Turn Autism Around

Children and adults with severe autism have different needs than those with mild autism, as autism mom and advocate Amy Lutz knows very well. Amy is one of the founders of the National Council on Severe Autism, president of the EASI Foundation and an accomplished writer. Amy is also mom to an adult son with severe autism and is well qualified to educate both parents and professionals on how to bet...

I am a loud voice for children with autism to ensure they receive their best chance to succeed. Over the last two decades, I've learned how to be the advocate that the autism community needs, and I've condensed my knowledge into five action steps. This info will ensure that YOU are the best advocate for your children and clients.

Ashley Rose is owner and director of Mission Cognition, a social skill development center in New Jersey; she's also a teacher and creator of curriculum and an expert on working with children in social groups. Ashley describes her fall into the world of autism, and explains why she feels so passionately about her career and especially the subject of socializing children.

Social skills are vital to function in this society and I'm covering the three biggest mistakes that most parents and professionals make when teaching their children or clients social skills. We can't just expect children with autism to develop social skills as they age, or if we continue to throw them in typical situations. We must teach those necessary social skills in the most effective way pos...

Fellow behavior analyst and author Matt Cicoria comes from a diverse background that includes a work-study job in a pigeon lab and work at Auburn University with mine-detecting dogs. These experiences gave him a unique understanding of the mind; now he's sharing that insight, along with skills acquired from working as a school consultant. Matt goes over some great info about self-care and ACT: acc...

I've been a part of the autism community for two decades. I've worked with some of the best, and now I have an approach that I believe is better than any other approach out there. Learn the ten reasons why I believe my approach is different and better.

My friend and former BCBA mentor, Dr. Richard Kubina shares his journey into the world of autism, the young autistic boy that set him on the path of becoming a behavior analyst, and explains why precision teaching is so valuable in our line of work. 

Our ultimate goal is for our children to lead their safest lives, and that means we have to do our part to protect them. All children have the unique ability to land themselves in unsafe situations, but you can help protect your child wherever you go, whether that be at home, in school, or out in the community.

Self-care is an important yet oftentimes overlooked subject for families and professionals in the autism world. If you are not in an okay place, then you are not in a position to help anyone. My friend, Dr. Becca Tagg, is sharing how she got started in the autism field, as well as tips for avoiding burnout and how to live your happiest life.

I cannot stress the importance of helping your child develop conversation skills enough. Your child needs to be able to ask and answer questions, and to request help. In this episode I go over my strategies and tips for teaching a child conversational skills.

There are very few dual SLP's and BCBA's in the world, and I have the pleasure of knowing and interviewing one of them, Rosemarie Griffin. Rose shares her story about how she fell in love with being a speech therapist, and how that led to working with children with severe autism.

It's very important that your child or client is able to use their verbal language skills as much as possible. Dr. Mary Barbera shares simple techniques to encourage these skills, along with practical advice and over two decades of Behavior Analyst wisdom.

Dr. Mary Barbera interviews her close friend and fellow behavior analyst Doctor Amanda Kelly, also known as Behaviorbabe, and invites her to share her journey into the world of autism. 

Early detection and treatment of autism is key in aiding your child/student's growth and recovery. Dr. Mary Barbera interviews Dr. Megan Miller, who depicts her journey into the world of autism, and offers valuable insight when traditional methods may fail.

I did a survey of parents and professionals and asked what their challenges were in the autism world. 300 people filled out the survey and within a week, the number one challenge was problem behaviors. I am sharing my four top steps to reducing any problem behavior.

There are key differences between the Lovaas ABA approach and a verbal behavior approach when dealing with treatment of autism. I share my journey to discovering how these two approaches don't have to be mutually exclusive. This blended method has helped my own son tremendously and I'm on a mission to get this info out to other parents and professionals.

Early detection and treatment of autism is key in aiding your child/student's growth and recovery. Dr. Mary Barbera explains the difference between high functioning autism verses low functioning autism, and why that's not always a fair and accurate way to label children on the spectrum.

Dr. Mary Barbera interviews Kelsey General and invites her to share her journey of becoming a single mother and raising two young sons with severe autism. From fighting to get her sons the diagnosis and care they needed, to becoming a professional in the field of autism behavior… she's learned how to advocate for herself and her children.

Early detection and treatment of autism is key in aiding your child/student's growth and recovery. Dr. Mary Barbera is sharing advice based on experience for leaving the land of denial and getting on board with treatment as soon as possible.

In this episode, Mary talks about her "fall" into the autism world 2 decades ago and her own transformation from overwhelmed parent to autism advocate, professional, and change-maker.  Subscribe to the show for lots more to come!