Embracing Neurodiversity-Affirming Practices

Michelle Dawson, MS, CCC-SLP, CLC, BCS-S, serves as a speech-language pathologist with Wolfe Speech Therapy, LLC, in Staunton, VA, and adjunct professor with North Carolina Central University (NCCU) in Durham, NC. Additionally, she is the acclaimed host of “First Bite: Fed, Fun, Functional,” a weekly speech therapy podcast that addresses “all thangs” of pediatric speech therapy and is presented by SpeechTherapyPD.com. Michelle authored "Chasing the Swallow: Truth, Science, and Hope for Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders." She is an accomplished lecturer, traveling across the nation delivering courses on best practices for the evaluation and treatment of medically complex infants, toddlers, and children with respect to their pediatric oropharyngeal dysphagia, pediatric feeding disorder, as well as language acquisition within the framework of Early Intervention. She currently volunteers as the Vice President of Speech-Language Pathology (March 2025 – 2027), co-chair for the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Virginia (SHAV) Dysphagia and Pediatric Feeding Disorder Group (2023 – present), and on the convention committee for the 2025 Annual SHAV Convention. She has previously served twice as the Topic Chair for the Pediatric Feeding and Swallowing Disorders Committee for the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Annual Convention, as the Treasurer for the Council of State Association Presidents (CSAP), is a Past President of the South Carolina Speech, Language, and Hearing Association (SCSHA), a board of trustee member for the Communication Disorder Foundation of Virginia (CDF), a graduate of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Leadership Development Program (ASHA LDP), a recipient of both the PFD Systems Innovator Award and the Pediatric Feeding Disorder Awareness Champion from Feeding Matters, a recipient of the Louis M. DiCarlo Award for Outstanding Clinical Achievement from the SCSHA, a recipient of the State Clinical Achievement Award from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s Foundation, recognized as an ASHA Innovator, and eleven-time recipient of ASHA’s ACE Award for continuing education.

Meg Proctor, MS OTR/L is an occupational therapist and the founder of Learn Play Thrive, LLC. Meg teaches and trains other therapists how to use an in-depth understanding of autism learning styles and strengths to become more confident and effective in their work. Meg previously worked in early intervention, schools, clinics, and as a clinical faculty member for UNC Chapel Hill’s TEACCH ® Autism Program. At Learn Play Thrive, she now collaborates with autistic adults to create neurodiversity-affirming continuing education trainings that are practical, strengths-based, and transformative. Meg's website, learnplaythrive.com, has free resources, a podcast “Two Sides of the Spectrum”, and continuing education courses for therapists who are ready to truly go deep into their work with neurodivergent kids.