{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"181 Beyond Inclusion: Civil Rights, Communication, and Crip Time with Dr. Edlyn Pe\u00f1a","description":" Access to communication is the first step\u2014what comes after?   In this episode of Non Linear Learning, Dr. Vaish Sarathy and Searmi Park sit down with award-winning researcher and advocate Dr. Edlyn Pe\u00f1a to talk about inclusion, spelled communication, and what happens when we stop settling for access and start building actual community.   Dr. Pe\u00f1a shares her journey raising her non-speaking son Diego\u2014from fighting for AAC in preschool to full inclusion in high school using a letterboard. She also opens up about her newest venture: the DREAM Community Center, a post-high school model for neurodivergent teens and adults that centers autonomy, learning, and joy.   We talk about: Why spelled communication is a civil rights issue The real risks (and rewards) of pushing for inclusion in traditional systems How to navigate accusations of influence\u2014and why \u201cproof\u201d standards for non-speakers are inherently unjust Why college doesn\u2019t have to follow a neurotypical timeline The power of \u201ccrip time,\u201d self-defined success, and post-secondary options beyond degrees   This episode is a grounded and generous look at what advocacy looks like in real life\u2014and what happens when parents, educators, and communities believe that communication is non-negotiable.   Links + Resources Learn more about the DREAM Center: dreamcommunitycenter.org Leaders Around Me by Edlyn Pe\u00f1a: Amazon link Communication Alternatives in Autism (Edlyn Pe\u00f1a, editor): Amazon link Follow Vaish on Instagram: @drvaishsarathy ","author_name":"Non Linear Learning - Rethinking Education for Neurodivergent Learners","author_url":"https:\/\/www.drvaishsarathy.com\/","html":"