Neurodiversity, Ableism, And Disability Culture: Rethinking The Models We Use And The Occupations That Matter

Bryden Carlson-Giving, OTD, OTR/L is a Neurodivergent and Disabled occupational therapy practitioner (OTP) with experience in pediatric outpatient, inpatient, and school-based settings. Bryden earned his post-professional doctorate from Boston University, where his research focused on creating a toolkit to support OTPs in challenging ableism within the OT profession. This work led to the development of the first neurodiversity-affirming occupational therapy model, the EMPOWER model. He received the 2024 Emerging Leader Award from Boston University and the 2026 Gustavus Adolphus First Decade Award. He is the editor of "Neurodiversity-Affirming Occupational Therapy: Empowering Approaches to Foster Neurodivergent Participation", published in 2026.