K-12 Panel 4: Autistic Culture 101 (A Doctoral Capstone Video Project): Autistic Voices Create Understanding for Adolescent Neurotypical Students
Event Details:
Location
Autistic Culture 101 (A Doctoral Capstone Video Project): Autistic Voices Create Understanding for Adolescent Neurotypical Students
Moderator: Elizabeth Grady, MD
Objectives:
- Learn about autistic culture from viewing selected video clips from this Capstone video project that contains strength-based, research-based, and lived experience explanations of how autistic students' minds work.
- Gain autistic perspectives, personal stories, and advice from this project's 2eA panel who was involved in the video's making.
- Access this new free video to bring advocacy to your school, to create a neurodiversity-affirming student environment that understands and respects the "culture" of autistic students.
Andrea Brucella Finnegan, EdD, Video Creator, Bridges Graduate
Andrea Brucella Finnegan, Ed.D., M.S.Ed specializes in the educational planning and wellbeing of neurodiverse children, with a passion for twice-exceptional/gifted autistic students. She recently earned her doctorate in cognitive diversity from Bridges Graduate School and is currently earning a post-doc certificate in applied educational neuroscience at Butler University. Dr. Finnegan is a compassionate U.S. National and International speaker of neurodiversity research topics among children, parents, and professional educators, who happens to be an accomplished artist who entwines her creativity within in her work. Her most recent completed project is " Autistic Culture 101: A 2e Perspective", a YouTube video that teaches neurotypical students how to better understand their autistic classmates and friends. Andrea is also a meditation teacher for neurodivergent children on the Insight Timer app. Her most cherished work is being a mom to three wonderful children who inspire her research and advocacy.
Martin Slyngstad, Founder, Spire Autism
Martin is a awarding, disability advocate, business owner, book author, and Special Olympics athlete.
Rachel O'Kelley, Undergrad Student, University of California San Diego
Rachel O’Kelley is a neurodivergent artist, producer, filmmaker, and undergraduate Media major at UC San Diego. She is also a Bridges Academy alumni and a twice-exceptional (2e) advocate. When not collaborating on films or in school, she advocates for 2e education and neurodivergent individuals with her family’s grassroots effort, The O’Kelley Lab. Rachel manages the outreach, design, and social media for projects like O’Kelley Legends: 2e Behind the Scenes and The Neurodiversity of Kindness performance at Vista Del Mar. She continues to write and produce films while in school under Monkey Robot Productions. She also assists/interns with marketing and outreach for non-profits like Autism Career Pathways and Ballet for All Kids. Rachel’s advocacy can be heard as an interviewee in the video project Autistic Culture 101: A 2e Perspective by Andrea Brucella Finnegan currently available on Youtube.
Daniel Durany, Public Speaker, Advocate and Educator
Daniel Durany is a 2006 graduate from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communication Studies and 2020 graduate from Texas A&M Commerce with a Master of Science in Accounting. In 2013, he served on the Texas Council on Autism and PDD for the state. Daniel volunteers with FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment) and pioneered a local adult Autism Support Group. He makes public speaking appearances at autism conferences, colleges and school districts around the country. His presentation discusses his childhood struggles in school, transitioning experience from high school-to-college & employment, and approaches to help others similar with his condition.
Outside of the autism work, Durany is a year-round sports official in volleyball, basketball, and softball. He has officiated volleyball and softball games at the college level, and basketball games at the varsity level for high school. He recently called the 2022 & 2025 UIL state championship for high school and became the first person with autism to umpire a NCAA Division 1 softball game. Daniel is married to his lovely wife, Mandy and they have a son named Benjamin.