Pranav Bakshi is popularly known as India's first male Autistic model. Pranav claimed his autistic superpowers to design the life he wanted to have. Pranav also says his mom, Anupama, is his second superpower (Autism being his first). Co-occupation is a term used in occupational therapy to describe occupations where two or more individuals share a high level of physicality, emotionality, and intentionality. Life's occupations are often interdependent, giving meaning and purpose to all involved. Pranav and Anupama's story reflects that. Today, 23-year-old Pranav has a successful career in model ..read more

In the second part of the two-part series on the Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER) by the TIES center, Dr. Debbie Taub delves deeper into the “how” of the IER. Dr. Deborah Taub, Ph.D., is the owner of OTL Education Solutions, LLC. She provides research and professional development assistance to states, territories, and other entities working to develop and sustain best practices for students with disabilities.  She has assisted states in building and evaluating systemic programs, especially around issues of inclusive practice for students with complex instructional needs. Her work is info ..read more

In this first part of the two-part series on the Inclusive Education Roadmap (IER) by the TIES center, Dr. Diane Ryndak gives us a general overview of the work done for sustainable systemic change in inclusive education at the state, district, and school. After getting together a diverse Equitable Inclusive Leadership Team (EILT), the second step of the Inclusive Education Roadmap is called RISE (Reflecting on Inclusive Systems of Support). The school Leadership Team is lead to deeply reflect and engage in critical discussions about their system's current use of inclusive educational practices ..read more

Sam Drazin shares his personal journey of how and why he started Changing Perspectives. He clarifies the many doubts we may have about the inclusion of children with disabilities (especially severe disabilities) in education. Sam answers important questions and shares interesting stories from his years in this space of disability awareness. He brings to our awareness the different layers of inclusive practices in schools. Sam  also offers insights into the practical challenges involved both in terms of mindset and logistics, in implementing the changing perspectives curriculum in schools ..read more

In this episode, Dr. Deirdre Azzopardi shares her views on OT and inclusion based on her wealth of knowledge from 25 years of working in both private and public school sectors. She has her bachelor's and doctorate degrees in occupational therapy and a master's degree in psychology.  Dr. Azzopardi is a registered yoga teacher for both adults and children (RYT 200 and RCYT 95) as well as a trained mindfulness instructor. She has extensive experience and training in addressing children's social-emotional health in the context of school life. Deirdre has offered multiple workshops and develop ..read more

In this episode Debbie Schwind, recipient of the 2020 NBCOT impact award, shares practical strategies and ideas of how she supported inclusion in her role as a school based OT practitioner. The final take aways from Debbie are 1. Inclusion is a continuum that does not happen when our students turn twenty one. It happens day one. 2. Occupation based interventions in schools would require us to step into student’s different classes including art, music, PE, reading and so on and work our magic. 3. School based OTs must advocate for inclusion to make our interventions more meaningful for our stud ..read more

Mr. Bill Thiemann has seen it all in his 37 years. As a special education teacher and as an instructor at the Santa Clara County Office of Education's teacher credentialing program (called EPIC), Mr. T has valuable insights to share. While full inclusion is the ideal we aspire for, in reality, this is a challenge often because we do not know how to foster meaningful relationships between children with significant communication and social differences and their neurotypical peers. In this episode, Mr. T shares his efforts and experience in facilitating a culture of inclusion in his school commun ..read more

Dr. Tina Flecher worked as a small-town school OT for 25 years. While working as an OT in schools in rural Texas, she pursued her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine arts and sculpture. She then went on to get her educational doctorate. She is a Texas Woman’s University professor on the verge of retirement. Dr. Fletcher understood the lived experiences of her students with disabilities in her community. This, in addition to her family ties with disability and her love for art and education, lead her to initiate autism-friendly events in the community so kids with disabilities can enjoy mus ..read more

In this episode, Michael Thomas, Executive Director of My Possibilities, a 501(c)(3) for cause organization serving adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) in the Dallas Metroplex area, TX, shares how the organization enables a path towards inclusion for our HIPsters (Hugely Important People). My Possibilities is the first full-day, full-year educational program of its kind in Collin County. Having exclusively served this community all his career as a CEO, Michael offers his thoughts and insights on several areas related to inclusion, higher education, sheltered ..read more

In this episode, we dive a little bit into the role of occupational therapy and situate inclusion within our practice.   Show Notes: Comfortable Cafeteria- https://everymomentcounts.org/view.php?nav_id=1 Vocational Training - Occupational Therapy in Cedar Lane- https://vimeo.com/161837834 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inclusiveoccupations/message ..read more