Dr. Annie McLaughlin is a special breed of BCBA; she practices as an IEP advocate and trains other professionals to become advocates as well. IEPs can be a contentious environment, tip-toeing around and finding diplomatic approaches to tough conversations. Dr. McLaughlin explains that her philosophy around advocacy is to show us as humans with compassion first.

In her advocacy work, Dr. McLaughlin supports families through the lens of ACT (be sure to check out some of our episodes discussing this topic). She also uses her behavior analytic lens to take an important perspective for clients with diverse needs. “I want to be the advocate everyone wants to show up,” is what Dr. McLaughlin shares when discussing how to focus on collaboration through open communication and active listening.

At a table filled with parents, therapists, and school faculty, Dr. McLaughlin advocates for “both sides” by highlighting parent concerns AND validating the expertise of the providers. The advocate helps make space for diverse perspectives while reinforcing ideas. When both the families and the providers are on the same page, it can make a big difference in the work they are doing with the learner.

You can find Dr. Annie McLaughlin on Instagram as @IEPAdvocateAnnie, where she shares about her courses and helps other professionals become IEP advocates.

#autism #speechtherapy

What’s Inside:

How can an advocate help both “sides” of the team?
Advocacy with a behavior analytic lens
Supporting families with ACT.
Helping professionals become advocates.

Mentioned In This Episode:
Annie McLaughlin, PhD, BCBA-D (@iepadvocateannie) - Instagram
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#178: Compassionate Advocacy with Dr. Annie McLaughlin