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5.5 Creativity, Conservation, and Celebrating Neurodiversity with Aliah Banchik

Season #5

For this episode we welcome an inspiring guest: Aliah Banchik, a marine naturalist, shark advocate, underwater photographer, Netflix breakout star of All the Sharks, and a powerful voice for neurodiversity. In our community she may be best known for her TEDx talk on reframing dyslexia as a “different ability.”

Aliah shares her journey from struggling elementary student to becoming one of the world’s leading young women in conservation. She opens up about growing up with dyslexia and ADHD, how shame and self-doubt shaped her early school years, and the pivotal moment she learned to harness her strengths instead of fighting against them. We talk about how Aliah uses her neurodivergent thinking to excel in research, field work, and global conservation projects. 

You’ll enjoy her practical insights and take away a powerful reminder that reading and spelling ability are not measures of intelligence.

 

Resources mentioned in this episode:



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Thank you for listening and joining us in this exciting and educational journey into dyslexia as we come together in literacy!