Neurodiversity Affirming Practice – Introductory 2-hour Workshop – NZ Edition!
For Speech Language Therapists in New Zealand who Support Neurodivergent Children
You’re across the terms ‘Neurodiversity’ ‘Neurodivergent’ and you know a bit about what Neurodiversity Affirming means. But it can be a whole other big step putting your great intentions into practice and feeling confident that your therapy supports, beliefs and practices are aligned with the Neurodiversity Affirming movement.
I’m here to help you feel more knowledgeable, clear and confident!
Together with Natalia Henderson-Faranda from Natalia HF Speech & Language Therapy, we’re bringing a special New Zealand-specific edition of my workshop to you! With info tailored to local NZ policies, support structures and workplaces, you’ll get to join the live session, ask questions, and connect with other like-minded therapists!
If we haven’t met, HI! I’m Adina Levy. I’m an Autistic ADHDer speech therapist & professional educator from Australia. I’m utterly dedicated to supporting professionals, parents, teachers and educators how to support autistic children in affirming ways.
I am so heartened by Allied Health Professionals’ huge response to the ND movement and there are so many wonderful professionals like you who are making big changes in your practice already.
Together, we can keep heading in this direction! My goal is to guide you over the 2-hour workshop to reflect on your knowledge, confidence and practice, learn new ideas, and make plans to shift the way you work with autistic & neurodivergent children.
This workshop has a specific NZ flavour to it – I’m personalising the content to fit your policies and work contexts! I’ll be linking in with your guiding document Aotearoa New Zealand Autism Guideline: He Waka Huia Takiwātanga Rau and more!
Neurodiversity Affirming Practice 2-hour Introductory Workshop
for SLTs in New Zealand
Live on Zoom
Tuesday 25th July
6:30pm – 8:30pm (NZ time/NZST)
Note: This workshop is live only and won’t be recorded.
If you’re not a Speech Language Therapist in NZ, or you can’t make the live workshop date, you’re very welcome to register for my on-demand Intro to Neurodiversity Affirming Practice workshop here!
This workshop is for you if:
🦸🏽 You’re a Speech Language Therapist working in New Zealand
👧🏻 👦🏾 You support autistic, ADHDer and other neurodivergent children (including kids with Dyslexia, DLD and more)
🧠 You want more knowledge, confidence and deeper understanding about what a neurodiversity affirming approach looks like
⚡️ You’re ready to put learning into action and make changes in your clinical practice, life and work!
In this 2-hour online workshop, you’ll start to reflect, learn, un-learn and make plans for change, on these topics and more:
Important terminology and why we should or shouldn't use terms
Brief outline of Neurodiversity, Autism, ADHD, DLD, Dyslexia
Understand ableism and reflect on your own biases & assumptions
Sensory differences & needs
How traditional 'social skills' fits (or doesn't fit) into the ND affirming approach
How to teach & support behaviour using affirming, non-behavioural approaches
Neurodiversity Affirming Goal-Setting and Report-writing - general considerations
Reflect on your learning. Apply new ideas, changes, & plans to shift practices
PLUS when you join this workshop, you’ll be invited to connect with me and other professionals in our closed Facebook Group, to dig deeper and really make changes over many months ahead!
Why learn with me?
I’m an autistic ADHDer with over a decade’s experience working professionally with autistic & neurodivergent children, their families, and their support networks. I’ve been an educator in various settings for almost 20 years, and I’m absolutely dedicated to helping others learn, digest and take action on big concepts and ideas.
I make learning fun and engaging, and I blend lived experience, personal reflection, clinical experience and evidence-based practice (with a critical lens!)
More than 350 professionals have taken my online & in-person workshops and webinars to date! I hope you’ll join us!
Here’s what others have said about my Neurodiversity Affirming Practice training:
“I enjoyed it all. I love that you are encouraging us all to see things from a different and much more inclusive perspective. I particularly enjoyed the case studies and thinking about what neuroaffirming responses might be in these given situations”
“Thank you so much Adina, I always have so many ah huh moments and feel like my own thoughts and challenges are validated!“
“Adina was so positive with everyone and supportive of where they are at on their neuro-affirming journey.“
” I appreciate your approach – important to be critical of all approaches, but not every approach is bad (some parts may be, but some parts can be useful). Also appreciate that you recognise that this is a massive cultural shift for society – some of us will move quickly and others of us will need time.“
How much is it?
2 hours of learning & action is just $85 NZD
What you get when you register:
Live access to the 2-hour online active workshop
Workbook & quiz to help you reflect, process and take action to become a more affirming therapist
Access to the closed Facebook Group for ongoing support and questions
Certificate of attendance! Who doesn't love to be acknowledged for your efforts?
About Adina Levy
Speech Therapist & Director of Play. Learn. Chat.
I am somewhat obsessed with finding the balance between helpful, ethical practice, clinical relevance, sustainable, profitable services, happy therapists and smooth systems.
I have a neurodiversity-affirming approach to my work with children and families. I believe that all brains are wonderful, different and needed. All children’s and adults’ individual strengths and passions should be celebrated and honoured. I keep this at the front of my mind when designing, setting up and running groups. I’m exploring my own ND qualities, and have a strong need to help shift the landscape of support and community for autistic children. I reflect on my own life experiences and my many years practicing (and changing my practice!) supporting autistic children as a speechie.
So here I am, ready to share and connect with you and support you on your Neurodiversity Affirming journey!
Frequently Asked Questions
WHAT HAPPENS IF I CAN'T ATTEND LIVE?
I'm not in New Zealand, Can I still join?
CAN MY team JOIN in too?
💬 Get in touch
If your enquiry is about personalised resource or service requests/recommendations, you can view my resources & links page here, and view therapy services that I've worked with here. I'm not able to give personal suggestions.
Please note that I no longer take on new speech therapy clients.
I might not reply if your message is about these questions.
For anything else - please feel free to contact me using the form below