In this episode we explore the role of therapists in promoting positive sexual identity and reducing the risk of sexual assault for our clients. Our guest, Sarah Selvaggi Hernandez is an autistic occupational therapist and educator working to promote an intentional identity-first approach to autism and OT. Promoting bodily autonomy starts with what we teach our youngest clients and how we treat them in our sessions. This is a must-listen episode for all therapists no matter their setting....

If you work with kids, here’s the thing: Autistic kids become Autistic adolescents, who may become interested in sex and dating. And if we don’t take the time to learn about what this means for them, as Autistic people, we are likely to miss the mark in how we support them. And if we don’t support them, it’s likely that no one will. The good news is that Autistic social worker Jen Harr is here to talk us through exactly what we should know about Autistic love, dating and romance. And hey...

In this episode, Autistic researcher Dr. Mel Heyworth guides us in completely rethinking the pathologized model of autism. We talk about how we can tell kids they are Autistic, how we can support their passions, and so much more. Dr. Mel Heyworth is the founder of the Australian organization Reframing Autism.

We know by now that Autistic adults are the real experts on how Autistic people experience the world. In this episode, Autistic SLPs Rachel Dorsey and V Tisi take us deeper than we’ve ever gone into how we can understand and support authentic, Autistic social communication in any context. If you listen to this episode and want to keep learning, check out their newly released CE course Let’s UNMASC: Understanding the Needs and Motivations of Autistic Social communication at...

What can those of us working in behaviorally oriented spaces do to try and protect the well-being of our Autistic clients? What impact does shame have on the wellbeing of Autistic kids? What's it like to be a Black Autistic organizer in mostly white spaces? Why should we shift from a charity model to a direct aid model in supporting marginalized groups? In this episode, we dive into all of these issues with Finn Gardiner, the Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Autistic People of Color...

In this episode we talk about the experience of trans and gender non-conforming Autistic people and their voices. Our guest, SLP Ruchi Kapila, has a really unique practice where they support their clients to use their voices in ways that feel authentic to them and their gender identity. But this episode isn't just for SLP’s: the lessons about gender-affirming care are relevant to all of us supporting Autistic people.

In this episode, Reyma McCoy Hyten helps us explore the root causes of oppression for Autistic people, and sit with the discomfort of examining our role in it. Reyma McCoy Hyten is Autistic and was the first Black woman to ever serve as the US Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner for the Administration on Disabilities. After two decades as a helping professional, Reyma now focuses her work on “how systems create marginalization in the first place.”

In this episode, our guest, Dr. Devon Price, helps us explore the concepts of masking and authenticity and how we, as professionals supporting Autistic people, can push back against these pressures. We also explore some of the more foundational questions around being Autistic and neurodiversity. Dr. Devon Price is a social psychologist, professor, author, and proudly Autistic person. He has written 'Unmasking Autism' and 'Laziness Doesn't Exist'.

This conversation starts with books, then goes into more books, takes a turn into self-advocacy, and then finishes with a powerful message for therapists working with Autistic kids. And if you're wondering, we'll get to the narwhals too. Our guest, Lei Wiley-Mydske, is an Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent and disabled writer, artist, advocate, activist, and parent. Lei runs so many cool projects – including a neurodiversity library inside of a tattoo shop – that we discuss in this episode.

Often as OTs and SLPs we skip right to teaching our Autistic clients new skills. But what about their feelings of felt safety while they are with us? What work do we need to do so that we can show up calm and connected and ready to support our Autistic kids to feel truly safe enough to learn? Psychologist and school psychologist Dr. Gillian Boudreau talks us through this essential and often over-looked first -step to supporting our Autistic clients.

Autistic PDAers need different kinds of supports to feel safe. And before we can provide those, we have to get curious and learn about their needs. Casey Ehrlich from At Peace Parents helps us learn how to foster true safety for our PDA clients. Content warning: this episode includes a detailed description of Autistic burnout for a young child.

Far too often research centers outcomes that actually harm Autistic people. Today’s guest, Dr. T.C. Waisman, helps us move toward research that centers Autistic well-being as defined by Autistics.

In this episode, we field listener questions to Alex Zachos of Meaningful Speech to learn how we can more authentically and effectively support kids who learn language through delayed echolalia. This episode is a follow-up to Episode 40 on supporting Gestalt Language Processors.

Today’s guests, Meghan Ashburn from Not an Autism Mom, and Jules Edwards from Autistic, Typing, will be our guides in examining how we as professionals can create the world Autistic kids and their families deserve. Together we’ll dig through everything that is happening now for families of Autistic kids including going through the diagnostic process, finding a community of families for support, and looking for the right professionals to support Autistic kids in an affirming way. Check out...

This episode is about how we as therapists build something different to support our autistic clients' social and emotional development, with our ethics and values guiding us and our autistic students as our co-creators. Our guests are SLP Carolyn Long of Social Optics and her student-turned-colleague, Nick.

We are gearing up for our OT Neurodiversity Continuing Education Summit and it's going to be transformative. Learn more about it here or visit learnplaythrive.com/summit

Dr. Winnie Dunn totally changed how we think about sensory processing for Autistic people. In this episode, we explore a person-centered, strengths-based way to consider our Autistic clients’ sensory needs in their daily lives. We also get Dr. Dunn’s advice on how to use her tool – The Sensory Profile II – in a way that will make your work easier and more impactful. This is a re-release of episode 16 of the podcast.

There’s a tool that is missing from most of our therapy bags: it’s lowering the demands for our Autistic clients. This tool is irreplaceable for helping Autistic people recover from the burnout cycle, and even for preventing burnout all together. Amanda Diekman (“Low Demand Amanda”) helps us figure out how to do just that.

How does the historical and present-day trauma of Native Autistic kids impact their experience of our therapy? And how does the linear worldview of non-Native therapists create a gap between us and our Native clients? In this episode, Jules Edwards, who is Anishinaabe and Autistic, talks about culturally responsive therapy for supporting Native Autistic kids.

In this episode, Dr. Kristy Coxon and Dr. Caroline Mills look at how we can support Autistic people’s meaningful participation in daily life as they enter older adulthood. And then they help us apply these lessons to supporting Autistic people of any age, in any setting.

The medical model is pervasive, and it asks us to silo the health needs of our Autistic clients. But our Autistic clients are full people, and their needs are intertwined. In this episode, Autistic primary care physician Mel Houser helps us reimagine healthcare and other systems that aren't working for the Autistic community, breaking down access barriers and implementing universal design for all neurotypes.

In this three part episode, we hear from parents of multiply disabled kids on their experiences of inclusion in the schools, collaborating with therapists, and AAC. This episode takes us back in time into the history of the disability rights movement in the US and then to the present day, with practical advice that should guide how we support multiply disabled Autistic clients. Our guests include Taina Moretti, whose son has Angelman Syndrome; Evie Jesperson, whose daughter is Autistic and...

Here’s the truth: if we aren’t engaging in a process to learn about our clients’ cultures and our own biases, we are likely causing harm. In this episode, intersex and transgendered SLP AC Goldberg helps us explore how culturally responsive care can be the difference between causing micro-traumas for our clients or creating meaningful, positive relationships. We talk about gender, race, class and more, bringing it down to the make-or-break moments in our sessions that we may not even notice...

Ready to dive deeper into neurodiversity-affirming approaches to feeding? Our guest Laura Hellfeld, Public Health Nurse, explores the relationship between PDA and feeding, dives into eating disorders, and shares her personal experience with PICA. This episode will take you deeper into dismantling ableist approaches to supporting picky eaters of all ages.

In this episode, neurodivergent RD Naureen Hunani helps us unpack the harm of systematic desensitization for picky eating in autistic kids. Then she lays out a framework for what we can do to support picky eaters in a more affirming way. This episode will inspire you to reassess everything you thought you knew about best practices in feeding therapy.