Empowering Neurodivergent Children with Educational Transformation

Dr. Kelly Beck's Winning Project - SUN

Dr. Kelly Beck, an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh, emerged as the winner of this prestigious competition. Her project, Schools Unified in Neurodiversity (SUN), aims to bring about systemic change in how we support neurodivergent children in schools. As Beck explains to PEOPLE, "The idea of our SUN Project came directly from a group of autistic advocates who told us that we need to start with changing schools if we want to reduce the alarming suicide rates in neurodivergent people."

Beck's personal experience with a traumatic brain injury in her 20s has made improving the lives of neurodivergent children a personal mission for her. "In my 20s, I sustained a traumatic brain injury in a car crash, resulting in a lifelong disability that I manage every day. That drastically shifted my path to where I am now. I now have a PhD in disability studies and advocacy, and am a licensed professional counselor and researcher who works to improve the mental health of people with disabilities."

The Impact of the $100,000 Grant

The $100,000 grant won by Dr. Beck from the YourMomCares Shrink Tank competition will be used to rigorously test the effectiveness of the SUN program. As Beck states, "The grant will be used to test that the SUN program improves mental health and educational outcomes for all children in school." SUN will achieve this by providing comprehensive knowledge and training to all members of the school community, from building staff to paraprofessionals, teachers, and administrators. By making schools more inclusive and accepting of all students, SUN has the potential to create a positive impact on the mental health and educational experiences of every child.

"We all want children to enjoy learning and have good experiences at school. Having positive relationships with adults and peers at school and feeling like you belong are among the most robust protective factors for mental health and reducing suicide risk," Beck emphasizes.

YourMomCares' Mission and Impact

YourMomCares was founded in 2018 by Feldstein, Noah, and Joseph, along with other mothers of musicians, actors, and athletes. These mothers came together with a common goal of addressing kids' mental health issues. As Feldstein explains, "We chose to focus on mental health pre-pandemic because we realized that for every cause that we wanted to help with, they all went back to one thing: mental health. Since the pandemic and with the rise of big tech and social media, kids' mental health, anxiety levels, depression and suicidal ideation have only gotten worse."

YourMomCares specifically targets areas that often go unnoticed or underfunded. As Feldstein adds, "YourMomCares can specifically target things that either nobody wants to fund, nobody is paying attention to, or nobody knows about. What we saw with Dr. Beck and Shrink Tank today could revolutionize the school experience for neurodiverse kids, which will also benefit all kids."

Beck also shares why it's crucial to get neurodivergent school children the help they need. "Currently, we see neurodivergent children having high rates of bullying, school refusal, suspensions and expulsions, and a lot of social rejection because things are harder for them at school. This can set them on a lifelong trajectory for worse educational outcomes, isolation, and poor mental health. Starting early with fostering positive experiences in school is essential."