Early intervention doesn’t have to mean creating more “teaching time” in an already busy day. Many of the most valuable opportunities for learning are already built into everyday family life.

In this episode, Sarah Morrow and Christine Dixon continue their conversation about early intervention with practical ways families can support development at home. They discuss reading and turn-taking, sensory exploration, self-care routines like handwashing and toothbrushing, preparing children for doctors and dentists, toileting, and teaching everyday safety skills.

They also explore the importance of priming—helping children understand what’s coming before a new or potentially overwhelming experience—and how greater familiarity can help children feel safer and more prepared.

Most importantly, early intervention can be woven into the routines families are already doing.

Listen for practical ideas you can begin incorporating into everyday life, and reach out with your questions, comments, or topics you’d like to hear discussed on a future episode of Acorns to Oaks.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

Early intervention doesn’t have to mean turning every moment of the day into therapy.

In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine and Sarah explore practical ways parents and caregivers can support early development through the things young children already do every day: playing, exploring, singing, communicating, spending time outside, and interacting with the people around them.

Kristine and Sarah discuss what engagement can look like even in infancy, why narrating everyday activities can help build language, and how gestures, signs, sounds, words, and other forms of communication can give children meaningful ways to interact with their environment.

They also explore social opportunities, puzzles and problem solving, sensory experiences, and the important role of pretend play in helping children practice communication, flexibility, imagination, and everyday routines.

Throughout the conversation, Kristine and Sarah offer ideas families can incorporate naturally into daily life—from singing songs and looking through family photos to exploring nature, solving puzzles, and turning ordinary household routines into opportunities for play.

Early intervention isn’t about creating a perfect learning environment. It’s about creating opportunities for connection, communication, exploration, and growth.

Have a question you’d like Kristine and Sarah to discuss on a future episode? Send it our way, and follow Acorns to Oaks for more conversations about ABA, child development, family support, and compassionate care.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

Sexuality, puberty, body autonomy, and self-exploration are part of the human experience — including for people with autism and developmental disabilities. But for parents and clinicians, knowing when and how to talk about these topics can feel incredibly difficult.

In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine Dixon and Sarah Marino have an open, practical conversation about approaching sexual health without shame while keeping safety, consent, and each family's cultural values at the center.

They discuss early self-exploration, teaching the difference between public and private behavior, using accurate names for body parts, preparing for puberty, understanding consent, recognizing appropriate and inappropriate touch, and helping children and young adults develop the skills to advocate for their own bodies.

Most importantly, they explore why avoiding these conversations doesn't prevent them from happening. Children and young adults will encounter information about sexuality through peers, media, the internet, and their own physical development. Thoughtful, ongoing conversations give families the opportunity to make sure that information is safe, accurate, and consistent with their values.

In this episode:
• Why physical and hormonal development may not match developmental age
• How to approach self-exploration without creating shame
• Teaching public vs. private behavior
• Body autonomy and appropriate touch
• Consent and sexual safety
• Respecting religious and cultural differences
• Why accurate language for body parts matters
• Preparing autistic teens and young adults for puberty and relationships
• Why sexual-health education should be an ongoing conversation
• How parents and clinicians can ask for help when they aren't sure what to say

Sexual health is physical health, mental health, and safety. The goal isn't to force every family into the same conversation — it's to give individuals the knowledge and skills they need while respecting the family and culture they're part of.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature Applied Behavior Analysis.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

Registered Behavior Technicians and behavior therapists are often the people spending the most time directly with clients and families. They collect the data, implement treatment plans, navigate unpredictable environments, build relationships, and make countless real-time decisions every day.

So what does it actually mean to support them?

In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Sarah and Kristine continue their conversation about the realities of working as an RBT or behavior therapist and the responsibility ABA organizations have to take those realities seriously.

They discuss clinical barriers that supervisors need to identify before sending a therapist into a case, including cultural responsiveness, illness, sanitation, extreme heat, uncomfortable or inappropriate interactions, and environments that simply are not sustainable for good care.

They also dig into the importance of flexible, collaborative supervision. An RBT should be able to say, “This isn't working,” “I need help,” or “I have another idea,” without being met with ego or judgment. Good supervisors model programs, listen to the people doing the work every day, and recognize that leadership is about supporting the clinical team, not asserting authority over it.

And then there is the issue that cannot be replaced with praise, pizza parties, or good intentions: compensation.

Sarah and Kristine make the case that meaningful work is still work. People in helping professions deserve a livable, dependable wage, appropriate benefits, healthy working conditions, and the ability to build a life outside of the people they care for professionally.

The conversation also explores drive time, telehealth, burnout, rational detachment, professional boundaries, interdisciplinary disagreements, and knowing when a problem extends beyond your own scope of influence.

Because supporting the people providing care is not separate from providing good care. It is part of it.

Listen to Acorns to Oaks for candid conversations about compassionate, ethical, family-centered ABA and the people doing the work every day.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

RBTs are often the people spending the most time working directly with children and families, but the skill, flexibility, judgment, and emotional energy the role requires can be easy to underestimate.

In Part One of this conversation, Kristine and Sarah look at what it actually takes to be a great Registered Behavior Technician. They discuss the realities of working in family homes, building rapport, adapting treatment in real time, recognizing safety concerns, understanding motivation, and turning clinical goals into activities a child actually wants to participate in.

They also dig into a larger problem facing the field: what happens when RBTs are asked to do difficult, meaningful work without enough compensation, training, materials, or organizational support?

From reimbursement and wages to reinforcement, preference assessments, burnout, and the resources companies provide their teams, this episode is a candid conversation about the people carrying out so much of ABA's day-to-day work.

Because great RBTs do much more than follow a program. They build relationships, solve problems, create motivation, and help turn clinical plans into meaningful experiences for the people receiving services.

This is Part One of our conversation about RBTs and the role they play in ABA.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

Staying calm when a child is upset is not always easy, especially when a simple boundary becomes an argument that feels as though it may never end.

In Part 2 of Parent Questions, Christine Dixon and Sarah Morrow discuss practical ways parents and caregivers can support children through big emotions while still holding clear, consistent boundaries.

They explore the “low and slow” approach, modeling emotional regulation, practicing calm and quiet time before it is needed, and setting realistic expectations for waiting, sharing, and not always being first.

Christine and Sarah also explain why consequences are not always the best place to begin. Preventative strategies, meaningful choices, environmental changes, immediate reinforcement, and smaller, achievable tasks can often help children succeed before frustration escalates.

The conversation also addresses the importance of professional advice that respects the realities of family life, why autonomy matters even in small daily decisions, and how lowering the effort required for a task can support greater independence over time.

At the center of it all is a simple reminder: toys, stickers, and tokens may support learning, but love, attention, connection, acceptance, and shared time remain some of the most meaningful things a child can receive.

Learn more about Nurture & Nature ABA: www.NurtureandNatureABA.com

This podcast is intended for general education and discussion. It is not a substitute for individualized medical, behavioral, developmental, or mental health guidance. 

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

How do you know whether your child’s development is on track? When should you look for additional support? Why do children have tantrums, and how can parents encourage confidence and independence at home?

Christine and Sarah answer some of the questions parents ask most often. They discuss developmental concerns, early intervention, play, communication, comparison, emotional outbursts, sensory overload, natural consequences, household rules, and the importance of reinforcing effort.

Throughout the conversation, they return to one central idea: children need adults to look beyond the behavior, understand what may be happening underneath it, and teach new skills with patience, consistency, and connection.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

Supporting an autistic child with complex medical needs requires thoughtful coordination across home, school, healthcare, and behavioral services.

In this episode, Christine Dixon and nurse Sarah Merrill discuss the accommodations families may want their school teams to consider, including medication, feeding, breaks, safety planning, nursing support, adaptive equipment, and communication between school and home.

They also explore caregiver burnout, the limitations of respite care, the importance of coordinated support, and the emotional weight of constantly planning for a child’s future.

For professionals, the conversation offers direct guidance on staying within scope, respecting nurses and families, protecting privacy, avoiding intrusive questions, and adapting ABA sessions when a child is in pain or recovering from a procedure.

The episode concludes with practical insight into pain scales, teaching the difference between “hurt” and “sick,” and reducing the exhausting guessing game experienced by many families.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

What happens when autism support must also account for feeding tubes, seizures, mobility needs, hospital visits, communication limitations, and other significant medical concerns?

In Part 2 of this conversation, Sarah and Kristine explore how families and providers can support medically complex autistic children without losing sight of autonomy, comfort, communication, and quality of life.

They discuss gradual food expansion, the limits of behavioral intervention, the effect of poor sleep on learning, visual preparation for medical care, adaptive communication, insurance barriers, emergency planning, and the role schools can play in creating meaningful access.

The conversation also asks an important question for clinicians: Is a goal worth pursuing simply because it can be measured, or should every goal produce a meaningful improvement in the child’s life?

This episode is intended for parents, caregivers, ABA professionals, nurses, educators, therapists, and referral partners. Medical decisions should always be made with the child’s qualified healthcare team.

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.

In this episode of Acorns to Oaks, Kristine Dixon and Sarah Morrow talk about supporting autistic and neurodivergent children with complex medical needs. They discuss epilepsy, medication changes, sensory sensitivities, hospital and dental visits, pain communication, parent stress, safety planning, and why medical needs must come first in ABA.

This conversation is especially relevant for parents, caregivers, providers, nurses, school teams, and referral partners supporting children whose care requires coordination across multiple systems.

One of the most important ideas in this episode is that not every behavior should be treated as a behavior first. For medically complex children, changes in attention, irritability, rigidity, toileting, fatigue, or distress may be connected to pain, illness, seizure activity, medication effects, sleep disruption, or another medical concern. Ethical behavioral care has to slow down enough to ask what the body may be communicating. 

Acorns to Oaks is presented by Nurture & Nature ABA, providing compassionate ABA therapy and parent support in Valley Village and the San Fernando Valley.

Learn more or schedule a consultation: nurtureandnatureaba.com

Follow Nurture & Nature on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized clinical care.