IEPs, Ableist Goals and Parents’ Rights

A neurodiversity-affirming parent’s anonymous post to Therapist Neurodiversity Collective requested information that might help them advocate for their special education student in the IEP meeting. From the information contained in the post, it appeared that the school, although possibly unintentionally, was not aware of IDEA and Supreme Court decisions, and therefore violated parental rights to meaningfully participate in and contribute to the IEP meeting. Additionally, it is clear that our public school system is lagging in knowledge and application of contemporary research evidence about autism, and as a result, the kids are paying the consequences with poor mental health outcomes. 

Neuro-Affirming Support and Intellectual Disability: Where Do We Start?

Neuro-Affirming Support and Intellectual Disability: Where Do We Start? with Holly Sutherland, Autistic Autism Researcher Register $15 USD Topic: Neurodiversity-informed care for intellectually disabled autistic and wider-neurodivergent people. Course Description: Environments, […]

Not allowed to say “I can’t”

Picture of young student with brown hair, head in hands, sitting at desk.

“The kids in my class aren’t allowed to say I can’t.” I’m in an IEP meeting for young neurodivergent student who’s struggling in class. The committee is talking about all the reasons why this student should not be struggling because their standardized cognitive and language scores show they have the ability to learn and do the work.

Inclusive School Practices for Complex Communicators

Inclusive School Practices for Complex Communicators with Alexandra (Alex) Nelson, M.S., CCC-SLP, SYC in Educational Leadership Register: $15 USD Topic: Neurodiversity-affirming services for complex communicators in the school setting. #AAC […]

AAC: Autistic Experience, Research, and Recommendations

AAC: Autistic experience, research, and recommendations with endever* corbin, an Autistic AAC User Register: $15 USD Topic: Evidence-based best practices for Speaking AAC Users across all environments (schools, post-secondary education […]

Live Event: Racial Disparities in Autism

Therapist Neurodiversity Collective’s Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices Series Desiree R. Jones Live Event: Racial Disparities in Autism (A DEI event) Desi is a 4th-year doctoral student at the University of Texas at Dallas, […]

Neurodiversity and Autism Intervention (ABA) can’t be reconciled.

And let’s talk about considerable ethical and financial conflicts of interest with this paper and its authors, shall we?

Reader, every single author of this paper is trained in ABA, (three of them are actually BCBAs), so clearly each author has a vested financial interest in duping people into believing that ABA is “Neurodiversity Approved”.
(It’s always about the $$$.)

ABA Call to Action!

Did you know that there is a Congressional Autism Caucus? This 141-member caucus includes members from both parties in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S.
Now is the time to voice your opposition to ABA!
Contact your State Congressional Members of the Congressional Autism Caucus https://doyle.house.gov/issues/autism-caucus/autism-caucus-membership