Advertise on podcast: Two Sides of the Spectrum

When this episode first aired, it was just directed at OT practitioners. But it’s simply too full of insight to not share again with our broader audience. Jen Schonger is the part time operations manager at Communication FIRST and the mom to two daughters, one of whom is Autistic. In this conversation, Jen shares her insight about the important blind spots many providers have, and the concrete ways we can support parents to develop an empowering understanding of their Autistic kids.

As professionals, we are always working towards something with our Autistic clients. But are we working on the things that will truly help them lead the lives they want to live? In this episode, Autistic researcher Dr. Monique Botha helps us dive into the nuance, meaning, and impact of this question. They also help us identify what research should guide our practice as professionals, and what research we can leave behind.

We all know by now that feeling safe is foundational for learning, healing, and growing. But what does it look like to cultivate safety for our Autistic clients who have experienced trauma? LPCs Sharon Hammer and Lisa Hoeme help us get into the nitty-gritty of what trauma-informed care looks like in the context of neurodiversity. Get on the waitlist for their new CE course at learnplaythrive.com/trauma

Happy New Year! We're giving away a FREE 1.5 hour continuing education course by Autistic psychologist Matt Lowry to every professional who wants to watch it. It's called Understanding the Autistic Neurotype: A Deep-Dive from an Autistic Psychologist. It's registered for ASHA, AOTA, NASP, and ASWB CEUs and it's available on-demand from January 10 - February 21, 2024. Fill out the form at learnplaythrive.com/summit and to grab your spot! We'll be back in two weeks with a new episode.

In this conversation, Karina Saechao helps us understand what it looks like now for multiply marginalized kids to try and access and use AAC, and what concrete steps we can all take to try and change that. Karina gives the best advice to therapists on the ground who are collaborating with parents and teachers to improve access to communication for our clients. Karina Saechao is an SLP, researcher, scholar, and activist who's really passionate about increasing equity, access, and outcomes related to research, clinical practice, and course curriculum. She’s also a PhD student and a speaker at the upcoming Learn Play Thrive continuing education summit. Check it out at learnplaythrive.com/summit

So many therapists are grappling with how to reconcile our feeding therapy training with what we are learning from Autistic adults. On the podcast, we’ve heard that systematic desensitization - even when it’s play-based - can feel like torture. We’ve learned that what looks like progress towards accepting new foods can actually be Autistic masking. And we’ve learned that family meals simply aren’t best for every child. In this episode, Marsha Dunn Klein, creator of the Get Permission Approach, shares with us her own journey towards aligning her work with neurodiversity-affirming practices. We dive into what this looks like for her, what she’s learned from interviewing Autistic adults, and what affirming feeding therapy can look like in your work.

At Learn Play Thrive, we are recognizing Native American Heritage month with an episode that centers how we can support the well-being of our Native clients. In this episode, Diné and Acoma Pueblo SLP Dr. Joshua Allison-Burbank helps us dive into Native views on disability, cultural responsiveness for therapists who are supporting Autistic people on reservation or off reservation, and ways that non-Native folks can build trust and connection in their relationships with their Native clients. To keep learning from Joshuaa, join us in the 2024 Neurodiversity CE Summit at learnplaythrive.com/summit.

Most of us who are trying to work in a way that is aligned with our values have so many moments of doubt. Are we actually doing a “skilled intervention”? Is the work we are doing truly making an impact on the child’s life? Are we inadvertently causing harm? Is there something we should know but don’t know that would help more in this situation? One of my favorite things to do is to find therapists who have really done the work to align their work with their values. Kelsie Olds (she/they) exemplifies this. In this episode, we dive into the details of Kelsie’s practice as a school-based OT and their journey to where they are today.

On the podcast we often hear from Autistic mothers diagnosed after their kids. But today, Tiffany Hammond (@fidgets.and.fries) tells us a different story. We hear about her life at the intersection of being Black and Autistic; navigating services for her two Autistic sons; and her new book, A Day With No Words. Listen to the end for Tiffany’s takeaway to providers. It’s such a simple shift, but one we could go our whole careers without learning.

In this episode, Autistic psychology practitioner Matt Lowry helps us dive into what a strengths-based diagnostics process looks like for autism, and the incredible difference this can make. We also explore what parents and other professionals should look for to find a neurodiversity-affirming evaluator when making a referral. And Matt reads us a story that he wrote called The Legend of Autistica, which is his poignant, hilarious, and insightful origin story of the Autistic people. This episode is re-release of episode 51.

In today’s episode, Autistic OT Kim Clairy talks about sensory differences, Autistic catatonia, and interdependence in a way that should be part of our life and graduate school curricula. She weaves in her clinical expertise with her personal story and her poetry, and even brings in a surprise guest at the end. Warning: the ending is so sweet it may leave you in tears.

Pull up a chair for this conversation! We are going to talk about how intersectionality is like Rubik’s cube, what Plato’s Allegory of the Cave has to do with our therapy work, the Barbie movie, and so much more. This podcast episode was gentle, profound, and transformative. Our guest, ChrisTiana ObeySumner, reminds us that our biases do come out in our work. And, gently, she encourages us to examine them. The 2024 Learn Play Thrive Continuing Education Summit has early bird tickets on sale now! Visit learnplaythrive.com/summit to see the lineup.