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Our Mission

At Different and Able, we aim to show how everyone has unique capabilities and strengths to be celebrated.  We are a community of friends, families, and individuals who are living with differences. We offer practical information from our collection of professionals and share inspiring true stories that showcase the incredible unique talents of our community.  Over the years, people have written, been interviewed and been asked some of the hardest questions faced among people and caregivers of the disability community. 

We know how difficult finding support and a community is. That is why Different and Able was created. We welcome you to join our community. Be informed. Be inspired. 

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Growing up, I had to overcome some of my own differences...
Alexandra Nicklas // President & Founder

Before Alexandra founded Different & Able, she had to overcome some of her own differences.

As a child, Alexandra had difficulty with fine and gross motor skills, her speech was delayed and she had learning difficulties. To overcome her physical weaknesses, Alexandra participated in occupational and physical therapy.

To accelerate her speech and language skills, Alexandra worked with a speech therapist. Finally, when school became hard to keep up with on her own, she worked with a neuropsychologist, focusing on skills to succeed in the classroom. Alexandra persevered with the help of her parents

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Featured Story

Edie Cusack
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Image of Edie Cusack. She is looking at the camera and is positioned on the left side of the photo. the background is a water scene, but it is muted. Edie has long dirty blonde hair, fair skin, and is wearing a white button-up shirt..
Featured Story

Edie Cusack

Edie Cusack is a College of Charleston alumni and an award-winning, National Board-Certified Teacher who has educated and advocated for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) for more than 30 years. Inclusion and self-determination are the philosophies she incorporated into the REACH Program, a post-secondary certificate program for students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities at the College of Charleston that she created and developed in 2010.

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