AWN Giving Tuesday eBook Release

November 28, 2023

This Giving Tuesday I’m so happy to celebrate the release of AWN’s new ebook, A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey…in Color.

For much of 2023, Kayla Rodriguez and I, as Co-Chairs of AWN’s Executive Advisory Board, have been immersed in various tasks coordinating this new free online resource about neurodivergent parenting that is available in both English and Spanish, absolutely FREE of charge.

This all began back in late 2022 when we were reflecting on the different projects AWN would be involved in during the year. We were saddened by the  lack of visibility in society of neurodivergent Black and Brown families like ours, and decided to do something to change that! Over the next several months, with your generous financial and emotional support, we’ve worked with different people within and outside of AWN to pull together an ebook that is truly a labor of love.

Illustration and text shown in front of a background with deep as well as paler shades of pink. At top the text reads: “A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey...in Color” Written by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD. In collaboration with Autistic Women and Nonbinary Network (AWN) Across the center left is an illustration of Morénike: A dark skinned Black person who has long, black microbraids, a colorful shirt, and a Captain America necklace, who is shown smiling in the drawing. At right is a drawing of Morénike’s paperback book with illustration of the hands of a Black parent and Black child holding hands. In the lower right hand corner of the book cover is the awn logo: a large pink “a” with a pale blue spoonie dragonfly, along with the website; awnnetwork dot org.

Our new book, entitled A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey…in Color in English and Mi experiencia a Color con la neurodiversidad y la crianza con ternura in Spanish shares my family’s candid, personal thoughts, feelings, joys, and struggles in an effort to amplify the unique experiences of neurodivergent families of color, and we were proud to release it to the world on November 1st.

While this book is deeply informed by my perspective as a parent in a multiethnic BIPOC neurodivergent family, shaped through my collaboration with Kayla in crafting the book, my own story is supplemented by experiences from a myriad of other contributors. I hope you’ll also find wisdom in the words of Natasha “Supernova Momma” Nelson, Jennifer White-Johnson, Ally Grace, Dr. Robert Naseef, Tamika Lecheé Morales, Jules Edwards, Teresita Delgado Rolón,  Kristin Edwards, Lei Wiley-Mydske, Sharon daVanport, Erin Casey, and Court Falk! 

AWN is providing this resource as a free download, because we want this knowledge to be accessible to as many people as possible. Yet it took a lot of our own financial resources and time to create.

So today, on Giving Tuesday, I do want to encourage you to give back to the team behind A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey…in Color by making a donation to AWN.

Illustration and text against a pale brown and beige background. At top left in black text and in quotes reads: “What does it mean to me to be a ‘connected parent’? … it means that there is no place in our home for stigma, for hating disability, for stereotypes about cognitive abilities or for shame” - Excerpt from “A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey...in Color” by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD. At right is a drawing of Morénike’s paperback book with illustration of the hands of a Black parent and Black child holding hands. Book cover reads “A Neurodiversity and Gentle Parenting Journey...in Color” by Morénike Giwa Onaiwu next to the awn pink “a” logo. In the lower left hand corner is the awn logo: a large pink “a” with a pale blue spoonie dragonfly, along with the website; awnnetwork dot org. Alongside is a pink heart above the words “Giving Tuesday” in black text.

Can I please count on you to donate $10, $20, $50, or whatever you can afford to support this book and all of AWN’s work?

DONATE

This month and every month I am reminded how very grateful I am to be in community with all of you!

Sincerely,

Morénike Giwa Onaiwu
Equity, Justice & Representation
Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network

smiling portrait of Morenike Giwa Onaiwu, disabled non-binary woman of color and parent