Bridges Learning System

👋We’re inviting our community into the creation process.

At Bridges Learning System, we’re developing a new app designed to support understanding between two people — especially when communication, expectations, or perspectives don’t naturally align.

We believe this work must be grounded in real neurodivergent lived experience, not assumptions.

That’s why we’re asking for your help.

We’ve created a "Character Profile Form" to guide the development of the app’s characters. These characters will be used to model experiences, communication needs, strengths, and moments of misunderstanding — and we want them to reflect reality, not stereotypes.

By participating, you can share:
• aspects of your identity or experience you want better represented
• supports that make a difference
• common misunderstandings you wish others understood

You are welcome to share as much or as little as feels right to you.

Your voice will help shape a tool meant to build empathy, clarity, and connection — not compliance.

There are two forms to choose from "Long Answer"- for those who think and speak in paragraphs and "Short Answer" for those who prefer to provide shorter answers to more directed questions.

👉 Long answer form: https://tinyurl.com/BLS-LongForm

👉Short answer form: https://tinyurl.com/BLS-ShortForm

Thank you for helping us build bridges of understanding, together!

🌉 Coming Soon: Bridging Perspectives: Transformative Strategies for Neurodiversity-Affirming Social-Emotional Learning

We created this on demand training for people who want more than theory —
they want tools they can actually use.

Bridging Perspectives is an actionable, neurodiversity-affirming course that walks you through:
🗣 communication that works in real life
🤝 interaction built on authenticity and consent
💛 emotion understanding without pressure or compliance
🌱 identity, agency, and self-advocacy
🎯 meaningful goals that reflect the whole person

Each module is designed to help you shift from fixing to understanding — and to apply what you learn immediately.

Releasing soon.
Stay connected so you don’t miss it.

I remember the first time I spoke with Meg from Learn Play Thrive. I was a total fan-girl! Now several years later I have had the extraordinary opportunity to collaborate with her on multiple occasions. Most recently we teamed up for a podcast.

Take a listen!

learnplaythrive.com/podcast

If you are trying to use neurodiversity-affirming practices to support a child's participation, it is essential that you reflect on the difference between participation and compliance.

Participation is a component of social interaction that is defined by others but must be acted on by the child.

Getting a child to appear like they are participating for the benefit of others is compliance, not true participation.

We are so grateful to Katrina Martin from Bridges Learning System for her nuanced teaching on this topic. Like and share this post if you agree, and want to be part of a huge shift in supporting true, authentic participation for our neurodivergent clients.

Visit https://learnplaythrive.com/bridge/ to learn deeply about neurodiversity-affirming social-emotional learning from Katrina Martin (and get nearly all of your CE hours for the year!)


Image ID: 1 slide with a white background. The top third of the image is purple and the bottom third of the image is yellow. In big, bold letters, the text on the slide says, "Compliance [does not equal sign] participation."

Bridges Learning System is at the ASHA Convention in Seattle, WA! I'm here with Dot, ready and waiting to tell anyone who will listen about the benefits of adopting neurodiversity-affirming SEL practice for Autistic and Neurodivergent children.

If you're here too, stop by the Bridges Learning System booth 1619 and sign up to win a free copy of one of our SEL programs. While you're here, make a free fidget bag to support your learning needs throughout the conference sessions! And tell your friends!! We're on the far right side of the exhibit hall in the summit building.

See you here!