EP 77: Inclusive Leadership: Welcoming and Creating Space for Neurodiversity with Jessie Ginsburg & Chris Wenger

The Unburdened Leader

Do you consider yourself a sensitive person when it comes to sounds, smells, physical sensations, or taste?

Do you judge this kind of sensitivity in yourself or others?

Many people feel caught in the vice grip of having a nervous system that responds strongly to various kinds of sensory stimulation while also feeling judged and deeply misunderstood for being sensitive to things that others appear not to be bothered by in their day-to-day lives.

If you feel like you are too much or know someone who feels and responds to various stimuli deeply, then today’s show is for you.

My guests are speech and language pathologists who, like many, many support specialists, join me in my commitment to create spaces that welcome all and move away from ableist standards we have on what it means to be ‘normal’ and healthy. And they are committed to helping kids and the adults in their lives show up authentically without masking and hiding to appease the way things have always been done.

Jessie Ginsburg is a Sensory Integration trained speech-language pathologist and CEO of Pediatric Therapy Playhouse, a top-rated clinic in Los Angeles. Through her international publications and talks, and her global Inside Out Sensory Certificate Program, Jessie inspires a new way of thinking about the speech-language pathologist’s role in supporting autistic children.

Chris Wenger is an enthusiastic school-based SLP, internationally-acclaimed presenter, and creator of the Dynamic Assessment of Social Emotional Learning. A prominent thought leader in the field of speech pathology, and known on social media as “Speech Dude,” Chris motivates and entertains fellow educators and clinicians through his humorous and inspiring posts and videos.

Listen to the full episode to hear:

• Why it’s important to understand why people stim not suppress behaviors that may not make sense to neurotypical people
• Why Jessie and Chris believe in flipping the script on traditional therapies and using a model of client strengths and autonomy to guide their work
• Why labels like high or low functioning are not only unhelpful but can actually be damaging
• The disheartening statistics that show the harm in expecting neurodivergent people to mask and conform to neurotypical expectations
• Why parents and educators need to be mindful of the goals and expectations they set for neurodivergent children
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Learn more about Jessie Ginsburg & Chris Wenger:

• www.sensoryslp.com
• www.speechdude.com
• Instagram: @sensory.slp & @speechdude
• TikTok: @sensory.slp & @speechdude

Learn more about Rebecca:

• rebeccaching.com
• Work With Rebecca
• Sign up for the weekly Unburdened Leader Email

Resources:

• How to Support PDAers
• PDA by Pdaers: From Anxiety to Avoidance and Masking to Meltdowns
• What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing, Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry
• The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, Gabor Maté
• Are You Fully Charged?: The 3 Keys to Energizing Your Work and Life, Tom Rath
• Zach Brown Band
• Black Bird
• Stutz
• Teen Witch
• The Great Outdoors
• Planes, Trains & Automobiles
• Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
• Caddyshack