OT for Inclusive Occupations: Stories of Not Just Being Invited to the Party but Dancing Savitha Sundar

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 modeling and is ambitious about pursuing his life's dreams. This journey was not easy. Pranav's success was made possible by his tireless mother, Anupama, who refused to complain, resent, or give up. She invested her energies in focusing on her son's strengths and interests to help engineer a life that enabled him to do, be, and become what he chose. Their story urges us to rethink possibilities and reframe our interventions.

Key Takeaways:

1. Work hard, play hard

2. If you can't find a village, be the village

3. "....No way should we interfere with the basic personality of our child"- Looking at the larger picture of Autistic idiosyncrasies like obsessions.

4. Are we different because of our challenges?

5.".. ..Cut the crap and be focused on your child."

6. "Divyang"- An "Angel-like" status given to a special needs child in India

7. Caregiver energies must focus on intervention and not sensitization- For that, individuals with disabilities must be visible and accepted in society.

8. "We should not have to justify our child's presence in a particular place…" Humans are not blessed with one IQ. We are an assortment- so we need to let all the differences be.

9. We must give people the chance to make amends. 

We all have different roles to play in inclusion. Some of us carry the torch, some take the idea of spreading awareness, and those work in the background (caregivers, educators). 

10. Inclusion is very situation-specific- On certain days, it's a 10/10, other times 1/10.

11. Being considerate about inclusion. Look for spaces where you find acceptance, and do not expect everyone to become enlightened.

12. Parents must have faith in service providers, trust their expertise, and have transparency in the relationship to facilitate collaboration.

13. Ensuring generalization of all supports and services to the natural environment.

14. Marvel Movies and Super Heroes- A narrative they used to build an understanding of Autism.

15. We all need cheerleaders, and that makes all the difference!

More of Pranav:

 ⁠Pranav's Ted Talk⁠

⁠Pranav's Interview- Youthopedia Talk Show⁠

Some News Articles About Pranav:

⁠GQ India⁠

⁠NDTV⁠

⁠1 Special Place⁠

⁠Edex Live⁠

 

Check out our website- ⁠www.inclusiveoccupations.com⁠ 

Podcast transcript with audio available at⁠ Otter.ai-https://otter.ai/u/c3PBb6k2rZvxFSPX5x9VTKPRgt0?utm_source=copy_url






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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 informed by her experiences as a classroom teacher, educational researcher, systems-change expert, and parent to three neurodiverse children. She has experience building curricula that are universally designed and accessible for all. She has helped schools and districts meet state and federal requirements through teacher and student-centered reform and supporting educators as they make grade-level content accessible for students with complex needs. She has contributed journal articles, book chapters, and numerous professional development trainings to the field of educating children with complex needs and has presented internationally.
Some Key Takeaways


Core tenets of what makes a system truly inclusive. Five assumptions: (1) “All Means All” Students means “All students,” which includes students with significant cognitive disabilities (explicitly thinking about them) (2) Placement means placement in the same grade level general education classroom and other inclusive settings in neighborhood schools (3) Student-centered, strengths-based approaches to inclusive education (4) Specially designed instruction occurs within general education setting (5) Barriers to inclusive education exist within systems and environments and not within students.

For sustainable systems change, a team of people who have the power to make those changes need to be working together.

Formative Assessments are important to make sure we aren’t presuming a lack of competence in our students.

We want to push away from labeling our students, and yet to avail services, our systems require our kids to have a disability. If we are all on this neurodiverse spectrum, what does it mean in terms of availing those supports? Discussion on definitions of students with Extensive Support Needs. 

Two main indicators of successful transition to adulthood for students with disabilities- Prior job experience and inclusion.

School-based occupational therapists’ expertise in adapting anything can used to enable inclusive education. Need for more collaboration between related service providers and educators.

Using the Initiative Inventory, start contemplating what needs to be changed based on what is already in place. ( will be uploaded in this soon)

When this wonderful leader leaves, how do we still keep this going?

Dr. Taub’s personal dreams of how we would have changed in 10 years.




⁠⁠The TIES Center's Inclusive Education Roadmap⁠⁠- https://publications.ici.umn.edu/ties/ties-ier-rise/introduction
Contact Dr. Deborah Taub at DrDTaub@gmail.com
Check out our website- www.inclusiveoccupations.com 
Helpful Resources Shared by Dr. Taub:
Initiative Inventory Process
Initiative Inventory
Article- Implementation Science and Practice in the Education Sector
Podcast transcript with audio available at⁠ Otter. ai (https://otter.ai/u/t94IJO3QcxsxiLzKRCO8jqv_G2A?utm_source=copy_url)


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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 led to deeply reflect and engage in critical discussions about their system's current use of inclusive educational practices for all students, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

"Systems change is not quick and easy," Dr. Ryndak shares. "We are still doing what we did decades ago." Several easy-to-use tools for implementing inclusive education were identified in their extensive research, but they have not been effective in implementing sustainable change. The IER is a long process based on implementation science. "We are looking at a five to seven-year process." She says.

Dr.Ryndak is a Professor of Specialized Education Services at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Her lifelong career is focused on inclusive education and access to the general curriculum for students with extensive support needs, student outcomes achieved by inclusive services, preservice teacher preparation, and technical assistance for sustainable school reform efforts related to inclusive education.

⁠The TIES Center's Inclusive Education Roadmap⁠- https://publications.ici.umn.edu/ties/ties-ier-rise/introduction

Contact Dr. Diane Ryndak at dlryndak@uncg.edu. 

Check out our website- www.inclusiveoccupations.com

Podcast transcript with audio available at Otter. ai






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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 museums, zoos, and other venues in a friendly and accessible environment. What began at the Dallas Museum of Arts soon spread to other sites, including the Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Zoo, Nasher Sculpture Center, The Frontiers of Flight Museum, and the Erik Johnson Library. She attributes the success of her work to her many OT students who plan the activities and take the lead in educating parents about managing autism-related challenges.
In 2020, her second initiative, Planning for Autism in Communities and Schools, was funded by the Innovative Autism Treatment Models grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Researchers from Texas Woman’s University School of Occupational Therapy worked alongside community organizations and stakeholders to create, build, pilot, implement, and revise the many components of this project.

The Programs Discussed in This Episode
Sensory Days Dallas- https://sensorydaysdallas.com/
Planning for Autism- https://planningforautism.com/about/

Publications by Dr. Fletcher Related to This Episode
The sensory totes programme: sensory-friendly autism program innovations designed to meet COVID-19 challenges

Strategies and Guidelines for Sensory Havens in Sensory and Autism-Friendly Events

Sensory spaces on wheels: Meeting neurodiverse community members where they are.

Dr. Fletcher's Book- Success on the Spectrum: Practical Strategies for Engaging Neurodiverse Audiences in Arts and Cultural Organizations Paperback – February 6, 2024


Check out the Inclusive Occupations website- www.inclusiveoccupations.com
Podcast transcript with audio available at Otter. ai- ​https://otter.ai/u/So6ndnV3wnJ82pn2tF_9qrLCY4E?utm_source=copy_url
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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 workshops, job placements, and so on. He has some sound advice for school educators and families of individuals with disabilities before their children reach adulthood. Michael eloquently answers my (somewhat challenging) questions from a place of honesty and vulnerability and shares his future for My Possibilities. We end with some fun facts about Michael, a few bites of wisdom, and some good food recommendations for Dallas visitors!
* The community event I mention about is “Autism Awareness” organized by Nanban Foundation- https://nanbanfoundation.org/ Check out My Possibilities
Some Interesting Interviews and Talks by Michael Thomas:
Tedx Plano- Beyond Disabilities
Talent Development for Adults with Disabilities - Big Ideas in a Small Car EP 4
Interview with Scott Miller at Create, Build, and Manage Daily Show on Biz.TV
Interview on The Next Level Show
Michael Thomas can be contacted via email at mthomas@mptx.org

Podcast transcript with audio and takeaways available at Otter. ai- https://otter.ai/u/n9lUWwuKTy3qdezqL2hu5xVgYIU?utm_source=copy_url

Podcast website- ⁠www.inclusiveoccupations.com


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In this episode, Dr. Cheryl Jorgenson responds to this question: "why have the numbers not changed in the past ten years when it comes to inclusive placements for students with extensive support needs?". Are decisions to place students with complex needs in lesser restrictive environments made by genuinely considering what is best for our students, or do we make decisions based on what we, educators and related service providers, are good at? Do school-based OTPs understand the educational system and our place in supporting inclusive placements? Listen on to learn more. This is a very insightful conversation with Dr. Jorgenson, a trailblazer in inclusive education.

Click ⁠here⁠ for the full Biography of Dr. Jorgenson.

Resources Shared in this Episode:
1. Supplementary Aids and services consideration Toolkit from Patten.net: https://www.pattan.net/supports/inclusive-practices/supplementary-aids-and-services-consideration-tool
2. A presentation by Dr. Gretchen Hanser- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2nkRllUw1U

3. Article by Mathew Brock (2018) - Trends in the Educational Placement of Students With Intellectual Disability in the United States Over the Past 40 Years

4. Dr. Paula Kluth- https://www.paulakluth.com/
5. Considerations in Placement Decisions for Students With Extensive Support Needs: An Analysis of LRE Statements- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1540796918825479




A few additional resources:
1. Dr. Jorgenson's Keynote Presentation at the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB8b1r7YOI8
2. Great courses on facilitating inclusive education for students with complex support needs from TX CAN network- https://txcan.tea.texas.gov/courses
3. Dr. Jorgenson's Interview on Think Inclusive Podcast- https://anchor.fm/think-inclusive/episodes/Cheryl-Jorgensen--Waiting-for-Inclusive-Education-e1okmq/a-a498t6

Podcast transcripts with audio are available at https://otter.ai/u/RE5brYN4fjyza0_ErTxpBNx0Ojg?utm_source=copy_url
Podcast website- www.inclusiveoccupations.com




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