The Autism Helper Podcast

In this episode, I chat with special education teacher, Jacqueline Asbury, a member of The Autism Helper Professional Development Membership. Jacqueline shares some of the silver linings of distance learning and what she will be bringing back to the classroom this school year. Click here to find out more info about The Autism Helper Professional Development Membership:  https://theautismhelper.com...

Last school year was extremely tough for educators and student. There have been countless changes to routines and unexpected transitions. Returning to school this fall, it’s important to think about how to make this return as smooth as possible. In this episode, I share my best practices for the back to school season and why these principles are more important now than ever. Click here to find out...

Most of my years in teaching embraced the philosophy of - just ask. If you ask nicely and politely, there is no risk. You may get told no, but you may get told yes. This philosophy sent me to great trainings, gave me the chance to set up a life skills room, and helped me spend less of my own money on my classroom. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this e...

Working with other adults is sometimes the hardest part of the job. As a teacher you need to collaborate effectively with other clinicians. I have been lucky to be able to work with some amazing clinicians over the years. This made the process of collaboration so much smoother. But I’ve also had some struggles with different clinicians throughout the years as well. In this episode, I dive into the...

Listener request for me to share some of my funniest moments teaching! While sharing some funny stories, I realized that all of these moments are times when my students were uniquely themselves and refreshingly honest. I love all of these little moments when my students’ personalities would really shine through. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this epi...

The first class party I had was for Halloween on either my first or second year. I ended that day with red jello in my hair crying in my car. The day was a disaster but it taught me a lot about how to create activities that gave my students routine and structure but were also fun and special. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this episode or had somethin...

Community based instruction was one of my favorite parts of my job. There are so many learning opportunities and things that I was able to learn about my students - like that one of my students drank coffee at home! In this episode, I share all about my favorite local diner where I took my former students for community based instruction. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Serie...

My first day with students with the honeymoon period. Everything was great. There were zero issues. Then came day two. Day two of teaching left me questioning if I was in the right career. Let me tell you all about how that day went and what I learned from it. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this episode or had something similar happen in your classroo...

Teaching while pregnant is hard! This job can be emotionally and physically draining and that all is increased while pregnant. In this episode, I share some major realizations I had in the moment when handling aggressive behaviors and how having my first child helped me set better boundaries. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this episode or had somethin...

Reverse inclusion is when students from general education classrooms are included in special education classrooms. In this episode, I share my experiences doing reverse inclusion. One student ended up developing such a special friendship with one of my students and it was unexpected from the general ed teacher. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this epis...

In this episode I talk about two of my former students. Both of these boys had strong personalities which I loved and I was lucky to learn so much from them. But there are some funny and challenging moments along the way. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this episode or had something similar happen in your classroom, we’d love to hear! Reach out to us o...

In a special education classroom, some of the job responsibilities may include helping with toileting for students. Ensuring you are maintaining privacy and respecting the individual is so important especially with older students. In this episode, I talk about how I handled toileting early in my teaching career and what important considerations shaped the way our team approached this. This is an e...

Walking into an empty classroom meant making all the work tasks. In this episode, I discuss the process of having to make all of the activities for my students, how I did “extra material” collection, and why coloring file folders may be the best work task hack. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this episode or had something similar happen in your classro...

Interviewing for teaching jobs is overwhelming! I discuss looking for my first teaching job. I share what interviews went well and which didn’t and what were my biggest regrets of the whole process. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this episode or had something similar happen in your classroom, we’d love to hear! Reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram...

Summer School or ESY (Extended School Year) can be tricky. I share about my toughest summer teaching ESY with new students, challenging behaviors, and extreme heat. Surprise twist this episode involves breaking the internet firewall. This is an episode from the Tales from Teaching Summer Series. If you enjoyed this episode or had something similar happen in your classroom, we’d love to hear! Reach...

This summer The Autism Helper Podcast will feature Tales from Teaching. I will share stories from my time as a classroom teacher. I will be sharing some of my best moments, hardest moments, and biggest learning experiences! If you enjoyed this episode or had something similar happen in your classroom, we’d love to hear! Reach out to us on Facebook or Instagram @theautismhelper and let us know whic...

Positive behavior change is all about teaching new, communicative skills. Reinforcement is key to this process but is often misunderstood. A small misstep can take reinforcement to bribery. Bribery is not only ineffective but it can actually cause problem behavior to increase. In this episode of the podcast, I’m sharing a clip from my popular behavior webinar: Reinforcement, Bribery, or Negotiatio...

In this episode, Sasha answers questions submitted by listeners!    Questions answered in this episode:   - What is your most recommended data collection system?  - How to know if your child is in the right setting?  - How to help general education teachers and administrators understand inclusion?  - How to handle issues between staff members?  - How to help students transition from choice/reward...

My brand new online course - The Roadmap to Reading is open for enrollment, but only until May 25th! In this episode, learn why making a course on literacy was so important to me, who this course is designed for, what is included in this course, and how the toolkits are setup. To learn more and join the waitlist: https://theautismhelper.com/courses/ Click here to find out more info about The Autis...

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) uses acceptance and mindfulness strategies, together with commitment and behavior change strategies, to increase psychological flexibility. It’s under the umbrella of Applied Behavior Analysis and focuses on private events or our thoughts. BCBA, Amy Cook gives an overview and instruction into ACT and how educators can utilize ACT principles in their classroo...

Small group instruction is essential for a classroom with students with a wide range of skill sets. We want students to get work that is “just right” - not too easy and not too hard. In this episode, learn the big picture best practice for running small groups. Start of by grouping students with similar goals. Establish clear expectations and schedules for both students and staff. Then, when runni...

Dr. Rachel Schwartz is a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA-D) with a Ph. D. in Special Education. Dr. Schwartz discusses the importance for teaching bodily autonomy at all ages. She reviews what body autonomy is, how to teach it, and how to encourage consent in the learning process. Dr. Schwartz covers why this skill fits into overall quality of ones life.  LINKS:  Additional r...

The skill of saying “no” is essential for becoming an independent adult. In order to self-advocate, we must all learn how to set boundaries and protect those boundaries when we are asked to cross them. We can start to teach this skill even at a young age. In this episode, we discuss why teaching protesting is essential, how to get your team on board, and how to set the stage for this skill in your...

Dr. Aditi Mehra, OT and Mandy Mason, BCBA share their love of Precision Teaching in this episode. They cover what Precision Teaching is, how if can be utilized in a wide range of settings, and how this approach has impacted their practice. This episode is filled with actionable ideas on how PT can implemented with both academic and functional goals. Dr. Aditi Mehra is an OT and Director of Fit Lea...

Paula Kluth is an author, consultant, and advocate and is passionate about creating inclusive environments in all schools. In this episode, Paula shares actionable tips and strategies for facilitating inclusion in the visual classroom and during socially distant in-person instruction. Paula shares ways she became so involved in working towards inclusion as well as advice for how to handle situatio...