As SLPs, many of us were only taught one way of thinking when it came to working with neurodivergent students. But what if I told you there is another way to approach working with them that could make a world of difference in these students’ lives?
In this episode, I sat down with Stephanie Boron to talk about how we can flip the script when working with neurodivergent kids. Stephanie shares some fresh insights that not only give these kids better support but also help them rock their goals like never before!
Stephanie Boron is an Assistant Clinical Professor in Northwestern's SLP graduate program. With a focus on creating safe and inclusive spaces, Stephanie specializes in neurodiversity-affirming, child-led evaluation and treatment, with a special interest in gestalt language processing.
Beyond her academic role, she is the co-founder of Be Me Speech, a Chicago-area company providing neurodiversity training and coaching to schools, clinics, and caretakers. Her own neurodivergent identity impacts her advocacy work.
She’s passionate about creating space for others to listen to and learn from neurodivergent perspectives on her Instagram account, @BeMeSpeech.
She's a strong believer that disability rights are human rights, and she actively mentors the next generation of clinicians to empower their clients and advocate for change in their communities.
In This Episode You’ll Discover:
- Stephanie’s journey to getting her own neurodivergent diagnosis
- Why we all need to stop what we’re doing and learn about neurodivergent-affirming practices
- The types of goals we should be working on when it comes to neurodivergent students
- The power of honoring our students' communication attempts, no matter what they are
- Creating a culture in the school system to embrace the changes that need to be made
- Books by neurodivergent authors to share with neurodivergent students
- One requirement kids are expected to meet at school that is leading to autistic burnout
- The importance of embracing neurodiversity in our speech rooms
I hope this episode inspired you to start embracing neurodiversity-affirming practices in your speech room this year! Make sure to check out the books we mentioned and share them with your students as well.
If you want to learn more from Stephanie, you can follow her on Instagram and check out her website. She also has some free resources you can check out too!
Join us at our next virtual conference! Speech Retreat takes place on November 4, 2023! We would love to see you there. Check it out at speechretreat.com.
Joke of the Week:
Q: What time is it when the clock strikes 13?
A: Time to get a new clock.
Resources Mentioned:
Check out Stephanie’s free resources
Neurodiversity Affirming Approaches to Supporting Autistic Children
Check out the books mentioned:
Join us at the Speech Retreat!
Where We Can Connect:
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