People of Georgian: Neurodivergent leader finds path to belonging
Oct. 17, 2024
What’s your story?
The Georgian community is full of unique, inspiring perspectives —and we’re sharing them as part of an ongoing series. To mark Autism Awareness Month, which is October in Canada, one of our employees, Joshua Wong, shares his journey with neurodivergence and how he’s helping others find a space to be their authentic selves.
People of Georgian: Meet Joshua Wong
As a kid, there was a consistent idea that I was doing something wrong by being myself.
Whether it was teachers or my parents telling me, I had a knack for sharing information. Family secrets were never off the table. Those came out in public quite often, and then I would inevitably get in trouble for it.
I’d challenge teachers in class just to prove a point. I was the most talkative person in class because I always had an idea, always had a thought. At summer camp, where you’re all sitting around in a share circle… Oh man, I was always ready to unleash a 20-minute sermon to the group.
I found people fascinating, and I loved going to the mall or a restaurant to people watch and overhear conversations. Wherever people were, I tried to be around them, whether or not I fit in.
Belonging has been a major theme of my life. It’s not elusive anymore, but I consistently put myself into roles to help others feel they belonged, but I didn’t feel it for myself.
Finding a path after tragedy
I tried to figure out social cues and nuances for how to fit into different groups but inevitably not feel part of them. I consistently felt less than.
It wasn’t until in high school, when several people died one year, that I found myself wanting to hear people’s stories: What does grief look like for you? Is there anything I can do to support you? And it was from trusted teachers and friends who said to me, “You have a knack for this. You should be a therapist,” that I felt like I had a path.
A big proportion of my clients has been ages 10 to 21 – people really trying to figure out who they are and where they belong. Their parents have been the only ones to advocate for them and their peers just don’t get them. I help them finally be able to claim, “This is me. This is my voice.”
Connecting the neurodivergent community at Georgian
My work at Georgian is sort of an extension of counselling for me. What I’ve gained in my practice has given me more than enough tools to make something like a neurodivergent employee resource group (ERG) happen – which is what I’m leading at the college.
The ERG members are neurodivergent, allies and parents. It’s a place to land, and you’re going to find your crew.
‘It’s been phenomenal to … realize there are so many people like me’
When this ERG started, I identified as neurodivergent without a full diagnosis. It was confirmed after my son, who’s on the spectrum, went through a gambit of testing, and my wife looked at me and said, “You’re exactly like him.”
My personal journey over the last several years has been interesting, and it’s been phenomenal to learn more about myself and realize there are so many people like me.
Many people in the neurodiverse community are realizing this now as adults with a diagnosis or advocates for loved ones who have lived in that old world for so long. It’s the best coming out period because policies and systems are changing and becoming more forward thinking. It’s amazing to see various organizations investing in equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. We’re at the cusp of something amazing.
Georgian’s Social Innovation team is even examining what belonging looks like across Simcoe County. It makes Georgian a great landing space for people to realize there is a better way to help everyone feel they belong.
It’s great to create conversations now around acknowledging the harm that was done to neurodivergent people in those old, unaccepting environments and take steps to heal and realize we didn’t do anything to deserve that.
Being able to claim who I am, has helped me reconcile with my past.
And now, I want to help people understand neurodiversity is about finding a person’s unique capacity and letting them utilize it to the best of their ability. That way, they can feel more comfortable showing up as their authentic selves.
Joshua Wong (he/him), part-time Employee Resource Group Lead with Georgian’s Centre for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.