Episode 58 — Autism and Neurodiversity Advocacy With Sarah Kernion '06

The People of Penn State

Misconceptions of autism and the frequency in which people are excluded, threaten access to the vital information, resources and support autistic people and their families need.
Sarah Kernion '06, a distinguished global speaker and neurodiversity advocate, is first and foremost a mother of three children, two of which have non-speaking autism.
Through her work, she fosters a supportive community around the ‘inchstones’ vs milestones mentality of parents and neurodiversity, advocating for greater acceptance and valuing of the contributions of neurodivergent individuals in society.
In 2023, Sarah officially launched Saturday’s Story, LLC, alongside a charity, Milly & Mack’s Marchers, Corps, supporting children with autism and their schooling and related services.
Connect with Sarah on Instagram and LinkedIn.
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Watch the video version of this episode.
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Timestamps for our conversation with Sarah
0:00 — Intro
1:48 — Sarah's Penn State story
9:40 — What is neurodiversity?
10:55 — Personal connections to autism and neurodiversity
22:00 — Recognizing signs of autism
31:16 — How Sarah became an advocate for neurodiversity
38:45 — Milly & Mack’s Marchers
40:19 — Lightning Round Q&A
50:42 — Outro