Two Sides of the Spectrum

Dr. Alyssa Hillary Zisk is autistic, a part-time AAC user, and a recent graduate from the interdisciplinary neuroscience program at the University of Rhode Island. In this episode, we talk about why and how part-time AAC use can support authentic participation for many autistic people. We also explore Alyssa’s insights on teaching AAC from Alyssa's perspective as an engineer, as a researcher, and as an AAC user. View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Rachel Dorsey is an Autistic SLP in private practice, a consultant, and the creator of a new Learn Play Thrive course, Goal Writing for Autistic Students: A Neurodiversity-Affirming Approach. In episode 35, we cover the basics of the neurodiversity paradigm and why and how to write strengths-based goals. Rachel also gives us the inside scoop on her own journey towards neurodiversity-affirming practice.  View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Rachel Coley is an OT and mom of three kids, one of whom is autistic. She’s also the founder of CanDo Kiddo, where she gives strengths-based strategies for supporting infant development. In this episode Rachel and I talk about how her OT practice has grown and changed to embrace a neurodiversity-affirming, strengths-based approach. We dive into what it means to be strengths-based with very early development, and concrete ways that schools and school-based therapists can better support neurodivergent kids at every level.  View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Moyna Talcer is an autistic occupational therapist and researcher who conducted a qualitative study on the sensory experiences of autistic mothers. Her findings have implications for the ways we support not only autistic mothers, but all autistic people, starting in childhood. View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Oswin Latimer is the founder and President of Foundations for Divergent Minds (FDM) and former Director of Community Engagement for the Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN). In this episode, Oswin and I talk about the specific executive function strategies we can use to support our autistic clients’ participation in meaningful daily activities.  View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Dr. Andrew Gordon is a cognitive neuroscientist specializing in memory, decision making, cognitive control, and misinformation research. This episode is a deep dive into a study conducted by Dr. Gordon and a team of researchers on how executive function differences really show up neurologically for autistic people. And what they found in the study wasn’t that autistic people had executive function deficits, but that they used their executive control networks differently. In this episode, Dr. Gordon explores this research and its implications. This is part one of a two-part series on executive function. In the next episode, we’ll go even deeper into the practical ways we can support autistic people in their daily lives.  View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Michelle Neuringer is mom to an autistic 6 year old and neurotypical 9 year old. She’s committed to deeply learning from and about her daughter throughout her parenting journey. Jane Sloan, who teaches Michelle's daughter, is a seasoned educator with a deep passion and gift for partnering with parents. Listen into the episode to discover what a collaborative parent / professional relationship combined with a strengths-based approach truly looks like, and the concrete ways that you can translate this to your professional therapy practice.  View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Dr. Stephen Shore is an autistic advocate, consultant, writer, professor at Adelphi University, and adjunct professor at NYU. His work focuses on aligning best practice in supporting autistic people to lead fulfilling and productive lives. He’s a co-author of the book Ask and Tell: Self-Advocacy and Disclosure for People on the Autism Spectrum. Join us in Episode 29 where we:Learn Dr. Shore’s step-by-step framework for teaching self-advocacyLearn how to effectively scaffold self-advocacy so our clients feel supported and successfulExplore how self-advocacy is an essential component for supporting our autistic clientsApply Dr. Shore’s self-advocacy framework to specific case studies  View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Timotheus Gordon Jr. blogs and posts on social media as The Black Autist. His posts center on autism acceptance, race, disability, and the latest news relevant for autistic people who are black, indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC). Join us in episode 28 where we talk about:   Racism and exclusion within the disability communityThe stories of BIPOC autistic people interacting with policeReal, replicable community-based alternatives to police intervention in crisis and the Community Emergency Services & Supports Act, expected to pass in IllinoisTimotheus’s advice to therapists working with BIPOC autistic people.This is an important conversation you don’t want to miss. View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast

Kate McLaughlin, M.S., CCC-SLP (“The AAC Coach” on social media) is a Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with complex communication needs. She believes that autonomous communication, inclusion, and self-determination are fundamental human rights. Listen into this episode as we explore:The difference between autonomous and independent communication, and how understanding this distinction can open up new opportunities for our clientsWhat it means to be an “emergent communicator” and tons of specific ways we can support them4 concrete strategies we can use to teach robust AAC in a respectful and engaging way (Spoiler: not a single one of these strategies is prompting!)  View show notes and transcript at learnplaythrive.com/podcast