We are so excited to introduce you to our community of presenter/thought leaders.

 

We are proud to introduce…

 

Bibinaz Pirayesh, Ed.D., Director, One of One Kids | Founder, The Difference is Not Deficit Project
 

Dr. Bibi Pirayesh is Director of One of One Kids, and Founder of The Difference Is Not Deficit Project, a community initiative for decolonizing the traditional model of special education to create a new vision for neurodiverse children through the power of their own lived experiences. She works with children grades 1-12 and is a sought-after speaker and workshop facilitator for educators and other professionals hoping to learn about learning disability is a social justice issue. She has developed a number of courses and professional development on this topic and is also adjunct Faculty at Pepperdine University.
 

Dr. Pirayesh's Conference Session is entitled Transition Planning as an Act of Radical Love 
 

While we traditionally think of college as a time when students find their voice, for many students with learning disabilities the transition to college means the loss of support, advocacy, and eventually, their voice. The pressures to conform, the pressures of independent living, the lack of professor knowledge about learning disabilities, and the expectations of college often create a perfect storm that can render even the most well-adjusted students helpless. There is robust research showing the unequal effect of this on racialized children. But what if we used this time of turmoil as a time of opportunity to teach students radical love for themselves? What if we used this time to teach them how to center their voice, how to engage in community building, and how to set an example of resistance for their typically developing peers against the hierarchical and often white supremacist spaces of higher education? What if we asked students to see their college education as a practice of freedom and of political awareness as it was originally meant to be? This session aims to engage these questions from the perspective of educational therapy and advocacy and argue that we must help students turn their vulnerability into their power.

 

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Let’s Talk LD has worked extremely hard over the years to deliver a conference experience that celebrates and centers the voices of neurodiverse people. Due to the extraordinary generosity of our community of presenters, and the generosity of our private donors, we can offer the conference at low or no cost to our attendees. As a 100% volunteer-powered organization, we are grateful to every person who has supported this important work.

 

Let's Talk LD mission is to drive systemic change that is focused on closing equity, opportunity, and achievement gaps for neurodivergent individuals in the areas of education, employment, and civic engagement. Our organization accomplishes this by providing services, building communities-of-practice, developing programs, and producing and delivering content focused on student advocacy, parent and caregiver education, and professional learning opportunities for educators and practitioners designed to improve PK-12 learning outcomes and post-secondary attainment for individuals who are neurodiverse. Our work is shaped by community and youth organizing efforts that seek educational and social justice for marginalized youth.

 

 

To learn more about or to register for our College and Career Conference, please point your browser to https://www.letstalkld.org/2021-college-conference.