Twenty-One Senses: Invisible Disabilities

EPISODE: 18

LISTEN TO PODCAST WITH LINKS BELOW

Twenty-One Senses

Invisible Disabilities

The Background

Twenty-One Senses (501c3) was founded in 2018 by a Chicago mom struggling to raise two special needs kids in a community that consistently misunderstood them, and sometimes punished them, for taking a slightly different approach. She could relate to what her kids were going through. As a mother, she herself often felt shamed when friends, family, teachers, or even strangers were bewildered or disappointed by her children or her parenting choices. Her vision, and our vision, is for an educated and inclusive community that sees her kids––and all people struggling with difference––through a lens of humility and compassion. Humility about our own individual differences and the differences of others, and compassion for all people regardless of age, background, appearance, capabilities, or limitations.

Their mission is to teach communities to support the inclusion, dignity, and well-being of the ~17% (one-in-six)1 of their kids, customers, colleagues, and peers currently living with a sensory disability. Many familiar diagnoses such as autism, PTSD, ADHD, and anxiety are among the 20+ disorders that all affect how the brain interprets information from the senses. Despite being different neurological conditions, these so-called invisible disabilities frequently produce similar observable behaviors. For example, an autistic child and a survivor of traumatic abuse may both be easily upset by physical touch or unexpected stimuli. By accepting without judgement the slightly different approach to daily life that neurological diversity requires, an informed and empathetic community can empower its sensory sensitive families to embrace their diagnoses with self-compassion and positivity.