I obtained a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Kansas, specializing in Autism and Asperger Syndrome in 2005. At that time, the University of Kansas offered one of the few programs in the world that focused solely on autistic individuals. Though my training is in special education, I recognized from my first interactions with autistic children in the summer camp setting that providing supportive services in the community would be critical.

I have worked with children, adolescents, and adults on the spectrum for more than 20 years. I have experience as a paraeducator, home therapist, teacher, in-home service provider, and community-based specialist. For the last 17 years, I have worked clinically with the autistic population. In 2005, I joined Responsive Centers for Psychology and Learning in Overland Park, Kansas, and then cofounded New Leaf Therapy Group in Leawood, Kansas, in 2015.

I believe autistic individuals do not need to be “fixed”, “normalized”, or remediated. Autism is not a list of can’t, won’t, and don’t, or deficits, delays, or discrepancies. Autistics don’t “suffer from” autism, though they may suffer because of neurotypicals (NTs). Vaccines do not induce autism, nor should autism be “cured” by any means. I understand that society has defined autism as a “thing” to be ridiculed or pitied by television, to be cured if Autism Speaks had any say, and to be doubted if you are a woman seeking a diagnosis. The pejorative qualities assigned to autism are upsetting because of their persistence, inaccuracy, and quiet, inevitable destruction. I used to believe that NTs could think what they wanted about autism as long as my clients did not internalize those (most likely) negative thoughts and feelings about themselves. The reality, however, is that society’s ableism and a client’s internalized ableism are not mutually exclusive, nor can they be un-intertwined. Perhaps that is obvious, painfully obvious. Hopefully, though, the evolution of my thinking highlights my commitment to understanding autism as it evolves, and to equipping my clients with more than simple strategies to deal with the infernal NT world as well as the esteem to do so with confidence.

I work with autistic clients to help them manage the predominantly neurotypical world that creates the problems autistics encounter daily. Our work is messy. There is no quick fix. I am not prescribing easy solutions or simple bandaids from a list. We work together as equals toward an individualized solution, goal, or path forward. I strive to create a therapeutic relationship free of ableism. That means both constantly questioning my beliefs and assumptions as well as seeking feedback and critique from clients.

While professional training, credentials, and ongoing experience certainly should be prioritized when seeking out help or advice, I have been told by autistics that they have chosen me for reasons that have a little to do with expertise and experience and a lot to do with feeling understood, being treated as an equal, and not being made to feel “othered”. I typically find sentiments of this nature hyperbolic or self-aggrandizing in a bio. So, why have I broken my own rule and included such thoughts? To infuriate my rulegoverned clients! I kid. No, I recognize that autistics spend too much time searching for someone to believe them, only to find someone who invalidates them, via accident, purpose, or neglect.

I hope these thoughts convey, or at least suggest, that I am different. I see clients all over the country, using Zoom.