EPISODE 42
Autism Level UP: A Discussion with Dr. Amy Laurent and Dr. Jacquelyn Fede
Autism Level UP: A Discussion with Dr. Amy Laurent and Dr. Jacquelyn Fede
Play the Episode…
…and Continue the Discussion
Do you have a book or podcast club? If so, you may use this discussion guide to facilitate a conversation about this episode.
1) A mission of Autism Level Up is to move from decision-making for educational programming “owned” by neurotypical professionals, to practices and goals to be guided primarily from what we are learning from autistic self-advocates. What is the value of this approach, and are you currently doing that in your own work or encouraging others to do that in their work?
2) In your opinion, what else is most unique about Amy and Jacquelyn’s perspective that helps Autism Level Up stand out among approaches to support autistic individuals? What are you most motivated to apply to your work and your life?
3) Amy and Jacquelyn allude to differences in learning styles observed in autistic individuals that are clearly distinctive from those of neurotypical individuals. What are some of these differences that they discuss, and are most apparent to you as a family member, autistic individual, educator or therapist? What obligations do neurotypical professionals have in honoring differences in learning style?
Featuring
AMY LAURENT, PhD, OTR/L
Amy Laurent, PhD, OTR/L is the co-director of Autism Level UP! a neurotypical / neurodivergent partnership dedicated to the provision of education, accessible resources, and practical strategies focused on increasing active engagement for autistic individuals and the members of their communities. She is a co-author of the SCERTS Model and frequently lectures internationally. She is passionate about neurodiversity and helping others to honor and understand the implications of “different ways of being” in relation to navigating the physical and social world. Dr. Laurent strives to practice what she preaches and uses her love of play and movement to meet her own regulatory needs.
JACQUELYN FEDE, PhD
Jacquelyn Fede, PhD is a super fun, Autistic Self-Advocate, developmental psychologist and program evaluator. Her research interests include immigration policy, autism, and community engagement. She uses her experience to help educate others about autism through lecturing, blogging and consulting on evaluation projects. A full scholarship Division 1 athlete in college, Dr. Fede continues to meet her sensory needs by seeking extreme physical activity. She also enjoys the use of creativity and art for expression.
Show Notes
Dr. Amy Laurent, a Development Psychologist and OT, and her autistic colleague, Dr. Jacquelyn Fede, a Developmental Psychologist discuss how their relationship led to the development and evolution of Autism Level Up, a joint venture that provides a variety of services and supports to the autism community nationally and internationally. As a SCERTS Model Collaborator, Amy describes how Jacquelyn’s perspective as an autistic self-advocate encouraged them to build on the foundation of SCERTS, with extensive input from autistic people, to develop progressive autistic driven initiatives and transactional supports with the goal of improving quality of life for all, autistic people, families and allies.
About Autism Level UP!
Autism Level UP! A partnership of two developmental psychologists, one neurodivergent and the other neurotypical. Our philosophy is that through education, accessible resources, practical strategies and a commitment to consistently incorporating the experiences and perspectives of autistic people, we can support the leveling up of society when it comes to autism and neurodiversity. Of course, our primary goal is to support autistic individuals, but the more we are able to spread real awareness and support others in moving from awareness to acceptance, acceptance to appreciation, appreciation to empowerment and from empowerment to advocacy, the more positive change we will see at those large institutional and societal levels that can greatly benefit the autistic community. So we do aim first and foremost to empower autistic individuals to navigate their world, but we also aim to make the world a more autism-friendly environment and the universe more accommodating to the neurodiverse – after all, it is a partnership and change should not rest solely on the shoulders of the autistic community.
“We are just the public facing humans of Autism Level UP! The true master minds of this collaboration are the Level pUPs! Roomba, VPee of Tails and Marketing, and ObiWan, CEObi of Tiring and Slow Motion.”
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