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Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 66
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Location: Long Island, New York

26 Jan 2022, 8:41 am

How One CBS Big Brother Houseguest Is Promoting Autism Acceptance

Quote:
On Sept. 29, 2021, during the season finale of "Big Brother" on CBS, host Julie Chen Moonves gave houseguest and jury member Britini D'Angelo the floor. Ms. D'Angelo revealed that she is an autistic individual. Her goal in sharing this was to bring awareness about autism and ultimately stop its stigma around it.

Standing up, Britini gave an empowering speech proclaiming, "When I was 22 months old, I was diagnosed with autism, and I have been living with autism every single day. I did not disclose that to all of you in the house because I wanted to be seen as me. I wanted you guys to get to know me for me. Britini for Britini. Not as a label. Not as a diagnosis. I am so much more than what my disability is. And I am so proud of the journey I have had to be standing on this stage right now. This is an anomaly that I am here. And I just wanted to say thank you all for accepting me with open arms."

Born and raised in Niagara Falls, New York, Britini was diagnosed with autism as a toddler. "I met the criteria," she shared. "No eye contact, nonverbal, no social cues, and repetitive stimming."

When asked how her parents advocated for her, she responded, "To this day, I feel so incredibly blessed to have one of the best villages I could ever ask for. As a rehab counselor at the time, my mother was the one who recognized the early signs of autism and had an assessment done by the Early Intervention Services of Niagara County.

My mother worked with my teachers, educated others on autism, and specifically shared what worked and what didn't work. She never gave up on me. My parents also always looked at everything as an opportunity to help me. They looked at my journey with a glass half full mentality!"

Britini would go on to graduate from Niagara University (NU) with her Masters in Early Childhood and Childhood Education, with additional certifications in Special Education Grades 1-6 and Theatre Education Grades K-12.

I come from a family of educators," Britini explained. "And I was given so much by so many educators. I want to be an instrument of success, positivity, joy, and hope as I educate my students the way, so many of my teachers were for me. I've always wanted to make a difference, and I feel like I'm doing that every single day."

In addition, Britini is now a dance teacher and teaches Musical Theatre and Assistant Teach Tap at a local studio. She has also been singing as long as she can talk. In 2018, she was asked to sing the National Anthem on the finale night of the Miss New York Pageant at Shea's Performing Arts Center in Buffalo.

On July 7, 2021, Britini debuted as a houseguest on the long-running CBS reality competition show "Big Brother." She joined the house with 15 other contestants. It had been her dream to be on the show since she was 18-years-old. She wanted to be the first autistic female on the program.

Britini chose to keep her autism diagnosis private until the show's end.

Some people immediately think that we are "less than," "inadequate," "not intelligent," difficult, or different."

"I also never wanted to use my disability as a crutch in the house," she continued. "I never wanted my houseguests to think, "Oh, Britini's reacting this way because of her disability," or "Britini's crying and needs some space because of x, y, or z," or we need her out because she might get too much sympathy the viewers.

When you share the most vulnerable part of yourself with an entire nation, you truly have no idea the response you're going to get," Britini said. "I have received hundreds of DM's with individuals opening up to me, sharing their own stories, and telling me how much I've inspired them. So many people have said to me that my story has given them hope for either their son or daughter, themselves, or someone they know who is also neurodivergent.

Britini shared some insights on how she feels neurodivergent people can pursue their goals and advocate for themselves. They are:

Never EVER underestimate yourself.

No goal is too small or too big. The sky is truly the limit. Never stop believing in yourself, and you will accomplish anything you set your mind to.

Don't take yourself too seriously. Instead, allow yourself to make mistakes, learn from them, and continually grow.

Use the accommodations out there because they are in place to put us on a level playing field with those who aren't neurodivergent. The American's with Disabilities Act is for all people with disabilities. Make sure you know about it.

Never be afraid to be your own advocate because you have to be. You know yourself best and what you need to succeed better than anyone else.


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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman