Therapeutic Yoga for Neurodivergence - Autism, ADHD & Sensory Processing
Supporting regulation, attention, and embodiment through sensory-informed and neurodiversity-affirming yoga and somatic practices.
Therapeutic Yoga & Somatic Practices for Neurodivergence
Autism, ADHD & Sensory Processing
This public module offers an in-depth exploration of how therapeutic yoga and somatic practices can support children, teens, and young adults who are autistic, ADHD, or otherwise neurodivergent, with a strong emphasis on sensory processing and sensory integration.
Grounded in neuro-affirming, strengths-based, and developmentally responsive approaches, this course focuses on how movement, breath, rhythm, and relational safety can support regulation, attention, and emotional balance.
Sensory Processing & Sensory Integration as Core Learning
A central focus of this course is understanding how differences in sensory processing and sensory integration impact regulation, learning, behavior, and emotional well-being.
Participants will explore:
- The sensory systems (including proprioceptive, vestibular, interoceptive, and tactile input)
- How sensory processing differences show up in autistic and ADHD youth
- The relationship between sensory integration and nervous system regulation
- How therapeutic yoga and somatic practices can provide organizing sensory input
- Designing practices that support sensory modulation rather than overwhelm
This learning is experiential and practical, helping participants feel sensory integration in their own bodies while learning how to support it in others.
What This Course Explores
Through discussion, experiential practice, and clinical reflection, participants will learn how to support:
- Sensory processing and sensory integration
- Nervous system regulation and emotional balance
- Attention, focus, and sustained engagement
- Body awareness, embodiment, and self-trust
- Midline integration and coordination
- Self-regulation through movement and breath
Practices are taught with choice, clarity, and predictability, supporting safety and accessibility for diverse sensory profiles.
Neuro-Affirming, Strengths-Based Approach
This course centers:
- Neurodivergent strengths and capacities
- Regulation over compliance
- Embodied experience over performance
- Sensory-informed, trauma-educated care
Participants will gain both conceptual understanding and practical tools they can immediately integrate into therapeutic, educational, or community-based settings.
Course Details
🗓 Saturday, March 21
⏰ 9:00–12:00 PM Pacific Time
💻 Live on Zoom
🎥 Recordings available (if unable to attend in person)
✨ Registration is now open.
This course offers a thoughtful, embodied introduction to sensory-informed yoga therapy and somatic practices for neurodivergent youth and young adults, supporting regulation, connection, and a sense of safety and belonging in the body.
Course Investment
💰 Early Bird Registration: $165
🗓 Available through March 10
💰 Regular Registration: $195
(Applies after March 10)
Your registration includes live participation on Zoom as well as access to the course recording for 6 months, allowing you to revisit the material or participate if you’re unable to attend live.
Looking Ahead: Upcoming Public Modules
✨ Next Public Module:
Yoga & Somatic Practices for Children, Teens & Young Adults with Down Syndrome & Hypermobility
This upcoming module will focus on strength-based, developmentally informed yoga and somatic practices to support stability, embodiment, and confidence for individuals with Down syndrome.
👉 Click HERE to view details and register for a la carte public modules
Want to Go Deeper?
You can also explore the full 100-Hour Yoga Therapy for Youth Training & Certification, which brings together all public modules along with additional in-depth learning to support comprehensive, trauma-educated work with children, teens, and young adults with complex needs.
👉 Click HERE to learn more about the full 100-Hour training
Your Instructor
Shawnee is a C-IAYT -Certified Yoga Therapist, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, M.Ed., and Educational/Behavioral Specialist. She is the Founder of Asanas for Autism and Special Needs and the Founder/Director of Yoga Therapy for Youth Certification Program. Shawnee has worked with children and adults with and complex and diverse needs for 30 years. She has specialized in working with children and adults with neurodiverse needs, sensory processing challenges, communication differences, developmental disabilities, mental health challenges and trauma backgrounds. Shawnee works with private clients of all brains, bodies and abilities to facilitate health and healing. Her goal is to bring the experience of yoga to all individuals no matter their differences or challenges.
She has written two published a books, Asanas for Autism and Special Needs – Yoga to Help Children with Their Emotions, Self-Regulation and Body Awareness and her second book - Yoga Therapy for Children and Teens.- Embodying a Somatosensory Approach to Mental, Physical and Emotional Wellbeing has just recently been published and is NOW AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE! She is also the creator of the C.A.L.M.M Yoga Toolkit and Body Sensations Curriculum.
She has a Yoga School through Yoga Alliance in order to train others in yoga approaches to support children and adults with neurodiverse needs and children and adults with complex needs needs and travels globally to share her teachings. Shawnee is dedicated to helping support youth and adults in developing strategies to cope with stress in order to live happier, healthier more empowered lives.
Shawnee has experienced first hand the benefits yoga and somatic practices can provide to health and overall well-being as she is a survivor of childhood trauma as well as multiple significant traumas in her adulthood, resulting in a diagnosis of PTSD. She is also a cancer survivor. She has a unique combination of understanding neurodiversity, developmental disability, trauma and other complex needs and knowing how to support people of all ages in connecting to their authentic self and building more capacity and resilience in order to live life in a more embodied and empowered way.
Shawnee has led several workshops at major conferences both in the US and Internationally; including MISTY (Montreal International Symposium for Yoga Therapy) and IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists) SYTAR Conference on Yoga for Sensory Processing and Self-Regulation for children with ASD, BOOST Conference (Best Out of School Time) on Yoga for Children with Special Needs , Yoga and Mindfulness for Youth and Yoga to Reduce Stress and Increase Relaxation for Educators. TRUST Conference (Teens Understanding and Reflecting Stigma Together) on Learning to Breath, Yoga and Mindfulness for Teens, including teens struggling with mental illness and UCSD Bridging the Hearts and Minds of Youth Conference on Yoga and Mindfulness for Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation.
Shawnee has written for and has had her work featured in several magazines,podcasts and online resources. See media features here.
Shawnee also offers private and small group therapeutic sessions for children and adults as well as yoga and somatic movement workshops and trainings through her company Embodied Wellness Yoga Therapy.