Decolonizing Occupational Therapy: Embedding Indigenous Perspectives and Disability Justice to Celebrate Neurodiversity in Occupational Therapy Practice
Dr. LaVonne Fox and I originally created this presentation for the 2025 Minnesota Occupational Therapy Association (MOTA) Conference, and since then have presented virtually on this topic together internationally. This resource is meant to be a practical example of Two-Eyed Seeing, a concept where you combine Eurocentric and Indigenous perspectives to support all humans. Dr. Fox and I cover the neurodiversity paradigm, Indigenous perspectives of disability and neurodiversity, and many practical examples of how to apply the principles of disability justice and the Seven Grandfather Teachings to promote neurodiversity for all. Working on this with Dr. Fox has been a dream come true, and I guarantee some of this knowledge will blow your mind!
Citation: Fox, L., & Carlson-Giving, B. (2026). Decolonizing occupational therapy: Embedding indigenous perspectives and disability justice to celebrate neurodiversity in occupational therapy practice. Neurodivergent Nexus. https://neurodivergentnexus.com/twoeyedseeingdisabilityjustice
*If you found this resource helpful, please consider donating to an Indigenous organization and/or supporting Land Back Efforts, such as the Native American Rights Fund, First Nations Development Institute, or the NDN Collective.
