Daniel Wendler

Dr. Daniel Wendler is a two-time TEDx speaker who blends his expertise as a clinical psychologist with his autistic experience to create informative and impactful speaking experiences for audiences around the globe. He speaks on neurodiversity, social connection, and personal growth, and helps organizations craft custom experiences that provide lasting insights and genuine change for their audience or team.

As a child, Dr. Wendler struggled to belong. Despite his best efforts, his attempts at making friendship would be met with rejection.

When he was diagnosed with autism, Dr. Wendler realized that his social struggles weren’t because he was bad, or broken, but simply because his brain was wired to engage socially in a different way than everyone else. He worked to teach himself neurotypical social skills in the same way one might learn a foreign language – and it worked.

Dr. Wendler founded ImproveYourSocialSkills.com to share his insights. His practical, step-by-step approach to social connection quickly attracted a global audience, drawing millions of readers to the site.

But that was only the beginning. Dr. Wendler became a clinical psychologist so he could ground his insights in scientific research. And he began to set his sights higher.

Instead of just helping individuals learn social skills (which puts the onus on the person to change), Dr. Wendler became an advocate for practical inclusivity. He teaches organizations to create communities of genuine inclusivity and provides a business case to demonstrate how inclusivity is a competitive advantage.

He also shares the idea of neurodiversity, the idea that conditions such as autism can be seen as a difference, not a deficit. Through the concept of universal design, we can build workplaces, communities, and schools where everyone can belong, just as they are.