Paul Cruz
Welcome to the Neurodiversity Voices podcast, where we celebrate and amplify the unique perspectives and experiences of neurodiverse individuals. I'm your host, Paul Cruz, and I'm thrilled to launch our podcast and to have you join us on this journey to celebrate World Autism Awareness Day. And I'm not alone. I'm joined by my four amazing volunteer co-hosts, Livia Ward, Letara Couto, Karen Habashi, and Gino Akbari.
Liv Ward
Hello everyone, like Paul said, my name is Liv and I'm just in my last semester at UBC for my bachelor's degree where I'm studying psychology and English literature. And as my degree indicates, I love people, I love how they think and I love their stories. And my family has always been quite involved in the neurodivergent community and I have seen and felt how isolating feeling different can be. So I feel extremely privileged to be here to listen to neurodivergent people tell us about how they walk through the world.
Letara Couto
Hi everyone, I'm Letara Couto and I can't wait to dive into the world of neurodiversity with everyone. As a learning strategist and adaptive technologist, I work closely with neurodiverse students to help them embrace their strengths and find tools that actually work for them. I also was diagnosed with ADHD when I was 12, but didn't really explore anything until I got older. And I also want to talk about parenting with experiencing neurodiversity as well. So I'm excited to lean into the neurodivergence instead of hiding it.
Karen Habashi
Hi everyone, my name is Karen Habashi. I'm a mom of three. I'm a person with ADHD. I got diagnosed at the age of 40. Before that, I didn't really understand ADHD. I'm an Egyptian living in Canada. So there's a lot of, I think, lack of experience or stories from my community. And I can't wait to share my own experience and learn from other people's stories and guests. I'm also a dentist turned writer, so I have a passion for stories and storytelling. And I can't wait to learn more and dive into this podcast with and share our experiences. Thank you.
Gino Akbari
Hi, I am glad to be invited to be part of the Neurodiversity Voices podcast. My name is Gino Akbari, one of your co-hosts. I've spent most of my life helping people develop the skills they need to navigate life's challenges. I've worked in the military, been an athlete, a business owner, and my interests took me to get certified in cognitive behaviour therapy, hypnotherapy, NLP, and continuing on down that road. And I suppose what really drives me is we will be talking a lot about neurodiversity on this podcast, how to support, understand and advocate for neurodiverse individuals. I think where my learning will come in is what about the people who support them, the parents, partners, friends and caregivers? How do they take care of themselves so they can show up as their best selves for their loved ones? Looking forward to this podcast, which will be about real conversations, practical tools, and a little bit of humour along the way, I hope. Thank you.
Paul Cruz
In each episode, we'll explore the challenges, triumphs, and everyday experiences of those who think and perceive the world differently. We'll hear from inspiring guests, including advocates, experts, and researchers, authors, and speakers, and neurodiverse individuals themselves, who will share their stories, insights, and strategies for thriving in a neurotypical world.
Liv Ward
Whether you're neurodiverse yourself, a family member, a friend, or an ally, this podcast is for you. Our goal is to foster understanding, acceptance, and empowerment for all neurodiverse voices.
Letara Couto
This podcast means so much to me because I know what it's like to feel misunderstood or unsupported and also what it's like to find your voice. And now as a neurodivergent mom raising two neurodivergent kids, that mission feels even more personal. Parenting through ADHD, autism, sensory overload is real and is hard, but there's so much beauty in learning how to support each other.
Karen Habashi
Thanks for listening and don't forget to like, subscribe and comment on any platform you listen to podcasts on. And don't forget to show love to our social media, whether it's Facebook, Instagram or YouTube.
Gino Akbari
So sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired!