Danyale Sturdivant, MSSW, is a graduate of Russell Sage College and Columbia University’s School of Social Work. She holds a master’s degree in clinical social work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and is the proud mother of a teenage son on the Autism spectrum. After facing challenges in finding appropriate providers to meet the needs of her family, she founded Living Autism Out Loud (LAOL). LAOL strives to reduce and eventually eliminate barriers Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) parents face when accessing services for their children with autism and intellectual
developmental disabilities. These barriers may cause families to miss early detection and intervention opportunities for disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder and other intellectual developmental disabilities. LAOL seeks to reduce and eliminate these barriers through culturally responsive training, curriculum development, and parent-led panels for educational institutions, human service agencies, and community organizations.
Speaking Topics
| Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities (CIDD): Navigating the Complex World of Parenting an Adolescent with Autism Webinar Training Presenter: January 2023 Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD): The Intersect of Disability with Race, Gender, and Culture Webinar Training Presenter: February 2023 Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency (KRESA): Moving from Family Engagement to Family Partnership Webinar Training Presenter: March 2023 National African American Child and Family Research Center: (NAACFRC) Navigating the Challenges of Parenting a Black Adolescent with Autism: What I am Learning. Webinar Training Presenter: April 2023 Families Together in New York State Disrupting the Stigma within Mental Health and Neurodiversity In-Person – Co-Presenter April 2023 North Carolina AHEC Presentation: Navigation the Complex World of Autism Spectrum Disorder for Children and Adolescents of Color – A Parent’s Perspective Presenter: February 2022 – Webinar Navigating the Complex World of Autism Spectrum Disorder For Children and Adolescents of Color – A Parent’s Perspective Presenter: January 2022 – Webinar North Carolina School Psychologist Association – Parenting a Child of Color on the Autism Spectrum Presenter: October 2021 – Webinar | Families and Teams: Interdisciplinary and Sociocultural Perspectives Center for Continuing Excellence in Education at UNC Co-Instructor: Fall 2021 – Online White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide: Carol Anderson Book Presentation: Spring 2021 – Webinar Navigating the Complex World of Autism Spectrum Disorder For Children and Adolescents – A Parent’s Perspective Presenter: March 2021 – Webinar PBL Course Presentation for Center for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Parenting a Child of Color On the Autism Spectrum Presenter: January 2021 – Webinar Trusting Partnerships with Families of Color For online Class: Trusting Partnerships and Social Justice Guest Speaker: January 2021 – Webinar Master’s program in Early Childhood Intervention and Family Support in the School of Education Panelist: Spring 2020 Field Instructor Appreciation Day Conference Panelist: Spring 2020 Community Talk Series Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities Presenter: Spring 2020 Exploring Critical Race Theory in Teacher Education Programs Poster Presentation: Fall 2020 Families and Teams: Interdisciplinary and Sociocultural Perspectives Center for Continuing Excellence in Education at UNC Co-Instructor: Fall 2019 | Collaborative Planning for Individualized Student Programs in Special Education NC Central University Guest Speaker: Fall, 2019 Autism in Our Schools: An Interdisciplinary Perspective Focus Group Pilot Interviewee: Fall 2019 Classroom Q and A Session School of Education, University of NC – Chapel Hill Guest Speaker: Fall, 2019 SPHS 880 Autism Seminar at University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill Guest Speaker: Spring 2019 Study: Exploring the Perception of Adverse Life Events and Professional and Social Support Among Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities – Caregiver’s Perspective Participant: Winter, 2018 Autism Spectrum Disorder: Social Cognitive Interventions – Raising an African American Son UNC-CH, School of Social Work Guest Speaker: Summer, 2018 Parenting A Child of Color on the Autism Spectrum PowerPoint Presentation AHEC – Autism in the East Presenter: Spring, 2018 FACES Parent Advocacy NC State College of Education Guest Speaker: Spring, 2018 North Carolina Leadership in Neurodevelopment and related Disabilities Fellow (NC Lend) Trainee: Fall 2017 New York State Partners in Policy Making Participant: Fall 2015-2016 |