College felt out of reach until self advocacy changed the map

From “Not College Material” to Advocate: Katie Shelby on Voice, Belonging, and Real Inclusion

Told she wasn’t “college material,” Katie Shelby went anyway—and what she learned can change how we support students.

In this episode of The Neurodiversion Connection, I sit down with Katie Shelby, a paraprofessional from St. Louis living with a language impairment and learning disabilities. She went from being nonverbal in preschool to earning her degree and supporting students with Autism, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and other disabilities. You’ll hear how one conversation in high school shifted everything, why expectations matter more than we think, and the quiet practices that help students build independence and confidence.

I reveal the questions I wish more educators and parents asked, Katie shares what she uses today that she never had growing up (and why it matters), and together we push back on systems that still underestimate people. You’ll discover what real inclusion looks like day to day, how to approach self-advocacy without burning out, and a simple way to know you belong in spaces that weren’t built with you in mind.

By the end, you’ll be thinking about IEP meetings, AAC, and “college material” in a very different way. What shifted for Katie junior year? How did she turn no into a degree? And what does independence actually look like beyond test scores?

About the Guest

Katie Shelby is a paraprofessional supporting students across disabilities in St. Louis, MO. She’s written for The Mighty, is working on a book for people with learning disabilities and language impairments, and is known to many as Barney and Fred’s human (two very photogenic dachshunds).

Key Timestamps

• 0:00 – Welcome and Katie’s story beyond labels

• 1:58 – “Don’t go to college”: the moment that lit a fire

• 10:18 – The turning point: learning to self-advocate

• 12:51 – Failing forward in math and the worksheet bonfire

• 18:06 – “I belong here”: finding the right program and supports

• 19:51 – From student to para: communication, visuals, and AAC

• 24:00 – What real inclusion looks like in class

• 24:48 – Writing for The Mighty and sharing openly

• 28:08 – The book: who it’s for and why it’s needed

• 29:43 – Where to connect with Katie online

Keywords: neurodiversity, self-advocacy, special education, inclusion, learning disabilities, language impairment, AAC, Autism, college accessibility, paraprofessional

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#Neurodiversity #SelfAdvocacy #SpecialEducation #LearningDisabilities #Inclusion

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