163 | "Autism Handbooks": understanding autism in today's world with Andi Putt @mrsspeechiep - EVOLVE with Dr. Tay: the podcast for parents of autistic kids

ABOUT THIS EPISODE (+ scroll for resources) 👇

Dr. Tay welcomes Andi Putt, better known on social media as @mrsspeechiep. Andi, a late identified autistic speech therapist, discusses her work doing autism evaluations and the resources she provides for the autism community. They explore topics including the nuances of autism diagnosis, the importance of neurodiversity-affirming care, and the development of Andi's popular Autism Handbooks. The conversation also dives into challenges within the clinical community, continuous learning, and advocacy for understanding and acceptance of autism. Andi shares how her personal experiences as an autistic individual influence her work and advocacy, with an invitation for all clinical providers and educators to make the perspective shift to neurodiversity-affirming care.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Announcement

02:08 Meet Andi Putt: The Journey to Speech Therapy

04:10 Discovering Autism and Social Media Advocacy

05:00 The Importance of Neurodiversity Affirming Care

06:45 Challenges and Growth in Autism Evaluations

12:14 Personal Diagnosis and Self-Discovery

16:16 The Role of Speech Therapy in Autism Diagnosis

23:33 Creating the Autism Handbook

28:32 Connecting Through Autism

29:19 Books for Autistic Children

31:07 Simplifying Complex Information

32:37 Understanding Autism Variability