Meet Erin Clarelli
EDUCATOR & GUEST 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 prioritize behavior and compliance over connection and competence. Whether she’s keynoting a conference or speaking to a team 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.
Presentations & Workshops
Ways to Bring Erin to Your Audience
Focused Presentation
60–90 minutes
A keynote, workshop, or presentation centered on one primary topic.
Half-Day Program
2–3 hours
A flexible format with room to explore multiple related topics through a keynote, workshop, Q&A, or combination of sessions.
Full-Day Program
Up to 6 hours
A customized day with space to cover a broader range of topics through multiple presentations, workshops, and audience engagement.
Fill out the speaking inquiry form, then schedule a brief introductory chat to talk through your event, goals, and the best presentation option.
Signature Speaking Topics:
Understanding Whole-Body Apraxia
A foundational look at how apraxia affects motor planning, initiation, coordination, speech, and participation across the entire body.
The Brain-Body Disconnect
An in-depth look at the relationship between cognition and motor output, including motor initiation, inhibition, automatic movement, motor loops, and challenges with sequencing and transitioning between motor plans.
Motor Coaching and Purposeful Participation
A practical framework for supporting the body through everyday movement while preserving autonomy, presuming competence, and building more organized, meaningful participation.
Building a Sensorimotor Lifestyle
A comprehensive look at sensory processing, individual sensorimotor patterns, body awareness, interoception, and safety—and how meaningful support can be woven into everyday life beyond a traditional sensory diet.
Next Steps:
01 | Fill Out the Inquiry Form
Share a few details about your event, audience, and what you have in mind.
02 | Schedule a Brief Chat
We’ll talk through your goals, presentation options, and any questions you have.
03 | We’ll Review the Details
We’ll confirm Erin’s availability and make sure the opportunity is a good fit.
04 | Finalize Your Booking
You’ll receive the recommended presentation option, pricing, and next steps to officially reserve your date.
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.
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!
Podcast & Media Features
Erin’s been a guest on some incredible podcasts. Tune in to learn more about whole-body apraxia, motor planning, and the unique challenges faced by nonspeaking autistic individuals.
Moms Talk Autism
Many people think apraxia only affects speech. Erin joined the moms from Moms Talk Autism to unpack one of the biggest misconceptions about apraxia and explain how motor-planning differences can affect movement throughout the entire body. Tune in to learn more about whole-body apraxia.
Now What? The Telepathy Tapes
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.
If you would like to invite Erin to be a guest on your podcast, please submit our media form.
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
