006 Raw reflections on being neurodiversity-affirming in a non-affirming pediatric early intervention setting (involving ABA)

Trigger warning: This episode mentions and talks about ABA and non affirming behaviorist interventions for Autistic kids. Kari works as a contractor in early intervention with neurodivergent children ages 0-3. In this episode she talks about the painful reality of being in the middle of a non-affirming workplace, and the need to honor your capacity and willingness to work alongside non-affirming colleagues. The field of occupational therapy is wanting to move toward being more neuro-affirming, but the reality is that many systems are not set up to be so. In this episode Kari talks about Autistic play, Autistic social skills, behavior, and other realities of what is often being targeted as ‘deficits’ in therapy and ABA settings. Download Kari’s free e-book: Your Neurodivergent GPS System to get instant access to your intuition for next steps to take in challenging situations; full of exercises that Kari uses personally and recommends to all her clients. https://kariburch.podia.com/your-neurodivergent-gps-system  Follow Kari on Instagram: Kari Burch (@neurodivergent.ot.kari) | Instagram profile Follow Kari on Facebook: Facebook