Turn Autism Around

Dr. Mary Barbera discusses speech development in two-year-olds. You'll learn the crucial milestones children should meet at this age and what to do if a 2-year-old isn't talking. Dr. Barbera emphasizes the significance of considering expressive and receptive language skills, highlighting the impact of prematurity on developmental delays.

In today's episode, Dr. Mary Barbera speaks with Rose Griffin about the innovative ABA Speech Action Builder cards, designed to help autistic learners generalize language skills. The importance of planning and generalization when teaching action verbs is emphasized, promoting independent communication. This episode highlights collaboration between speech therapists and behavior analysts and offers...

Dr. Mary Barbera addresses the top five questions regarding teaching self-care skills to children with autism or those displaying signs of autism. Learn about the significance of self-care in child development, debunking the misconception that language is a prerequisite for its teaching.

Dr. Mary Barbera presents three invaluable toys for speech therapy at home including the shoebox program, a hands-on, multisensory learning activity that aids children's language development, Potato Head, a simple yet powerful tool for language and body part recognition and inset puzzles for building vocabulary and fostering engagement.

Dr. Mary Barbera discusses Emily's autism coaching journey with her. Emily shares her touching journey as a parent of a child recently diagnosed with autism and how the Turn Autism Around® approach transformed their lives. They discuss early signs, toddler regression, and the vital role of early identification and intervention. This episode highlights the power of collaboration, communication, and...

In this rebroadcast, Dr. Mary Barbera shares personal experiences and common mistakes to avoid when teaching manners, like chaining phrases together and teaching manners too early. Learn about the importance of assessing a child's language abilities before introducing polite phrases like "please," "thank you," and "excuse me."

Dr. Mary Barbera and Kelsey General tackle the task of finding quality therapy for children with autism or signs of autism. They address the top five questions about locating effective therapy, emphasizing the need for early intervention and tailoring therapy to individual needs. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy is recommended as evidence-based, but flexibility, collaboration, and positive...

In today's episode, the focus is on play skills and natural environment teaching. Discover how to seamlessly incorporate teaching moments into a child's everyday life, both at home and in a classroom setting. Dr Mary Barbera highlights the importance of pretend play and introduces the valuable resource "Playtime Social Time" from the University of Minnesota, offering creative play scene ideas and...

Learn about the relationship between prematurity and autism! Jannette shares her journey with her prematurely born son, delving into the challenges of distinguishing developmental delays from autism. We discuss the significance of early intervention and the impact of online courses like Turn Autism Around® on child development. Recognize the signs of autism in premature babies, language delays, an...

Dr. Mary Barbera shares valuable insights in this episode about teaching language to children with autism. Discover and avoid the top 5 common mistakes parents and professionals make in language instruction, and the importance of shaping joint attention and vocal behavior while focusing on functional language and syllable length. Dr. Barbera's expertise empowers you to help your child or clients t...

Dr. Mary Barbera and Dr. Francesca degli Espinosa talk about the power of joint attention and eye contact in autism. Learn how to foster a deeper connection, navigate milestones, and enhance social engagement. Dr. Espinosa, a seasoned expert in Applied Behaviour Analysis, offers practical tips to enhance these skills in a enjoyable, family-oriented manner. Tune in to empower yourself on the journe...

Dr. Mary Barbera and Kelsey General tackle the top five questions about sensory issues in children with autism. Exploring sensory sensitivities, they clarify the distinction between sensory issues and problem behavior, offering effective strategies for intervention. They delve into sensory seeking behaviors, the complexity of sensory manifestations, and the correlation between sensory issues and a...

Dr. Mary Barbera reflects on 25 years of experience in treating autism and parenting a child with autism. The episode explores significant changes in autism treatment, including the increasing prevalence of autism, improvements in ABA therapy insurance coverage, and the importance of early intervention. We also discuss criticism of ABA therapy and advocates for positive, child-friendly approaches...

Dr. Mary Barbera and Monica Coenraads explore the potential of gene therapy to transform the lives of individuals with Rett Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Learn about the similarities and differences between Rett Syndrome and autism, emphasizing the specific gene mutation associated with Rett Syndrome. The episode features Monica Coenraads, co-founder of the Rett Syndrome Research Fo...

Dr. Mary Barbera offers practical steps to address speech delays in 18-month-old children. Action Step 1 advises staying calm and objectively assessing the child's development. Step 2 involves understanding typical milestones and language expectations. Step 3 highlights early signs of autism to differentiate between delays and autism. Step 4 introduces a digital assessment tool for valuable insigh...

I heard from Olga M. on a Q&A call with our community, and I had to have her on the show. Olga M shares her daughter's ASD diagnosis story and how she got her from under 5 words after a speech regression to speaking conversationally in Russian and nearly fluent in English. Stay tuned for some really great tips to keep working with more advanced learners on stretching those language skills.   

Have you heard of ACT - Acceptance and Commitment Therapy? Brian Middleton, BCBA, Father, and neurodivergent human, joins me to share how he uses ACT for kids with autism, even those that are nonverbal and nonvocal.     

You don't have to go out and buy a ton of new toys to help your child play! We talk about common examples you may already have in your playroom! The key is all about how you play with your autistic child. Kelsey and I share the best toys for autism, like cause and effect toys, and ideas for making them fun, engaging, and language enriched.  

The Turn Autism Around approach is not just for the early signs and youngest learners; these practices are great for learners of any age. Lauren Emmett is a mother of two, and she sits in the Hot Seat for this episode to discuss her 9 year old son Wilson. This is a great opportunity to walk through a 1 page assessment of an older child and hear how a plan can be developed by really prioritizing th...

Is autism, or signs of autism, putting stress on your marriage? This episode is a lecture I prepared for a conference for marriage counselors. I talk about my journey through the diagnosis and why my husband and I started counseling. This is helpful information for parents who are considering counseling or even as a resource for professionals who might recommend counseling to their clients' caregi...

As BCBAs, we are often faced with ethical dilemmas. There is not always one right answer; sometimes it's gray. Dr. Amanda Kelly, Behavior Babe, returns to the podcast to discuss the ABA code of ethics and some common mistakes behavior analysts make. We discuss scenarios and solutions that are relevant not just to BCBAs and professionals but also to families.

Join us for this new take on the Top 5 questions, where Kelsey and I talk via Facebook Live. We're answering questions all about stimming and scripting. This episode will help you get clear on what is stimming in autism. Whether you're noticing stimming in your child and have concerns of autism OR stimming and vocal stimming has become excessive or dangerous, we have some great information to help...

In this classic rebroadcast, we are talking about a common question, but is it really a concern? I talk all about stimming and the 6 steps to reducing problem causing stimming. If you don't know what stimming is, where and with whom it occurs, or if you have a child with injurious or disruptive stims, we cover all of that information. 

My principles and approach can help any child, not just those with autism. That is the same philosophy guest, Dr. Scott Geller takes with his movement, Actively Caring for People. He shares the 7 principles of this movement and how Applied Behavior Science can make the best difference in anyone's life with positivity and caring.

"Parents are the captain of the ship, but we are the wind beneath their sails." That was what BCBA and retired special education teacher, Kyle Jones-Sherman had to say about her professional role and empowering parents! Kyle shares her experience after completing my courses and joining our online community and how it completely changed her early intervention work for the better.