Virtual Skills Chat: Navigating neurodiversity

Virtual Skills Chat: Navigating neurodiversity
Presented by the NASW Freelance Committee
Date: Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026
Start time: 1 p.m. Eastern / 10 a.m. Pacific (special 90-min workshop)
Event access link: https://www.nasw.org/virtual-events-auditorium (NASW member login required)

The NASW Freelance Committee has organized a special workshop to get 2026 off to a great start. Whether you are neurodiverse or not, this workshop will offer practical tips, which could help you as a freelancer—or help you interact more successfully with a loved one or coworker.

Join host Ellen Kuwana and co-organizer Jennifer Huber on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Eastern (10 to 11:30 a.m. Pacific) for a presentation by author Jessica McCabe, followed by small-group discussions in breakout rooms. The one-hour presentation with Q&A will be recorded, but the breakout discussions will not.

Invited speaker

Jessica McCabe
https://howtoadhd.com/

Speaker provided bio:

Diagnosed with ADHD at age 12, Jessica struggled with a brain that she didn’t understand. She lost things constantly, couldn’t finish projects, and felt like she was putting in more effort than everyone around her while falling further behind. In her book How to ADHD, Jessica reveals the tools that have changed her life while offering an unflinching look at the realities of living with ADHD. The key to navigating a world not built for the neurodivergent brain, she discovered, isn’t to fix or fight against its natural tendencies but to understand and work with them. Since 2015, Jessica has been the creator of the award-winning YouTube channel “How to ADHD,” which has more than 1 million subscribers. The channel is widely respected by treatment providers, ADHD researchers, and the ADHD community. She shares hard-won insights and practical strategies that have helped her thrive in a world not built for her brain. Her work has been featured by the New York Times, Washington Post, Today online and more.

#SciWriSkillsChat

A reminder that per NASW's Code of Conduct attendees must use their name as their Zoom display name in order to be admitted. Please review the code for additional expected behaviors. In addition, attendees will be asked to turn their camera on to participate in the breakout sessions to help foster safety, engagement and community.

Limitations and additional resources

This event aims to serve as a member-run space for finding solidarity in the professional and personal challenges we share without having to explain their complexities and depth. While sharing challenges is warmly welcomed, NASW’s network is an informal peer network, not group therapy or a source of medical advice. It is not run by doctors, mental health professionals, or trained facilitators and is not intended to be a substitute for therapy or medical care. We encourage participants to use the resources below to explore therapy or other forms of professional help as needed. You can find self-care resources for journalists at the Dart Center. If you have thoughts of harming yourself or others, please contact a doctor immediately and/or contact:

988lifeline.org

Dial or text 988 (Available in 240 languages within the United States)