New York City, New York Jan 24, 2023 (Issuewire.com) - Neurodiverse Leadership Toastmasters (https://Neurodiverse.ToastmastersClubs.Org) invites adults to its open house on Saturday, February 4th, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), to meet members and learn from Matt Kinsey, a Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM) and the current Toastmasters International’s President. Kinsey will talk about creating an organizational culture of inclusion, followed by answers to questions from attendees.
“Neurodiverse Leadership Toastmasters (NLTM) provides a supportive and positive learning experience that empowers members to develop their leadership and communication skills, resulting in greater confidence and personal growth,” states Jenny Liu, DTM, who is NLTM’s Club Sponsor, President, and Registered Parliamentarian. For example, club member, Monica C. Moya, JD, coined the word “neurolytical” to define herself because she must analyze everything about the people she interacts with to determine how to respond properly. “Social situations - whether one-on-one or larger groups, family or strangers - are like chess games to me,” she says. “Social cues are like the rules that govern how each chess piece can move. Neurotypicals naturally understand them and follow them effortlessly. My autism presents itself in such a way that most social rules never get set in concrete. So, for me, conversations are like trying to lasso a chicken while reading Emily Post’s book on Etiquette.”
To help attendees like Moya get through interactions with as little stress as possible, Liu mentions, “Our club uses human-centered design to grow more leaders by creating a neuroinclusive environment that is open to various thinking styles due to variations in our brains from genetic or environmental factors. Similar to various cultures, research suggests the neurodiverse community communicates using different social languages. By supporting members and those around them to learn and discuss how to safely show their best, authentic, and whole selves at home and work, I hope everyone can eventually respect each other’s gifts for shining anywhere.“
After the presentation by Kinsey, members and guests are welcome to enjoy a shorter version of a regular club meeting with three sections:
- Prepared speeches introduced by Jicky Ferrer, DTM, our Toastmaster of the Day,
- Table Topics™ led by Amar Sandhu, our Topicsmaster and Sergeant at Arms, and
- Evaluations with functionary reports led by Lisa Qu, DTM, our General Evaluator and District 119 Director.
All three section leads are charter members, who have served in various officer roles at organizations, ranging from nonprofit to government agencies. Sandhu comments, “Table Topics are one of my favorite parts of the meeting because we reply to prompts with impromptu speeches or play improv games to improve in areas, ranging from executive function to socialization. This is where attendees are selected to speak or roleplay scenarios for practice thinking, speaking clearly, and acting quickly on your feet.”
Other members, including accredited public speakers, caregivers, and managers, raise awareness with acceptance and pride by advocating for how the club can celebrate what members can achieve together when they learn to complement each other’s unique talents due to neurodiversity. Instead of letting differences divide our club or focusing on deficits, members are discovering and realizing their potential for personal and professional development that advances their social lives and careers. For instance, Kassandra Pierre, an assistant vice president in technology talent development for a Fortune 500 company in the financial services sector, expresses, “I joined the club to increase my comfort level with presenting to audiences and to elevate my presentations with constructive feedback. I wanted to effectively moderate panel discussions that promoted the mission of women in cybersecurity, which is to recruit, hire, and retain more neurodivergent employees.”
Neurodiverse Leadership Toastmasters Open House
Date: Saturday, February 4th, 2023
Location: https://bit.ly/nltm-rsvp
Time: 1 to 3 p.m. EST
The online event is free to the public.
NLTM meets on the 1st Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. and the 2nd Wednesday from 8 to 10 p.m. of every month online via Zoom video conferencing. For more information about this event and the club, please visit https://Neurodiverse.ToastmastersClubs.Org.
About District 119
District 119 comprises more than 84 corporate and community clubs in New York, NY. To learn more about District 119 please visit: https://www.district119tm.org.
About Toastmasters International
Toastmasters International is a worldwide nonprofit educational organization that empowers individuals to become more effective communicators and leaders. Headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, the organization's membership exceeds 280,000 in more than 14,700 clubs in 144 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people from diverse backgrounds become more confident speakers, communicators, and leaders. For information about local Toastmasters clubs, please visit https://www.toastmasters.org. Follow @Toastmasters on Twitter.
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Media Contact
Jenny Liu vppr-28675344@toastmastersclubs.org +1 (917) 719 - 6003 https://neurodiverse.toastmastersclubs.org
