Neuro-affirmative practice for Autistic children and youth

Best practice approaches supporting neurodiversity (and autism specifically) have undertaken significant change in recent times. The Autism and Autistic community are informing how we all work together to achieve goals and outcomes. This is particularly applicable to Autistic and Neurodivergent children and young people. With recent government policy initiatives and practices, the time to review and adapt the way we work with communities is now!

 

Novita have embraced this movement and are driving key practices in collaboration with Autism Level UP. This session will share worldwide changes to supports through the co-design of practices, and the learnings within the implementation of the SCERTS model at Novita. We will also address early stories of practice change and the outcomes for autistic children and families.

 

OUR SPEAKERS

 

Dr Amy Laurent, Ph.D., OTR/L, Developmental Psychologist / Registered Occupational Therapist and Dr Jacquelyn Fede, Autistic Self-Advocate, Developmental Psychologist and Program Evaluator

 

Worldwide movements: Neuro-affirmative practice (video presentation)

 

Based in the US, Amy and Jacqueline, through their work at Autism Level UP have been instrumental in supporting worldwide practice change. In this presentation they will address the current worldwide cultural shift within supports for (and with) autism and autistic communities.

 

Amy is also the co-director and co-founder of Autism Level UP!, a neurodiverse partnership aiming to provide accessible resources, consultation, training and services that are informed by and developed in collaboration with the autistic community.

 

Jacquelyn research interests include immigration policy, autism, and community engagement. She uses her experience to mentor other autistics and to help educate others about autism through lecturing, blogging and consulting on evaluation projects. A full scholarship Division I athlete in college, Jacquelyn continues to meet her sensory needs by seeking extreme physical activity. She also enjoys the use of creativity and art for expression

 

Penny Miller, Practice Lead Neurodevelopmental, Novita

 

Organisational approaches: Implementation of the SCERTS model into practice

 

Novita has embraced diversity through the implementation of the SCERTS model, in collaboration with Autism Level UP. Penny will describe the implementation of SCERTS, including key learnings and outcomes.

 

Penny presents with experience as a speech pathologist, early intervention key worker and has a particular passion for inclusion. Her current role oversees quality clinical practice and innovative service development as well as providing guidance to clinical learning programs, together with the Practice Lead team. An ally for all autistic and neurodivergent voices, Penny is committed to the co-design of quality supports for the autistic and autism community.

 

Rebecca Milton, Clinical Lead Occupational Therapist, Novita

 

Embracing voices: Stories of Impact

 

Understanding the impact of SCERTS through autistic voices is a key measure of success. Together with the SCERTS mentor team, Rebecca will share individual stories of what neuro-affirmative practices mean for individuals and communities.

 

Rebecca has worked proactively to support neuro-affirmative, strength based principles into every interaction. A key member of the leadership team and a SCERTS mentor, Rebecca supports therapists, families, educators and most importantly individuals to embrace neurodiversity and create opportunities for all.

 

OUR CHAIR

 

Petr Prasil, Manager, Research and Development, Novita

 

Other event information:

 

Networking and light refreshments will follow the session from 6.30pm.

 

Open to everyone to attend from researchers, students, government, health services and the general community.

 

More information here