A special presentation with Julie Roberts, a neurodivergence-affirming therapist, and founder of the Therapist Neurodiversity Collective: “Shifting Therapies towards an empathetic and respectful Neurodiversity Paradigm”.

Why does therapy need to change? (Whole body listening, social communication expectations, compliance-based therapies, and outcomes, pathologizing natural autistic ways of interacting and communicating, tolerance, or the 'extinguishing' of sensory issues.)

In what ways are the majority of therapists "behind" in contemporary Autism research knowledge? (Autism research that is done in conjunction with and by autistic researchers, Monotropism, Autistic Masking, and Camouflage, The Double Empathy Problem, Diversity in Social Intelligence)

How do neurodivergence-affirming therapies reduce situations that lead to restraint and seclusion? (Therapy becomes about reaching the person where they are, goals become less about compliance and more about increasing personal agency and self-determination.)

Julie Roberts is a licensed, ASHA certified Speech-Language Pathologist and the Founder of Therapist Neurodiversity Collective who has been practicing for over 20 years. She is a frequent presenter on overviews of Autism and Neurodiversity, and why Social Skills Training is an ableist therapy model (based on contemporary research and autistic lived experiences). A frequent blogger who writes articles on disability rights, empathetic therapy practices, and advocacy efforts, Julie is a passionate and tireless patient/client/student rights advocate and activist.

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