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In this section of the site you'll find news and information we come across related to local businesses in Lafayette Colorado as well as local food initiatives along the Front Range and beyond.
Neurodiversity Community Center: Lafayette Founders Create Accepting Space for Neurodivergent Community to Connect and Belong Without Focus on 'Fixing'
via Colorado Hometown Weekly
Posted May 18, 2024 2:00 am
Founded by Dan Carmeli and Renee Boos, who independently conceived the idea before being connected by a mutual friend, the Neurodiversity Community Center at 100 W. Cleveland Street challenges conventional notions of normalcy by recognizing that brain differences are natural variations rather than problems requiring solutions. Executive Director Carmeli emphasizes that 'the reason people struggle is that they happen to be the ones for which the environment is misaligned,' while Boos adds the foundational belief that 'we're all enough already.' Unlike many spaces designed to embrace neurodiversity that focus on therapy or behavioral modification, this nonprofit 501(c)3 center prioritizes connection, belonging, identity, and enjoyment over self-improvement agendas, offering an unstructured space where members can engage in games, crafts, socializing, and meaningful connection on their own terms. Programming includes meditations, music and Minecraft sessions, photography club, potluck dinners, knitting and crocheting groups on Sundays, young adult socials on Wednesdays, and after-school hours on Monday and Tuesday nights, with adult programming coinciding with children's activities. The center celebrated its grand opening with a community block party on May 18, 2024, marking Lafayette's commitment to creating inclusive spaces where neurodivergent individuals can authentically be themselves.
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