Bronwyn's Journey: From Quiet Child to Public Speaker. Story of Resilience.

Cultural Autism Studies at Yale (CASY, ethnography project led by Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes) is delighted to announce that the ninth presentation in our "Autism in Africa Series with CHIP International" will be given by Bronwyn Hendricks who hails from South Africa. Come join us online via Zoom on Thursday, July 16 at 12-1 p.m. EDT (9am PDT, 4pm GMT, 6pm SAST). There is no cost to attend, and international participants are welcome.

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TOPIC: Bronwyn's Journey: From Quiet Child to Public Speaker. A Story of Resilience.

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DESCRIPTION: Bronwyn shares their journey of "rebuilding" after a lifetime of navigating a world not designed for them. They will discuss the reality of growing up as an undiagnosed autistic child, where struggles were met with interventions that lacked a name for their experience. Bronwyn will touch on: the "lost" years - growing up quiet, navigating school with a single best friend, and the intense anxiety of being misunderstood. Workplace friction: the challenge of entering the professional world, where open-plan offices and social "teamwork" led to frequent overstimulation and shutdowns. The turning point: how a formal diagnosis at age 30 finally provided the tools needed to lead an improved quality of life. A new chapter: their success in returning to university to study neurodiversity, turning their personal hardships into a master’s thesis aimed at improving workplace rights for the autistic community.

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BRIEF BIO: Bronwyn Hendricks is a 34-year-old master’s candidate at the University of the Western Cape in Cape Town, South Africa. Diagnosed with autism at age 30, they spent most of their life feeling "different" without knowing why. Growing up in the small agricultural town of Caledon, they navigated school with sensory sensitivities and selective mutism, eventually moving to Cape Town to pursue their studies. Today, Bronwyn is a scholar, a small business owner, and an autistic self-advocate who uses their own history to help others find community and justice.

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Statement from CHIP International: Child Health Improvement Program International (CHIP-I) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to awareness and training regarding autism and special needs in Africa. CHIP-I has operated in Ghana and Senegal since 2011 and has also developed associations with autism and special needs institutions in many other countries on the continent. We believe that children with autism and special needs in Africa, like everywhere else, deserve the opportunity to fulfill their potential. Learn more at www.chipinternationalusa.org

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ABOUT Cultural Autism Studies at Yale (CASY): An 'ethnography' is an exploration of how a group of people express themselves in a cultural way. Autistic people have a growing kind of culture, and each autistic experience is a vital part of it. Dr. Dawn Prince-Hughes is an anthropologist, ethnographer, primatologist, and author who is autistic. Join her for an exploration of the importance of autistic self-expression and the culture that grows from it. Those who wish to share their content are free to do so on our private Facebook groups, organically contributing to a growing autistic culture: CASY Cultural Autism Studies at Yale (recommended for autistic adults) and SOCIAL CONNECTIVITY FOR AUTISM (recommended for allies, professionals, and family members).

CREDITS: The preparation of this material was financed under an agreement with the CT Council on Developmental Disabilities (CTCDD). CASY Sparks membership, activities and events are free. CASY Sparks is sponsored in part by The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation Adult Autism Research Fund, and the research of Dr. Roger Jou

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