The NeuroAffirm Podcast

In this week's episode of Making the Shift, we’re breaking down the absolute most powerful ways you can support nonspeaking Autistic children. On this episode, we're discussing: why kids may not be speaking, when to start introducing alternative methods of communication, how we talk about and talk to our nonspeaking kids, how to prioritize what matters most to make the greatest gains, and more!

A few weeks ago we were invited to attend the screening of the movie Ezra. And I’m still pinching myself. I reached out to the associate producer of the movie, Alex Plank, and he agreed to be interviewed on our live show! In this interview we discussed the importance of autistic characters being played by an autistic actors, how autistic actors and consultants were accommo...

What if it doesn’t feel right? In this episode, you get to meet Sandy Hughes, parent of an Autistic son who found Jessie on Instagram and then started therapy in her clinic. Join Sandy as she shares her powerful story, starting from when her son had therapists and teachers who were not the right fit, through her self-advocacy journey, and seeing her son progress with an ND affirming approach.

On this episode of Making the Shift, I'm sitting down with my clinic's Speech & Language Program Director Emily Byers Chaney and we are talking about how we've been implementing ND affirming practices over the years. We're sharing what works well for us, and hopefully it works well for you too! You can find Emily on Instagram @ndaffirming.slp To learn more about our clinic visit www.pediatrict...

This week on Making the Shift, we're celebrating the release of Jessie's brand new already BEST SELLING book, Ready Set Connect. We're diving into WHY a book like this is so important, and the very hard lessons that were learned that shaped the way we support Autistic children. To get the book & the incredible free bonuses, visit: https://www.readysetconnectbook.com/

In this powerful episode with Child Psychologist Dr. Tay, we dive into characteristics of a child with a PDA profile...many you likely haven't heard of! PDA is known as Pathological Demand Avoidance, but we like to use the more affirming term, Pervasive Drive for Autonomy. In this episode, we talk about how PDA can externalize, internalize, and how you can help kids no matter their age. Dr. Tay is...

This week on the Making the Shift we are diving into using sensory strategies for in-home therapists. And we have a special guest! I am so excited to sit down with Melanie Weber to talk about using sensory strategies in home sessions. Melanie has 10 years of experience and most of that has been as a home-based therapist. She is passionate about using sensory strategies and making sure caregivers f...

This week on Making the Shift we have a special guest! I am so excited to sit down with Celina Wright to talk about implementing a sensory-based approach in a clinic setting. Celina is my right hand woman and has worked closely with me over the last several years. She has over 14 years of experience as a practicing therapist. She is a Sensory Trained SLPA and is currently in graduate school to bec...

How confident do you feel bringing up autism to families? Early in my career as an SLP this was really hard for me. But I know now that it is a disservice to the child and their family to wait to have that conversation. So on this week's episode of the Making the Shift we're diving into how to bring up autism to families.

This week on the Making the Shift we have a super special guest! Bettina is an AuDHD SLP, mom to an Autistic child, and the owner of Milk and Honey where she does therapy and consulting. We are so excited to sit down with Bettina to talk about what it's like being an AuDHDer and her sensory journey!

This week on the Making the Shift we’re going to be talking about our top tips for sensory avoiders. Listen in to learn more about what a sensory avoider looks like, how to support sensory avoiders in a variety of settings, and what NOT to do!

When I started viewing behavior as just the tip of the iceberg and started looking more at what lies beneath the surface, everything changed for me. So put on your scuba gear and get ready to dive deep into the icy waters of managing behavior. We're discussing: The research behind the behavior iceberg created by Mona Delahooke, what you should do instead of trying to “manage behaviors”, effective...

On this episode of Making the Shift, we are diving into a much requested topic: Supporting Sensory Needs in the School. Tune in as we discuss: the first thing we can do to support sensory needs in the classroom, how to add sensory accommodations into the student’s IEP and therapy goals, the best methods for collaborating with teachers and parents, our top tips for using sensory strategies in group...

Does one person in the house always seem to listen to the radio or TV at a volume that is just too loud?? Does another person in the house love when all the lights are dimmed? Maybe you feel like you are always chasing around a child who seems to have a never ending source of energy or trying to create a calming environment for a child who is easily overstimulated.. When you have a family with dif...

Raise your hand if you have ever had a child walk into your therapy session holding their favorite toy and you thought, "You know what, I'm just going to take this toy away so it's not distracting?". Now raise your hand if you immediately regretted that decision... Been there! This week on Making the Shift we're talking about 5 reasons you should NOT withhold a child's preferred items and what you...

This week on Making the Shift, we are sitting down with Autistic Advocate Sonny Jane Wise to discuss defying neuronormativity. Sonny Jane Wise, aka the Lived Experience Educator, is on a mission to build a neurodiversity affirming future and challenge neuronormativity so neurodivergent individuals are no longer labelled as disordered. Sonny Jane Wise is a multiply neurodivergent or more specifical...

We believe that creating an allyship plan is essential in today's society to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is important to recognize that allyship is not just a one-time action, but a continuous effort that requires an intentional plan. Which is why on this week's episode of Making the Shift, we are sitting down with Dr. Jennifer Hutton to discuss why creating an allyship plan is cr...

Today we are welcoming Katja Piscitelli aka Bohospeechie to the show. Katja is an Inside Out Sensory Trained Clinician who now has a private practice where she specializes in working with gestalt language processors. Find her on social @bohospeechie

Last week on Making the Shift we talked about 4 ways to know if your gestalt processor is dysregulated. And lack of engagement can often be a sign of dysregulation. On this week's episode of Making the Shift we're discussing why it's crucial to address sensory needs in your sessions with gestalt processors. We decided to bring back Melanie Weber, Sensory and NLA Trained SLP to talk about the one c...

Have you ever wondered how regulation impacts the way we process language? By understanding how dysregulation can impact our ability to perceive and make sense of the world around us, we can better support our kids in increasing their self-generated language. Join us for this week's episode of Making the Shift with SLP Melanie Weber, as we explore the complex relationship between regulation and ge...

As SLPs, we know that the language we use matters. On this week's episode of Making the Shift, we’re talking about why it's important to presume competence. We're diving into what it means to presume competence, signs to look out for in order to tell if a therapist is presuming competence, and our top 5 tips to make the shift to presuming competence in your everyday interactions. Learn how to writ...

Happy Autism Acceptance Month! On this week's episode of Making the Shift, we’re talking about the difference between autism awareness and autism acceptance. We'll also go into why awareness alone is not enough and 3 ways we can shift towards autism acceptance. For Speech Dude's ND Affirming IEP Courses, visit www.speechdude.com

This week we’re going to be talking about our top tips for sensory seekers. This term is becoming more widely known (yay!) but it’s important to make sure we are all on the same page when we are talking about sensory seekers. On this week's episode of Making the Shift, we’re going to be discussing what a sensory seeker looks like, how to support sensory seekers in a variety of settings, and what n...

Let's talk about sensory strategies. This is the #1 question I get daily. What strategies should I be using?? Another common question I get is: How do I know if those strategies are working?? The thing about using sensory strategies is that we have to first know what the child needs, not what they want. This week on Making the Shift, we are talking about how to find the right combination of sensor...

Happy Neurodiversity Celebration Week! Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that challenges stereotypes and misconceptions about neurological differences. Being neurodiversity affirming means that we view neurological differences as differences and not deficits. Some common differences seen in neurodiverse individuals include differences in communication, interaction, emotiona...