63. S5, Ep8: Intersecting identities, neurodivergent families, and inclusion, leadership and representation at work

Kira Young is a Native American poet, philosopher, activist and singer from Virginia, USA. She is 52 and was formally diagnosed very recently, after self diagnosing last year. She has held various different roles, both in corporations and the US Government, but her direct communication style and personal and professional integrity have often led to clashes with authority. She is now in the process of transitioning to making a living from her many passions. In our conversation we talk about: ➡ Meltdowns and masking ➡ Neurodiverse families and relationships ➡ Autism, gender and the Native American Two-Spirit gender identity  ➡ Navigating female friendships ➡ Neurodiverse recruitment, support and leadership, communication styles, and the representation of neurodiversity in the workplace Squarepeg is a podcast in which neurodivergent women, and trans and nonbinary people, explore navigating a neurotypical world and share their insights, challenges and successes. I hope that these conversations will be inspiring and thought provoking, open you up to new ways of thinking about being neurodivergent, and help you feel more connected to a worldwide community of people with similar experiences. I'm Amy Richards, and after being diagnosed autistic at the age of 37 I'm now on a mission to learn more about different perspectives and issues around being a neurodivergent adult in a world that feels like it doesn't quite fit.   EPISODE LINKS: Kira's Twitter: https://twitter.com/KiraYoung4 Her Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirayoung4/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kira.youngTHC   If you'd like to connect or get in touch with Squarepeg, you can find me on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squarepeg.community/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/squarepegautism  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/squarepegautism/  Or on my website: https://squarepeg.community/    THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS! A HUGE thank you to my amazing patrons, who support my work on the podcast: Abi Hunter, Amy Adler, Amy-Beth Mellor, Abigail J Moore, Ben Davies, Benita Borchard-Thierbach, Caroline, Cat Preston, Catrin Green, Cindy Bailey, Corinne Cariad, Danielle Warby, Dawn Trevellion, Elizabeth Williams, Elise, Jackie Allen, Jeff Goldman, Kate Faust, Katharine Richards, Katherine Lynch, Lea Li, Lilli Simmons, Mandy Allen, Pete Burke, Rebecca Kemp, Sarah Jeffery, Sarah Swanton, Sioned Wynn, Susan Millington, Suzanna Chen, Suzanne, Tree Hall, Una Walkenhorst, Vera Cady, Vicki Temple and Victoria Routledge. If you're enjoying the Squarepeg podcast and would like to help me carry on making new episodes, you can become a member of the Squarepeg community on Patreon from just £3 per month: https://www.patreon.com/squarepegpodcast