Turn Autism Around

Are you wondering how to be the best advocate for your child with autism? When entering an IEP meeting even the most educated parents can feel lost, confused, and defeated. Amanda DeLuca and Kirby Morgan created a program called Mastering Your IEP to help. They are both autism moms and IEP consultants and coaches full of all the knowledge you need to ensure your child's IEP includes all of the ser...

As both a BCBA and an individual with autism, Armando Bernal is also the host of the podcast, A Different Path. Today we have a truly fascinating and enlightening conversation about Armando's experiences with being diagnosed in the 90s, all the ways autism impacts his life as an independent adult, and how exactly he approaches ABA therapy as a person with autism himself. Armando is such a joy to t...

It doesn't matter who you are or where you are; getting a diagnosis of autism can be tough on the whole family, not to mention the struggle of finding the right help. Melissa Leahy joins me today to talk about her unique challenges as a military family who was stationed overseas when they received a diagnosis for their then 2.5-year-old Mattis. She has excellent insight on tricare coverage and ser...

Over the last month, I participated in a challenge titled: The 25 Days of Autism. This was inspired by Kate for Finding Cooper's Voice and Autism Adventures with Alyssa. I had such a great time going through pictures and talking about what was going on in our lives or Lucas's diagnosis or progress. Head on over to my website or Facebook so you can see all the pictures I am talking about in this ep...

Are you wondering how you can shift your parenting strategies to a more positive approach? Victoria Boone's book Positive Parenting for Autism discusses psychology and ABA-based strategies for building desired behaviors and eliminating problem behaviors. In this episode, we are discussing extinction versus punishment, the benefit of differential reinforcement, and the controversy of ABA.

Navigating Autism: 9 Mindsets for Helping Kids on the Spectrum, is Dr. Temple Grandin and Dr. Debra Moore's newest book. We are discussing these mindsets and some autism hot topics such as medication for autism and the controversy of ABA. The interesting information they share from their book, are empowering tools that can helpfully develop the full potential in any child.

No therapy is better than bad therapy. Today, BCBA Tameika Meadows, author, and creator of the blog I Love ABA joins me to share her important factors in finding a good ABA provider. We break down the differences between good ABA and bad ABA, highlight some big red flags, and dig into parent resources.

Positive reinforcement is the key to changing behavior in humans and animals alike. Amy Sutherland, author of What Shamu Taught Me About Life, Love, and Marriage, shares how she uses the training skills she learned with animals to improve behavior in her personal life in many ways. This interview is full of interesting information on how we use reinforcement to encourage behavior every day, whethe...

COVID isolation kept us inside our house, but did it make our world quieter? If you're seeing a speech delay in your toddler, they may have been affected by the lack of exposure due to the lockdown. Rachel Smith, Program Director of Turn Autism Around and mom to Two-year-old Everett, is sharing how she blames covid for her son's speech delays and how she turned it around. We also give tips on pick...

FIT Learning Center is a worldwide program founded by Dr. Kimberly Berens. The focus of her center is rooted in using behavior science for direct instruction and precision teaching for rapid growth in students with learning challenges, disabilities, and delays. We are discussing how she emulates importance in order of teaching, utilizes virtual teaching, and teaches students on varying levels to i...

Autism affects a diverse array of children and families, whether it be cultural, religious, racial, or language differences. Does diversity in the autism field reflect and accept these individual preferences? Dr. Fumi Horner, Japanese native and doctoral level BCBA, shares her perspective on diversity and its place in the world of autism.

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. Today I answer questions about identifying the symptoms and signs of Hyperlexia and how to teach children with Hyperlexia and Autism. I share stories of children with Hyperlex...

One of the goals of the Turn Autism Around podcast is to help parents and professionals lead less stressed lives. One way to reduce stress may be to bring in additional income or see the value in online courses. I am interviewing Jeff Walker, my business mentor and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Launch. We discuss how to disseminate information globally, how to find your place in the...

Just like ABA, positive reinforcement is a science. Dr. Henry (Hank) Schlinger is talking about his book, How to Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Children . The information in today's podcast is critical for parents and professionals. Dr. Schlinger goes over the five problems any parent faces and the five myths regarding positive reinforcement. This episode is full of great parenting advice,...

Lauren is a married mom of two girls, who found my book and courses and is ready to begin to Turn Autism Around for her oldest daughter, Avery. She is taking the "hot seat" as we discuss their fall into the Autism world, the concerns Lauren has had for Avery since birth, and how to implement the steps of the Turn Autism Approach at home and with ABA therapists.

Often the focus of my podcast and books surrounds the topic of younger children, but our children grow up and it's important to know what options are out there for them. My colleague and friend, Brenda Eaton join us today to discuss how she helps students achieve their post-high school goals. There are many choices for individuals with Autism to continue their education and grow their independence...

Organization Behavior Management is the science of human behavior, what you know of reinforcement, punishment, and motivating operations applied with staff. Shannon Biagi, BCBA and OBM practitioner, joins us on the podcast today to discuss the gap in HR where ABA businesses are having retention and burnout. OBM focuses on turning the environment around to be productive for both the clients and sta...

I often get asked about the kids I've worked with, that I mention in my book or courses, and how they are doing now. Jocabed is here with me today to give us an update on her son Chino. He is now age 11, we talk about his progress to this point, raising children in a bilingual household, navigating religion for a child with Autism, and safety concerns Jocabed had for Chino early on. Jocabed gives...

We're back with another Hot Seat. Today I am talking with Swethana, a mom of two girls whose youngest, now age 5, has been diagnosed with Autism. I am looking at some of Swethana's daughter Richa's assessment, and we are discussing what these mean and how to enact the 4-step Turn Autism Around approach.

Parents taking charge is really important. You are your child's lifelong advocate, and you can be their best teachers.  I talk a lot about this in my book, and today I am sharing some parent success stories and more information on how you as a parent or as a professional helping parents, can begin to captain the ship.

ABA is a science we all use every day. I will be debunking the 4 myths of ABA and sharing with you the truth and history behind the practice. I also provide information and resources from the book to lead you to quality ABA with the Turn Autism Around approach.

A mom from our community, Kelsey General, joins me in this episode along with Amy Evans, Precision Teaching Practitioner. Amy works with Kelsey's two boys now 5 and 7, who were diagnosed with autism at 25 months old. We hear the success story and importance of the work they do with precision teaching and fluency instruction.

Today I talk with pediatric physical therapist Dawn Meller. Dawn tells us what she may look for as a PT when working with children with Autism or are showing signs of Autism. We go over motor skills milestones, and habits that may cause concerns, the reasons behind them, and when to see a PT for intervention.

Today I am here solo, talking to you about the importance of building imitation skills as highlighted in my book, Turn Autism Around. We talk about crucial imitation milestones as well as the steps to start building these skills. You will learn the 4 steps in working with imitation skills in toddlers with Autism or showing signs of Autism. I provide you with ideas and resources to work on these pi...

Covid-19 made all aspects of life difficult, and it was no different with diagnosing autism. Dr. Catherine Lord was able to develop an evaluation with her team, the BOSA, that was able to help identify some behaviors that could be pointing toward autism. This evaluation was able to ensure that man-children could stay on the right track to get a diagnosis as well as treatment.