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

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:

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.

Carol Conway, occupational therapist, and Becca Moskovitz, speech and language pathologist at Hudson School District, Ohio, recognized how peers could be powerful agents of inclusion in their school community. They lead the "Buddies program" in their elementary school, which grew and evolved over 12 years, creating opportunities for students with complex access needs and their peers to develop authentic relationships and flourish. In their interview, Carol and Becca share how this was the "best part" of their job.  This interview underlines that it takes intentional efforts on our part as educators and related service providers to facilitate relationships between students with extensive support needs and their peers. Their insights are undoubtedly an inspiration for us therapists to go beyond traditional roles to support the creation of rich environments for social participation for the students we serve. 

In this episode, Diana Pastora Carson a passionate inclusion activist and an advocate for disability rights, enlightens us about moving beyond disability awareness to access awareness. By sharing the powerful story of her brother Joaquin's journey from segregation and institutionalization to inclusion, Diana invites us to do better as we know better. 

About Diana Pastora Carson: 

Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 30 years, teaching at the elementary and university levels. She is a consultant and trainer on diversity as it relates to disability and is the author of several articles and books, including Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity Work in K-12 Schools & Communities, as well as her children’s book, Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights. She has compiled her disability awareness teachings in a digital course entitled "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters." Her Beyond Awareness work has earned her statewide PTA recognitions in the areas of advocacy and outreach, as well as her school’s designation of Teacher of the Year. She has also been featured on several radio programs and television news stories and served two terms on the board of directors of Disability Rights California. She currently serves as a board member of Disability Voices United. Although Diana experiences disability herself, she credits her brother, Joaquin Carson, for her passion for inclusion, disability advocacy, and activism. Joaquin endured years of segregated schooling and subsequent institutionalization. Diana takes the most pride in knowing that after many years of fighting for his release, Joaquin now lives a life of inclusion and quality, in the community, as her next-door neighbor. 

Dr. Natalie Davenport not just believed in inclusive education but decided to show the world that it can be done.  After years of experience as an educator, school psychologist, entrepreneur, and assistant professor of Education and School Psychology at Texas A&M University, Dr. Davenport founded the Bridgeway Preparatory Academy, a public charter school at Farmers Branch, TX. Through this courageous venture, she has realized her commitment to all students, despite their unique needs or ability to pay, to receive a rigorous, innovative education. Her goal is to ensure that each student actualizes their full potential while developing the self-advocacy skills that enable them to become fully engaged contributors in all aspects of society. Dr. Davenport shares her life's journey in education and the story of how inclusive education actually works best for ALL. Contact Dr. Davenport at ndavenport@bridgewaypreparatory.org Visit Bridgeway Preparatory Academy- https://bridgewaypreparatory.org/

In this episode, Dr. Erik Carter, Ph.D., a distinguished professor at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN,  shares his personal story,  insights, and wisdom from over 30 years as an educator, researcher, and ally to individuals with Extensive Support Needs (ESN). Dr. Carter's life's work has focused on promoting authentic inclusion and meaningful relationships for individuals with disabilities in schools, higher education, employment, and faith-based communities. Dr. Carter enhances our understanding of peer-mediated interventions and shares the encouraging trend where peer mentors are burgeoning in higher education and employment to support individuals with ESN.  With over 250 publications and 7 books in educational and transition services for children and youth with disabilities, Dr. Carter continues his calling to strive towards a flourishing future for individuals with Extensive Support Needs.  

Dr. John Freer, Professor at St. Clair College Ontario Canada and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor,  is our special guest in this episode. Addressing attitudinal barriers to social inclusion is the focus of his research. 

He developed the Tripartite Intervention, a 12-week program addressing all the 3 domains of attitude, namely the affective (how one feels about disabilities), behavioral (how one acts towards individuals with disabilities), and cognitive (the thoughts and stereotypes one has) domains.

From personal experience with Epilepsy as a child to working as an educational assistant in K-12 schools and from extensive research on attitudes of people towards disabilities, Dr. Freer developed the TI program. He offers this to educators to take it on and implement it in their own communities. 

Few takeaways: Interventions well-grounded in best evidence are important. It is possible that some of our interventions could be based on our own presumptions about disabilities and could potentially cause harm. 

Some findings of  Dr. Freer's latest systematic review- Factors associated with positive attitudes towards disabilities-  Improved contact with individuals with disabilities, females have more positive attitudes than males, more positive attitudes towards visible disabilities, more positive attitudes when students have more knowledge about disabilities. Interventions were effective in improving attitudes towards disabilities.  

Contact Dr.Freer at jfreer@stclaircollege.ca  Dr. Freer is willing to consult with and/or offer professional development to educators or school boards looking to learn more. 

Works of Dr. John Freer: 

Our first guest of season 2 is the highly renowned Dr. Susan Bazyk, Ph.D., OTR/L, FAOTA, Professor Emerita of Cleveland State University. She shares about the journey of Every Moment Counts, a multi-tiered framework that guides the provision of a range of services and supports geared to meeting the mental health needs of children and youth with and without disabilities and promoting mental health in schools. We discuss several issues and perspectives related to current school-based practice and how OTs can support inclusion and occupational justice through the EMC initiatives. 

Her important takeaway for occupational therapists is to be true to our professional calling by going back to our foundation- helping children and youth participate in occupations that promote physical and mental health. She urges us to take on an active role in ensuring occupational justice for students with disabilities in schools, so they can fully participate in life's health-promoting occupations.

“Compassion is the keen awareness of the interdependence of all things.” —Thomas Merton