Holly Lechniak Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Outreach Director for the AARTS (Autism Assessment, Research, Treatment, and Services) Center at Rush University Medical Center, joins us to share about the work of SPARK. This national study is working towards accelerating research, as well as our understanding of autism.  Holly shares, “Autism, as compared to other fields, is still relatively new in the area of research. There is still much to learn in order to continue to improve treatment, care, and quality of life for individuals across the lifespan.”

 

For More Information:

https://www.rush.edu/services/autism-care

https://sparkforautism.org/rush

 

All Autism Talk (allautismtalk.com) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (learnbehavioral.com).

Advancing Research and Understanding of Autism

"Connecting the Autism Community One Podcast at a Time"  Our podcast offers a friendly conversation with inspiring individuals in the autism community.   Our aim is to provide valuable insights and information as well as access to support in communities throughout the United States.  Join us! 

Know an inspiring group or individual we should talk to?  We would love to hear from you at allautismtalk@learnbehavioral.com

Kids & Family

Brandon Whitfield, Sr. Clinical Director for AST, part of LEARN Behavioral has presented at several conferences including BABA’s (Black Applied Behavior Analysts) inaugural conference to share ways ABA agencies can bring more equity to the field of ABA. In this conversation, Brandon discusses his role in helping to create The Black Master’s cohort and mentorship program as well as the ongoing need to prioritize DEI advancement in ABA.

 

For more information:

https://learnbehavioral.com/culture

https://learnbehavioral.com/culture/dei

The Advances and Challenges of DEI Initiatives in ABA

Dr. Megan Anna Neff, a Neurodivergent Psychologist joins us to discuss discovering her own autism in the aftermath of her child’s diagnosis and how that has inspired her passion to support the neurodivergent community. Dr. Neff describes the experience of her autism revelation in this way, “For the first time in my life, my body made sense, my experience of self made sense, and it was a powerful moment of liberation.” We also delve into helpful strategies about sensory sensitivity and self-care that are helpful for adults and parents of children with autism. 

 

For more information:

neurodivergentinsights.com

@neurodivergent_insights on Instagram

 

All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).

Self-care and Sensory Needs for Neurodivergent Individuals

Dr. Linda LeBlanc, a Licensed Psychologist and author of 3 books on supervision joins us to discuss her latest book about ethics which she co-authored with Dr. Amanda Karsten, who is the Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Grand Valley State University.  Their new book titled Proactive and Practical Decision Making for Behavior Analysis explores the critical need for continually examining and evolving the role of ethics in providing services. As Dr. Karsten shared, "I hope we can help normalize the range of emotions that early career folks may be experiencing but also empower them with strategies they can put into motion and navigate step by step.  And to know that being in a difficult ethical situation is not going to overwhelm them."

For more information:

https://sloanpublishing.com/ethics 

 

All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).

The Importance of Ethical Decision Making For Behavior Analysts

Jessica Sylfest is the parent of a child with Autism and ADHD and the Sr. Director of  Talent Acquisition for LEARN Behavioral. Jessica’s compassion, warmth, and learned wisdom are great offerings to all parents as we transition our kids back to school. There are a lot of specific strategies shared when navigating an IEP and how to establish good communication with your child’s team. As Jessica said, “I think there is such value in sharing experiences and sharing things that are going well and things that are a  struggle. You really never stop preparing. It’s just perpetual communication, planning with the school and with the other resources in our lives.”

 

All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).

Back To School Tips for Parents of Kids with Autism

Dr. Becky Thompson, Director of Clinical Services for the Wisconsin Early Autism Project (WEAP), and Reux Lennon, Non-binary member of both the LGBT and Autism community and Lead technician with WEAP join us to share their work on the Person-Centered ABA team and the Neurodivergent Advisory Committee.  Dr. Thompson leads LEARN's Person-Centered ABA team, which is a group of clinical leaders within LEARN who are dedicated to compassionate and individualized ABA services. Reux shares how their work as one of the original members of the Neurodivergent Advisory Committee is creating change and including neurodivergent voices and perspectives.

 

For more information visit:

https://learnbehavioral.com/culture/neurodiversity 

 

All Autism Talk (https://www.allautismtalk.com/) is sponsored by LEARN Behavioral (https://learnbehavioral.com).

Advancing Research and Understanding of Autism

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