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, […]
Theory of (other) mind: (mis)understanding ‘others’ in a neurodiverse world

Theory of (other) mind: (mis)understanding ‘others’ in a neurodiverse world, with Dr. Gemma L. Williams, PhD., MA. Register: $15 USD Topic: Autistic social communication, the ‘double empathy problem‘ and ‘relevance […]
On the Dark History and Surprising Revival of Behavior Modification

Register: $15 USD Presentation Description “On the Dark History and Surprising Revival of Behavior Modification” examines the history of behavior modification and chronicles its development in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), […]
Toxic Social Skills Training Goals, “Be yourself, but not like that.”

The vast majority of new-to-me students come with IEPs that have, probably well-meaning, but in actuality, toxic social skills goals. Here are some alternatives.
Autism Pseudoscience: How providers can identify, educate and intervene to protect children

Autism Pseudoscience: How providers can identify, educate and intervene to protect children with Anne Borden King, co-founder of Autistics for Autistics When: Thursday, July 13, 2023 12 – 1:30 pm […]
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 […]
Flipping the Autism Narrative – Neurodiversity in the Public Schools – Part 2

A Free Facebook Live Public Event – Flipping the Autism Narrative – Neurodiversity in the Public Schools – Part 2 A conversation with a neurodiversity-affirming special education team” – An […]
Flipping the Autism Narrative – Neurodiversity in the Public Schools – Part 3

A Free Facebook Live Public Event – Flipping the Autism Narrative – Neurodiversity in the Public Schools – Part 3 A conversation with a neurodiversity-affirming speech therapy team about their […]
The Process of Change: Evolving the ABA Discussion at the Provider Level – August 5, 2022

Therapist Neurodiversity Collective’s Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices Series Dr. Sarah Zate, MD “The Process of Change: Evolving the ABA Discussion at the Provider Level” Subject Matter: ABA and ethics; MD therapy referrals […]
A Subarachnoid Hemorrhage Case Study in Acquired Neurodivergence – September 9, 2022

Therapist Neurodiversity Collective’s Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices Series Dr. Alejandro Brice, PhD, CCC-SLP, BCS-CL “A subarachnoid hemorrhage case study in acquired neurodivergence” Subject matter: Neurodiversity, acquired neurodivergence, intersectionality, neurodivergent lived experiences Dr. […]
Neurodiversity-Affirming Therapy: Positions, Therapy Goals, and Best Practices

Neurodiversity-affirming therapy: Dozens of neurodiversity-affirming therapy goals and best practice resources for ally SLPs and OTs.
Influencer Therapists: Dubious Ethics & Poor Quality Services

“And, at the end of the day, that’s what a lot of therapy “influencers” are after: exploiting vulnerable families to benefit their own bottom line and their online image. And it’s time that professionals and parents begin talking about it and pushing back.”
Ableism in Speech Pathology

1/24/2022, by Nicole Lobsey, Certified Practicing Speech Pathologist Like most health and education fields, Speech Pathology is a heavily ableist field. Speech Pathology practices are based on: Assessment against neurotypical […]
Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy for Difference in Sensory Integration and Processing

Virginia Spielmann, PhD, OTR/L (she/her) Neurodiversity Affirming Therapy for Difference in Sensory Integration and Processing Sensory Integration Therapy (Ayres SI) – what it really is Sensory Informed Approaches The neurology of […]
Occupational Therapy with Autistic Clients: Valuing and Promoting Neurodiversity – October 7, 2022

Therapist Neurodiversity Collective’s Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices Series “Occupational Therapy with Autistic Clients: Valuing and Promoting Neurodiversity” with Normandy Rindahl, OT Normandy Rindahl is an OT working in pediatric clinic and home […]
A Parent’s Guide to Respectful Feeding Therapy: Part 2

ABA providers will tell you to break your child, to reward your child for eating food, to re-present food your child has spit out or vomited, to restrain your child in a chair and do not let them leave the chair. There are better ways.
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 $$$.)
They refuse to work. So now what? Just let them become unemployed and play Fortnite and eat Cheetos all day?

They refuse to work. So now what? Just let them become unemployed and play Fortnite and eat Cheetos all day?
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