Initially conceptualized during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Summer 2020, The NeurodivURGENT Project (NeurodivURGENT) is an interdisciplinary community of solution-oriented professionals committed to addressing the mental health needs of under-resourced neurodivergent youth. Through our work, we aim to directly address the needs of those disproportionately impacted by inequities that challenge their ability to reach their full potential. Our mission is to act with urgency in designing equitable systems that empower all young minds to soar.
Our primary focus areas include: Cognition and Learning, Rehabilitative Justice, Behavioral and Emotional Health, Equitable Access to Screening and Treatment, and Caregiver Support.
What's The Why?
Our founder, Nichelle Cook, often likens her experience with undiagnosed ADHD until the age of 34 to having a car (brain) with the wrong owner's manual. Though she tried her best to understand her unique wirings as a neurodivergent individual, the idiosyncrasies that accompanied her executive functioning differences proved very challenging to navigate at every stage, despite repeat academic and professional successes. This reality led to a life filled with the external appearance of happiness while managing unrelenting internal battles with chronic depression and anxiety. After her ADHD diagnosis, however, the world opened up for her in that she finally had an explanation (or "owner's manual") that could provide credible insight into how she functioned. From there she opined...
"Everything I hated most about myself was connected to a disorder I didn't know I had. Interestingly enough, everything I have since come to love about my calling has been intrinsically linked to the same."
Realizing the power that lies in possessing the tools to effectively manage, treat, and maximize these differences, she later founded The NeurodivURGENT Project with not only her personal background as a neurodivergent individual in mind, but also her multifaceted experiences as a K-12 and undergraduate educator, attorney, and public health advocate at the forefront of her efforts.
That's the backstory in a nutshell! Thanks for reading!
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To learn more about The NeurodivURGENT Conference, which will be hosted July 17-19, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans, click here. For other ways to get involved with our efforts, be sure to subscribe to our mailing list on the homepage of our website and also follow us on social media @neurodivurgent .
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