#5: Supporting Adults on the Spectrum with Meg Proctor (CE Course)

[meg2 (Meg Proctor)]

Take the Quiz to get 1 CEU

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Full Course Details: Public course page
Learn more about our guest: Meg Proctor, MS, OTR/L

Supplemental Materials

Read the article and discussion upon which this podcast is based.

Course Description

Released December 14, 2020 from Aurora, NE

Here’s the dilemma:

The number of adults diagnosed with autism is rising. Yet, we currently have very few evidence-based interventions to offer this population.

We seem to be falling short of truly supporting autistic adults. We need to do better, not just by addressing their challenges, but also by bolstering their unique strengths.

This 1-hour episode is going to push you to think big-picture about the unmet needs of autistic adults—and, hopefully, it will help you address both the challenges and strengths that can be part of being neurodivergent in a world that is built for neurotypicals. Our goal is to support you as an OT, so you can help autistic adults live a life they love.

The course will begin with a breakdown of some current research exploring the priorities of autistic adults. Then, Meg Proctor, an occupational therapist with expertise in working with patients on the spectrum, will join us to discuss practical takeaways.

Primary Research Explored

When you log in, be sure to check out the OT Potential Club’s written breakdown of the following research article, then share your questions and thoughts with fellow practitioners.

Gotham, K., Marvin, A. R., Taylor, J. L., Warren, Z., Anderson, C. M., Law, P. A., . . . Lipkin, P. H. (2015). Characterizing the daily life, needs, and priorities of adults with autism spectrum disorder from Interactive Autism Network data. Autism, 19(7), 794-804. doi:10.1177/1362361315583818 (Free to access)

Learning Objectives

1. You will be able to identify unique challenges that autistic adults may face, and should inform your practice.
2. You will be able to recall unique strengths of adults on the spectrum, many of which can be leveraged in your treatments.
3. You will be able to describe how understanding the challenges and strengths of autistic adults should impact your work with children on the spectrum.

Agenda

Intro (5 minutes)

Breakdown of research article (10 minutes)

• The rising number of adults diagnosed with autism, and lack of related research
• The problem with how “outcomes” have historically been categorized
• What was the research question being studied in this paper?
• Who was included in this study?
• What were the results?
• What did the authors conclude/discuss?
• Takeaways for OT practitioners

Discussion on practical implications for OTs (with guest Meg Proctor) (45 minutes)

• Recommendations on language: “autistic,” “low/high functioning”
• Supports currently available to autistic adults specifically noting those in which OTs are involved
• What supports are lacking?
• What are some opportunities for OTs to better serve this population?
• How do we need to change as OTs—and as a society—to better serve this population?
• What recommendations would you give to OTs who are seeing autistic adults in their standard practice?
• How should understanding the challenges/strengths of autistic adults impact our pediatric practice?

Contact Hours

1 hour (0.1 AOTA CEUs)

Target Audience/Educational Level

Occupational therapy practitioners who work with autistic patients. The educational level is introductory.

Instructional Methods/Registration/Special Needs Requests/Cancellation Policy

This course is an independent/self-study course delivered via podcast on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher. Explore your listening options on the OT Potential Podcast page.

If you need accommodations to take this course, please contact us and we will address your needs on an individual basis.

If this course were to be cancelled, please see our cancellation policy on our terms page.

Course Completion Requirements

In order to receive a certificate for this course, you must first listen to the podcast in its entirety. Then, you will need to take the test (found at the top of this page) and earn 75% or higher. If you pass, a certificate will be automatically generated and sent to your email.

Speakers

Meg Proctor, MS, OTR/L

Meg Proctor is the founder of Learn Play Thrive, LLC, where she teaches therapists to use a deep understanding of autism learning styles to guide their work. She is a former faculty member of UNC’s TEACCH® Autism Program and an AOTA-approved course provider.

Through her live and recorded online trainings, Meg teaches concrete ways that therapists can use a strengths-based approach to their work with kids on the autism spectrum. Meg also hosts the podcast Two Sides of the Spectrum, designed to help OTs better take the perspective of our neurodivergent clients. To dive into Meg’s work, start with the free masterclass: learnplaythrive.com/masterclass

Sarah Lyon, OTR/L

Sarah’s passion is helping fellow OT practitioners translate evidence into daily practice. Sarah earned her BA in religion from St. Olaf College, then earned her master’s degree in occupational therapy from New York University in 2011. Since then, she has worked in numerous facilities, including a critical access hospital, an acute trauma hospital, and a state inpatient psychiatric hospital.

In 2011, Sarah launched OT Potential because she realized we needed a reliable source of quality occupational therapy-related content and resources. She has also had the opportunity to create content for brands like WebPT, MedBridge, Saebo, and NeuroLutions.

She launched the OT Potential Club in 2019 to marry her love of simplifying complex topics with her desire to help therapists access the most important OT-related research released each year.

Sarah is a prairie girl at heart, which is why she returned to her hometown of Aurora, Nebraska (home of the strobe light) to raise her children.

After earning your certificate, please consider taking a moment to answer the following three questions:

1.) On a scale of 1-5 please indicate the degree to which the learning objectives were met.

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2.) Please rate our instructors on a scale of 1-5.

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3.) On a scale of 1-5, please rate the learning environment of the Club.

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Please share any other feedback below! Including, ideas for future programming, and most importantly, how you feel this podcast will impact your practice!

[sridevi (Sridevi Surampudi)]

I think this podcast was excellent. It could look like a simple topic and make us feel we know enough.
But we really really need to shift our paradigm in learning and understanding this group of people as kids and also as adults. It’s quite an eye opener in certain areas of understanding this population.
For me, I did my best for my adult son but do feel I could have understood him better and done things a little differently. However, he did have additional challenges to deal with, in addition to being autistic which made learning for him and me more challenging. Neither of us gave up though.
Several times I have felt he could be a good motivational speaker to encourage others with disabilities. Not just autism. He may stammer some, search for words, take longer to say it-but he sure does deliver the truth in black and white with no shades of gray. Like it or not !
Thanks Sarah and Meg. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

[sanchala (Sanchala Sen)]

Thank you for an excellent explanation of autism and strengths-based interventions. This article and podcast definitely broadened my knowledge and opened my eyes to new ways of thinking. The first paradigm shift was the non-use of the people-first language with autistic adults and the clear reason stated by Meg. She also explains well the importance of understanding autism learning styles and being a guide to your clients rather than the “know all OT”. Additionally, as the number of adults diagnosed with autism rise, a knowledge of autism and approaches to intervention as discussed in the podcast would assist generalist OT practitioners working with autistic adults.

[margaret10 (Margaret Weisblat)]

Great focus on strengths and stepping away from shutting down behaviors that may bring this population comfort, and also focusing less on meeting certain goals but learning from the client to better serve them. Interesting perspective regarding the diagnosis-first approach (autistic person instead of person with autism). I think it definitely depends on the individual, as the spectrum ranges. Someone may not want to be identified as “autistic person.” I think it has a lot to do with how confident people with autism are and if they are proud of autism. For some people who have autism they can perceive it as negative. It all goes back to client-centered care and focusing on the strengths and building on those strengths. Also great point about “high vs low functioning”-how it can be misleading. Thank you for sharing! Good insight.

[vienna (Vienna Skinner)]

As an OT student, I thoroughly enjoyed this podcast! I had the opportunity to work in autism classrooms for 3 years but always wondered about how the focus of their interventions changed when they aged out of the school system. I appreciated the discussion of autism “terminology” and the importance of recognizing that autism is not a disease, it is a different culture and way of thinking. I believe that adopting that mindset can drastically alter therapists’ goals and their relationship with the client. The concept that resonated most with me was that most everyone would do better with a strengths-based approach versus a deficit-based approach, not just autistic individuals.

[bonnie (Bonnie Shelton)]

Great information. Loved it. Thank you both so much!

[ann10 (Ann Henshaw)]

Meg is remarkable and I am proud to be an OT with her! She is my new hero (up there with Brene Brown!). This was a refreshing view and empowering as an OT to go back to our roots of client centered treatment! I was trained as an OT many years ago and do not work in this space - yet this is information all OTs need! Meg’s passion for embracing the strengths and valuing the dignity of each person is contagious!

[SarahLyon]

Yes! I agree OTs in every setting need to listen to interviews like this! I also love the Brene Brown comparison Brene’s and Meg’s podcasts are definitely the two I listen to most regularly

[devorah (Devorah Cohen)]

It was a relief to hear Meg’s perspective, because I have felt alone with my focus on self esteem and acknowledging strengths both with adults and children having worked in School system, SNF, Homehealth & clinic. This does make it harder to report sessions with adults in a rigid Medicare directed documentation system.
I would have liked to have heard Meg’s “Autism Styles to Guide Work.” I still feel it was an error to combine into a large group as ASD, eg eliminating ‘Asperger’s syndrome,’ when there are so many subtypes, making it more difficult to do studies and acknowledge differing needs and strengths!
As an older OT, who is now retired, I hope Meg’s approach and understanding gets out there fast and becomes accepted! It is needed. I am encouraged by the generational perspective and long needed paradigm shift. One thing we are not ready for when leaving OT ‘school’ is how the systems we work for suppress our newly honed OT instincts. Growing out of a role and into a professional therefore takes longer. (much like a person with autism who has been stuffed into uncomfortable behaviors!) I always told parents of teenage children that their need to ‘stim’ after school increases due to so much self repression during the day. “Stimming” is a self regulating need. They don’t always know their adolescent behaves differently at school; and why are they worse at home?!
My only suggestion for this article, is that it would help to acknowledge that the self reporting in the studies, because it is self selecting-mostly women with milder autism, does not represent the majority of autistic adults who are a majority of men, many with greater differences in gifts and challenges than women. Additionally, legal guardians I think may have given research foci that less verbal autistic adults wound not give. ie training for vocational skills. Their voice is still not heard! Music, numbers, art/visual strengths, working with animals, memory, these pathways are great foci for work based on strengths. Discussion of self report on their unique cultural way of socializing was all but absent. More like shared parallel space, than interactive; there is an intuitive emotional communication also. Dating and sexual needs was not mentioned either. thank you for the presentation! It was great!

[SarahLyon]

@devorah

One thing we are not ready for when leaving OT ‘school’ is how the systems we work for suppress our newly honed OT instincts.

Hi @devorah! I am so thankful to hear your thoughts on this podcast, especially with your wealth of OT knowledge. I agree that Meg’s perspectives are needed and I do think they are spreading in our profession.

I especially like how you honed in on the constraints of the systems many of us work in. This seems to be a theme that comes up in every podcast. Not only do we need to keep improving our individual care- we also need to be working to improve the systems we work in!