Turn Autism Around

Have you wondered how I went from nurse and mother in autism denial to BCBA, two time author, and the creator of transformative courses and community? My friend and Harvard trained writer, Ann Sheybani, interviews me in this special episode where we talk about how I came to write my second book, Turn Autism Around. 

Does your young child have a unique interest in letters and numbers? Do they have other signs of autism? Kelsey, the Turn Autism Around community manager joins me for 5 of our most frequently asked questions about hyperlexia. Following up with last week's rebroadcast on this topic, we answer the questions all about hyperlexia and how you can help your child.  

Hyperlexia is an intellectual disability in which a child is hyper-fixated and obsessed with letters, words, and reading but has low language functionality. Early signs of Hyperlexia can be linked with early signs of Autism. In this classic rebroadcast of a show I did a couple years ago, I answer questions about identifying the symptoms and signs of Hyperlexia and how to teach children with Hyperl...

In this reverse interview, NSSEO District Coaches from the Coach Me If You Can podcast, Amie and Beth, ask me the questions! During our conversation, they asked me some great questions that I wanted to make sure my listeners got to hear. We talk about my fall into the autism world, the power of a positive teaching environment, ABA and BCBAs in schools, and more.  

What if you think it's behavioral but really the lack of oral motor skills is preventing your child from speaking and eating? Risca Solomon is a BCBA and director of her farm-based center Skybound Therapies. We are talking all about Talk Tools and the transformative and systematic way you can make progress with your child with autism.   

Marie L. is a mother to two children with autism. She shares her story and success through applying my books, courses, and our online community. We discuss the legal rights involved with transitioning your child to traditional school as well as the value of teaching self-care and life skills alongside speech. Marie has seen wonderful gains with her children and we are so thankful for her to share...

You have to check out the VB Mapp app and its updated version that's been released. Co-creator of the app and colleague of mine, Liz Maher joins me on the podcast to discuss the origin of the VB-Mapp app and how much it can help parents, caregivers, and providers. We also share some advice that might help you avoid the top assessing mistakes on any assessment. 

Creator of the EESA, the echoics assessment in the VB-Mapp, Dr. Barbara Esch joins me to share her knowledge when it comes to speech therapy for autistic learners. Dr. Esch has the unique certification of SLP, BCBA-D. We discuss common discrepancies in teaching speech to new speakers, like articulation, carrier phrases, and the use of AAC with nonverbal learners. 

In early 2020 I recorded this classic episode that became one of our most popular episodes across the show. Enjoy this look back at an important interview with a leader in the field, the creator of the VB-Mapp, and one of my favorite mentors, Dr. Mark Sundberg. Get refreshed on important topics from the VB-Mapp, Intraverbals, and skills such as mands, tacts, and echoic control.

Ms. Rachel is a growing sensation with parents on TikTok and Youtube. Her channel, Songs for Littles, has over 1 billion views. I'm talking about her videos, the proven techniques she uses, and how I've used them in my own "Ms. Mary" videos. I cover how these techniques and strategies can impact language for toddlers with autism or showing signs and even tips for creating your own videos.

Receiving a special needs diagnosis for your child is a moment you will never forget. Jillian Benfield Down Syndrome mom and author of The Gift of the Unexpected joins me today for a really great conversation. We talk about Jillian's journey through grief and parenting, how ableism might affect your vision of a diagnosis, and finding hope despite life's expectations. 

Finding the right placement or program for a child with autism can be a daunting task for your family. Rachel Smith joins me to discuss and answer the top 5 questions from the community about this important topic. We offer tips and advice for parents whether you're considering in-center or in-home care.

Is it better for your child to have ABA in-home or is it better to have a center? The truth is there are many factors and questions to consider when making this choice for your family. I will go over some of the important things you should look at when choosing therapy and care for your autistic child. 

Long-time follower and dedicated listener, Ruth Cassell joins me in this episode. Ruth shares how she discovered my platform and her insights on the podcast as someone who has listened to every single episode. We discuss her son, his diagnosis, and their journey through therapy and at-home support.

Being a parent is a challenge, add in a diagnosis of autism or even other additional diagnoses the challenges seem to never stop growing. Lisa Candera, lawyer, autism mom, and life coach, joined me today to talk about common struggles for autism parents and how she helps support autism moms. You don't have to be stuck worrying about the future or handling every problem alone, Lisa offers advice an...

Ron Sandison is an author, mental health professional, and autistic adult. Today he shares his story and his passion for increasing the rate of gainfully employed autistic individuals. We discuss his upcoming book focusing on jobs for autistic adults while talking about other important topics for autistic adults like marriage and parenthood.

You ask and we answer! Kelsey General joins me for our Top 5 Question series. In this episode we are talking all about potty training, whether they have autism or not, potty training is one of the most critical and essential skills your child will ever learn. We're covering potty training prep, handling accidents, the important steps in the training process, and more great tips. 

Potty training is a critical life skill, but it can be a struggle for every parent especially those with a child with autism. Enjoy this classic rebroadcast from episode 34, originally recorded in 2019, where I cover steps to potty train, as well as possible solutions to common issues and problems that can occur.

Have you heard of Gestalt Language Processing? I've been getting questions and SLP-BCBA Sari Risen joins me to help answer them. We discuss how Gestalt relates to Echolalia and Scripting, how these tools apply in teaching language and communication, and evidence and research related to Gestalt.

The 4th annual Top 10 list looking back at the top 10 episodes we recorded this year. Check out episodes featuring parents and professionals with hot seats, success stories, top 5 questions, classic rebroadcasts and more!

Last week featured a classic rebroadcast of episode 4 from 2019, Does my child have ADHD, a speech delay, or autism? Today we continue with our Top 5 Questions on this topic. Kelsey General joins me to discuss diagnosis, getting started at home, and understanding the difference between autism, ADHD, and speech delays.

This is a classic rebroadcast of Episode 4, where I discuss the steps from my free guide: Is it Autism, ADHD, "Just" a Speech Delay, or Typical Toddler Tantrums? I cover what you need to do when you start seeing concerning signs and how to proceed whether you get a diagnosis of autism or not. Next week I'll be back with my top 5 questions on this important topic.

Katty T and her son Santiago are proof that the Turn Autism Around programs can help any child, with or without an autism diagnosis. Katty shares her journey on catching up with her son's speech delay in her bilingual household using my course, community, and tools!

If you have a young child with autism it can be scary to think about the demands of the future. Denise D is a positive light in the autism community. Her TikTok highlights her adult son Vincent who has severe autism and requires 24/7 care. She shares how she stays positive and navigates the needs of the family.

Kate Swenson and Amanda Deluca return to the Turn Autism Around Podcast to talk about their nonprofit, The More Than Project. This project supports caregivers, siblings, teachers and those that support and provide for special needs children. We discuss how they support initiatives and big events that are so meaningful to caregivers.