Let Them Lead: The Child-Led Autism Podcast

JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE FREE CHILD-LED AUTISM SUMMIT HERE A 19-year-old found the autism assessment report written about him at 15, and reading it made him feel like a stranger had published a list of everything wrong with him. That post sparked this honest conversation about how we write clinical documentation, who our reports actually serve, and how to be completely accurate without reducing a...

JOIN THE WAITLIST FOR THE FREE CHILD-LED AUTISM SUMMIT COMING AUGUST 10-13! A fellow SLP told Nicole a story she has not been able to shake: a room full of autistic adults sitting in front of their dinner, food in plain sight, not eating. Not because they were not hungry, but because no one had told them they could start yet. In this episode, Nicole traces that moment all the way back to the kids...

JOIN THE SUMMIT WAITLIST HERE GRAB THE HANDOUT FOR TODAY'S EPISODE LEARN MORE AND JOIN THE CHILD-LED COLLECTIVE SUMMARY A parent sits across from you and says, "I just want to be able to ask my child about his day and have him tell me about it." It is one of the most common requests we get, and it usually turns into a WH question goal that never quite goes anywhere. In this episode, Nicole shares...

Download the handout for this episode here! Join us inside The Child-Led Collective! childled.org/collective If you have been doing this work for a while and you are still mostly targeting requesting... I need you to hear this episode. Not because requesting is wrong. But because there is so much more your student could be doing, and one specific communication function might be the exact thing tha...

Download this episode's summary and action plan Learn more about The Child-Led Collective Nicole shares the real stories behind how she used to use kids' special interests as reinforcers (Harry Potter worksheets, co-opting a child's favorite songs) and the moment she realized kids were actually hiding their interests to protect them. She walks through what it looks like now when deep interests bec...

Download this episode's summary and action plan Learn more about The Child-Led Collective EPISODE SUMMARY Nicole breaks down the Let Them Lead Framework, the four-part approach she uses in every child-led session: Regulate, Connect, Honor, and Expand. She walks through what each component looks like in real sessions (including a monster chase game and a little boy who loved rainbow order), talks a...

DOWNLOAD THE FREE SUMMARY & ACTION STEPS FROM THIS EPISODE HERE! SUMMARY Nicole shares the story of the first time an autistic student told her to "go away" and why that moment was worth celebrating. She breaks down why protesting is one of the most important and most overlooked communication functions we should be supporting, how the slippery slope fallacy keeps professionals from teaching it, an...

Join us inside The Child-Led Collective! If you've ever felt that nagging feeling in a session like, "okay, but we've been working on requesting for a really long time and I don't know what to do next," this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. Requesting tends to get a bit of a bad rep, and you know what, sometimes for good reason. Not because helping a child ask for what they want or nee...

Join The Child-Led Collective: jointhechildledcollective.com   One IEP meeting a year. That's it. And somehow we're supposed to build a real relationship with a family in 60 minutes (or, as I recently heard, 25...which, no). This episode is about what happens in between those meetings, because that stretch of time is where the relationship either grows or goes flat. I'm sharing the system I've bee...

Have you ever had a great speech session with a child... and then watched the whole thing fall apart the second it was time to go back to class? Same. And for a long time, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Today we're talking about why transitions are so much harder than we treat them, and what to do about it without abandoning your child-led values. Episode Summary A conversation came up r...

REGISTER FOR THE FREE DREAM TEAM WORKSHOP HERE! Ever walked into a classroom and felt the tension before anyone even said hello? Yeah, me too. And if you've ever wondered how to actually shift that energy (without adding one more thing to your already-overflowing plate), this episode is for you. Tomorrow night, April 22nd, 2026, from 6 to 8 PM Eastern, I'm hosting a free live workshop called Build...

I almost didn't talk about this topic because I can barely say the word. Seriously, it took me four tries to get "productivity" out of my mouth without cracking up. But the concept is something I've been circling for years, and I finally got it out at a recent workshop... and I need you to hear it. This episode is about what we were taught makes a therapy session successful and how that definition...

To learn more about The Child-Led Collective, visit www.jointhechildledcollective.com This episode is a little different from our usual format... and honestly, I think you're going to love it. I'm pulling back the curtain and giving you a real, unfiltered sneak peek into the Child-Led Collective, my monthly membership community for speech therapists, autistic support professionals, and educators....

Have you ever read a book that completely validated everything you already believed... before you even had the words to say it? That's exactly what happened to me with Uniquely Human by Dr. Barry Prizant. And in this episode, I'm breaking down the part that changed how I think about this work. In this solo episode, I'm sharing one of my favorite sections from Dr. Barry Prizant's Uniquely Human: th...

Let me be honest with you: when I first started thinking about child-led support in group settings, I kind of panicked a little. Groups feel like the place where everything you believe about following the child's lead can start to fall apart. Too many kids, too many needs, not enough time. I get it. And I also think we've been selling ourselves short. This episode is all about making child-led sup...

Join me inside The Child-Led Collective!     This episode explores the critical importance of meeting children's fundamental needs before teaching higher-level skills, using Maslow's hierarchy as a guiding framework. Nicole Casey shares practical insights on supporting autistic students by prioritizing safety, regulation, and connection to foster meaningful learning and growth.   Keywords Maslow's...

Register for the live Rubric Reset Workshop, happening TOMORROW March 12 from 6-8 PM EST. Registration earns 2 PDH as well as lifetime access to the replay! Have you ever worked on a skill for weeks or months, only to realize the child is only using it in your therapy room? In this episode, I'm digging into one of the most frustrating parts of supporting autistic kids: when progress seems to show...

Register for the live Rubric Reset Workshop, happening March 12 from 6-8 PM EST. Registration earns 2 PDH as well as lifetime access to the replay! In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses strategies for effectively communicating in IEP meetings. She emphasizes the importance of warmth, authenticity, and preparation in building trust with families. By sharing anecdotes and engaging in meaningful co...

Learn more about The Child-Led Collective here!     In this conversation, Nicole Casey discusses effective advocacy strategies in compliance-based settings, particularly focusing on child-led therapy and AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). She shares her experiences and insights on how to navigate challenging environments, emphasizing the importance of indirect advocacy methods, such...

Grab your ticket to Coaching Week: Unlearning Control HERE!     In this episode, Nicole Casey explores the slippery slope fallacy, particularly in the context of child-led therapy and autism support. She discusses how the fear of losing control can lead to compliance-based approaches that hinder genuine connection and learning. By challenging these misconceptions, Nicole advocates for a more relat...

Grab the free Rubric Quickstart here!   In this episode, Nicole Casey delves into the ongoing debate between pull-out and push-in therapy for autistic students in school settings. Drawing from her extensive experience, she discusses the effectiveness of both models, emphasizing the importance of individualized approaches and collaboration with teachers. Nicole shares personal anecdotes that highli...

Join the waitlist for my upcoming coaching week: Unlearning Control!   In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the harmful effects of control in supporting autistic children, particularly through the lens of instructional control. She emphasizes the importance of building genuine relationships rather than relying on manipulative tactics that prioritize compliance over connection. Through personal...

Grab the FREE Quickstart to Rubric-Goal Writing resource here !   In this conversation, Nicole Casey discusses her journey with goal writing, particularly for autistic students. She shares her struggles with traditional goal writing methods and introduces rubric-based goals as a more effective alternative. The discussion emphasizes the importance of mindset shifts in approaching goal writing, the...

In this episode, Nicole Casey discusses the challenges faced by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) when supporting autistic students, particularly the difficulty of starting communication support without knowing the child well. She emphasizes the importance of a structured approach to identify key communication functions, such as asking for help, protesting, and directing actions. Nicole advocate...

In this episode, Nicole Casey emphasizes the critical importance of collaboration among professionals supporting autistic students. She discusses the need for empathy, trust, and understanding within teams, particularly focusing on the roles of paraprofessionals and support staff. Nicole shares practical strategies for building relationships, advocating for change, and fostering a supportive envir...