A Collectivist Approach to Services, Part 2 with Mari Cerda

Discover what’s possible when values inform the method.

How can we bridge the gap between autistic communities and traditional therapies?

If you’ve ever wondered, you’ll want to listen to part two of my conversation with Autistic BCBA Mari Cerda, which was originally released on April 22, 2021.

Mari provides professional-development training for teachers and schools on various neurodiversity-affirming topics. She is the co-founder of The LEAP Institute, a US-based non-profit whose mission is to increase equitable access of marginalized groups to ABA (applied behavior analysis).

Among other things, we discuss:

• Mari’s collectivist approach to providing services
• Ethical considerations and addressing the harm historically caused by ABA practices
• The importance of approaching services from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective
• Strategies for inclusive, community-based support
• Ideas to bridge the divide between the Autistic community and ABA

To learn more about Mari Cerda, please visit her Instagram account @the.blingual.behaviorist, where she aims to educate and mediate between the worlds of autism and ABA.

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