My name is Lesley Turner, and I have been an associate with OTAC since 2016. I joined the practice after spending six months home with my first child. Prior to entering private practice, I worked as a therapist and Kid Squad consultant for Heartland Family Service. My Kid Squad experience helped hone my interest in working with young children with mental health challenges. Kid Squad is a collaborative initiative to help provide early mental health intervention for daycare and preschool children in the metro area. The program helps to prevent expulsions, and provide resources to families, teachers, and daycare programs to help meet the needs of their students.
Prior to joining Heartland Family Service, I worked as a Social Worker for Hillcrest Hospice alongside OTAC founder Jea Theis. This experience afforded me an opportunity to help those who were struggling with grief and end of life challenges. Before becoming a social worker, I worked as a special education teacher in Denver, CO for six years. I spent four years providing resource support for students with disabilities, and two years as a self-contained classroom teacher for Autistic students with significant needs.
Much of my career has been focused on providing supports for individuals with disabilities, whether as an educator or a therapist. I am passionate about providing mental health support for children and adults who have experienced trauma, especially those who also have developmental disabilities. I am currently participating in the R-SAFE certification program through Lutheran Family Services to expand my capacity to support children and families who have experienced problem sexual behavior and/or sexual abuse. I am trained in EMDR, PCIT, CPP, Brainspotting, TF-CBT, DBT, and other evidence-based therapeutic modalities.
As of January 2022, I am also teaching a class for the special education department at UNO titled “Mental Health in Schools.” This course was originally developed by Barb Jessing, and it is designed to provide pre-service special education teachers and those intending to work with children and families a basic understanding of childrens’ mental health. Working with clients who identify as Autistic is a passion of mine. While person first language has long been the standard in the helping professions, the neurodiversity (ND) movement advocates for identity first language. It is my belief as a neurotypical person that my role is to practice humility and respect an individual’s personal choice.
Many autistic persons find it harmful to be referred to as someone who “has Autism”, is “on the spectrum” or “has ASD”. Furthermore, functioning labels- “high functioning” or “low functioning” are also considered harmful by the ND community, and considered to be ableist. Functioning labels are based on outdated science regarding one’s ability to speak. Non-speaking persons often are still able to communicate and may be able to advocate for themselves and care for themselves effectively. Functioning labels are also partially connected to Asperger’s Syndrome, which was removed from the DSM V in part due to its link to eugenics and Nazi Germany. (https://njcdd.org/how-autism-functioning-labels-can-lead-to-serious-harm/)
In a blog article for the Autism Self Advocacy Network, Lydia Brown states, “Autism, however, is not a disease. It is a neurological, developmental condition; it is considered a disorder, and it is disabling in many and varied ways. It is lifelong. It does not harm or kill of its own accord. It is an edifying and meaningful component of a person’s identity, and it defines the ways in which an individual experiences and understands the world around him or her. It is all-pervasive.” (https://autisticadvocacy.org/about-asan/identity-first-language/) Brown and others in the ND community advocate that Autism is not something that can be or should be “cured”, and therefore may be considered a part of a person’s identity. There are, of course, Autistic individuals who prefer person first language. This conversation and broader topic contain significant nuance and should be approached with a desire to learn. I urge my fellow clinicians to practice humility, and to consider the language they use when working with Autistic clients.
If you are interested in connecting, you can reach me at:
Lesley@LesleyTurnerTherapy.com
or visit me on the web:
