Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity: 25 Tales of Creative Thinkers
Dear Rebels FOREWORD My name is Isabella Springmühl I'm 26 years old I am from Guatemala and I am a fashion designer I speak all over the world about entrepreneurship and employment inclusion for people with disabilities What I love most about myself is that I have Down syndrome Down syndrome means my brain works differently than other people's and it's just one example of neurodiversity From a young age I had the opportunity to attend a traditional school which gave me great confidence even though connecting with my peers wasn't always easy My mother took it upon herself to educate and inform my teachers about Down syndrome She had the brilliant idea of writing a book so that my classmates could also learn about this condition They learned about me and in turn I learned about them Today I know that being different made me strive harder and with the support of a shadow teacher and curriculum adaptations I graduated college My classmates even chose me to deliver the graduation speech I dreamed of pursuing a degree in fashion design but I was turned down by two universities in Guatemala It wasn't because I lacked talent or knowledge It was because I had Down syndrome I felt devastated because for the first time in my life Down syndrome was a reason to be denied an opportunity But I didn't let that stop me My journey as a fashion designer began with a passion for beautiful clothes and jewelry which turned into a thriving business positively impacting the lives of many Guatemalan artists I developed a unique and self-taught creative process I make vibrant pieces crafted from pre-loved Guatemalan fabrics With the help of a wonderful all girl team I bring my ideas creativity and deep love for my country to life The most challenging part of my journey has been dealing with the lack of understanding about my condition But understanding comes with knowledge That's why books like this one are so important Through them people all over 4
5 the world can learn what it means to be neurodivergent and neurodivergent readers can see themselves on the page I'm excited for you to read about the incredible neurodivergent women in Rebel Girls Celebrate Neurodiversity Some are autistic some are dyslexic some have ADHD and all have achieved great things I particularly love Temple Grandin's story Not only does her life inspire me but her famous phrase Different not less echoes constantly in my mind To me this means that no matter what we face we deserve to have the opportunities to grow develop and be included in our society Similarly the remarkable story of Madeline Stuart who shattered beauty stereotypes and demonstrated that fashion is for everyone really resonates with me These are just a couple of the inspiring neurodivergent women you'll meet in this book These Rebels show that resilience and creativity are the most important ingredients when you're following your dreams With love imagination hard work and most of all embracing your uniqueness you can turn your dreams into reality Isabella Springmühl
6 AMANDA GORMAN POET One cold January morning Amanda Gorman approached a podium took a deep breath and began to speak Millions of people from around the world watched as she recited her poem The Hill We Climb It was the 2021 inauguration of President Joe Biden and she was the youngest inaugural poet in US history When she was finished the crowd cheered for her beautiful words and moving performance Amanda was proud of herself She knew there was a time in her life when saying a poem aloud would not have been so easy When she was a little girl Amanda was diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder People with auditory processing disorders can hear but their brains have a hard time making sense of sounds This can make it difficult to have conversations follow directions or learn new words For Amanda this was especially true when she tried to say certain words and sounds like r and sh sounds Writing however that didn't pose those same challenges From a young age she found solace writing poems She worked hard to create a voice and style that was entirely her own Before long she had enough to fill a book She called it The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough Writing poems was one thing reciting them was another As Amanda got ready for the inauguration she focused on her inner voice She knew what she had to say was powerful and she could spread her message of hope and togetherness She practiced by reading aloud It helped her develop a strong voice and the courage to perform in front of others The letter r still gave her trouble especially when she had to say the word rise many lines in a row but that didn't matter Amanda led with her strengths and the world heard what she had to say BORN MARCH 7 1998 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
I DON'T CONSIDER HAVING A SPEECH IMPEDIMENT NECESSARILY AS A DISABILITY BUT ACTUALLY AS A STRENGTH IT GAVE ME MY GREATEST SUPERPOWER WHICH IS MY VOICE AMANDA GORMAN ILLUSTRATION BY KETURAH ARIEL
