(upbeat music) >>I'm Darryl Owens.

Welcome to "A World of Difference Embracing Neurodiversity."

Being a person of color in this country comes with baggage.

Living with learning and thinking differences is no picnic either.

So imagine the child who is both a person of color and neurodivergent.

The intersection between race and neurodivergence can be daunting.

Consider black autistic children are twice as likely to be wrongly diagnosed with conduct disorder.

One study traces the reason that they are misdiagnosed or never diagnosed at all to perceptions of black kids as mischief makers.

Similarly, critical support for black students struggling with undiagnosed learning and thinking issues can be slowed by enduring stereotypes about black intellect.

Asian children with learning and thinking differences may go undiagnosed, because their cultures often view learning disabilities as shameful, caused by poor parenting or something that can be overcome by working even harder on achieving the good education Asian families often prioritize.

And Latino kids, like their African American peers, often receive late diagnosis for autism.

As a result, they lose critical years of early intervention and treatment that could have improved outcomes.

For students who stand out, because of their color and how their brains are wired to succeed, parents must be involved on the front lines fighting for the accommodations, tools, support, and understanding they need to reach their potential.

On this episode, we explore the challenges one neurodivergent Asian-American collegian faces around lingering stigmas about learning and thinking differences and limiting the racial stereotypes.

Next, our expert panel looks closer at the twin challenges that neurodivergent children of color can face and supply strategies to head off issues that can undercut their ability to succeed and thrive.

Later, we'll introduce you to our latest difference maker, a neurodivergent NASCAR driver with a lifelong need for speed.

First Health Day Special Correspondent, Mabel Jong, goes one-on-one with an autistic graduate student in Virginia who is finding scholastic success while winning the war of stereotyping and bias that he's waging on two fronts.

(upbeat music) >>Meet Ben VanHook, a neurodivergent graduate student attending George Mason University in Washington, DC working toward a master's degree in public policy.

Ben also works full-time at the organization for Autism Research supporting other neurodivergent students.

>>So I think that going into policy and influencing policy is just a good fit for me.

And I also embrace nothing without us about us movement where we need more neurodivergent individuals helping out with policy and helping out with supporting their neurodivergent community and collaborating with neurotypicals in doing so.

>>At just six years old, Ben was diagnosed with autism.

He remembers the struggles he's had to overcome.

>>But one of them was my slowness in developing fine and gross motor skills, so I was really slow when it came to spoken language when it came to crawling, when it came to initially walking.

But I also had difficulty with communication and conversation.

I found eye contact really difficult from an early age and I also had these really niche areas in countries, flags, capitals, and United States presidents, and it was hard to kind of talk about anything outside of those areas for me.

So I was taken in to get a formal assessment.

>>Ben didn't always live in the United States.

His multiple identities merged when he was adopted from China by an American family in Northern Virginia.

>>Yep, it was in Harbin, China.

I was less than a year old and I was abandoned my biological parents in this train station with the hope that someone would pick me up and help me get to a better life.

So I was eventually picked up, taken to an orphanage in Harbin, China where I was taken home by someone who worked there and she kind of fostered me.

And then I was eventually adopted a year later.

>>Not only was Ben raised in a white household, he was also immersed into a different religion.

>>My adoptive mother was Jewish, my adoptive father was Christian, so, but I was raised Jewish.

I went to Hebrew school and I went to synagogue every Sunday for Sunday school classes.

And we also went Friday night for Shabbat services, so I was raised Jewish in a Jewish household.

>>At school, Ben faced language and learning challenges while also dealing with discrimination as an Asian American and neurodiverse student.

>>It was, it was definitely a lot and I think it, I was learning three languages at once in elementary school.

I was learning English.

I was learning Mandarin Chinese, and I was also learning Hebrew.

So it was kind of hard to learn all of those languages all at once, because of the way my mind worked and processed information.

I also found it, I found that like when one of my identities wasn't attacked, another one was, so if someone wasn't making comments about me being Jewish, there was people who made racist or discriminatory remarks about my Asian American ethnicity.

So, it was really emotionally isolating and I just felt like it was a difficult time.

>>Ben uses his experiences to support others like him.

>>I thought self-acceptance was the first step towards healing and towards helping other people in my position have a better educational experience.

>>Ben now spends his spare time volunteering to support other neuro divergent students on his campus.

>>So I wanted to possibly affect change in our community when it came to neurodivergent policy and neurodivergent policy reform.

I want to to give back to my community and make sure that the future generations have it easier than we currently have right now.

>>What were some of the specific challenges you experienced in the education system as a neurodiverse student?

>>One of the challenges I faced was that a lot of times I found the teachers didn't really understand me so I, one of the changes I do wanna make is having a neurodiversity, like including neurodiversity in teacher training, when it comes to like having like the teacher pipeline.

I also think having a peer mentor in school is really helpful.

>>Ben has also formed helpful ways to navigate social settings as sometimes these can also be a challenge.

Ben attended college at Mercyhurst University in Pennsylvania, which has a program specifically supporting students with autism.

>>The program is called Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst student AIM program.

And one of the best things that they did for me was they launched my advocacy career.

During my junior and senior year, even my sophomore year, they took me and several other students to New York City and to Washington, DC to advocate for autism.

Off-campus trips really help not only the networking bit, but it also helped us develop soft skills.

We learned how to manage our time, because we also had classes we had a study form in between.

We also learned how to use public transportation, how to budget.

We learned how to dress appropriately and how to show up on time for these meetings.

>>Despite numerous challenges how are you able to grow your confidence?

>>I think one of the biggest changes was that like I began to accept and appreciate who I was and I think that self-acceptance really gave me more confidence when it came to talking about my identities.

I think it is good that they, that people think of me as like a confident and strong individual, but I also think that, I hope that it doesn't become a stereotype of neurodivergents, because we're all really different.

>>So do you think it was even more challenging for you than for someone who is dealing with only neurodiversity?

>>I think there's a strong intersectionality between race and neurodiversity, and that people who are both neurodivergent and a racial minority, I think there are challenges they face that one wouldn't face if they were in just one of those identity groups.

>>Did you experience any of the racism that increased against Asians during the pandemic?

>>So I didn't personally see it, but I was watching the news every single day.

I was scared, and the reason I didn't see it was because I was staying indoors all the time.

I was afraid to go out shopping.

I was afraid to hang out with friends in public, and I was afraid to go back to school.

I decided to spend my first semester senior year online at home because I was afraid of going back to Pennsylvania, which is a really purple state in the middle of a spike in hate crimes against Asian Americans.

>>With discrimination inside and outside the classroom, how do you see more inclusion for neurodiverse people in the workplace?

>>I think the more communication and the more knowledge that's shared about neurodiversity throughout the workplace the better.

And it will improve retention, because of the allyship and people knowing that neurodiverse needs are going to be heard and it'll also improve hiring, because neurodivergents can talk about like what parts of the hiring process were difficult for them, what can be reformed for other neurodivergents in the future.

>>For "A World of Difference," I'm Mabel Jong.

(upbeat music) >>Thanks, Mabel.

Next, our expert panel takes a closer look at living as both neurodivergent and a person of color.

(upbeat music) Dr. Jeffrey Gardere is a Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Director of the Psychology Doctoral Program and Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harlem, New York.

Heather Reed is an Assistant Director of First Year Engagement at Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, which is the country's first accredited baccalaureate institution dedicated to educating neurodivergent students with attention issues and learning and thinking differences.

Reed is also a Beacon graduate.

Sabra Townsend is the Director of Operations for the Jefferson Center for Autism and Neurodiversity in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a founding member of Autism Sharing and Parenting in Philadelphia, and a mom to her neurodivergent son.

Dr. Richelle Whittaker is an Educational Psychologist and Parenting Advisor with Providential Counseling and Consulting Services in Houston, Texas.

So let's start our conversation with Dr. Gardere.

Why can a diagnosis of neurodivergence be such a daunting thing for families of color?

>>Well, first of all, let's be honest about it.

A lot of people don't know what the term neurodivergence means.

It's a relatively new term and quite often people may see it as a disability instead of a different ability.

Quite often in the black and brown community we don't have some of the new information, some of the new research, some of the things that we do know about how neuro divergence can be something that can be extremely positive.

They also fear that their child may be bullied for being different.

And bottom line is, I think any parent, regardless of race may see the diagnosis of neurodivergence or one of the diagnosis within that particular term as kind of being a left hook, something that they didn't really expect to happen with regard to their family.

>>Thank you for that.

Well Dr. Whittaker, Dr. Gardere mentioned fear, and I do imagine that for African American families or other people of color, learning this diagnosis does produce a modicum of fear.

Can you talk a little more about that?

>>Sure, yes.

Just like Dr. Gardere did, Dr. Gardere said, there is a fear of the unknown, because there's a lack of information and resources, So what we don't know, we fear.

and when we get the diagnosis a lot of times parents are asking themselves will my child be able to be normal?

Will they be able to have friends?

Will they be able to live independently?

There's so many things that they aren't sure about, And so that alone, in and of itself, brings this level of fear because there's a lot of unknowns that come along with having this unexpected diagnosis of different, different, being, having a child that is different.

And so I think that of course brings out this fear to parents until they get some more answers and some more access to resources.

>>Thank you.

Well Sabra, can you talk to me about what are some of the unique challenges that families of color who are rearing a neurodivergent child face?

>>This is an excellent question.

You talk about resources.

That's how our Autism Sharing and Parenting organization was started, because we were gathering resources, and we wanted to make sure that they were resources that were provided to families that needed the resources, that they could talk and have an interaction with presenters.

Sometimes things are presented in ways that are not particularly interactive.

We wanted to make sure that there are things that people can talk about, can get answers from experts in a comfortable manner.

So from a parent perspective, I think it's always important to focus on the needs of the student as opposed to what the parents want.

I think it's very important to understand the IEP process and those were topics of workshops that we had with Autism Sharing and Parenting.

>>All right, thank you.

Well Heather, once a family of color receives this diagnosis, what are some things that they should know?

>>They should know that they're not alone.

Like everyone was saying there are many groups out there that are looking to get them support and resources.

They should also know that this struggle is not only theirs, but it's also their students as well.

And unfortunately mainly it is their students who will be struggling, so they have to work together to find resolutions and also groundwork to be successful.

And overall, it's going to be hard.

It's gonna be very hard, but you will have success here and there.

>>Thank you.

So, Dr. Gardere, when it comes to neurodivergence, early intervention is very, very critical.

But is it even more critical for families of color?

And if so, why?

>>Well, as we know, implicit bias and institutional racism is very real.

And therefore, our kids are already at a disadvantage with regard to services that are available to them with being diagnosed as early as possible.

So when we look at the intersection between black and being neurodivergent, then we see that it places them even more at risk for discrimination later on in life.

So it's important as black families that we get them the diagnosis and we get them the services as quickly as possible.

Plus the other thing is we know there's a stigma of discussing mental health concerns and challenges, cognitive issues, even neurodivergence in our black communities.

So the earlier that we get our children incorporated into the social fabric, if they are experiencing neurodivergence, then the earlier the normalization of their neurodivergence, and certainly the better the outcome for them to have a completely productive and unique life.

Do you have questions about learning disabilities?

Our experts want to hear from you.

Visit our website AWODTV.ORG to ask a question.

We'll contact you to record you asking your question to air on an upcoming episode.

Our experts look forward to providing you actionable tips that make a world of difference.

(upbeat music) Next, let's reveal our latest difference maker.

When doctors told the parents of Armani Williams that he had autism and might need to be a ward of his parents for life, the dreams they had for their son seemed stuck in park.

But the boy who was fascinated with cars and trucks took a detour and put his own dream on overdrive.

He started racing go-karts as an eight year old and debuted in a NASCAR Pinty series in Canada in 2017.

Today, Williams is among a handful of black NASCAR drivers and the only openly autistic driver on the circuit, and he continues to pursue his boyhood dream of NASCAR success.

But whether Williams ever takes the checkered flag first in the race, in the race of life, he's already in the winners circle.

Senior Correspondent, Cindy Peterson, brings us his story.

(upbeat music) (rock music) >>My name is Armani Williams and I'm a 22 year old NASCAR driver.

(rock music) I was diagnosed without autism when I was two years old.

And being a young kid, I didn't really know that I had it at the time.

I think there were some limitations, like doctors telling my parents, how like I may have to live with them the rest of my life, how I may not be able to graduate from high school, get a driver's license, and all of that.

I like cars, so I would get these Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars, and just played 'em all around the house whether it was at my mom's, at my dad's, my grandparents, things of that nature.

And then next thing you know I heard of something called NASCAR.

>>Armani is breaking barriers in the racing world as the first openly autistic NASCAR driver.

He has worked hard to defy the odds and reach for his dreams.

>>Soon as I like I got older enough to where I could understand that's when my parents told me what I had, and I wanted to know more about it as possible, because I wanted to be able to overcome my limitations, overcome the challenges that I kind of experienced just looking back on it.

It's good that I got that early diagnosis and I learned it early on so that I had more time to overcome it before it was too late.

>>But in the end, it was Armani's need for speed that caught his attention.

>>What really caught my eye right away was how fast those cars were going?

I mean, 180, 190 miles an hour.

I'm like, what?

Are you serious?

I mean, like, like that sounds like fun, just the thrill going fast.

Just eventually it got to the point where I wanted to be a part of what those guys were doing on TV.

>>Armani started racing in the Pinty series in Canada and made his debut in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in St. Louis, Missouri in 2021.

>>I kind of used those limitations as a strength, really.

Like people with autism, we have a laser-like focus on things that interests us and that applies to me when I'm in a race car for say, being a race car driver.

That like, once I'm out on that race track going at the speed of sounds, I don't ever think about anything other than what's in my front windshield, that I got a job to do, I'm gonna push this car as hard as I possibly can, and push it as fast as I possibly can.

Just having that ultra focus, because it's just what I love to do and it's my passion.

But at the end of the day, us race car drivers, we're here for one reason only, and that's to go out there and and win races, get trophies, get championships.

And so that's something that, I'm striving and working towards and I believe one day that it'll actually happen >>Although it wasn't his intention, Armani is reshaping the sport simply by representing a minority that hasn't been seen before in race car driving.

With that, a number of sponsors have jumped on board to back Armani's journey.

>>In a way I see it.

When I told my dad I wanted to be a race car driver, I would never think that my first thought was so, I mean, okay, you know, like I'm here to try to change perspectives, like break barriers and things like that.

I just kind of thought of myself as, hey this is something that I wanted to do.

But as time went along, and I kind of start learning more about the history of our sport and what it's always been for the longest time, like I will say like I'm proud and pleased to be able to become a positive change to what the sport has needed for a long time.

Just more diversity and more like minorities like African American female drivers that are not from this country, or heck, even a guy like me who just has disabilities.

Just have an opportunity to make a difference in a sport, and so, I'm just happy that I'm able to create some positive change from that perspective.

Just, we got the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism where that their mission is to help out families and individuals with autism live life by the fullest.

Just trying to help those people like gain life enrichment opportunities, whether in life to where they can be successful at whatever they wanted to do.

And that's something I've always prided myself in with using my racing platform to create awareness and inclusion for autism, and help them discover that, hey, people with autism can be successful at anything they set their mind to as long as they believe in themselves and as long as they encourage themselves to just keep pushing forward.

None of this would've been possible without the support of my family.

I mean, my dad's here and all that.

He's been with me through thick and thin ever since I told him that I wanted to be a professional race car driver, and has done everything that he possibly can to help me get to where I am today.

As well as the great partners I have with the Doug Flutie Foundation for Autism, IceCOLD Technology that are onboard this race.

without their support for me, and especially for autism, like, we probably wouldn't be here today, so I'm very grateful for their support.

>>Armani hopes that following his dreams will lead to others like himself aspiring for greatness in whatever field they choose.

>>I would just say, don't give up on your hopes and dreams.

Like no matter what you have, like everybody is in this world to succeed at something, you just gotta be able to find what brings you that love, that joy, that happiness, that passion that you just can't get away.

And just stick with that and just hey, if that's a dream of something that you want to do in life, why not go for it?

>>For "A World of Difference," I'm Cindy Peterson.

(upbeat music) >>Thanks, Cindy.

And congratulations Armani Williams for making a difference.

And that does it for this edition of "A World of Difference, Embracing Neurodiversity."

I'm Darryl Owens.

I'll see you back here next time.

You can watch episodes of "A World of Difference" on the Beacon College Facebook and YouTube channels and on the show's website, awodtv.org.

The website also provides tip sheets and other resources for your parenting journey.

You can watch the show from the PBS app available on your favorite streaming device and you can listen on your favorite podcasting platform.

Thank you for watching and supporting "A World of Difference."

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