Are you ready to transform your speech sessions with your autistic clients?

On the final day of the Sensory Mini Course for SLPs we're focusing on preventing dysregulation before it starts—in a way that is neurodiversity-affirming and strengths-based.

In this episode, we'll explore:

✔️ Proactive strategies that honor a child’s sensory and emotional needs.

✔️ Practical tools to create a supportive, regulation-friendly environment for the kids you work with.

✔️ Real tips and advice from a teacher turned school-based SLP on how to use these principles in any setting.

✔️ And more!

PLUS, you can earn PDHs for listening!

All you have to do is listen to the episode and then request a certificate of attendance by clicking here: https://www.sensoryslp.com/sensory-mini-course-replay

You can also use the link above to grab your free Sensory Mini Course Workbook.

Click here to join our free Sensory Mini Course facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sensoryminicourse

If you enjoyed this free bonus training, you're going to love the Sensory Certificate Program.

Enrollment is officially OPEN for our brand-new cohort of the Sensory Certificate Program for SLPs! 🎓

For the first time in 3 years, we’re bringing back LIVE sensory + speech coaching calls 🎉

That means real-time support, expert guidance, and a community of SLPs who get it—all while learning practical sensory strategies you can use right away in your sessions.

Join the movement of SLPs who are transforming their therapy sessions with their autistic clients.

Learn more or join now at https://www.sensoryslp.com/sensory-certificate-course 

Are you ready to transform your speech sessions with your autistic clients?

Day 2 of the Sensory Mini Course for SLPs is all on sensory strategies for your speech sessions. 

In this episode, we’re diving into:

✔️ How to use sensory strategies effectively in speech sessions (without turning you into an OT).

✔️ The 2 types of kids who benefit from sensory strategies —those who need
sensory input throughout the entire session and those who need sensory activities strategically dispersed.

✔️ How to build regulation within sessions to help kids stay engaged, regulated, and communicative.

✔️ And more!

PLUS, you can earn PDHs for listening!

All you have to do is listen to the episode and then request a certificate of attendance by clicking here: https://www.sensoryslp.com/sensory-mini-course-replay

You can also use the link above to grab your free Sensory Mini Course Workbook.

Click here to join our free Sensory Mini Course facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sensoryminicourse

If you enjoyed this free bonus training, you're going to love the Sensory Certificate Program.

Enrollment is officially OPEN for our brand-new cohort of the Sensory Certificate Program for SLPs! 🎓

For the first time in 3 years, we’re bringing back LIVE sensory + speech coaching calls 🎉

That means real-time support, expert guidance, and a community of SLPs who get it—all while learning practical sensory strategies you can use right away in your sessions.

Join the movement of SLPs who are transforming their therapy sessions with their autistic clients.

Learn more or join now at https://www.sensoryslp.com/sensory-certificate-course 

Are you ready to transform your speech sessions with your autistic clients?

This special bonus episode kicks off our Sensory Mini Course for SLPs — and it’s all about a topic we get asked about constantly: how to support “challenging” behavior through a neuroaffirming lens.

In this episode, we’ll break down:

✔️ Why kids struggle with regulation using the iceberg analogy—because behavior is just the tip of the iceberg!

✔️ The hidden causes of dysregulation, from sensory processing challenges to emotional and physiological factors.

✔️ Sensory-based strategies SLPs can start using right away to support regulation and connection

✔️ And more!

PLUS, you can earn PDHs for listening!

All you have to do is listen to the episode and then request a certificate of attendance by clicking here: https://www.sensoryslp.com/sensory-mini-course-replay

You can also use the link above to grab your free Sensory Mini Course Workbook.

Click here to join our free Sensory Mini Course facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/sensoryminicourse

If you enjoyed this free bonus training, you're going to love the Sensory Certificate Program.

Enrollment is officially OPEN for our brand-new cohort of the Sensory Certificate Program for SLPs! 🎓

For the first time in 3 years, we’re bringing back LIVE sensory + speech coaching calls 🎉

That means real-time support, expert guidance, and a community of SLPs who get it—all while learning practical sensory strategies you can use right away in your sessions.

Join the movement of SLPs who are transforming their therapy sessions with their autistic clients.

Learn more or join now at https://www.sensoryslp.com/sensory-certificate-course 

Why "Just Use Your Words" Doesn't Work... and What to Do Instead!

Tell me if this sounds familiar...

You’re working with a neurodivergent student, and then suddenly, they shut down.

Their words? Gone.

They can’t communicate, and you’re left thinking, “What happened?!”

Maybe you prompted them to just tell you using their words... but nothing happened.

Sound familiar?

Here’s the reality - dysregulation doesn’t just make communication harder, it completely shuts it down.

Expecting kids to just “use their words” without considering their emotional and physical state is setting both of you up for frustration.

So what does work?

It’s not about pushing harder; it’s about understanding how to support communication from a place of empathy and connection.

On this episode, we're diving into:

✔️ Why language access is state-dependent, not just skill-dependent

✔️ The 3-part brain model and what it means for therapy

✔️ Why "behavior" might actually be a nervous system saying "I need help"

✔️ Why neuroaffirming practices lead to better outcomes for everyone

✔️ And more!

Want to learn more about supporting kids in ND affirming ways?

Check out the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy: https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

There’s a debate that keeps popping up in autism conversations, often whispered like a secret...

"But what about autistic people who suffer? Shouldn’t they have the option to remove their autistic traits?”

It’s a question rooted in misunderstanding. And it’s time to set the record straight.

On this episode, we're diving into:

✔️ Why the autism “cure” narrative is harmful and how it negatively impacts autistic individuals.

✔️ How to differentiate between autism and co-occurring conditions

✔️ How to shift the focus from “fixing” autism to true support

✔️ And more!

Want to learn more about supporting kids in ND affirming ways?

Check out the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy: https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

Autism vs. ADHD: What’s the Difference?

Is it ADHD? Is it autism? Or both?!

So many parents, educators, and even professionals struggle to tell them apart.

And no wonder - there’s a LOT of overlap! But understanding the key differences is essential for supporting our neurodivergent kids in the best way possible.

On this episode, we're diving into:

✔️ The core traits of ADHD & autism (and why they get confused)

✔️ Where they overlap—executive functioning, sensory processing, social differences, and more

✔️ The biggest mistakes people make when supporting ADHDers & autistics (and how to avoid them!)

✔️ What happens when someone has both (AuDHD) and how to individualize support

Want to learn more about supporting neurodivergent kids?

Join us in the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy: https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

Are we expecting kids to “tough it out”… when they really need support?

If you’ve ever wondered whether you should help a child adjust to sensory challenges or adjust the environment to support them, you’re not alone.

Sensory overwhelm, meltdowns, and shutdowns aren’t random—they’re a direct response to an environment that isn’t working for a neurodivergent brain.

But how do we actually create spaces that feel safe and supportive?

That’s exactly what we’re tackling on this episode of Making the Shift! 

If you want to learn more about neurodiversity affirming therapy approaches, join us in the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy! https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

"But they seem so high-functioning…"

That one phrase has left countless Autistic individuals without the support they desperately need.

Meanwhile, those labeled “low-functioning” often have their autonomy dismissed before they even get a chance to show what they’re capable of.

These labels? They don’t help—they harm.

They misrepresent abilities, erase real struggles, and hold back progress in education, therapy, and everyday life.

On this episode of Making the Shift, we’re talking why it's time to ditch the functioning labels and shift to a more accurate, affirming way of talking about autism.

We're diving into:

✔️ The biggest misconceptions about "high-" and "low-functioning" labels.

✔️ How these labels affect everything from accommodations to autonomy.

✔️ Why autism is a spiky profile, not a straight line from mild to severe.

✔️ A more affirming way to describe support needs—without limiting anyone’s potential.

✔️ And more!

If you're a professional and want to learn more, join us in the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy: https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

Have you ever wondered why some kids struggle to understand their own emotions?

The answer might be in their interoception—the body’s hidden sense that helps us recognize hunger, thirst, pain, and even emotions.

On this episode of Making the Shift, we’re diving into how interoception affects emotional awareness and expression.

Whether you’re a parent, therapist, or educator, this episode will help you learn how to help children connect their body signals to emotions for better self-regulation and self-advocacy.

On this episode, we're diving into:

✔️ What interoception is and why it matters

✔️ How it shapes emotional regulation

✔️ Why some neurodivergent kids struggle with recognizing their own body signals

✔️ Practical strategies to support interoceptive awareness

✔️ And more!

Autism Level Up Energy Meter: https://www.autismlevelup.com/

Want an in depth training plus resources to help your kids build their interoceptive skills? Check out the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy: https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

Big emotions can feel overwhelming—for kids and adults.

Here’s the thing: emotional regulation isn’t just about the child—it starts with YOU.

On this episode, we're diving into:

✔️ Why your emotional state impacts theirs—and how regulating yourself first helps kids regulate, too.

✔️ The secret to helping kids feel safe before addressing behavior with simple co-regulation techniques that work in tough moments.

✔️ Proactive sensory tools to prevent dysregulation before it starts.

✔️ How to help kids recognize and respond to their internal signals by building body awareness and interoception skills.

✔️ And more!

To learn more about the NeuroAffirm Academy, click here: https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy