The Autism Helper Podcast

Answering frequently asked questions about schedules! In this episode we dive into why schedules are essential, the schedule continuum, and how different schedules can be set up. I walk through how to select a schedule type for each student and how to get your team on board! ---------------------------------------------- Enter our "Seasons of Giving" giveaway now through 11/15/23 here! htt...

Sometimes I get asked, “When should I switch from academic skills to functional skills?” This is implying that at some point in junior high or high school, we should move away from academic instruction. My answer to this question is - never. We should never move away from teaching academics because academic skills are functional skills. As our students get older, we should be teaching academics in...

Paraprofessionals in a special education classroom should be working as educators - providing instruction and taking academic data. Teachers should lead their team and provide training so all staff members can work collaboratively and effectively. The goal for staff training should be for the teacher to replicate herself so the paraprofessionals are working just like the teacher would. -----------...

In a highly differentiated special education classroom, it should be mostly focused on small group instruction over whole group instruction. When you do whole group instruction for students with a very wide range of skills, it will be too hard or too easy for much of the group and that’s when problem behaviors happen. ---------------------------------------------- Register up for my free, live web...

When you get into a power struggle with a student, there is no winner. You will never walk away from a power struggle having deepened rapport or trust with a student. It typically does the opposite and breaks down your relationship with the student. When it comes to the power struggle, it’s best to avoid it before it starts. ---------------------------------------------- Register up for my free, l...

Running a self-contained classroom requires a high degree of organization. When things are a mess and disorganized, there is less instructional time and likely to be more problem behaviors. A hot mess of a classroom will lead to a hot mess with the students. ---------------------------------------------- Register up for my free, live webinar happening on October 24th, 2023: The 3 Biggest Mistakes...

Reverse inclusion is when students from the general education come into the special education classroom for opportunities for peer modeling and creating friendships. For some students, their level of needs may not allow for inclusion in the general ed setting. Reverse inclusion is a good option for these students to receive the benefits of inclusion in a safe and comfortable setting. -------------...

Venting in the teachers’ lounge can have a negative impact on the culture and community in your school. When we only spread negative stories about our students we perpetuate often untrue stereotypes. As special education teachers, we need to be publicists for our students and spread some good PR! ---------------------------------------------- Interested in our Year-Long Curriculum Access Subscript...

The start of the year is all about two things: routines and reinforcement. You need to establish your schedule, centers, and systems in the classroom and teach that to your students. That also needs to be paired with lots of reinforcement. The start of the year is not about data - it’s about being the chocolate chip cookie! ---------------------------------------------- Interested in our Year-Long...

It’s common practice to have IEP goals with an 80% mastery criteria. In this episode, I challenge whether that level of mastery is sufficient for building new skills. 80% means one out of every 5 is wrong. In some skills and goals, a 100% mastery criteria will demonstrate the total level of understanding needed to move on to the next skill. ---------------------------------------------- Enrollment...

One of the most controversial opinions I have is about how to laminate and cut out pieces. There are heated opinions on whether or not to pre-cut before laminating. When special ed teachers need to prep hundreds of materials each year, time saving yet effective strategies are a must. ---------------------------------------------- Enrollment for our Professional Development Membership will reopen f...

When destructive behaviors happen in a classroom, the results can be disastrous. In Facebook groups, I occasionally see posted photos of trashed classrooms. In this episode, we explore what the negative consequences of this could be and why it likely won’t have the desired effect. ---------------------------------------------- Enrollment for our Professional Development Membership will reopen from...

There is a popular phrase in the special ed world: Data or It Didn’t Happen. As a BCBA who loves data, I hate this phrase. This phrase put unreasonable expectations on teachers and doesn’t take into account the competing contingencies that happen with data collection. Just because there aren’t enough resources to collect thorough data doesn’t mean we should ignore what is happening. --------------...

Lois Letchford is a reading specialist who is passionate about teaching struggling students how to read. In this episode, Lois dives into the problems with many traditional literacy approaches and the impact this can have on students. She shares some key strategies for building reading skills by building engagement and focusing on comprehension. Lois shares numerous specific examples that really h...

In this episode, learn why both administrators and teachers love The Autism Helper’s Curriculum Access. Leah Green, Special Education Coordinator from West Fargo Public Schools, shares why her district decided to implement Curriculum Access within their special education classroom. She shares what features were important to her as an administrator and the variety of ways it is being used through s...

Michelle B. Rogers is an Autism Mom & Life Coach for Parents of Children with Autism. In this episode, we discuss essential life skills that Michelle works with parents on teaching their children. Michelle shares the 3 critical skills that all children need to be successful. We dive into one of those skills - toilet training. Michelle shares some of her strategies and tips for toileting succes...

In this episode, parent, podcast host, and advocate Lia McCabe shares her story of her children’s and her own diagnosis with autism. She shares how her diagnosis with autism impacts her parent and also what lead her to share her story and provide support within the autism community Lia is the Founder of AutismWish, a charitable initiative providing autistic children with sensory/therapeutic items...

Gabriella Nelson is the founder and CEO of Lively Behavioral Solutions LLC, a provider of Applied Behavior Analysis services, and can be found on Instagram as @thebehaviorchick . Gabriella shares why parent collaboration is so essential to making progress with a learner. She gives practical tips and advice for how to include parents, what topics to provide training and feedback on, and how to over...

Andrea Pollack is a mother and parent coach helping families with autistic children and teens. In this episode, Andrea shares why conventional parenting wisdom and old-fashioned discipline techniques often backfire. She breaks down why these strategies may miss the unique needs of some children and how the focus on connection can have a much bigger impact. Andrea shares how the coaching model allo...

The Data Driven Classroom is an engaging and in-depth course that breaks down the data collection process for special education classrooms. This course will teach you how to streamline your data collection process and collect data that will truly inform your instruction. This course will teach you the Data Driven Framework through 5 modules of training videos. Videos are short and break down each...

Kim Bender is a former special education teacher and current school based BCBA. In this episode, Kim shares what her role looks like as a BCBA working in the schools as well as some of the challenges and highlights that can come along with this role. We discuss the role of our ethical guidelines in the school setting, how to balance the multiple aspects of the role, and best practices for collabor...

April is Autism Acceptance Month. This month is a great prompt to level up our initiatives to promote autism awareness and acceptance. In this episode, I share 3 strategies for celebrating autism acceptance. Teaching lessons and facilitating discussions in your school community with general education students is a great way to promote change at a local level. Setting up a fundraiser for a local no...

In this episode, hear from current educators that are using The Autism Helper Curriculum Access in their schools! Curriculum Access is a school-based subscription service for The Autism Helper Curriculum. Curriculum Access allows teachers to get every subject and level of the curriculum plus placement assessments, implementation guides, extension activities, and more. Victoria Diez, BCBA, is an in...

When teaching students with a wide range of skill sets all within the same classroom, assessments are definitely not a one-size-fits-all situation. In this episode, we break down the overwhelm that comes with assessments and review best practices for implementing useful informal assessments. Embedding this into your daily routine is key for staying consistent and getting the most out of your asses...

Curriculum Access is a school-based subscription service for The Autism Helper Curriculum. This highly rated curriculum is rooted in evidence-based strategies and best practices. Curriculum Access allows teachers to get every subject and level of the curriculum plus placement assessments, implementation guides, extension activities, and more. Spring is an amazing time to add new things to your cla...