How soon should you tell your child about their autism diagnosis? When Rachel Barcellona was diagnosed at the age of three, her mother discussed it with her to help Rachel understand herself better. Today, Rachel is an advocate for people with autism as she navigates her own journey into adulthood.
Looking back on her childhood, Rachel shared with me how the bullying she experienced in middle school affected her autism and depression, how an epilepsy diagnosis turned her life upside down when she was ten, and then how misdiagnosis and treatment of ADD caused a near-death experience. Of all of these medical problems, Rachel has an interesting perspective into which ones had the biggest impact on her life.
Because Rachel was so shy when she was a child, she was often put into social skills groups. There were so many boys in these groups, and there are only so many conversations you can have about Thomas the Tank Engine and Pokemon! She wanted to be around more girls, so she started entering beauty pageants.
Beauty pageants opened up a whole new world for Rachel, and they helped her improve her eye contact, learn to interview better, gain confidence speaking, and practice walking in high heels. She’s been able to take those skills into college where she became an advocate for adults on the spectrum and helped create a support system where none had previously existed.
It was a delightful interview today with a well-spoken young lady who has such a bright future ahead of her. I hope that you’ll enjoy our thoughtful conversation about the intersection of autism, depression, and epilepsy.
Today’s Guest
A senior at the University of South Florida, double majoring in English and communications, Rachel is an advocate for those with disabilities and has created her nonprofit, The Ability Beyond Disabilities to inspire and help those that have challenges to strive for their dreams as well as to educate those who might not understand the challenges faced.
As an individual with autism, she often felt like she could not do many things. People with disabilities or anyone who is different are often targets for bullies as she was, but because of her life and social experience, she has overcome many challenges. Today Rachel is a spokesperson for the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities at USF (CARD-USF) and also on their board. She also holds board positions at Unicorn Children’s Foundation, The Els Center for Excellence, Kulture City as well as the Dyspraxia Foundations USA, all of which provide services to individuals with disabilities including occupational, physical, along with music, and art therapy. As people with autism are reaching ages of employment, her focus is now also to bring awareness to individuals and companies to provide an opportunity for employment.
Rachel has performed the National Anthem at major sports events and at Madison Square Gardens. She also spoke at the United Nations on World Autism Day and recently filmed a short documentary for Sephora. Currently, she works at a radio station in New York and has her own segment. She is an avid writer and is working on a series of fantasy novels.
You’ll Learn
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