I had an interesting experience at a recent preschool screening, where had I just followed "the standard screening procedure", I would have missed referring this child for a developmental evaluation. Today I'm walking you through 2 simple ways you can change your screening procedures so that we don't let Autistic kids fall through the cracks. If you want access to the Strengths-Based Autism Characteristics Checklist we use in our screenings, join us in the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy where you will get access to that plus many other valuable resources and trainings to support you in your journey to better support Autistic kids. Click below to learn more about the academy (and founding member pricing): https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

How do you help Autistic toddlers when they're having a tough time...for example when you tell them "no"...which results in hitting and scratching?! I saw this question pop up in a large online group & wanted to provide some guidance about how we can help in the moment, as well as what proactive strategies we can use to help our kids maintain a more balanced state of regulation throughout the day.

I have been doing preschool screenings for over 10 years, and in this episode I am sharing with you my exact step-by-step process. Screenings can be overwhelming and intimidating because it is a lot more work than just showing up at a school...in fact most of the work comes before and after. But I have refined my screening process over the year and made it so easy and smooth, so I'm excited to share that with you today. On this episode I mention that we include an Autism Characteristics Checklist (strengths-based). If you are in the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy, you've already got access to this. If not, you can still join us at founding member pricing and get access to this resource, and many others, including the brand new training on starting a neuroaffirming private practice. Click below to learn more about the academy: https://www.sensoryslp.com/neuroaffirm-therapy-academy

Busting one of my favorite myths today! Great news - AAC does not hinder speech and language development...it actually promotes it! This is a great short mini episode to share with anyone who wants to learn more.

If a child has sensory differences, EVERY person working with that child should be supporting the child's sensory regulation! But how? Each professional has different goals, which means that we might support sensory regulation in our kids for different reasons. And today, we're going to talk about those reasons. We're covering how sensory can be supported by: OTs, PTs, SLPs, feeding therapists, teachers, and of course - parents! Remember...there's a seat for everyone at the sensory table.

To learn more about sensory and how to implement strategies in your speech sessions, make sure to join us for our LAST free training of the year! Click here to save your seat: https://www.sensoryslp.com/workshop

Today we're talking about why we should move away from functioning labels and what to say instead. I'm also sharing a powerful concept I learned that changed everything for me.

Recently I posted about how we talked to a family about autism in our clinic and they decided to leave. I got 90% support and 10% ripped to shreds. Today I'm giving you the arguments from each side and telling you about why these conversations NEED to happen online & why they matter.

Quick tips coming at you for this first ever mini episode! On this episode we are talking about why kids plateau in their language development & how we can help. If you haven't yet checked out my best selling book, Ready Set Connect, you can grab it at: www.readysetconnectbook.com

I’ve got something BIG to share with you—something that’s about to revolutionize the neurodiversity affirming world!

And it’s finally time to share it with you.

This is going to be an absolute game changer for any neuroaffirming provider who wants to connect with other providers and find your ideal clients.

Introducing...NeuroAffirm. The world’s first searchable directory of vetted ND affirming professionals.

Start your 90 day free trial of a premium account by clicking below: https://www.neuroaffirm.com

I get asked a lot if I use social stories in my sessions and if social stories are neurodiversity affirming. And the answer to that is... It depends. Social stories were created by Carol Gray in the 90s and they are a social learning tool developed to help autistic individuals better understand social situations, expectations, and behaviors. But while they were created to be used positively and to support kids, unfortunately there are a lot of social stories floating around out there that are harmful. So what makes a "good", neurodiversity affirming social story, and which ones should we throw in the trash? That's what we're talking all about in this episode!