The NeuroAffirm Podcast

Want to learn how to target social goals without promoting masking? Join Jessie + Chris for a free 90 minute masterclass where they'll share how to work on inferencing, self-advocacy, perspective taking, conversation skills and more! https://www.neuroaffirm.com/social-skills-masterclass 

Building rapport is important...but rapport isn’t the end goal. It’s the beginning of the therapeutic relationship. In this episode, I’m breaking down the difference between rapport and the therapeutic relationship and exploring an idea that can completely shift the way we think about therapy: the therapist is part of the intervention. We’ll talk about what it actually means for a child to experie...

Ready to actually start making progress with your autistic clients? I'm going to show you steps you can take to build regulation, engagement and motivation in a live training on Substack. Click here to join Substack as a paid subscriber and get access to this training plus my full training archive: https://substack.com/@sensoryslp

Are screens good or bad for autistic kids? Why are transitions away from the iPad so difficult? And what does the research actually say about screen time and autism? In this live discussion, pediatric speech-language pathologists Jessie & Chris Wenger explores the complex relationship between screen time, sensory regulation, and autism—without the guilt or fear-based messaging. We cover why sc...

On this episode, Jessie covers the biggest sensory mistakes SLPs make!  This episode was the Pre-Party for our free training, the Sensory Intensive for SLPs.  While the Sensory Intensive has ended, you can check out our other sensory trainings for SLPs here: Sensory Training for SLPs

  Anxiety is incredibly common in autistic people. But what if we're asking the wrong question? Instead of asking, "How do we reduce anxiety?" maybe we should be asking, "What is this anxiety trying to tell us?" In this episode, we'll explore why anxiety shows up so often alongside autism and why many traditional approaches miss the mark. You'll learn: Why anxiety rates are significantly high...

On this episode, you'll learn: Why behavior-focused approaches often miss the deeper reason a child is struggling The questions that helped me move beyond compliance and toward a neuroaffirming perspective How my experiences as a behavioral therapist influenced the philosophy behind my book How to begin shifting from behavior management toward connection, regulation, and meaningful engagement Want...

Fast track your session progress with my Top Tips for Parent Coaching Webinar ! If you want to learn how to: Get coaching buy-in from families Implement a simple 5 step parent coaching session structure Adjust your coaching based on the parent's unique personality Generate follow through from families Then click below to grab my Top Tips for Parent Coaching webinar: https://www.sensoryslp.com/offe...

Join me on Substack here! https://substack.com/@sensoryslp If building therapy around relationship, safety, and connection resonates with you, and you want to go deeper… Join me on Substack as a paid subscriber to get access to my Ready Set Connect Book Club Kit, which includes: 🎧 Ready Set Connect Audiobook - narrated by me so you can listen on the go. 📘 Ready Set Connect Guidebook - a pra...

Check out Jessie's full Sensory Based Routines Training on her Substack: https://sensoryslp.substack.com/p/engaging-the-most-difficult-to-engage?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&triedRedirect=true Many SLPs are taught that routines are a cornerstone of language development, especially for younger autistic children. But routines designed for neurotypical children often fall short because au...

One of the biggest myths in our field is that   “sensory” and “speech” live in different lanes.   In reality,   how a child processes sensory input directly impacts how they attend, regulate, move, and communicate. On this episode, we'll talk about   what sensory-informed speech therapy really looks   like in real-world settings,   how to support regulation without st...

In this episode, we're sitting down with Marge Blanc to trace the full history of Gestalt Language Processing and Natural Language Acquisition – from the earliest research, through Marge Blanc’s landmark 2005 case study, to the years of research that shaped the NLA framework used today. On this episode, you'll learn: Where Gestalt Language Processing research began – and what the original findings...

Ready to join us in the NeuroAffirm Academy & get access to our BRAND NEW NeuroAffirm Library? Click here to learn more: http://neuroaffirmacademy.com/   On this show, I'm sharing my three go-to activities that balance regulation, engagement, and skill-building – plus tips for adapting them so they stay fresh, flexible, and effective for every child. On this episode, you'll learn: How to...

Join us in the NeuroAffirm Academy to get a full training on my exact step-by-step process for training teams! http://neuroaffirmacademy.com/ Team collaboration can feel impossible – especially on teams supporting autistic kids. People often resist change, not because they’re difficult, but because they don’t feel safe, understood, or aligned. In this show, we break down why collaboration falls ap...

This episode is about resetting your priorities for the new year in a way that’s sustainable, values-driven, and actually realistic, especially for therapists who give a lot of themselves to their work. Instead of chasing goals, productivity hacks, or “new year, new you” pressure, we’ll focus on how to clarify what truly matters, identify what’s draining your time and energy, and intentionally cho...

Recently, there has been a surge of conversations and debates surrounding gestalt language processing (GLP) and the Natural Language Acquisition (NLA) Framework. Between ASHA presentations, published responses, social media discourse, and growing criticism of NLA, many clinicians are left wondering: “Is GLP valid?”, “Does the research support it?”, and “Am I doing something wrong if I don’t fully...

Trauma-informed care isn’t just about avoiding harm – it’s about intentionally creating therapy experiences where autistic kids feel safe, respected, and in control. Because trauma isn’t always a “big event.” It’s often subtle, ongoing, and woven into traditional compliance-based approaches. On this episode, you'll learn: What the core principles of trauma-informed therapy are and how to apply the...

Trauma doesn’t always look like abuse - it can be subtle, ongoing, and systemic. And for autistic kids, many “traditional” or compliance-based therapy approaches can actually retraumatize the very children we’re trying to support. In this episode, we'll break down how familiar methods like suppressing stims, forcing eye contact, withholding AAC, or correcting natural autistic communication can tri...

On this episode of the NeuroAffirm Show, we'll dive into strategies to strengthen foundational skills that make attention, focus, and daily planning easier, explore practical ways to support kids in staying on track, and share tips for building routines that actually stick.  Joined by Tera Sumpter, an SLP who specializes in executive functioning, this episode will give you actionable insights...

In this episode, we'll dive into strategies to prevent and address parental burnout, explore self-care practices that actually work, and share ways to build a supportive network for families. Hosted by Celina Wright & Casey Mouton, both clinicians and parents of disabled children, this episode will give you actionable insights you can use right away. On this episode, you'll learn: How to recog...

In this quick tip show, Chris, aka Speech Dude, will dive into how SLPs can use ChatGPT to save time, generate creative therapy ideas, and support neurodiversity-affirming practices. Whether you’re curious about AI or looking for practical ways to integrate it into your sessions, this episode is packed with insights and demos you can start using immediately. Want to learn more about using AI in yo...

Want to learn more about supporting language development in autistic trainings? Catch trainings with Melanie & Jessie inside the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy: http://neuroaffirmacademy.com/ Today we're talking about how to decode the meaning behind repeated phrases and understand what autistic kids are really trying to say. “What if the words we’ve been trying to quiet are actually the ones we...

Get all of these activities in our NeuroAffirm Academy! https://neuroaffirmacademy.com/ Learn how to design sensory-friendly Halloween sessions that build regulation and language. Are you overwhelmed trying to plan fun, themed sensory activities? This week on our live show, we’re diving into sensory-friendly Halloween sessions that actually work. Join us to learn how to plan ready-to-use, neuroaff...

To get our "When to Refer" packet, plus tons of trainings, monthly live calls, and an incredible community, join us in the NeuroAffirm Academy: https://neuroaffirmacademy.com/ Did you know that only 15% of autistic preschoolers receive early intervention before age 2? That number should shock us all. Because the truth is, early intervention changes everything. Every $1 invested in early interventi...

Want a Strengths Assessment you can use with your clients - the kind of tool that helps families and teachers focus on possibilities instead of limits? Join the NeuroAffirm Academy to get the brand new Strengths Assessment we just released! https://www.neuroaffirmacademy.com/ We're so excited to welcome Autistic Adult Kyle Manske to the show! When Kyle was three, schools and doctors told his mom h...