Springfield, IL (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – State Rep. Anne Stava (pictured) (D-Naperville) made a personal announcement this week on the House floor.

“This month, for Neurodivergent Appreciation Month, I decided to get assessed for autism,” she said Wednesday. “So I got my autism diagnosis just the other day, so I am both autistic and ADHD.”

Stava is the latest, but not the first, lawmaker to identify as neurodivergent. The first is State Rep. Amy “Murri” Briel (D-Ottawa), who hosts her own Neurodivergent Council. The General Assembly also has a Neurodiversity Caucus, which includes people who have a loved one on the spectrum.

Stava said her story carries positives. “One of those things is definitely creative problem solving. When your brain thinks differently, you can see solutions that other people don’t see.

“It’s fitting that I am making this announcement on Earth Day,” she continued, “because many autistic people have specific passions, not just randomly about anything, but often about justice topics. We’re very justice-sensitive, so taking care of the environment is a huge priority for many of us.”