Laura Sibbald, M.A., CCC-SLP, ASDCS, CYMHS, is passionate about neurodiversity advocacy and empowerment, with over ten years of experience supporting and advocating for students with learning differences and their families. She is a nationally certified speech-language pathologist, a published author, and an invited speaker on the topics of trauma-informed best practices, supporting self-advocacy and self-determination, and developing neurodiversity-affirming interventions.

In advancing affirming practices for the neurodivergent community, she is an active member of the College Autism Network, the Neurodiversity Employment Network, and the Pennsylvania Speech-Language-Hearing Association DEI Committee. Beginning in 2020, Laura has presented at and moderated the PESI Annual Autism Symposium, where she has had the privilege of interviewing Temple Grandin as part of the keynote “Different…Not Less”.

 Laura coauthors the Trauma-Informed Social-Emotional Toolbox for Children & Adolescents (PESI, 2020) and the Parenting Toolbox (PESI, 2018). Both workbooks provide practical strategies on pragmatic language and executive function skills that can readily transfer into clinical and educational professional practices.  She is an involved ASHA member, serving as a topic committee member for the 2022 ASHA Convention in business practices for speech-language pathology. Laura graduated from The George Washington University in 2011 with a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology.

Laura currently resides in Philadelphia, PA, with her fiance, Mike, and their cat, Alexandria. She is the inaugural Associate Director and was recently promoted to Executive Director for the Center for Accessibility and Learning Services/Neurodiversity Initiatives at Chestnut Hill College, where she creates and implements a variety of opportunities to support the empowerment of students who learn differently.