TPP 253a: Advocate and Author Jonathan Mooney on Why Normal Sucks
Full-Tilt Parenting: Strategies, Insights, and Connection for Parents Raising Neurodivergent ChildrenShow Notes
I’m excited to share this powerful and gut-punching conversation with Jonathan Mooney, a self-described “do-gooder,” speaker, and writer who didn’t learn to read until he was 12-years-old. Growing up with Dyslexia, Jonathan faced a number of low expectations: he was told he would be a high-school dropout and likely end up in jail. Instead, he earned a degree in English Literature, started his first non-profit organization in his college dorm, and has gone on to write a number of books, including his latest title Normal Sucks (which, side note: should be required reading for everyone). He’s been a champion for neurological and physical diversity for more than two decades, and his award-winning advocacy projects have been featured in major media outlets across the US.
THINGS YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
The powerful messages, both positive and negative, Jonathan heard from the adults in his life as a child with dyslexia
What it means to pathologize difference, and how even well-meaning organizations participate in this
The difficult and disturbing historical outcomes for differently-abled people, including the ideas and legacy of the Eugenics movement.
How the idea of “normal” has evolved since Jonathan started his advocacy work
Why Jonathan believes that learning differences are a gift and why this is such an important concept
What parents and teachers can do to help children to see their differences as strengths
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