We sit down with Navya Adhikarla, an autistic ADHDer who shares her story of social isolation and alienation both in the U.S. and India. Her lifelong struggle with identity, coupled with the roadblocks she experienced in education and business, led her to becom a champion of psychological safety and advocate for neurodiverse accommodations -- transitioning from invisibility to authenticity.

We Also Cover:

• Neurodiversity as a Workplace Asset
• The Complexities of Social Interaction
• Reclaiming Identity Beyond Societal Expectations
• Trust Through Vulnerability
• Self-Advocacy and Self-Efficacy
• Imposter Syndrome
• Culture Differences in Neurodiversity Awareness Between India and United States

Quotes:

• "And I guess that's that's the whole story of my life because I've been searching for so many things outside, but eventually, I end up creating them myself."
• "The thing that you're searching for is right inside you. It's just you. You don't have to go searching for it."
• "You truly want someone to hear you out and see you, and you don't want to be invisible."
• "I'm super scared about when I will find a place that will truly see me, truly cherish me for who I am and the skills I have, because I don't want to save my skills or capacities for anything. I want to utilize them to do something good."

About Navya Adhikarla:

An insatiably curious and innovative designer, Navya brings an interdisciplinary perspective to complex challenges. With an engineering degree and a Duke University Master’s in Engineering Management, she has experience in program management, go-to-market consulting, tech ethics research, IT consulting, and university leadership. Navya applies human-centered, inclusive design thinking to product, marketing, strategy, and accessibility projects. Her core values of integrity, empathy, courage, and hope guide her approach.

Connect with Navya:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/asnbhhanu5/
• https://navyaadhikarla.wordpress.com/
• https://www.instagram.com/half.cooked.artist/
• https://thefryingpansandflyingpuns.wordpress.com/

Related Reading:

• (Don’t) Look me in the Eye: The Challenge of Eye Contact – Psychological Safety - Guest Post by Navya

As always, thanks for lending us your ears and keep igniting that spark!

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