Presented by Amy Laurent, PhD & Jacquelyn Fede, PhD

 

Please note this course is a two-day, full-day course. Attendance to both days is required to complete the training.

 

About the trainers

Amy Laurent, PhD, OTR/L is a developmental psychologist and a registered pediatric occupational therapist. She is a co-author of the SCERTS model, a comprehensive, evidence-based model for supporting autistic individuals across the lifespan. She frequently lectures and provides training throughout the United States and internationally on topics related to therapeutic and educational intervention for autistic individuals. She is the recipient of Patricia Buehler Legacy Award for Clinical Innovation from the University of Southern California and has received numerous international grant funded training initiative awards. Her research interests include emotional regulation and active engagement in natural contexts. She is passionate about neurodiversity and helping others to understand and honor the implications of "different ways of being" in relation to navigating the physical and social world.

 

Jacquelyn Fede, PhD is a super fun, Autistic Self-Advocate and developmental psychologist. She currently works as a community engagement research associate on an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the state of Rhode Island. Her research interests include immigration policy, autism, and program evaluation. She uses her experience to help educate others about autism through lecturing, blogging and consulting on evaluation projects in school districts and communities. A full scholarship Division I athlete in college, Dr. Fede continues to meet her sensory needs by seeking extreme physical activity. She also enjoys the use of creativity and art for expression.

 

Autism Level UP!

A partnership of two developmental psychologists, one neurodivergent and the other neurotypical. Our philosophy is that through education, accessible resources, practical strategies and a commitment to consistently incorporating the experiences and perspectives of autistic people, we can support the leveling up of society when it comes to autism and neurodiversity. Of course, our primary goal is to support autistic individuals, but the more we are able to spread real awareness and support others in moving from awareness to acceptance, acceptance to appreciation, appreciation to empowerment and from empowerment to advocacy, the more positive change we will see at those large institutional and societal levels that can greatly benefit the autistic community. So we do aim first and foremost to empower autistic individuals to navigate their world, but we also aim to make the world a more autism-friendly environment and the universe more accommodating to the neurodiverse - after all, it is a partnership and change should not rest solely on the shoulders of the autistic community.