Welcome to Inclusion Bites, your sanctuary for bold conversations that spark change. I'm Joanne Lockwood, your guide on this journey of exploration into the heart of inclusion, belonging, and societal transformation. Ever wondered what it truly takes to create a world where everyone not only belongs but thrives? You're not alone. Join me as we uncover the unseen, challenge the status quo, and share stories that resonate deep within. Ready to dive in? Whether you're sipping your morning coffee or winding down after a long day, let's connect, reflect, and inspire action together. Don't forget, you can be part of the conversation too. Reach out to jo.lockwood@seechangehappen.co.uk to share your insights or to join me on the show. So adjust your earbuds and settle in.

It's time to ignite the spark of inclusion with Inclusion

Bites. Today is episode 151 with the title, which redefining normal. And I have the absolute honor and privilege to welcome Crystal Jordan. Crystal is an autism advocate, author, philanthropist, dedicated to raising awareness and empowering families to embrace neurodiversity. When I asked Crystal to describe her superpower, she said, it is her ability to amplify unheard voices and foster inclusion through advocacy, storytelling, and resilience. Hello, Crystal. Welcome to the show.

First off, I'm so happy to be here

We were chatting just now before we went live, and I understand you're based in Atlanta, Georgia in the US?

Yes. I am based in Atlanta, Georgia, and it is cold here. It's too cold here.

Yeah. I always thought Atlanta, that part of America was kind of like hot, humid, and sticky all year round, but you've had a snow warning, haven't you?

Yes. And, actually, most of our kids are out of school today. Because it's so cold, we're out they're out of school. We all do cold in the south.

No. So this is really unusual temperature for January, is it?

Yes. It is.

Wow. Hey. Who said climate change is not happening? It's our climate. We've definitely got some climate change there, haven't we?

Oh my god. I hate it. It's so cold. That's why I have all this winter dress because I'm freezing.

Yeah. Well well, we'll get talking, and we'll warm ourselves up in the conversation. How about that? That's that deal? I love that. So, Crystal, your journey as an autism advocate, and you also founded Zacharias World, which you could tell us more about, is really really inspiring from our conversations. How would you turn your personal experiences into a mission for inclusion and empowerment? What inspired you for that?

So what inspired me behind any brand I'm doing dealing with autism is my son. He was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. And since he's been 3, that's when I started writing books and doing so much. But I didn't call myself a advocate until people kept calling me a advocate. And I said, well, I guess I'm a advocate. So he's the reason behind everything that I'm doing because I want to create a world where he can get jobs when he's older. He can go to college. He can have family, and people understand, yes, he's autistic, but he's more to his disability.

I don't want people to look at autistic people and be like, oh my god. They're autistic. No. Embrace them for who they are. Treat them like a human being, and let's hire them and make sure our companies have training.

I I titled this episode, redefining normal. Who decides what is normal? Zacharias, he's got his own normal, hasn't he? He's got his own personality years over years. But as a society, we wanna put a label on someone. Yeah. The autism label. Yes. It helps provide support for them. But what why why do we need to divide people up in this way?