Friday, November 03, 10:30 am–12:30 pm
Broadway III/IV
This live event will not be recorded.
Chair: Allison M. Stanich (Independent Researcher)
10:30 am
Bees, Butterflies, and Blorbos: Neurodivergent Culture and Community in Online Ecosystems
Brittney Hatchett (Brigham Young University)
11:00 am
Autism Stole My Child: Changeling Tales and the Autistic Search for Representation
Allie Rawlings (Brigham Young University)
11:30 am
”I don't suck at life, I was planted differently:” Neurodivergent Folklore, Autistic Personal Experiences Narratives, and Planting Roots in Virtual Neurodivergent Communities
Allison M. Stanich (Independent Researcher)
11:45 am
optional discussion time
For years, neurodivergent individuals have experienced uprooting and have searched for a place to establish roots in a neurotypical monoculture. This panel aims to identify a gap in folklore studies by discussing some of the neurodivergent folklore that abounds in online neurodivergent communities and how neurodivergent folks have created safe spaces where they can share neurodivergent culture, cultivate neurodivergent folklore, and reinforce neurodiversity in virtual communities. It also aims to highlight the value of studying neurodivergent folklore, the importance of neurodiversity when thinking about cultures and communities, and a need for more neurodivergent representation in folklore studies.