About Learn Play Thrive

Our mission is to provide resources and continuing education trainings that promote the use of strengths-based, ethical, neurodiversity-affirming practices for professionals (including OTs, SLPs, social workers, and psychologists) working with Autistic people.

Learn Play Thrive
Values

Listening to Autistic Voices

We listen to Autistic voices and recognize that Autistic adults are the real experts on autism. All courses are either developed by or reviewed by Autistic professionals.

Respect for Neurodiversity

We respect the differences of neurodivergent people, while acknowledging their barriers to thriving in our current world. We do not teach or condone practices that promote masking or violate the bodily autonomy of our clients. We also stand against colonialism, racism, and ableism in all forms, and center the needs and experiences of multiply marginalized Autistic people. 

Openness to Change

We are committed to continually updating our beliefs and content as we listen, learn, and grow.

Value for Our Community

We aim to provide the highest level of value and support for our customers and our guest instructors. We support wealth redistribution through paying 45-60% of our sales our instructors. We’ve provide over 300 full scholarships to our courses to providers from global majority (systematically impoverished) countries 

Meg Proctor in conversation

Meet your
Instructors

INSTRUCTOR

Meg Ferrell

M.S., OTR/L
Founder of Learn Play Thrive, Occupational Therapist (she/her)
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Meg Ferrell

Founder of Learn Play Thrive, Occupational Therapist (she/her)
Meg (she/her) is the founder of Learn Play Thrive and an occupational therapist who cares deeply about person-affirming therapy. At Learn Play Thrive, she hopes to springboard as many professionals as humanly possible into practices that are culturally responsive and neurodiversity-affirming.

Meg continues to learn from Autistic adults with different intersectional identities through hosting the Two Sides of the Spectrum podcast, and paying Autistic consultants to review Learn Play Thrive courses.

She is the primary instructor in The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism, where she fills up the toolboxes of OTs, SLPs, social workers, school psychologists, and other professionals with strengths-based strategies to use in their work.
Disclosures for Meg Ferrell
FINANCIAL: Meg is the owner of Learn Play Thrive and receives a salary.
NON-FINANCIAL: Meg has friends and colleagues who are Autistic.
INSTRUCTOR

Rachel Dorsey

M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist (she/her)
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Rachel Dorsey

Rachel Dorsey

Speech Language Pathologist (she/her)
Rachel Dorsey (she/her) is an Autistic speech language pathologist who excels at teaching non-Autistic therapists to better understand and support our neurodivergent clients. Rachel is on a mission to illuminate the many ways that seemingly “effective” strategies can actually wreak havoc on the lives of our Autistic clients.

Rachel holds a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has worked in school, clinic, and community-based settings with children and adolescents of all ages.
Disclosures for Rachel Dorsey
FINANCIAL: Rachel is the owner of Rachel Dorsey: Autistic SLP, LLC and receives a salary. She is paid a consulting fee by Learn Play Thrive as the SLP consultant. Rachel was paid a speaking fee for her contribution to The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism. Rachel receives commission from her course, Goal Writing for Autistic Students and Let’s UNMASC. Rachel is a paid consultant for Responsive Feeding Pro, LLC. Rachel receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: Rachel is Autistic and has friends and family members who are Autistic.
INSTRUCTOR

Sarah Selvaggi-Hernandez

MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist (she/her)
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Sarah Selvaggi-Hernandez, MOT, OTR/L

Sarah Selvaggi-Hernandez

Occupational Therapist (she/her)
Sarah Selvaggi-Hernandez brought the language of “positive Autistic self-identity” to Learn Play Thrive. We latched on and never looked back. Sarah is an Autistic occupational therapist who studies, practices, and teaches person-affirming approaches to sensory-processing differences. Sarah is the creator of Ethics & Neurodiversity: Let’s Talk Sex and a guest instructor in The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism.

Sarah’s previous professional experience includes: assistant professor of Pediatrics and Mental Health at Bay Path University, early intervention therapist in Springfield, MA, and occupational therapist at a psychiatric residential treatment facility in East Windsor, CT. She now works as a full-time Autistic advocate and sensory consultant. Sarah and her husband Jeremy also served as a therapeutic foster family for the State of Connecticut for nearly twenty years, and continue to provide therapeutic respite care for Autistic children. Sarah can be found happy-flapping with her family in Enfield, CT.
Disclosures for Sarah Selvaggi-Hernandez
FINANCIAL: Sarah was paid a speaking fee for her contribution to the LPT Approach to Autism. She receives commission for the sales of Ethics & Neurodiversity: Let’s Talk Sex. Sarah is the author of a book, Melt Like Ice Cream, for which she receives royalties. She is also owner of Living Sensory Wellness, Inc. and receives compensation for consultation services.
NON-FINANCIAL: Sarah is autistic and has friends and family members who are autistic. Sarah is an unpaid advisory board member for NeuroClastic, Inc. and Disability Rights Connecticut.
INSTRUCTOR

Kate McLaughlin

M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist (she/her)
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Kate McLaughlin

Kate McLaughlin

Speech Language Pathologist (she/her)
Kate McLaughlin (she/her) is a Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) for individuals with complex communication needs. She believes that autonomous communication, inclusion, and self-determination are fundamental human rights. Kate teaches OTs and SLPs the practical strategies they need to support their clients’ autonomous and authentic connection using strengths-based strategies.
Disclosures for Kate Mclaughlin
FINANCIAL:  Kate is the owner of AAC Services of CT, LLC and receives a salary. She is also owner of The AAC Coach, LLC and receives compensation for speaking and coaching services. Kate is an adjunct lecturer at the University of New Haven and receives a salary. She receives commission from Learn Play Thrive, LLC for the sale of this course, Authentic AAC, and for the sales of the Neurodiversity Summit. 
NON-FINANCIAL: Kate has friends and colleagues who are Autistic.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

V Tisi

M.A., CCC-SLPD
Speech Language Pathologist (/vi tisɨ/, they/she)
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V Tisi

Speech Language Pathologist (/vi tisɨ/, they/she)
V. Tisi, M.A., CCC-SLPD (/vi tisɨ/, they/she) is an Autistic, Disabled, and Queer Taiwanese-Chinese-Venezuelan American clinician- and educator-activist. They founded The Speechologist, a small private practice that provides education and consultation in 2015 to provide services. While the bulk of their practice has been in the public K-12 sector, they also have taught graduate courses in the areas of Culturally Responsive Practices, Speech Sound Production, and School Communities at San Francisco State University and has been a topic area expert for anti-bias at The Informed SLP. Their area of specialty is intersectional justice for multiply marginalized neurodivergent people and their social-emotional development and wellness pertaining to alexithymic experiences. Their work can be viewed on speechologist.com and on Instagram, Facebook, and Medium under the name Speechologist.
Disclosures for V. Tisi
FINANCIAL: V is financially compensated for consultations, professional development, and clinical services through Speechologisit. They are financially compensated by Learn Play Thrive for their UNMASC course. V was paid a speaking fee from Learn Play Thrie for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: Anti-bias work is a special interest and passion topic for V, given their multiply-marginalized identities as well as the experiences of their family, friends, and communities.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Ly Xīnzhèn Zhǎngsūn

J.D., Esq.
Abolitionist Advocate, Organizer, Attorney, Strategist, and Writer (they/them)
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Ly Xīnzhèn Zhǎngsūn

Abolitionist Advocate, Organizer, Attorney, Strategist, and Writer (they/them)
Ly Xīnzhèn Zhǎngsūn, J.D. (they/them) is the Director of Public Policy at the National Disability Institute, Executive Director of the Autistic People of Color Fund, and a professor at Georgetown University and American University. Ly serves as Co-President of the Disability Rights Bar Association, member of the National Executive Committee of the National Lawyers Guild, and founding board member of the Alliance for Self-Direction and Disability Rights. They are a Senior Advisor to the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network and Disability Rights Special Advisor for the American Bar Association’s Section on Civil Rights & Social Justice. Ly also serves as an advisor for the Transgender Law Center’s Disability Project, the Nonbinary & Intersex Recognition Project, and Disability Rights Maryland’s PAIMI (Protection & Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness) Program. Ly brings nearly 15 years of experience as a committed advocate, community organizer, and policy expert at the nexus of disability rights and disability justice. They have spoken, facilitated, and consulted internationally and throughout the U.S. on a range of topics related to disability rights and disability justice, especially at the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality, and has published in numerous scholarly and community publications. Ly’s work addresses the deep interconnections between ableism and other forms of systemic discrimination, marginalization, and oppression, and has often focused on interpersonal, state, and corporate violence, deprivation, and exploitation targeting disabled people at the margins of the margins.
Disclosures for Ly Xīnzhèn Zhǎngsūn, J.D.
FINANCIAL: Ly receives a salary from the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, Georgetown University (including the federally-funded University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities), and American University. Ly is also the owner/principal of an independent consulting firm, Mycelia Groundwork LLC and receives compensation for their work.
NON-FINANCIAL: Ly is an unpaid executive director of the Autistic People of Color Fund. They are also currently a candidate in a partisan election for the Maryland House of Delegates, running as a Democrat. Lydia is autistic and has friends and colleagues who are autistic, as well as being a caregiver/support person to other autistic people.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Kelly Mahler

OTD, OTR/L
Registered Occupational Therapist (she/her)
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Kelly Mahler, OTD, OTR/L

Kelly Mahler

Registered Occupational Therapist (she/her)
Kelly Mahler (she/her) OTD, OTR/L, earned a Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. She has been an occupational therapist for 20 years, serving school-aged children and adults. Kelly is winner of multiple awards, including the 2020 American Occupational Therapy Association Emerging and Innovative Practice Award & a Mom’s Choice Gold Medal. She is an adjunct faculty member at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA as well as at Misericordia University, Dallas, PA. Kelly is a co-principal investigator in several research projects pertaining to topics such as interoception, self-regulation, trauma & autism.
Disclosures for Kelly Mahler
FINANCIAL:  Kelly is owner of Mahler OT services and receives compensation for speaking services and for the sales of her self-published resources. She receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit. 
NON-FINANCIAL: Kelly has friends, family members, and colleagues who are Autistic.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Kim Clairy

MSOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist (she/her)
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Kim Clairy, OTR/L (she/her)

Kim Clairy

Occupational Therapist (she/her)
Kim Clairy (she/her) OTR/L, is an autistic occupational therapist, international speaker, consultant, author, and self-advocate. Kim broke through many barriers as she defied a healthcare system that said, “your autism is severe; you need to live in a nursing home.” Her difficult healthcare experiences forged a passion for educating others on autism. Using personal experiences and professional expertise Kim educates on many facets of autism across the lifespan including eating disorders, trauma, mental health, relationships, self-awareness, sensory processing, classroom inclusion, community integration, problem-solving through challenging behaviors, and much more! When not speaking about autism, Kim can be found doing her other special interests-creating visual and aural rock art in the creek, searching for artifacts in the woods, and climbing trees!
Disclosures for Kim Clairy
FINANCIAL:  Kim is a part of Autism Out of the Box, LLC which receives compensation for speaking services. Autism Out of the Box LLC receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit. 
NON-FINANCIAL: Kim is Autistic and has friends and colleagues who are Autistic.
INSTRUCTOR

Karina Saechao

M.A., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist, (she/her)
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Karina Saechao, M.A., CCC-SLP

Karina Saechao

Speech Language Pathologist, (she/her)
Karina Saechao, M.A., CCC-SLP (she/her) is an SLP, researcher, scholar, and activist who strives to increase equity, access, and outcomes as related to research, clinical practice, and course curriculum. Karina holds a certificate as an assistive technology specialist from CSU, Northridge, and is a Ph.D. student. Karina’s research interests are in the areas of African American English, child language acquisition, language impairments, and augmentative alternative communication. Karina is the Founder & CEO of Golden Oak Speech Therapy. Karina frequently presents on topics in the areas of African American English; AAC; AT; creating inclusive environments; power, privilege, and race; and cultural humility.
Disclosures for Karina Saechao
FINANCIAL: Karina is the founder and CEO of Golden Oak Speech Therapy, a professional Speech Pathology corporation, and receives compensation for her work. She receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: Karina is a member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and the National Black Association of Speech Language Hearing (NBASLH), and ASHA Special Interest Groups 01, 12, and 14.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Gillian Boudreau

PhD.,
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, (she/her)
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Dr. Gillian Boudreau

Dr. Gillian Boudreau

Licensed Clinical Psychologist, (she/her)
Gillian Boudreau (she/her) is a licensed clinical psychologist. Dr. Boudreau has worked with children and families across the country starting in 2008, with the mission of understanding and addressing our human need for attachment, connection, and effective communication in such a way that can help individuals, family systems, school systems, and larger organizations to support all brains. Dr. Boudreau aligns with the social model of disability and is always seeking to interrogate the system and context in which human challenges emerge with the understanding that all of us are inherently whole, and will do well when given the freedom to thrive. Early in her career, Dr. Boudreau developed and directed a comprehensive behavioral program housed within Vermont public schools addressing intensive emotional and behavioral needs. She currently runs a private practice based in Portland, Oregon for children, families and adults with expertise in autism, anxiety and trauma. She is a national speaker on topics including psychological safety and emotional intelligence, offers many courses and trainings on fear in institutional systems, trauma, neurodiversity and mindfulness, and provides ongoing training and consultation for multiple school districts and organizations. Gillian also co-hosts two podcasts: “Stance of Curiosity” with a focus on school psychology, and “Emotional Physics” with a focus on romantic and sexual relating and attachment.
Disclosures for Gillian Boudreau
FINANCIAL: Gillian is owner of Gillian Boudreau Therapy and Consulting and receives a salary for her services. She receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Basics Bundle, Calm is Contagious, and the Reflective Practice Group.
NON-FINANCIAL: Gillian has friends and colleagues who are Autistic.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

AC Goldberg

PhD, CCC-SLP,
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AC Goldberg, PhD CCC/SLP

AC Goldberg

AC Goldberg, (he/him) is a physically disabled intersex/transgender DEI consultant and SLP whose mission is to cultivate affirming spaces for ALL people. AC’s work centers around empathy, humanity and intersectional cultural responsiveness. He delivers high impact keynote speeches, facilitates transformative workshops, and provides consulting around strategic initiatives and policy. Known for his thoughtful and relatable presentations emphasizing humanity, learning with AC allows everyone to develop a common understanding of crucial topics related to DEI. (Potentially cut off here if too long) His continuing education nonprofit, The CREDIT Institute, is dedicated to advancing equity in educational and healthcare settings. AC is the 2022 recipient of the American Speech Language Hearing Association’s (ASHA) Outstanding Service Award. If you’d like to get to know him, he’s @transplaining and @CREDITsInstitute on Instagram.
Disclosures for AC Goldberg
FINANCIAL: AC is the founder of Transplaining LLC and The CREDIT Institute Inc and receives compensation for his work. He is a paid community partner with CHAT Life Changing Speech Therapy. He is a contractor with Prismatic Speech Services and receives compensation for his work. He is a part time faculty at Northeastern University and receives a salary. He receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: AC is a founding member of the Trans Voice Initiative. He is a 2023 ASHA Convention Planning Committee Diversity Co-Chair. AC serves on the community advisory board overseeing research out of Boston University about the effects of exogenous testosterone therapy on communication in AFAB speakers. He’s also on the editorial board of the Journal of Communication Disorders.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank

PhD, CCC-SLP,
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Joshuaa Allen Burbank, PhD, CCC-SLP

Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank

Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank, is Diné and Acoma Pueblo (he/him). His clans are T’ógi, Parrot Clan (Acoma), Tó’áhani, and Yellow Corn (Acoma). Joshuaa is a licensed speech-language pathologist and assistant scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He teaches therapists and community members how to incorporate anti-racist and decolonization practices into their work. He previously worked at Northern Navajo Medical Center in Tsé Bitaí, Navajo Nation. He continues to provide developmental services to Diné families enrolled in the Navajo Nation Early Intervention Program. His research interests include community assessment, parent coaching, assessing the effects of stress on neurodevelopment, and the prevention of developmental delay in American Indian children.
Disclosures for Joshuaa D. Allison-Burbank
FINANCIAL: Joshuaa is a full-time paid faculty member at Johns Hopkins University and receives a salary. He receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: Joshuaa is Diné and Acoma Pueblo.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Ruchi Kapila

M.S., CCC-SLP,
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Ruchi Kapila

Ruchi Kapila

Ruchi Kapila, (they/them; she/her) is passionate about working at the intersection of trauma-informed care and gender-affirming voice care, centering the client’s needs and perspectives in the therapeutic relationship. They own Kapila Voice and Speech Services in Hayward, CA, where they practice as a speech-language pathologist and singing voice specialist focusing on holistic, gender-affirming speech and voice services across the lifespan.
Disclosures for Ruchi Kapila
FINANCIAL: Ruchi is the owner and sole proprietor of Kapila Voice and Speech Services in Hayward, CA and a paid content contributor for CREDIT Institute. Ruchi receives commission for the sale of the Learn Play Thrive Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: They are a founding member and organizer of Trans Voice Initiative and a member who serves in a research role in the multicultural constituency group, The Disability Caucus. Ruchi is also a recent officer/member for L’GASP (LGBTQ caucus of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association). They are also a non-binary, neurodivergent individual.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Casey Ehrlich

Ph.D.
Ph.D. (she/her)
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Casey Elrich

Casey Ehrlich

Ph.D. (she/her)
Casey Ehrlich, Ph.D. (she/her) is a social scientist, parent coach and educator, and the CEO and founder of At Peace Parents, LLC.  Casey brings 15 years of work experience and expertise in social science methodology to help parents and therapists understand how to connect with and accommodate PDA Autistic children. She specializes in teaching parents and therapists practical skills in the home or clinical setting to accommodate neuroception-driven demand avoidance and nervous system differences through creative techniques. Her original research as a social scientist was conducted on post-conflict reconciliation, social capital, trust, and trauma in Colombia, South America – themes she brings to her work with parents, therapists, and teachers. She has served more than 1,000 families raising Autistic, PDA Autistic, ADHD and traumatized children since 2020 and is also raising a PDA autistic son.
Disclosures for Casey Ehrlich
FINANCIAL: Casey is the founder of At Peace Parents, LLC and receives compensation for her work. She receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: Casey’s son is Pathologically Demand Avoidant. She has friends, family, and colleagues who are Autistic.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Matt Lowry

LPP
LPP (he/him)
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Matt Lowry, LPP

Matt Lowry

LPP (he/him)
Matt Lowry, (he/him) LPP is a licensed psychological practitioner who provides diagnostics and therapy to Autistic people using an Autistic-affirming framework. Matt has studied autism and Autistic people for over two decades, and is himself an Autistic person. Matt works to educate people about Autistic traits and Autistic Culture though professional trainings, professional consultations, and his podcast, The Autistic Culture Podcast. From this strengths-based perspective, Matt helps Autistic people create a life that is compatible with their Autistic neurology, and helps Autistic people find pride in their Autistic culture. Matt has previously worked in a school-based setting, in inpatient settings, and in community mental health.
Disclosures for Matt Lowry
FINANCIAL: Matt is the owner of Child & Adolescent Psychological Evaluations, LLC and receives compensation for his work. He does trainings and consultations with Maisie Soetantyo and school districts and receives compensation for his work. He receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit. 
NON-FINANCIAL: Matt is Autistic and has friends, family members, and colleges who are Autistic. Matt runs the Autistic Culture Podcast and the Autistic Connection Facebook group. Matt serves as a council member for the Kentucky Advisory Council on Autism.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Dr. Mel Houser

M.D.
M.D. (she/they
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Dr. Mel Houser

Dr. Mel Houser

M.D. (she/they
Dr. Mel Houser (she/they) is a PDA autistic ADHDer who is a Board-certified family physician with a clinical focus on providing primary care for neurodivergent patients across the lifespan. She is the Founder and Executive Director of All Brains Belong VT, a nonprofit organization in Montpelier, Vermont providing neurodiversity-affirming healthcare, education, and social connection opportunities for kids and adults. At age 37, Dr. Houser was diagnosed as Autistic, ADHD, dyspraxic, dyslexic, and dyscalculic in the context of Autistic burnout. This was the impetus for her to shift her career to reimagining healthcare and other systems that aren’t working for the autistic community. She is also the parent of a 6 year old PDAer, whom she considers her greatest teacher.
Disclosures for Mel Houser
FINANCIAL: Mel is the owner of All Brains Belong VT and receives a salary for her work. She receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for sales of the Neurodiversity Summit.
NON-FINANCIAL: Mel is Autistic and Pathologically Demand Avoidant. She has friends, family, and colleagues who are Autistic. Mel also provides professional consultation and educational training regarding neuroinclusive healthcare, neuroinclusive employment and related topics.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Sharon Hammer

LPC
LPC (she/her)
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Sharon Hammer, LPC

Sharon Hammer

LPC (she/her)
Sharon Hammer, (she/her) LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor and an Educational Consultant. Within the lens of being neuro-affirming, trauma-informed, and client-directed, Sharon provides psychotherapy and psychoeducation to neurodiverse clients. Sharon takes this experience into her trainings, where she focuses on teaching others effective ways to support neurodivergent people in ways that are positive, life-affirming, and based in an understanding of the nervous system.
Disclosu Sharon Hammer
FINANCIAL: Sharon receives commission from Learn Play Thrive, LLC for the sale of this course. Sharon is a co-owner of Imagine Your Capacity, LLC in Wisconsin and receives a salary.
NON-FINANCIAL: Sharon serves unpaid as a member of the Conference Committee for the Autism Society of Greater Wisconsin. Sharon has friends, colleagues, and family members who are neurodivergent.
GUEST INSTRUCTOR

Lisa Hoeme

LPC
LPC (she/her)
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Lisa Hoeme, LPC

Lisa Hoeme

LPC (she/her)
Lisa Hoeme, (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Consultant. Lisa is committed to using a neuro-affirming, trauma-informed and person-centered approach to help support personal growth and overall well-being for clients. She has a passion for using expressive modalities such as art making, poetry, yoga and creative mindfulness and uses these approaches as catalysts to support clients as they work through difficult life experiences, to develop effective coping strategies and to express themselves authentically. ​As a presenter, Lisa brings this experience into her trainings with a focus on helping others build understanding of neurodiversity and the capacity to support neurodivergent people in affirming client centered ways.
Disclosures Lisa Hoeme
FINANCIAL: Lisa receives commission from Learn Play Thrive, LLC for the sale of this course. Lisa is a co-owner of Imagine Your Capacity, LLC and receives compensation for her services.
NON-FINANCIAL: Lisa has friends, colleagues and family members who are neurodivergent.
INSTRUCTOR

Mick Olds (Kelsie Olds)

MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist, (they/them)
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Kelsie Olds, MOT (she/her/they/them)

Mick Olds (Kelsie Olds)

Occupational Therapist, (they/them)
Mick Olds, MOT, OTR/L (they/them) is an occupational therapist working both on- and offline to share knowledge widely about the ways that children grow, develop, and learn. Mick is passionate about play as the core meaningful occupation that underlies childhood, and about equipping adults with the education and practical tools they need to defend children’s right to play. Mick has a Master of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Oklahoma and has worked primarily in schools, as well as consulting with teachers, therapists, and parents to advocate on children’s behalf. Mick blogs as The OccuPLAYtional Therapist. Mick contributed to Goal Writing for Autistic Students and is the creator of Here to Play.
Disclosures for Mick Olds
FINANCIAL: Mick was paid for their contributions to Goal Writing for Autistic Students. Mick receives commission for the sales of Here to Play. Mick is the author of a book, “Your Child’s Point of View: Understanding the Reasons Kids Do Unreasonable Things” and receives royalties for its’ sale. Mick is the owner of The OccuPLAYtional Therapist and receives speaking fees.
NON-FINANCIAL: Mick is Autistic and has friends and family members who are Autistic.
INSTRUCTOR

Katrina Martin

PhD
PhD in Special Education (she/her)
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Katrina Martin

PhD in Special Education (she/her)
Katrina Martin PhD (she/her) has spent the last decade challenging conventional approaches of educating neurodivergent youth. Katrina’s work empowers both children and adults to move away from deficit-driven therapy and labels, instead fostering bridges of understanding across thinking and communication styles. Katrina is the founder and leading curriculum writer for Bridges Learning System. Katrina’s work stems from three unique perspectives. She has a PhD in special education, is neurodivergent herself and has three neurodivergent children. At Learn Play Thrive, she is the instructor for Bridging Perspectives: Transformative strategies for neurodiversity-affirming social emotional learning.
Disclosures for Katrina Martin
FINANCIAL: Katrina is the owner of Bridges Learning System and receives a salary. Bridges Learning System receives commission from Learn Play Thrive for the sale of Bridging Perspectives.
NON-FINANCIAL: Katrina is neurodivergent and has family members and friends who are Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent.

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