In Afrotistic Kala captures the soul and spirit of Noa, a young Black autistic teen who doesn’t feel cool enough. A Fulbright scholar and Oxford University graduate, Kala talks with me about how race and disability intersect in her life as a Black autistic woman, and how she poured her lived experiences into the lead character of her young adult novel, Afrotistic. In this week’s episode I’m bringing you insight on this topic from a different and valuable vantage point: I’m talking with author Kala Omeiza about neurodiversity advocacy and her journey to being diagnosed with autism at 24. Black children diagnosed with ASD have higher rates of intellectual disabilities than white children, and their diagnosis is typically made at a more advanced age. According to a study conducted by the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 1 in every 44 children received a diagnosis of ASD in 2018, up significantly from 1 out of every 150 children between 20. The number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has steadily increased over the last twenty years. Over the course of hosting my podcast, I’ve spoken to parents of autistic children about their challenges and victories raising neurodiverse children.
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