Hans Christian Andersen: His Neurodivergent Journey as Shared by Autistic Children's Author, Sandra Nickel

EPISODE 156

Hans Christian Andersen: His Neurodivergent Journey

as Shared by Autistic Children’s Author, Sandra Nickel

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Show Notes

It is now widely accepted that Hans Christian Anderson, renowned Danish author of children’s books, was autistic. Sandra Nickel, an award-winning and autistic children’s author brings Andersen’s story to life in a beautiful book, “The Real Ugly Duckling”. Sandra, Barry and Dave discuss her motivation for writing her book, and the special qualities of his life’s journey that can be so enlightening and affirming for children, adults, and all people who have, or who even may not have neurodivergent individuals in their lives.

Featuring

Sandra Nickel

Sandra Nickel

Sandra Nickel is an award-winning author of picture books. She has received numerous honors: the Christopher Award, Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators Crystal Kite Award (a two-time winner) a finalist for the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction for Younger Readers, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection honoree, and a Charlotte Huck Award Recommended author. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and has presented workshops on writing for children and young adults throughout Europe and the United States. Her most recent book is “The Real Ugly Duckling”.

To learn more, visit sandranickel.com.

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…and Continue the Discussion

Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.

1) What in Sandra’s personal life and journey let her to write a children’s book about the life of Hans Christian Anderson? Does what she discusses with Dave and Barry resonate with you as a neurodivergent individual, parent, or a person in relationship with a neurodivergent individual?

2) As Sandra discusses some of the most famous works of Hans Christian Anderson, what are some of the common experiences from his life to the lives of most neurodivergent children that she feels would be helpful to them?

3) What does Sandra feel are the most remarkable contributions and messages of Hans Christian Andersen’s body of work for children, families, and society? Any other contributions that you feel he has made in sharing his talents to the world?

HOSTED BY

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Barry Prizant, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Dr. Barry Prizant is a speech-language pathologist with more than 50 years experience as a researcher and international consultant for autistic and neurodivergent individuals and their families. He is an Adjunct Professor of Communicative Disorders at the University of Rhode Island and Director, Childhood Communication Services (a private practice).  Previously, he served as Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the Brown University School of Medicine, and held a tenured professor appointment at Emerson College. Publications include 5 books, most notably Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism (2015; 2022) and The SCERTS Model manuals, an educational approach implemented in more than a dozen countries. He has published 150 scholarly chapters and articles and serves on numerous professional advisory boards for journals and professional organizations. Barry has presented more than 1000 seminars and keynote addresses internationally, including two invited presentations at the United Nations for World Autism Awareness Day. His career contributions have been recognized with honors from Brown and Princeton Universities, the Autism Society of America and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Visit Barry’s website here

Uniquely Human, the book (Updated and Expanded edition!)

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Dave Finch

Dave Finch is the author of the New York Times bestselling memoir, The Journal of Best Practices: A Memoir of Marriage, Asperger Syndrome, and One Man’s Quest to Be a Better Husband. As a writer and creative consultant, his work has appeared on ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, NPR, SiriusXM, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, The Howard Stern Show, and the award-winning Netflix series, Atypical. Based in Denver, Dave’s company, Elevated Studio, produces this podcast and other recognized series.

Visit Dave’s website here

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“I have read a million and one books on Autism.  Uniquely Human is the best book I have ever read, hands down. Thank you Barry for this incredible gift!!!!”
Navah Paskovitz, Mother of three boys with Autism, Co-Founder, the Ed Asner Family Center

“Compassion, learning and supportive strategies–the three essentials for working with folks with ASD–are an integral part of this must-read book.”
Michelle Garcia Winner, Speech Language Pathologist and Founder of Social Thinking

“Thanks be to Barry for the first-ever must read written for parents, educators, and clinicians.”
Michael John Carley, Founder, GRASP; Author of Asperger’s From the Inside-Out

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“What makes the book compelling is how funny Mr. Finch is about himself. He’s great company.”

Susannah Meadows, The New York Times

“In this hilarious memoir (which also gives some of the finest explications of Asperger’s out there), Finch approaches trying to be a better husband and father with the determination of Sherman marching on Atlanta.”

Judith Newman, People (4/4 stars)

“Talk about being on a roll. This dude wrote a book, he has Asperger’s syndrome. He cured himself by listening to me on the radio!”

Howard Stern

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Music

Matt Savage, courtesy of Savage Records

Matt Savage is an autistic jazz musician, composer, and bandleader. Matt has collaborated with jazz greats like Chick Corea, the Ellington All Stars, Chaka Khan, Wynton Marsalis, Bobby Watson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Jason Moran, Arturo O’Farrill, John Pizzarelli, Joshua Redman, Terri Lyne Carrington, Jon Faddis, Jerry Bergonzi. Donny McCaslin, and more. He has recorded more than a dozen records and graciously contributes the music for Uniquely Human.

Production and Sound Design

ELEVATEDSTUDIO

Uniquely Human: The Podcast is produced, engineered, and edited by Elevated Studio in Denver, Colorado. Owned and operated by co-host Dave Finch, Elevated Studio produces digital media assets and content strategies for the electronics, entertainment, and lifestyle industries.