Held in Humanity – Held in Humanity

A rainbow ray of light shines down from above onto a hand laying flat with the back of the arm against the wall and another hand gently rests on the other's forearm. The background is dark grey, with the shadow of one hand faintly visible.

Autistic clients and their caregivers come to me for all sorts of reasons. Most often, it’s because they feel overwhelmed, isolated, or unsure of how to move forward in a world that isn’t designed for autistic people, especially those who are BIPOC, refugees, immigrants, trans, or queer. They’ve tried to navigate systems on their own — schools, therapies, providers, work — but they need help or something different. People reach out to me when they want more — more access, more affirmation, more understanding.

I can help you lean into your strengths, deepen self-understanding, and get curious about the interlocking systems of oppression and structures getting in the way of your needs- needs related to communication, safety, regulation, autonomy, joy, and connection. Together, we can reframe what support means for you, and co-create tools and resources that align with who you are, not who the world expects you to be.

I'm Liz and I'm a Disability Doula

Disability doula: A disabled person who offers emotional, informational, practical, and bodymind support from an anti-oppressive lens to support and mentor other disabled people in learning disabled skills to navigate a world designed for able-bodied people.

I offer a unique, peer-based model of care that centers lived experience and accessibility— filling gaps often left by systems. Creating spaces where people feel safe to pull back the curtain, show up fully and vulnerably, where their core self is honored, has always been at the heart of who I am. Grounded in lived experience and specialized knowledge in autism, disability, accessibility, and ableism, I’m dedicated to supporting my clients as they lean into self-trust and a life in which they belong.

By prioritizing autonomy, consent, and community-rooted care, I offer support that can feel especially empowering for those who have experienced oppression, harm, dismissal, or misunderstanding within medical and educational systems.

Shifting the Paradigm

The dominant eurocentric, medicalized, and neurotypical lens that guides our understanding of autism fails to accurately convey who we are, why we struggle, and what true support looks like. Our current approach to autism is rooted in ableism and shaped by systems of compliance, control, and colonization. The existing system creates a narrow view of what’s acceptable and “functional.”

Disabled people, especially those who are BIPOC, refugees, immigrants, trans, or queer, are systemically othered, pathologized, and dehumanized by our schools, healthcare system, and communities, often without resistance. Most of us are taught how to suppress our needs, and how to endure environments that harm us. And many are left out altogether—denied even the most basic access to communication, care, and community. The result is trauma, isolation, poverty, abuse, and violence with limited avenues for self-advocacy.

Held in Humanity addresses the deeper root: systems that disconnect us from our bodyminds, our identities, community, culture, and authentic expression. We need more people ready to help co-create a world where autistic people aren’t just surviving—but connecting, healing, and thriving. My mission is to affirm the humanity of disabled people, centering their rights, authenticity, and joy.

Neurodiversity-affirming Practices:

• Recognize neurodivergence as a natural way of being and identity rather than constructing it as different, other, or flawed

• Deconstruct expectations rooted in neuronormativity and white supremacy

• Prioritize the lived experience an needs of neurodivergent people

• Design supports and environments that ensure communication, safety, rights, access, and joy for neurodivergent people

• Celebrate the culture of neurodivergence and the richness of neurodiversity