Dr. Christie Welch Ph D is an Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of Toronto.
Her research strives to advance a better understanding of autism based on knowledge and perspectives of autistic people. Her primary research focus is Autistic Burnout, Inertia, Meltdown, and Shutdown (BIMS). The BIMS model put forward by her research has offered allistic parents, clinicians, and educators a new neuro-affirming way to understand and support autistic people. Her research team has co-designed BIMS support tools with autistic children, youth, and adults - leveraging their experiential insight to create customizable and helpful supports.
Sessions
Autistic Burnout, Inertia, Meltdown, and Shutdown (BIMS):
What do we know? What helps and what hurts?
Friday November 1st, 2024 @ 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM
This presentation will provide an introduction to the BIMS phenomena, ways to recognize when people are experiencing BIMS, and ways to maximize help and minimize harm to the autistic people you support. In line with the conference theme of Past, Present, Future, this talk will map BIMS phenomena onto historical framings of these autistic experiences, present the most current research on BIMS, and chart a course for future study.
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