The Center for Connection and Neurodiversity

11/09/2023

Our new session starts soon!

10/25/2023

We’re getting snap happy 📸 ! We can’t wait to team up with for our family photography mini sessions on Saturday, November 4 at Kiwanis Grand Park in Monrovia.

David is an experienced photographer and father to a five-year-old autistic child, and he has worked with our team to put together an amazing service to meet the needs of neurodiverse families.

More info is available at the link in our profile! To book a spot or ask questions, reach out to kira@thecfcn.com

10/04/2023

It’s getting spooky ! 🎃 We hope that you’ll join us for our second annual Inclusive Trunk or Treat event being held on Friday, October 20 from 5:30-7:30 pm at in Pasadena. Attendees can expect treats, games, activities, music, stories, and more!

This event is designed with the needs of neurodivergent children and their families in mind - expect a sensory-friendly event where everyone can be themself. 😉 We can’t wait to see you there!

09/13/2023

Today was our first day of our new Pre-school group! Led by Kira (OT) and Desiree (speech therapist), the kids had a blast playing, connecting, and engaging with one another. Feel free to reach out if you think your little one would have a blast too!

08/29/2023

Join our team to meet local psychologist and celebrate the release of her new children’s book, A Kids Book About Nervous System Regulation!

Families can participate in sensory play activities, book reading and signing, and Q&A with our team to address all your back-to-school questions. All kids in attendance will receive sensory tools to start their own regulation tool kits!

Reserve your ticket at the link in our profile, we can’t wait to see you there!

08/27/2023

Dearest Mona, your work on earth is not over. We are not done learning from you. We are joining together, with a community you built, to will your healing and recovery into existence. We will continue to grasp hope with two hands and not let go. You will return and continue to lead the charge for change.

05/09/2023

Kira is offering a free parenting workshop this Saturday, May 13 at the Arroyo Seco branch of the LA Public Library in Highland Park. Parents will learn how children develop self regulation skills and practical tips for supporting toddlers and preschoolers.

In-person attendees will go home with some sensory play goodies, and those who can’t make it can email ayosco@lapl.org to gain access via Zoom. Hope to see you there!

04/15/2023

This is aftermath of play-based occupational and speech therapy . It’s not always pretty, but our child-led, connection-based approach promotes engagement, regulation, motor skill development, and more, using children’s most important occupation: PLAY! Do our therapists pick up a lot of toys? Yes. But we think it’s worth it. 😉

04/12/2023

This is a must read, must share, must bookmark, must save article.

Has your child just been diagnosed, or is likely autistic? Are you a therapist/teacher/researcher who is working with autistic kids? Start here! I answer the 5 most common questions I’ve seen…

04/02/2023

Kira is wrapping up an exciting professional development workshop with a great group of educators at Dove Day School in San Dimas!

Our staff is available to speak on topics including neurodiversity, inclusion, regulation, sensory processing, parenting, and more! We would love to put together an educational workshop, panel, or seminar for your organization - reach out today!

03/18/2023

Day #5:

Our friends over at Autism Level Up have built a website of useful resources, curated by and for neurodivergent brains.

We, the neurotypicals, are not the experts.

Let’s make it commonplace to listen to the community of neurodiverse brains. Let’s make a commitment to listen to their stories and lived experiences, no matter how old they are, how they communicate, or if it jives with our expectations. Let's humbly come along side these humans to design goals, treatment plans, classrooms, and communities that are universally accessible.

Please check out Autismlevelup.com (link in our story) and other resources designed and curated by neurodivergent people.

03/16/2023

Neuro-affirming and neuro-inclusivity is baked into the fabric of our beings.

If you are neuro-affirming, then what you do to support neurodiverse humans will fall right in line.

It is not so much about what we do but who we are.

Picture credit to:https://twitter.com/LoganNBeyer/status/1288245851975024640

03/16/2023

Day three and we are coming in hot.

Real life story: One of our clinicians visited a classroom full of four-year-olds. A rainy-day schedule is in full effect and the teacher put a video on the overhead projector and classroom speakers, for a little movement break.
One child immediately got up and ran toward the door. The teacher then told the kid to move his clip down because he got out of his seat without asking. He then did the slow march to the chart, head down, and tears running down his face. While at the chart he counted the clips that remain on the “ready to learn” space, realizing he and another kid were the only ones not ready to learn.
Clip charts, behavioral charts, or behavioral strategies/programs in general are the norm in nearly every classroom and school we visit. They are a go-to strategies for teachers to create structure, boundaries, and classroom expectations. However, these charts and behavioral management strategies are not neuro-affirming.
OTs are trained to look beyond the behavior and identify the “why.” Did this child need to move their body? Did their neighbor bump into their hyperaware tactile system? Did they understand the expectations of this new activity? Is it too hard to coordinate their body for the dance activity on the screen? Or is the audio too loud? In this case, it was the latter.
Behavioral management tools and strategies not only ignore the “why”, but they can also be incredibly shaming. It is public humiliation for, in most cases, behaviors that are an automatic response by our nervous system. Shame can compound and impact the child’s mental health.
So, what’s the alternative?
• Be curious.
• Use graphics or charts that are based on the child’s needs or energy levels.
• Provide universal supports that are accessible to everyone: headphones, quiet corner, specified location outside the door.
• And reach out to your friendly neighborhood OT for help in finding the “why.”

Check out this related link from amazing resources: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=701403698445534&id=100057277306736&sfnsn=mo&mibextid=6aamW6

03/14/2023

Let's start normalizing all of the different types and levels of support for all of the different brains in the room. 🧠

Em, a AuDHD, speechie, and mom wrote up this amazing resource for IEP teams. It is free and on teacher pay teacher, but please opt to spend the 6 dollars for this work.

Here in the office it is pinned up and referenced often when we are talking with our families.

Please check out our story for the link.
Please check out her presence on FB at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087870753308

03/13/2023

We are proud to be a neuro-affirming practice. But being neuro-affirming isn't as easy as simply saying so.

We challenge our internalized biases, call-out abelism, and take our direction from the community we serve.

We are celebrating the first day of Neurodiversity week by sharing this great resource: Neuro Bears. It is an awesome video to show children about the diversity of our brains. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_490q6LaHIY

Also check out for more: https://theautisticadvocate.com/neurobears/

03/06/2023

Our anger was a fury sparked by profound injustices. Wrongs that deserved ire. And with that rage we ripped a hole in the status quo."

Judith Heumann, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

We will continue to rip at the status quo with a fury and profound reverence to you. Thank you Ms. Heumann for your life's work. Rest now.

1947-2023

01/29/2023

Today we celebrate our very own butterfly, Kira Bender. Not only is Kira an amazing OT but she is our office tech support. When Kira is not dressing as a butterfly and getting handcuffed for crimes and misdemeanors by one of her pint sized clients, she is up on our clinic's soap box advocating for the justice of others. Happy Birthday Kira!

01/16/2023

"It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people." -Martin Luther King Jr.