163 | "Autism Handbooks": understanding autism in today's world with Andi Putt @mrsspeechiep

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 Announcement02:08 Meet Andi Putt: The Journey to Speech Therapy04:10 Discovering Autism and Social Media Advocacy05:00 The Importance of Neurodiversity Affirming Care06:45 Challenges and Growth in Autism Evaluations12:14 Personal Diagnosis and Self-Discovery16:16 The Role of Speech Therapy in Autism Diagnosis23:33 Creating the Autism Handbook28:32 Connecting Through Autism29:19 Books for Autistic Children31:07 Simplifying Complex Information32:37 Understanding Autism Variability33:27 Challenges in Autism Diagnosis36:52 Autism Epidemic Misconceptions39:27 The Importance of Accurate Diagnosis46:17 Conclusion and ResourcesRESOURCES ⚡️ check out Andi's resourcesParent Autism HandbookThe Autism Handbook for KidsUnderstanding Autism TogetherStatistics post referenced on the episode⚡️ follow Andi on Instagram @mrsspeechiep and Facebook⚡️ want to learn more about Dr. Tay's Whole Family Approach and current services offered? visit drtaylorday.com⚡️ continue learning from me and submit any questions [could be featured on a future episode] >>Instagram @the.dr.tayTikTok @the.dr.tay