In this episode, we talk about why and how part-time AAC use can support authentic participation for many autistic people. We also explore Dr. Alyssa Hillary Zisk’s insights on teaching AAC from their perspective as an engineer, as a researcher, and as an AAC user.

Dr. Alyssa Hillary Zisk is an Autistic part-time AAC user, using a variety of text-based tools. They are the AAC research team lead at AssistiveWare. Their doctoral dissertation was on brain computer interfaces for people with ALS.

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

In this episode with autistic AAC user Tiffany Joseph (they/them, she/her), we cover functioning labels, AAC access, how race intersects with disability in the Autistic community, aggressive behaviors, and so much more. But the thread that runs throughout the conversation is empowering our clients to participate more authentically in their daily life. Tiffany Joseph, or TJ, is an Autistic educational consultant, and runs the Instagram and Facebook pages 'Nigh Functioning Autism', where they post about AAC, being Black and Autistic, epilepsy, ADHD, OCD, and more.

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

In this episode (a repeat of one of our earliest episodes, episode 4), Dr. Kristie Patten takes us to the foundations of what it means to be strengths-based and the impact that it has on the lives of our Autistic clients. Dr. Kristie Patten is Counselor to the President and professor of occupational therapy at NYU and the Principal Investigator of NYU Steinhardt's NEST Project, supporting New York City Public Schools’ largest inclusion program in the United States for Autistic students. In this episode Dr. Patten shares why it's really easy to be a bad therapist and really hard to be a good one (plus some concrete steps to take to help get us there!)

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

In this episode (a repeat of episode 44) we dive into interoception, our ability to understand the messages we are getting from inside our bodies. Our guest, Kelly Mahler, makes the connection between interoception and truly neurodiversity-affirming therapy practices. Kelly Mahler presents internationally on interoception and has authored 12 resources, including The Interoception Curriculum. This episode covers how a deeper understanding interoception can help us support authentic self-regulation for our autistic clients. It’s a must-listen for any professional who supports Autistic clients.

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

How can we center the needs of our Black Autistic clients? And how can we create spaces that allow for joyful, authentic participation for all kids? Heather Clarke has a deep analysis of the barriers that exist - especially for Black Autistic youth - and a vision for how we can move towards making our spaces safer, more inclusive, and more joyful.

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

Many of us have never seen strengths-based, neurodiversity affirming goal writing in practice. In this episode, Autistic SLP Rachel Dorsey walks us through the ins and outs of how to write truly affirming goals for our Autistic clients that contribute to their well-being, not to burnout. Check out the newest version of Rachel’s CE course, Goal Writing for Autistic Students, (co-taught with an incredible team of OTs and SLPs) at learnplaythrive.com/goals.

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

Ido Kedar is a non-speaking AAC user who chronicles his experience in therapies both before and after he learned to type to communicate. In this re-airing of episode 9, Ido shares concrete advice on how therapists can be more respectful and effective when supporting non-speaking Autistic clients. Ido Kedar is an autistic-self advocate and the author of two books. 

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

What is “neurosupremacy” and “neuronormativity,” and how does this differ from the idea of “neruotypicality”? What does peer counseling offer that traditional therapy misses? How can creativity help us break seemingly firm limits set by the systems of power and oppression that exist around us? In this episode, Honey Schneider helps us see the path to reclaiming our own wholeness, and to helping our clients do the same. Honey Schneider has an MA in Mental Health Counseling from NYU. They're white, disabled, and transsexual. Honey currently works as a peer coach. 

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

Our practice frameworks are supposed to guide our work…but what happens when their authors of our practice framework haven’t analyzed their biases?  In this episode, we discuss how ableism is built into the practice framework of occupational therapists, and what it looks like to do something totally different. Today’s guest, Dr. Bryden Carlson-Giving, wrote the first neurodiversity-affirming practice framework for OTs – and there’s something to learn from it no matter what field you work in. We also dive into the cultural model of disability, the limitations of evidence-based practice, and so much more. Dr. Bryden Carlson-Giving is a queer, neurodivergent, and disabled occupational therapy practitioner who developed The EMPOWER Model.  

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive

We talk a lot about neurodiversity-affirming practice…but what does this look like for physical therapists? Should their work be guided by developmental milestones? Is it ethical to use physical prompts and assistance? How do you know when toe walking is really a problem? And how exactly should we go about finding affirming physical therapists for referrals? Join Autistic PT Iris Warchall in episode 89 to tackle this and more. 

For show notes as well as in-person and livestreamed CE trainings visit learnplaythrive.com

For more episodes visit patreon.com/learnplaythrive