Ruth is a dynamic and engaging speaker & trainer
She enjoys providing professional development, conference workshops and parent-focussed learning opportunities on a variety of neurodiversity-affirming topics and clinical/educational practices.
Ruth works closely with program managers and supervisors to create unique and accessible professional development opportunities that meet the specific learning needs of their group.
Professional Development for Educators
While Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) continues to influence the development of IEP's for autistic students, teachers regularly express concern about taking a purely behavioural approach to teaching (and interacting with) autistic kids. Concerned educators regularly observe that direct instruction of “social skills” often dampens curiosity and devalues exploration, obscuring a child’s unique, individual perspectives and obstructing meaningful connections and interactions with peers. Clearly, a paradigm shift is required, supporting educators who recognize the need for neurodiversity-affirming pedagogical frameworks and educational practices.
Behavioural intervention may result in behavioural change in autistic kids, but it often does so at significant cost to the child’s long-term mental health. This is because behavioural interventions are designed to address behavioural problems - and autism is not a behavioural problem. Autism is a neurologically-based, developmental profile that makes thriving in a neuronormative culture very difficult, and that responds well to attachment-based, neurodiversity-affirming, developmental intervention and mental health support.
Current research aligns with parents’ lived experience, demonstrating that learning happens within relationship. Engaging kids meaningfully and in ways they find accessible enables them to increase their capacity for growth, development, self-awareness, resilience and lifelong mental health. Relationship-based learning facilitates optimal development, and meaningful learning experiences happen within trusting, mutually respectful, well-bound relationships!
The challenge for neurotypical educators is how to establish neurodiversity-affirming teaching and learning relationships with autistic students - a challenge that is not usually addressed in teacher training programs. Ruth provides exciting and encouraging professional development opportunities to equip teachers with theoretical understanding and practical skills needed, to establish positive teaching and learning relationships with autistic/neurodivergent students.
Workshops for teachers/educators are 3 hours in duration. Inquiries about school, community or conference-based presentations are welcome.
Training For Mental Health Professionals
Mental health clinicians prioritize the therapeutic alliance - the unique relationship which creates safe space for clients to explore and make the changes they desire in their own lives. In the absence of Neurodiversity-Affirming Psychotherapy, autism/neurodivergence often shows up in the therapeutic alliance similarly to how it shows up in the client’s personal relationships. Autistic individuals regularly experience cross-neurotype relationships as challenging, confusing and unpredictable, and it is a therapist's job to provide their clients with a positive relational experience!
Neurodiversity-Affirming Psychotherapy provides a framework of understanding which is applicable to multiple theoretical approaches and theories of change, equipping clinicians to make their preferred model of psychotherapy fully accessible to autistic/neurodivergent individuals.
Individual workshops/group training are 3-5 hours in duration. Inquiries about group training or professional development are welcome
Training for Parents and Caregivers
Cross-neurotype parenting (where parent and child have different neurotypes) can be challenging for both the parent and the child! Autistic/neurodivergent kids may struggle to navigate aspects of our culture that neurotypical kids may not even notice: the sensory, communication and executive functioning features of autism/neurodivergence can make home, school and peer relationships difficult to navigate. Kids and parents are regularly impacted by misunderstanding, cross-cultural intolerance, systemic oppression and societal reluctance to change.
Neurodiversity-affirming parenting enables parents to understand their autistic/neurodivergent child’s experience, allowing them to adapt their parenting to convey support and encouragement, rather than confusion, frustration or anxiety about their child’s future. Parents can learn to support their neurodivergent child to reach their full developmental potential, without compromising their own or their child's mental health!
As an Adlerian parent therapist I support parents in learning about their autistic/neurodivergent children’s mental health, and about the tremendous impact of a neurodiversity-affirming, parent-child relationship on the child’s development, mental health and resilience.
Presentations vary in length and content. Inquiries are welcome
Ruth's popular workshop and consultation topics include:
Neurodiversity-Affirming Psychotherapy
Mental health clinicians
Neurodiversity at School
Educators and administrators (elementary and high school; public and private schools)
Attachment Parenting
Neurodivergent families
Neurodiversity-Affirming Foster Parenting
Clinical Consultation
Children’s Aid Societies and affiliates
Clinical Consultation
University/college counselling services
Supporting Neurodivergent Campers
Camp counsellors and support staff
"It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences."
– Audre Lorde