Empathy, Neurodivergence, and Holistic Support: A Conversation with Occupational Therapist Suzanne Hanway

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We speak with Suzanne Hanway, an occupational therapist from Dublin with 28 years of experience. Suzanne discusses her journey into occupational therapy, the focus on daily life aspects, and the impact on illness, disability, or neurodivergence. The conversation delves into neurodivergence, advocating for a unified term and emphasising acceptance. Suzanne highlights challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in accessing services and the importance of strong connections between parents, schools, and therapists. The discussion covers the prevalence of neurodivergence, societal understanding shifts, and Suzanne's emphasis on a holistic, body-based approach, including movement breaks. The podcast concludes with Suzanne advocating for tighter policies, standards, and structured training to enhance collaboration in supporting neurodivergent individuals.A really interesting one, particularly for those with an interest or any personal links to neurodiversity. Enjoy!

Creators & Guests

Gerry Scullion - Host

Serdar Mele - Editor

Stef Murphy - Producer

________________________ BRING THIS IS HCD INTO YOUR ORGANISATION → Train my organisation https://www.thisishcd.com/training → Video Courses https://www.thisishcd.com/courses → Coaching Community (Coaching, Courses, WhatsApp) https://www.thisishcd.com/members → Gerry's consultancy (Service Design and Design Research) https://humana.design/ ________________________ BECOME A DIRECTORY MEMBER (IT'S FREE!) and get all of this → FREE Introduction to Journey Management course with Marc Stickdorn & Gerry Scullion (Sign up for free with an email) https://www.thisishcd.com/dashboard/learning/introduction-to-journey-management → Discover & Connect with others https://www.thisishcd.com/directory → Claim partner discounts https://www.thisishcd.com/partners Gerry wears clothes from Sutsu, and has a coupon code for them, as well as Smaply, Scenario Cards, Unit 1 and more... ________________________ All episodes have been produced by This is Podcasting.