Higher education communities are facing a mental health crisis that has been a long time coming—but Dr. Pryal, expert in mental health and neurodiversity in higher education communities, has answers. In this talk, she helps audiences understand what neurodiversity is, how stigma harms neurodivergent students and faculty in higher education communities, and how to bring neurodivergent community members into the fold.

We have far more neurodivergent students in our classrooms than we know—students with ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, and more. How can we shape our teaching to best serve these students—and all of our students—without putting too much strain on ourselves as faculty? In this talk, Dr. Pryal explains the learning struggles neurodivergent students face and gives specific advice for how to help them.

In this talk, Dr. Pryal reveals the barriers and provides strategies for creating true inclusion of neurodivergent people in your workplace or community. Dr. Pryal will guide your group toward a greater understanding of neurodiversity and mental health, stigma and how it prevents inclusion, and how to create a community that benefits all people.

Burnout has always been around, but only in 2019 did the World Health Organization add it to the International Classification of Diseases (the ICD-11) as an official syndrome. Post-pandemic, burnout seems to be everywhere—indeed, it is systemic. A recent study shows that, in the U.S., rates are up by nearly 25%. The mental health toll of burnout is only now being seen. Workers, parents, students, professionals, and entrepreneurs are all suffering; burnout doesn’t discriminate. But when we are burning out, we often don’t recognize it, and when we do, we often don’t know what do to about it. 

Dr. Pryal applies her decade-plus of research on mental health and organizations to help your group understand systemic burnout, spot it, and then address it. In either a keynote or workshop format, customized to your needs, Dr. Pryal delivers hopeful guidance in these challenging times.

Are you a neurodivergent parent or parent of neurodivergent children? Do you struggle to find your place in the world? Do you wish to understand how to better include neurodivergent parents and children in your community?

In this talk, Dr. Katie Pryal, a bipolar-autistic mom to two autistic kids, recounts heartwarming and hilarious stories of her own childhood and of parenting her children. Audiences will fall in love with Dr. Pryal's heartfelt, frustrating, yet inspiring and funny tales from the front lines of neurodiversity and accessibility. When Dr. Pryal shares her story of childhood and motherhood with audiences, she not only informs with research and powerful storytelling, but also expands audiences’ capacity for empathy and compassion. 

Listeners will leave with key takeaways for how to create inclusive communities for parents and children that gather everyone with accessibility and empathy.