David Atkinson’s Self-Advocacy Experience
The following article was written by our Self-Advocates of Bartholomew County Board Member, David Atkinson as part of our Self-Advocates Awareness & Revitalization Program (SAARP).
My name is David Atkinson. I like video games, reading books, graphic design, photography, and 3-D modeling. I also enjoy playing with and entertaining my young nephews. When I am not doing that, I like hanging out with my friends playing Dungeons and Dragons, card games, and watching movies.
I was diagnosed with Autism when I was in Kindergarten. I was later diagnosed with ADHD and
anxiety. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with dyscalculia. I know I have always struggled with
numbers but did not know a name for it until recently.
Despite these diagnoses, with accommodations and support, and with my love of learning, I did very
well in school. I graduated With Distinction from Columbus North High School and was awarded a
Technical Honors Diploma. I continued my education at Ivy Tech Community College, Columbus.
I've recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Ivy Tech with an Associates of Applied Science in Visual Communications Degree. However, because of my Autism, I was only able to take one or two classes at a time. The accommodations and great support I received helped me become successful.
I first became Involved with Self Advocates of Bartholomew County, (SABC) in 2020 when I was a senior in high school. I enjoyed interacting with neurodiverse people of different ages, some of whom I knew from high school. I was active for a while, but found it hard to balance SABC with the classes I was taking at Ivy Tech. I left SABC and returned after I received my degree. I now serve on the board of SABC.
Through my involvement with SABC, I improved my understanding of why self-advocacy matters,
not just for me, but for the entire neurodiverse community.
Self-advocacy is important because it helps neurodiverse people stand up for ourselves. It gives us a sense of worth. Self-advocacy also helps connect us with like-minded individuals as well as neurotypical people.
I am happy to be involved with SABC. I look forward to networking with others. I want to learn new
things.
I want to help educate others.