Founder's Story

Mission

At Different and Able, we aim to show how everyone has unique capabilities and strengths that are meant to be celebrated. We are a community of friends, families, and individuals living with differences. With a profound awareness of who makes up our organization, we celebrate every individual’s success and provide unwavering support. We provide information in dealing with social, physical, educational and vocational obstacles that may be problematic to those with neurological differences. We strive to educate the community in general and to inform and support those with disabilities.

At Different and Able, we offer practical information from our panel of professionals. We share inspiring true stories that showcase the incredible unique talents of our community.  Over the years, people have shared their stories and asked some of the hardest questions. Most importantly, we are building and creating a community of support. On our website, we share these stories and professional resources with you. Through our innovative and accessible resources, steadfast advocacy, and commitment to providing the best solutions for the obstacle-filled landscape that is life, Different & Able is here definitively for one reason: you. We welcome you to join our community. Be informed. Be inspired. Be heard.

Before Alexandra founded Different & Able, she had to overcome some of her own differences. 

As a child, Alexandra had difficulty with fine and gross motor skills; her speech was delayed and she had learning difficulties. Throughout school, she had to go to physical, occupational, and speech therapy. In grade school, her differences became harder to manage, so she worked with a neuropsychologist, focusing on skills to succeed in the classroom. Alexandra had to work hard and devote extra hours to keep up with her schoolwork but she persevered. She was very fortunate to have parents and a support team who supported and encouraged her. 

Despite her hard work, the differences never disappeared and there were moments of frustration, disappointment, and despair. That did not stop her. She persisted in trying to compensate or avert obstacles so they did not impede her attaining her goals. When she saw that her goals were not realistic in terms of her differences, she modified her goals so that they were attainable. 

This experience has led Alexandra to found D&A. D&A provides encouragement, information, and support to others with differences to help them reduce obstacles to their goal attainment. She plays an active part in D&A (see the "Ask Ali" column) and has gathered a lot of information and a panel of experts to advise her and you in addressing obstacles that arise in your path.