On Oct. 10, Clinical Director Bryan Yanagita of The Bridge Autism Clinic spoke at a Neurodiversity Group meeting during x-period.
Upon welcoming all students, Yanagita shared his insights on supporting neurodiverse individuals, especially those with autism, along with what that means for his work at The Bridge.
Co-leader of Neurodiversity Group Oliver Chan met Yanagita while working as a student intern at The Bridge this past summer.
“I invited [Yanagita] to speak at our Neurodiversity Group … knowing his real-world expertise would provide an invaluable perspective,” Chan said.
Chan hoped that Yanagita would address misconceptions about neurodiversity and provide real-world examples, to foster inclusion and empathy, while encouraging everyone to see neurodivergence as an asset at school.

Before Yanagita explained the practices, analyses, and purpose of the clinic, he began by acknowledging that neurodivergence is a field professionals are still learning about as they go.
The Bridge gears support toward individuals with autism, primarily children ages 2-11, who benefit from the clinic’s specialized services. Often, these children did not find the support they needed in other educational settings.
The clinic carries out its goal of helping clients gain skills that will enrich their lives through a therapy modality called Applied Behavior Analysis. ABA is a one-on-one individualized approach where a behavioral therapist assesses skills and collaborates with caregivers to chart the best path forward for each client. Children have different goals in terms of what they’re working on.
Another common method is called Barrier Behavior Reduction, which the clinic may choose to employ when clients demonstrate behaviors that are safety concerns or serve as a barrier to success. Whatever goals behavioral therapists and clients work towards, The Bridge intentionally creates positive relationships.
“There is a wonderful emphasis in our field on dignity and respect … There’s a lot of interaction with one-on-one therapy and we really want to help our children feel like they have a say, they have a voice,” Yanagita said.
The clinic practices these values by exclusively teaching through positive reinforcements, meaning that clients receive rewards as motivation for making progress toward behavioral goals.
“If I have a learner that is a non-speaking individual, and they’re using a picture communication system, but they might be using physical aggression to get what they want, we would then instead show them ‘If you want this, we can use our pictures,’ and [if they move to that behavior] then we’ll give it to them right away,” Yanagita said.
In addition to educating attendees on the clinic’s practices, he explained that there are a variety of professions involving neurodivergence for students who may be interested in the field. But regardless of whether or not students are interested in this type of work, Yanagita stressed that they can support the neurodivergent community by advocating and staying aware.
Sophomore Ella Barlow enjoyed learning about professionals’ techniques and activities when working with autistic children.
“The ideas and teachings [Yanagita presented] fascinated me,” Barlow said.
Chan noticed this appreciation for Yanagita’s work and was impressed by the students’ curiosity.
“The questions asked by SPA students were not only insightful but also thought-provoking,” Chan said.
Chan sees several ways the school could step forward to support neurodivergent individuals, including creating sensory-friendly spaces for students who need a break from over-stimulation, and expanding neurodiversity education programs to give students a platform to voice their needs.