ArtbyDCFlo

Daniella Florindez, MPH & CYT, is a writer, researcher and a consultant for awareness, acceptance, and inclusion of neurodivergence. Daniella completed her Masters in Public Health at the University of Southern California, and currently consults autistic research and academic projects, including the DREAmS (Disparity Reduction and Equity in Autism Services) Lab at USC. Her research interests include exploring health equity and social justice for neurominorities; storytelling and the impact authentic representation of autistic experiences has on early and accurate diagnosis/self-diagnosis; and the need for autistic voices to lead research on autism so that we can tell our own story, guide our own needs, and have our health and experiences accepted, valued, and accommodated. Drawing from her own life, she is passionate about describing undiagnosed neurodivergence as influenced and masked through culture, intergenerational family structures, assimilation, stigma, and surviving. As a Peruvian-American, late diagnosed autistic woman, Daniella is so grateful to the Autism Acceptance movement and Actuallyautistic twitter which helped her finally understand her brain. She describes being late diagnosed as being a stranger in your own brain, with habits and routines that exhaust you and hide you from authentically connecting. Daniella writes more about the experience of ‘camouflaging/masking’ on her social media channels and is open to creating writing and/or research partnerships with those who share her interests. She is best reached via email at: dcflorindez.consulting@gmail.com