Laura K. Sibbald

Laura Sibbald , M.A., CCC-SLP, ASDCS, CYMHS, is passionate about neurodiversity advocacy and empowerment, with over twelve years of experience supporting and advocating for students with learning differences and their families. She is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist, a published author, and an invited speaker on the topics of trauma-informed best practices, supporting self-advocacy and self-determination, and developing neurodiversity-affirming interventions. In advancing affirming practices for the neurodivergent community, she is an active member of the College Autism Network, the Neurodiversity Employment Network, and the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association DEI Committee. Laura coauthored the Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Toolbox for Children & Adolescents (PESI, 2020) and the Parenting Toolbox (PESI, 2018).Beginning in 2020, Laura has presented at and moderated the PESI Annual Autism Symposium, where she has had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Temple Grandin, Dr. Stephen Shore, and Dr Barry Prizant. She is the founder and CEO of ND SLP Advocate, LLC. Laura graduated from The George Washington University in 2011 with a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology. She currently resides in Glenside, PA, with her fiancé, Mike, and their cat, Alexandria. She is the inaugural Executive Director for Neurodiversity Initiatives at Chestnut Hill College where she creates and implements a variety of opportunities to support the empowerment of students who learn differently.

Publications

Creating Specialized Programming to Support Neurodivergent Students: Considerations, Readiness, Outreach
Creating Specialized Programming to Support Neurodivergent Students: Considerations, Readiness, Outreach
Laura K. Sibbald, Carol Rogers-Shaw, Karen Krainz-Edison, Sara Sanders Gardner, Cindy Lowman-Stieby. © 2024. 23 pages.
The increasing numbers of neurodivergent students attending universities and the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADA-AA) create a need for...
True Inclusion: Fostering and Affirming Neurodiversity in Postsecondary Education
True Inclusion: Fostering and Affirming Neurodiversity in Postsecondary Education
Corrie L. Jackson, Laura K. Sibbald. © 2024. 21 pages.
This chapter provides a neurodiversity framework for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives in postsecondary education settings. The definition of...