Michelle Zeman Joins the Team and Becomes Another Voice for The Voiceless Minority

Times are crazy here at The Voiceless Minority. Over the last month and a half, we have had overwhelming support from both the disabled and the able-bodied community, and today, we continue that momentum.

 

Today is the beginning of a new era here at The Voiceless Minority. Today, we welcome our newest voice for the voiceless, Michelle Zeman. Michelle is an Autistic Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) living in Winter Springs, FL. She discovered the value of self-advocacy and activism through her career in behavior analysis and her time in Partners in Policymaking (PIP). She's a 2023 PIP Graduate, a FL SAND Fellow, and an advisor to FL SAND's MAGICAL self-advocacy group serving greater Orlando. Michelle is passionate about policy change in behavioral health services and disability training for all community workers. Below is Michelle’s first contribution to the blog. The content has not been altered. It has only been edited for clarity purposes. Thank you for joining the team, Michelle; welcome. We are glad to have you.

 

One Autistic Board-Certified Behavioral Analyst’s Point of View of What It Is Like to Help Those with Autism

 

*Readers note: For this piece, I will identify myself using identity-first language, which means I will refer to myself as Autistic. However, I will use person-centered language to identify others.

 

As a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), I often think about ways that I can help my clients achieve goals to help them live the life they want to live. I think about the goals they want to achieve - from communicating in a way that they see as effective for them to walking the runway of New York Fashion Week and Milan. As an Autistic BCBA, it’s a personal matter to me because my goal is to help change lives for the better.

 

For those who do not know, a BCBA is a graduate-level practitioner who provides behavior-analytic services. I can work with people referred to me for applied behavior analysis services. A lot of times, the people I work with have Autism. My field has a bad name because of its history and association with compliance-based instruction. However, it makes me that much more passionate about being in this field because I want to contribute to changing the story. I believe that it should be the goal of any therapist to want to help others change their lives.

 

So, how do I, as an Autistic Board-Certified Analyst, define how to help those with Autism best? That’s certainly a loaded question. However, between lived experience and working with people with Autism, I have come up with these three tips on how to help.

 

A.   Be Truly Inclusive- For those inquiring, inclusion is not putting a child with Autism in a general education classroom and calling it macaroni and cheese. Inclusion involves getting to know the person. It’s finding out about what they like and don’t like. It’s about being understanding of their needs. It’s about showing compassion and kindness to those who think, communicate, and live differently from you.

  1. Listen- Whether that be with your ears or with your body. This tip sounds cliché, but active listening is not just about hearing what someone says. It’s about making sure you understand their perspective. I have had the utmost displeasure of working on perspective-taking with clients, and it’s so interesting because I’ve had to spend time teaching others how to consider others’ perspectives, but it’s not the other way around. Perhaps that narrative should be changed.

 

C.   Validate Emotions- Again, a cliché tip, but one that matters. What you might not feel is a big deal to you might be perceived as a crisis to a person with Autism. For instance, some people with Autism get very scared by a toilet flushing. That sound may seem like an everyday sound to you, but for some people with Autism, it’s the worst noise they’ve ever heard – it can be similar to nails on a chalkboard for a neurotypical person.

 

Helping those with Autism isn’t just about being a nice person - that’s just common courtesy. As a Behavioral Therapist with Autism, my goal is to improve lives - which means truly doing my homework and empowering the people I work with. Helping those with Autism requires patience and the ability to listen, be inclusive, and validate their feelings. We can create a world where people with Autism can not only survive but thrive. Change begins when we appreciate the strengths and challenges of each individual, and as we change our point of view, we can ultimately foster a world that embraces people with not only Autism but all 

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