Daniel Wendler grew up bullied, lonely, and awkward because of his diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome, which is a condition on the autism spectrum. But when he started reaching out to other "outsiders," he discovered that he was not alone in his search for friendship​ and that the solution to our human need for connection can be found when we create a place of belonging for someone else.

Daniel Wendler is the author of the books "Improve Your Social Skills" and "Level Up Your Social Life," as well as the website ImproveYourSocialSkills.com. Wendler’s commitment to help others find social success was born from his own search for connection. With Wendler’s quirky personality and awkward behavior, his childhood was full of rejection, bullying, and loneliness. After he was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, Wendler began teaching himself social skills from the ground up. When he then started reaching out to other “outsiders,” he discovered he was not alone in his search for connection, and that the best way to find a place to belong was to create that place for someone else. Today, as an author, speaker, and clinical psychology doctoral candidate at George Fox University, he works to help others make that same discovery.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx