Have you ever been crushed under the weight of not only your ambitious dream, but the grinding realization that others might be actively working against you?

Mari-Luci Cerda, PhD, BCBA, LBA is a Mesoamerican Indigenous woman, wife, mom, Autist, and board-certified behavior analyst with over 13 years experience working with Neurodivergent individuals and their families.

A former special education teacher, behavior specialist, and inclusion coordinator of 13 years—Mari has a deep passion for advocacy work with both schools and clinics to develop trauma-responsive, neurodiversity responsive practices. Her work focuses on shifting language and systems used in practice to reframe and move away from unintentional ableist frameworks that are often rooted in traditional therapy and educational settings. Much of this work pulls from IRM (Indigenous Research Methods) and models of care rooted in Cultural Safety and Responsiveness.

She recently opened her own trauma-responsive center, The Lighthouse Learning Center in Lubbock, TX with the goal of creating a model of true neurodiversity affirming and assent-based practices. Mari is also the co-founder of the The LEAP Institute, a non-profit with a mission to address the disparity of diverse practitioners in the ABA field.

TODAY'S MENU (for our 2-part feast)

Amuse-Bouche 

- What are you discovering at your clinic with de-implementing the 40 hour/compliance based model of ABA?

Appetizers

- How did you get into Behavior Analysis?

- In your own words, what does assent mean?

- What’s something you wish you could have told yourself when you were getting started?

Palate cleanser course 

- Why are cats so awesome?

Entree

- When was a time that you failed?

- What is the best compliment you have ever received or an “insult” you’ve received that you’re proud of?

- What’s something people seem to misunderstand about you?

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Follow Dr. Mari on Instagram: @Autie.Analyst

Company IG: @Lighthouse.Learning.Center

https://www.lighthouselearning.org

Non-Profit IG: @Leap.Institute

https://www.leapaba.org

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Chat with me on Instagram: ⁠@rosie.eats.bx⁠

Browse the podcast pages of all our guests!  ⁠https://www.rosiebx.com/podcast