Presentations & Workshops
Meet Erin Clarelli
your next keynote speaker
Erin Clarelli is an occupational therapist who helps caregivers, educators, and support professionals shift the way they understand nonspeaking and unreliably speaking autistic individuals—starting with one essential belief: presume competence.
Through her course Foundations in Apraxic Autism, Erin teaches what most traditional therapy models miss—that many of the challenges often labeled as behavioral in autistic individuals are actually rooted in motor planning differences, not a lack of understanding or intent. Her work is built on recognizing the intelligence, insight, and agency of the individuals she supports—and helping others do the same.
For too long, this community has been misunderstood, underestimated, and boxed in by systems that focus on behavior and compliance instead of connection and competence. Whether she’s keynoting a conference or speaking to a group of moms via Zoom, Erin equips her audience with a deeper understanding of apraxic autism—helping them rethink behavior through a motor-based lens and walk away with fresh insight and clear strategies for supporting nonspeaking autistic individuals with respect and confidence.
psst…Erin here
Totally sneaking this in while my marketing strategist is off on her afternoon cat snuggle break. That little speaker bio up there in the corner, super officiàle right? She wrote that. (Very polished. Very optimized for SEO. Yada. Yada.) Ha! Love her. Appreciate her.
But if I’m being real—and I usually am—I’m not here to be all buttoned-up and capital-P “Professional.” These presentations? This work? It’s not just a list of talking points or a polished deck of PowerPoint slides for me. It’s my passion. And I’m always looking for ways to make this information more accessible and more gettable—for the parents, the caregivers, the educators, the teams. If I had it my way, everyone supporting a nonspeaker would get the full Oprah treatment. “You get a handout! You get a weighted workout bar! You get a puppy!” Just kidding. (Kind of.)
One of my absolute favorite parts of doing this live? Getting to chat with the incredible people who show up at the conference or on the other side of my Zoom screen. It’s the conversations. It’s hearing the stories. It’s chatting with the exhausted parents who still show up. The caregivers holding it down. The professionals who are brave enough to unlearn what they’ve been taught and look again to challenge a broken system.
If I can open a little window—a new perspective, an “ohhh, THAT’s what’s going on” moment—that’s the good stuff. That’s why I’m here. And I promise to make it relatable, engaging, and hopefully give you a few endorphin releasing laughs throughout (usually it’s at myself, if I’m being honest haha), because I know how beneficial endorphins are to our nervous systems!
Signature Speaking Topics:
Sensorimotor Lifestyle
Brain-Body Disconnect
Motor Loops
Interactive Workshops
Program length: 60-90 mINUTES
These presentations are best delivered as a 60–90 minute interactive workshop, live or virtual. Each session includes a dedicated FAQ segment and opportunities for audience engagement.
Foundations In Apraxic Autism Presentation
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Full - Course Presentation
Live presentation of Erin’s foundational course
This is Erin’s complete Foundations in Apraxic Autism course—delivered live and in-person (or virtually) for your group, team, organization, or conference audience, offering an interactive, high-impact learning experience.
You’ll receive the same powerful, insight-rich content available in the self-paced course, but with the added benefit of live delivery: deeper interaction, and real-time Q&A.
Perfect for:
• Teams who learn best through shared, real-time experience
• Groups who prefer live engagement over solo online learning
Details:
Format: Live presentation (in-person or virtual video)
Length: Varies depending on Event type and audience
Audience: Professionals, educators, parents, caregivers—anyone supporting nonspeaking individuals
Content: Full course material, delivered in Erin’s signature style
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Personalized Presentation
Customized Presentation for Your Apraxic Autistic Loved One
This personalized version of Erin’s course is adapted to focus on their unique profile. Erin will conduct a pre-training interview and video review, then personalize her Foundations framework for your loved one’s sensorimotor profile & current challenges.
This customized version brings her foundational framework to life and can be presented live to the individual's family, caregivers, or support team.
Perfect for:
• Families who want clarity and alignment across a full support team
• Therapy or care staff working with an apraxic autistic individual
Details:
Format: Live customized training (in-person or virtual video)
Length: Varies depending on team size and customization needs
Audience: Anyone supporting the individual—parents, therapists, teachers, aides, direct support staff
Includes: Covers all course concepts, tailored to the individual’s needs and context
My Speaking Style
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Down to Earth (keeping it real!)
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Relatable
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Honest & Authentic
Erin in Action
Get a feel for Erin’s speaking style…
Step inside the room and see Erin in action—teaching, connecting, and walking the audience through a simple, hands-on activity that shows what it actually feels like to face motor planning challenges.
Media Features
Interviews & Articles
The Brave OT
Erin joined the BRAVE OT podcast to talk advocacy, values-driven occupational therapy, and what it looks like to challenge the status quo.
Bold Journey
Erin sat down with Bold Journey to talk resilience, purpose-driven leadership, and building a neurodiversity-affirming practice that puts people first.
Autism Mastermind
Erin chats about inclusive care, naturalistic therapy, and supporting the whole family. Tune in around the 5-minute mark to hear how her focus shifted to teens and adults.
Fave ways to regulate…before I speak
Sipping my go-to coffee (definitely not my third)
Taking a quiet pause to meditate
Spending a few moments outside in nature
