With support from the Parkersburg Area Community Foundation, UnPuzzled Parents Connect expanded access to neurodiversity and advocacy training for families, educators and community members through its Knowledge Is Power: Neurodiversity and Advocacy Training Series.

The series included in-person and virtual education sessions designed to help participants better understand autism, ADHD and other forms of neurodiversity, as well as practical strategies for advocating for children’s needs.

According to the organization, the project reached nearly 1,000 participants and as many as 4,000 people when immediate family members are included. UnPuzzled Parents Connect also partnered with Wood County Schools to provide advocacy and education training tailored to families and educators.

Dr. Temple Grandin, a nationally recognized advocate for autism awareness, served as the keynote speaker. PACF grant funding and additional community support helped make the event available locally at no cost to participants.

Participants learned about autism, different ways of thinking, recognizing individual strengths and creating meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities.

“For many of the families we serve, opportunities to hear from nationally recognized speakers would typically require traveling several hours, paying registration fees and potentially arranging lodging and additional care for their family,” said Whitney Lee Price, founder of UnPuzzled Parents Connect. “Those barriers often make these experiences inaccessible to the very families who could benefit from them most.”

Program participants reported leaving the training with practical tools, expanded support networks and greater confidence in advocating for their children.

“I was able to better advocate for my son thanks to this training today,” one participant said. “IEPs are so complex and difficult to understand, but I feel more confident knowing my child’s rights and that I have more people to reach out to if I have additional questions.”

In addition to the training sessions, attendees participated in book signings and connected with families, educators, professionals and community members.