Student spotlight: "Neurodiversity is why we are here" - Mary-Elizabeth Merrill, Founder of Einstein Advocates

pragym2@washington.edu — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 12:36:30 +0000

Student spotlight: "Neurodiversity is why we are here" - Mary-Elizabeth Merrill, Founder of Einstein Advocates

July 18, 2025

Mary-Elizabeth Merrill's journey from battling severe dyslexia to building a successful catering business, and raising seven children out of which four are neurodivergent, to founding Einstein Advocates & returning to higher education as a mother to equip herself with the right tools to understand how children learn and grow. Her life trajectory is a perfect example of passion, purpose & progress. Read her Q&A below to learn more!

Mary-Elizabeth Merrill

What is Einstein Advocates and how it is making a meaningful impact both within our local community and beyond?

We are creatine an ecosystem of support that fosters inclusion, understanding, and empowerment for neurodivergent individuals. At the heart of our work is a commitment to neurodivergent children and families, advocating for their voices to be heard and their needs to be met in both educational, professional and social settings.

Locally, Einstein Advocates provides a range of services to support neurodivergent individuals. We offer Parent & Educator Training Workshops that focus on neurodivergent learning styles, communication strategies, and early intervention tools to equip families and educators with the knowledge they need. Our Healthcare Provider Training will ensure that doctors, therapists, and healthcare professionals understand the needs of neurodivergent children and can offer the appropriate care and support. Additionally, we provide Neurodiversity in the Workplace Training to help employers and employees create inclusive environments where neurodivergent individuals can thrive in their careers.

In addition, I'm developing an inclusive children's book series to help neurodivergent children see themselves in stories that celebrate their identities and challenges. We also push for Policy & Advocacy Work to advance inclusive education policies that ensure neurodivergent students are recognized, respected, and provide the support they need.

A critical component of our local programming includes hands-on, engaging experiences like STEM enrichment through NASA-inspired activities, cooking classes, art, music, tutoring, and coding. These initiatives provide neurodivergent learners with creative opportunities to learn life skills, build confidence, and expand their problem-solving abilities.

Einstein Advocates is also expanding its impact internationally, with proposals in regions such as El Salvador, Europe, and soon in the Middle East. These efforts aim to bring neurodivergent education resources, teacher training, healthcare training, neurodiversity in the workplace training, and AI-powered tools to areas where special education infrastructure may be limited.

This year you will be taking Einstein Advocates to global platforms. Can you share about your presentation "Empowering Neurodivergent Communities: Personal Journey, Advocacy, and the Future of AI in Special Education" which you'll be presenting at Oxford & Stanford?

My presentation is both a reflection of my lived experience and a vision for the future of inclusive education.

I was diagnosed with dyslexia later in life, after years of silently struggling in school without understanding why things felt harder for me than for others. That journey, from barely graduating high school, to building a successful catering business, to returning to higher education as a mother, has shaped my deep commitment to advocacy.

Today, four of my seven children are neurodivergent, with diagnoses including ADHD, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia, and sensory processing disorder. Their needs, combined with my own experiences, have driven me to create Einstein Advocates, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering neurodivergent individuals and their families through access to education, tools, and culturally responsive support systems for both teachers and parents.

In my presentation, I highlight how artificial intelligence can be a game-changing tool in special education. Importantly, I emphasize that AI is not here to replace teachers or parents, it’s here to support them. When used ethically and thoughtfully, AI can:

Help teachers create individualized learning paths that adapt to a child’s needs and pace.
Assist parents by offering insights into their child’s emotional and academic development.
Identify early signs of learning differences through data analysis, supporting earlier and more effective intervention.
Power assistive technologies that help children engage with learning in ways that work best for them.

AI’s true potential lies in enhancing human connection, not replacing it. When educators and caregivers are better supported, neurodivergent students thrive.

This year, I’m honored to present this talk in two global forums: First, at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit 2025 - Leveraging Neurodivergent Strengths to Create a Better Future Together.

Second, I’ll present at the 12th World Congress on Special Needs Education (WCSNE-2025) at Oxford, a global platform dedicated to advancing the theory and practice of inclusive education.

In both sessions, I aim to inspire, inform, and equip educators, parents, and policymakers with practical strategies to create more inclusive learning environments where every neurodivergent learner is not just supported but celebrated.

Why did you enroll in Online B.A. in Early Care & Education program, and how has it contributed to your efforts in advocating for neurodivergent children?

I enrolled in the program because I knew that if I wanted to truly fight for neurodivergent children, especially my own, I needed more than passion. I needed knowledge, the right tools, and a deep understanding of how children learn, grow, and are supported in systems that often fail to see them.

This decision was not just about a degree, it was about healing something in myself that had been broken for a long time. I grew up in a family where the ��ߺ�� was a symbol of pride and legacy. My great-grandfather built the Science Hall (now Parrington Hall) in 1902. My parents met while working at the University Bookstore. Four generations of my family walked that campus. But I didn’t think I ever would.

I barely graduated high school. I spent my teenage years believing I just wasn’t smart enough, never knowing that I had severe dyslexia. For a long time, I carried the weight of shame and silence. I believed the doors of opportunity were closed to people like me.

Years later, as a mother, I started to see the same struggles in my children. I knew I had to do better for them. I returned to school through community college, working late at night, raising kids during the day, and fighting the same learning challenges that once held me back. After earning my associate’s degree, I found this program, but I almost didn’t apply. The fear of failure was overwhelming. I didn’t want to disappoint my parents, even though they were no longer here to see it.
But my husband, my constant source of strength, believed in me. He reminded me that my voice, my story, and my fight mattered. I applied. And I got in.

It may have taken over 30 years, but I finally made it to the ��ߺ��. I walk the same grounds of four generations, now not just for myself, but for every child who’s ever been told they wouldn’t make it.

The Early Care & Education program has done more than educate me, it has transformed me. It has helped me turn pain into purpose. I’ve learned how to advocate not just with emotion, but with evidence. It has allowed me to build training programs for parents and teachers, develop early intervention models, and integrate technology like AI into solutions that serve neurodivergent children with dignity and personalization.

It has given me the confidence to work with parents, educators, therapists, and policymakers from a place of both empathy and expertise. And more than anything, it has allowed me to show my children, especially those who struggle in the same ways I did, that their differences are not deficits, and that dreams don’t expire.

I didn’t enroll just to earn a degree. I enrolled to change the narrative. For myself, my children, and families like ours. I did it for every neurodiverse child and adult who has been overlooked, misunderstood, or told they don’t belong. This is about more than education, it’s about transformation. It’s time we rewrite the story together.

Contact

Pragya Mehta

Program Marketing Specialist

pragym2@uw.edu