Ep.13-On Being Weird with Heather and her Mom, Liz

Beyond Well with Sheila Hamilton

Meet Eleven-year-old Heather, whose quote book carries these bits of wisdom. "Don't judge by the outside. Dig deeper." "I was an easy target. Now I'm not." And "I was bullied when I was younger and I've never been the same since." Heather was recently diagnosed as autistic, but, for a long time, kids just called her weird or different. She was bullied and terrorized for much of her elementary school experience. Finally receiving a diagnosis allowed Heather and her Mom access to tools to understand the unique nature of Heather's brain and how she might help others understand what it is like to be neurodivergent Now, Heather is reclaiming the word "weird" for herself and teaching other kids about what it means to be empathetic, open-hearted and hopeful.