Who I Am
Hi, I’m Betsy Johnson, M.Ed., an autism specialist, trainer, coach, and writer grounded in disability justice, relationship, and the power of authentic connection.
I work at the intersection of neurodiversity, creative expression, and systemic change. Whether I’m training educators, supporting autistic adults and families, or writing about what too often goes unsaid, I bring a strengths-based, neurodivergent-affirming, and trauma-informed approach to everything I do. My work is guided by real experience, deep listening, and a commitment to building spaces where difference is welcomed and understood.
In my role as a parent educator with Operation House Call, I teach medical and dental students how to better support neurodivergent patients, offering practical strategies and reshaping assumptions through firsthand stories and grounded dialogue. I also work as an autism coach, offering one-on-one support to autistic adults in areas such as independent living, executive functioning, social communication, and self-determination.
I speak regularly with corporations and organizations about how to build more inclusive, sustainable workplaces for neurodivergent employees. I believe that when we design for neurodiversity, everyone benefits, and that companies who recognize and support this gain a real competitive edge.
Much of what I do is rooted in lived experience. As the parent of a brilliant autistic young adult who now speaks up as an advocate in their own right, I have seen the beauty of difference up close. I know the challenges and I also know the joy, complexity, and possibility that come with embracing the full range of the human spectrum.
What I Do
Autism Coaching
I offer one-on-one coaching for autistic adults and their families, focused on self-understanding, executive functioning, independent living, and navigating life transitions. Coaching sessions are tailored, relational, and grounded in a neurodivergent-affirming approach.
Neurodiversity Trainings
I partner with schools, healthcare programs, nonprofits, and companies to provide practical, thoughtful training on how to better support neurodivergent people. From trauma-informed classroom practices to inclusive workplace culture, my trainings invite reflection, dialogue, and real change.
Writing & Creative Work
As a poet, essayist, and speaker, I use storytelling to open conversations about disability, identity, and social systems. I perform spoken word, write about autism and justice, and contribute to projects that center the voices of disabled people.
Across all of this, I bring a commitment to authenticity, nuance, and deep care for the communities I serve.
Why It Matters
For too long, neurodivergent people have been told to hide their differences to fit in. The cost of all that masking is real: exhaustion, anxiety, and the quiet loss of potential. Families get diagnoses with no real roadmap. Educators and doctors want to help, but most have never been offered the training or tools that would actually make a difference. In the business world, “inclusion” is a buzzword, but most workplaces still treat neurodivergent minds as problems to be managed, not strengths to be welcomed.When businesses and communities are willing to rethink the way things have always been done, everyone benefits. True inclusion means shifting the culture, not just tweaking the rules. It means listening deeply, questioning old habits, and making space for people to show up as they are. That’s how we move past survival and toward real belonging. And that’s what my work is here to support.