TBD
About
Learn more about the people behind Launchpad.
Introductory Video
Video Transcript
Hi, I’m Gia Pendyala and I’m a student at Saint Francis High School. Neurodivergence has always been an important lens through which I see the world, initially because I watched my older brother through every stage of getting his diagnosis, his medication, and accommodations throughout high school. I’ve seen exactly how isolating and frustrating those first steps can be for caregivers, not to mention what it feels like to actually be diagnosed and understand that part of yourself.
With that in mind, I started volunteering with a local organization called Friendship Circle in eighth grade, which essentially is designed to offer special needs children a respite from therapy or academic pressure. The program I’m most involved in, called Sunday Circle, has a “buddy system”, where teen volunteers are paired with these kids, and every activity is centered around your buddy having fun on their own terms.
I’ve also worked with a specialized school for neurodivergent children to make them a custom sensory board (pictured above) that they were able to use in their curriculum.
I saw a need for this kind of resource hub first from the therapists that stay on site for every program, and then from what the parents of the buddies shared about their experiences. Neurodivergence is very personal and everyone’s experience with it is unique, and these aspects add to the complexity of accessing the best care possible for your child. Taking that into consideration, I designed this site to be, as its namesake, a “launching” point for understanding what your child might need.