Human Rights Panel 1: Bridging the Gap Between Deficit-Based Systems and the Neurodiversity Movement: Novel Strategies for Changing People’s Minds about Neurodivergence
Event Details:
Location
Bridging the Gap Between Deficit-Based Systems and the Neurodiversity Movement: Novel Strategies for Changing People’s Minds about Neurodivergence
Moderator: Shannon des Roches Rosa
Objectives:
- Participants will recognize the most salient barriers faced by both individuals and
- systems in adopting a more neurodiversity-affirming approach to autism and ADHD.
- Participants will learn specific communication techniques that reduce defensiveness/perceived threat responses in listeners and cultivate shared emotional understanding, self-reflection, and openness to changing preconceived assumptions.
Audience members will appreciate how community organizations and academic institutions can most effectively play a role in cultivating acceptance, understanding, and appreciation of neurodivergence in our society.
Stacy Greeter, MD, Psychiatrist, Stacy Greeter, MD, PLLC
Stacy Greeter, MD (she/her) is double board certified in both child/adolescent and adult psychiatry and owns a group psychiatric practice in Sarasota, FL. She speaks from both her lived experience as an autistic, ADHD, and OCD individual and as a clinician. Dr. Greeter graduated Summa Cum Laude from Duke University and went on to University of North Carolina School of Medicine on a full scholarship. Dr. Greeter completed her residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and continued there to complete her subspecialty fellowship in child/adolescent psychiatry. She believes in cross-pollination of knowledge between disciplines, creating space for safe candid conversations on controversial mental health issues, and runs a multi-disciplinary mental health professionals book club and co-hosts the podcast “Chronically Real and Clinically Relevant.” Dr. Greeter teaches at Lake Erie College of Medicine and Florida State University, is on the board of directors for Autism Career Pathways and NAMI-Sarasota/Manatee County, and on the leadership team of Autistic Doctors International. Dr. Greeter uses metaphors from fantasy universes such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and The Little Mermaid to make psychiatric concepts accessible and engaging through her educational Psychiatry Bootcamp series.
Kimberly L. Rust, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Kim Rust Counseling, LLC
Dr. Kim Rust has had a private practice since 2010 in historical downtown DeLand in Florida and has taught at Fielding Graduate University as Associate Faculty since May of 2024. Dr. Rust earned her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University in 2021 and was licensed in Florida in 2022. Dr. Rust is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Florida since 2010. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a graduate degree in Social Work and an undergraduate degree in English Literature. She provides both counseling and assessment services for all ages. Dr. Rust approaches both counseling and assessment as healing processes, helping to answer deep-seated questions that individuals have about themselves or their child. She has a passion for providing LGBTQIA+ and Neurodiversity-affirming services and is always striving to learn and improve in her chosen career. Dr. Rust loves mentoring the next generation of students to provide affirming and strengths-based services. Dr. Rust is neurodivergent, which may at least partially explain the abundant neurodiversity among her friends and family. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, her two amazing children, and her cat, Freyja.
Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW, Founder, OCD and Anxiety Colorado
Alie Bernard Garza, LCSW is the founder of OCD & Anxiety Colorado, a specialized, evidence-based Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) serving neurodivergent adolescents and young adults with OCD and related anxiety disorders. Alie specializes in OCD and anxiety-related disorders and holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Washington in Seattle. She is passionate about delivering neurodivergent-affirming care, particularly for individuals with co-occurring ADHD and Autism. Her work centers on supporting families as they navigate complex mental health challenges, emphasizing collaboration, creativity, and evidence-based intervention. Her clinical background includes IOP, PHP, residential, and crisis care across Oregon, Texas, and Colorado. Alie has worked in nationally recognized programs such as the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine and the OCD Institute of Texas (formerly McLean OCDI Houston). She brings extensive experience in crisis intervention, family support, and developing neurodivergent-affirming programs for youth with severe OCD and anxiety. Alie is also an Advocate with the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). She combines her clinical expertise with lived experience of severe OCD and ADHD, offering a unique and deeply compassionate perspective in her work with individuals and families.
Charnell Widnall, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Autism Spectrum Counseling
Charnell Widnall, LMHC is the founder and clinical director of Autism Spectrum Counseling, a group practice composed entirely of autistic clinicians dedicated to providing neurodiversity affirming care. Charnell draws from both her clinical experience and lived experience as an autistic and ADHD individual. Charnell is passionate about teaching other professionals and members of her community about autism and how we as a community can provide more effective supports to Autistics so they may live with greater ease and purpose. She has presented at Florida Psychological Association in 2021 on Neurodiversity Affirming Practices and at Therapeutic and Applied Geek Gaming Summit in 2024 on destigmatizing autism.