from OUTSIDE the medical model

ANA MARÍA B. CALL, MA ⏐ Linguist & Interculturalist

I’m helping make the invisible dimensions of communication VISIBLE

… so we can stop forcing conformity, & start getting better outcomes

I'm Ana Maria B. Call, a linguist, interculturalist, and former civil rights worker exploring what happens when we stop treating neurodivergent communication as deficit, and start seeing it as difference.

The medical model treats neurodivergent communication as disordered behavior. I explore what becomes possible when we apply linguistics, language access, and intercultural frameworks, asking questions like:

• What constitutes communicative competence, and how does it apply to neurodivergent people?

• What if no particular neurotype needs to be centered in order for communication to work better?

• What if we approached neurodivergent communication in a way that expands access, promotes participation, & prioritizes belonging?

Through art, writing, workshops, and imagination practices, I investigate a radically different approach to communication- one where many ND people can become skillful at being different, and where all of us (regardless of neurotype) can learn the skills that actually lead to better communication outcomes: transparency, repair, context-checking, and negotiability.

I work with neurodivergent professionals interested in claiming their cultural identities more visibly; as well as with leaders, researchers, and providers ready to navigate cross-neurotype communication with greater skill instead of institutionalized bias.