better place and help my son to fit in. Eventually my son learned language and became verbal. By this point I had embraced his diagnosis and was doing all I could to help my son meet and even pass the milestone date. At 3 ½ years old he was not potty trained, and I told my family it will happen when it happens. I let things work out organically, not worrying about things occurring by a certain age and it made life easier that way. I suggest to other parents to give yourself a break or some grace while you’re moving forward. Let development occur naturally (walking, potty training, etc.) at your child’s pace, not yours or your family’s.
Do you have any tips for other BIPOC parents, or parents in general?
I accepted that I needed to parent the child that I had. It's a marathon and not a sprint. Learn what YOUR child’s needs are and shut out the background noise (the rest of the world). You are their main advocate. Be open and honest of where your child is developmentally. Advocate in a way that makes sense for you and your child but also partner with educators and others that are trying to help your child. Parents must be at the table when discussing and advocating for their child, especially BIPOC parents. Tell the truth about what’s happening to get to the root of the issue. It’s painful and scary and many people are afraid of being judged, but in the end, it will help your child. There is no shame in telling the truth. Many BIPOC parents have trust issues, but I suggest being honest with providers. In addition, make sure your providers have an understanding of cultural humility and understand the BIPOC culture.
Tell us a little about Living Autism Out Loud
After facing challenges finding appropriate providers to meet the needs of my family, I founded Living Autism Out Loud (LAOL). I named it for my son because he is his authentic self and living his authentic life. LAOL strives to reduce and eventually eliminate barriers that BIPOC parents may face when accessing services for their children with autism and/or intellectual developmental disabilities. These barriers may cause families to miss opportunities for early detection of and early intervention for disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder and other intellectual developmental disabilities. LAOL seeks to reduce and eventually eliminate these barriers through culturally responsive training to organizations, service providers and families to improve service delivery.
What is the future direction of Living Autism Out Loud?
I have a three-pronged approach in my business which includes working with providers, BIPOC families, and universities.
Providers: I train providers to understand BIPOC cultures, especially in working with them on cultural humility.
BIPOC families: I show families how to engage with providers, how to work with the school to create a successful IEP and to know their rights within school and medical environments.
Universities: I develop curriculum with parents as co-teachers that explains autism to students who are studying special education or who are researching autism.
Currently I am giving presentations, participating in speaking engagements, and discussing these topics with local and other state organizations. I hope to be able to reach a national audience one day.
Tell us a little something about your personal life.
I love everything about the outdoors such as camping, fishing, and gardening. I am an avid reader, especially of suspenseful mysteries.
Any last tips or words of wisdom for our readers?
It’s ok to practice self-care. Set a routine at bedtime for your child so you can have time for yourself. For example, I like to take a shower and curl up on my heated recliner and read a book after my son goes to bed on schedule.
Thank you, Danyale, for sharing your journey with us! If you would like to know more about Danyale or Living Autism Out Loud, check out their website.
For more information on joining any of our professional development opportunities, contact Ashley aquick@pcgus.com or visit the Project Success website at www.pcgprojectsuccess.com.