On-Time Autism Intervention Podcast

In this episode Jess and Ashley chat about developmentally appropriate ABA for children under 3. Join us as we discuss some examples of what ABA might look like for young children or possible differences between ways ABA services might be structured. This episode is intended to help parents prepare for early conversations with ABA agencies and begin to consider how different recommendations and applications of ABA services align with their family. Jess and Ashley dive into the location of ABA services (home vs. clinic-based services), the intensity of service hours, and the style of therapy (play-based vs. more structured). Lastly, we explore examples of what to expect from a high-quality ABA that is developmentally appropriate and effective at improving the quality of life of children. At the end of the day, ABA services should meaningfully engage children in learning opportunities, be specifically tailored, and should align with what works best for families and individuals.

Many parents, especially those with recently diagnosed children under 3, question what is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)? Why is this recommended for my child with autism? In Episode 8, the On Time Autism Intervention Podcast presents an introduction to ABA. Ashley and guest Dr. Ilene Schwartz, professor of Special Education at The University of Washington and the Director of the Haring Center for Inclusive Education, dive into the naturalistic, practical science of ABA. Join Ashley and Ilene in a conversation meant to broadly introduce our audience to ABA. Follow along as Ilene dives into real life examples of behavior, consequences, reinforcement, and the importance of communication.  At the end of the day, ABA strives to support families and individuals to improve their quality of life. For every family, what that means and looks like will be different and Applied Behavior Analysis is a tool for getting there.

Resources

Many parents, especially those with recently diagnosed children under 3, question what is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)? Why is this recommended for my child with autism? In Episode 8, the On Time Autism Intervention Podcast presents an introduction to ABA. Ashley and guest Dr. Ilene Schwartz, professor of Special Education at The University of Washington and the Director of the Haring Center for Inclusive Education, dive into the naturalistic, practical science of ABA. Join Ashley and Ilene in a conversation meant to broadly introduce our audience to ABA. Follow along as Ilene dives into real life examples of behavior, consequences, reinforcement, and the importance of communication.  At the end of the day, ABA strives to support families and individuals to improve their quality of life. For every family, what that means and looks like will be different and Applied Behavior Analysis is a tool for getting there.

Resources

At the suggestion of a listener, Ashley and Jessica dive into some of the common myths about autism in Episode 7 of the On Time Autism Intervention Podcast. Take a pause with Ashley and Jessica as they challenge some commonly held beliefs about autism. To help with this exploration, Kate, a special educator for Early Supports for Infant and Toddlers (ESIT) joins to present some common questions that come from families new to an autism diagnosis. Ashley, Jessica, and Kate explore person/identity first language, what an autism diagnosis may mean for a child, questions about future communication development, and touch on origins and cultural understanding of autism. Ashley and Jessica introduce the conversation about the Neurodiversity movement and plan to explore this topic further in future episodes. 

Resources: 

Handout on Bilingualism and ASD

https://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BilingualismASD-Handout-Final-Draft.pdf

Today Jessica and Ashley have something a bit different in store for you. Join us as we take a moment to pause and breathe together. In this mini-episode, Jessica and Ashley will share a resource for parents – a guided journal for parents to use as they begin their entry into the world of parenting a child on autism spectrum. Next Jessica and Ashley will walk parents through a moment of guided deep breathing and guided full body relaxation. Feel free to return to this episode any time you need a breather – you can skip and start at minute 8 if you simply want the guided breathing and relaxation exercises!

We will be back to a more regular episode soon. Stay tuned!

Resources

My ASD Journey Guided Journal for Parents and Caregivers:

https://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/My-ASD-Journey-Guided-Journal.pdf

In this episode Ashley and Jessica welcome Silvia, a mother of a young child recently diagnosed with autism, to hear about her experience receiving the diagnosis. Silvia shares what she loves about her son, when she first noticed her child’s developmental differences, and how she became connected to the autism diagnostic process. Her experience includes advocacy, curiosity, and the natural trepidation and overwhelming feelings of navigating the diagnostic process and results. She reflects on the joys of parenting a child with autism and celebrates the journey she has undergone with her son. Jessica supplements Silvia’s experience with a further explanation of how she gives diagnostic feedback in her practice. Join Ashley, Jessica and Silvia in a highly relatable, first-hand account of receiving an autism diagnosis for your child.

Join Ashley and Jessica as they dive into Episode 4 of the On Time Autism Intervention Podcast. In this episode, Jessica and Ashley will guide you through the diagnostic process. The diagnostic process involves multiple components, including interview and report of the parent/caregiver, observation of your child’s play and communication by the expert, and a developmental assessment. Jessica explores the play-based tools and assessments used, what evaluators are looking for, and how evaluators observations inform an accurate diagnosis. Lastly, Jessica and Ashley provide advice for how to harness this information, about the diagnostic process, to get started in pursuing diagnosis for your young child.

Resources

Further information about what an Autism diagnosis process looks like at the University of Washington Autism Center:

https://depts.washington.edu/uwautism/clinical-services/evaluations/diagnostic-evaluation/

Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Ashley Penney, PhD and Jessica Greenson, PhD and our guests on the show. The content here should not be taken as clinical or medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Because each child is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional with any specific questions.

Views and opinions expressed on the podcast are our own. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony.  No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.

In no way does listening, reading, emailing, or interacting on social media with our content establish a doctor-patient relationship.

In the third episode of the On-time Autism Intervention Podcast, Jessica and Ashley dive into the parent experience and parent orientation towards a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This week they welcome a special parent guest, Luisa! Luisa describes the process of referral and diagnosis and reflects on the many feelings she has experienced throughout this new journey with her child. Regardless of what phase of the journey you are in, Luisa’s story offers valuable perspective and hope for any parent in any stage of the diagnostic process with their child. We hope you enjoy this episode!

During the second part of episode two, Jessica and Ashley continue their conversation with Emilie, a birth to three special education teacher, about the referral, eligibility and assessment process of accessing early intervention services. Beyond the eligibility process, Emilie discusses the different types of providers in early intervention services and their role in empowering families to support their child. She also walks listeners through the services available to meet a child’s needs based on family readiness. Families will engage with a Family Resources Coordinator (FRC) through their entire process in seeking early intervention services to help them navigate the extensive process. Emilie reflects on how the role of the FRC is an integral piece in families having as much information as possible during the entire process.

Emilie also switches hats as a birth to three special educator to a mother of a young autistic child. She speaks to her experience with the diagnostic process and how she enjoys all the strengths and challenges her son brings to the world.

A few resources mentioned in the show:

Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Ashley Penney, PhD and Jessica Greenson, PhD and our guests on the show. The content here should not be taken as clinical or medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Because each child is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional with any specific questions.

Views and opinions expressed on the podcast are our own. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony.  No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.

In no way does listening, reading, emailing, or interacting on social media with our content establish a doctor-patient relationship.

In the second episode of the On-Time Autism Intervention podcast, Jessica and Ashley dive into assessment and eligibility for birth to three (B-3) services. They discuss how and when children qualify for early intervention services and the family friendly supports that are established after initial assessment. Jessica and Ashley invite Emilie, a B-3 special education teacher to further explore the eligibility and assessment process. Emilie discusses how to get connected to assessment and services, the holistic, multidisciplinary assessment that occurs after connection to B-3 agencies, ways the comprehensive initial assessment is conducted and how information is gather about your child, how eligibility is determine, the next steps following eligibility determination, and more.

To explore Early Intervention Eligibility and Assessment further, listen to Part 2 of this episode.

A few resources mentioned in the show:

Disclaimer: This podcast represents the opinions of Ashley Penney, PhD and Jessica Greenson, PhD and our guests on the show. The content here should not be taken as clinical or medical advice and is for informational purposes only. Because each child is so unique, please consult your healthcare professional with any specific questions.

Views and opinions expressed on the podcast are our own. While we make every effort to ensure that the information we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors.

This podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony.  No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast.

In no way does listening, reading, emailing, or interacting on social media with our content establish a doctor-patient relationship.