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.
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.
Meet your
Instructors
INSTRUCTOR
Meg Ferrell (Proctor)
M.S., OTR/L
Founder of Learn Play Thrive, Occupational Therapist
(she/her)
Meg Ferrell (Proctor)
M.S., OTR/L
Founder of Learn Play Thrive, Occupational Therapist
(she/her)
Meg (she/her) is an occupational therapist who cares deeply about person-affirming therapy. At Learn Play Thrive, she hopes to springboard as many OTs and SLPs as humanly possible into offering neurodiversity-affirming therapy with ease. Meg has supported thousands of therapists to become confident, effective OTs and SLPs who use strengths-based strategies with their Autistic clients and support their clients’ sense of belonging and identity.
Meg has worked in early intervention, schools, and clinics. She is a former faculty member of the TEACCH® Autism program, and she is the host of the Two Sides of the Spectrum Podcast, where she interviews autistic adults and other professionals striving to change therapy practice.
She is the primary instructor in The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism, where she fills up the toolboxes of OTs and SLPs with strengths-based strategies to use in their work. Meg also teaches Module 1 of the LPT Approach to Autism as a stand-alone live course, A Strengths-Based Approach to Supporting Autistic Kids
Meg has worked in early intervention, schools, and clinics. She is a former faculty member of the TEACCH® Autism program, and she is the host of the Two Sides of the Spectrum Podcast, where she interviews autistic adults and other professionals striving to change therapy practice.
She is the primary instructor in The Learn Play Thrive Approach to Autism, where she fills up the toolboxes of OTs and SLPs with strengths-based strategies to use in their work. Meg also teaches Module 1 of the LPT Approach to Autism as a stand-alone live course, A Strengths-Based Approach to Supporting Autistic Kids
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.
FINANCIAL: Meg is the owner of Learn Play Thrive and receives a salary.
NON-FINANCIAL: Meg has friends and colleagues who are autistic.
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INSTRUCTOR
Rachel Dorsey
M.S., CCC-SLP
Speech Language Pathologist
(she/her)
Rachel Dorsey
M.S., CCC-SLP
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.
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.
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.
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INSTRUCTOR
Sarah Selvaggi-Hernandez
MOT, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
(she/her)
Sarah Selvaggi-Hernandez
MOT, OTR/L
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 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.
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 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.
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.
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