What do you do when an autistic child shuts down, walks away, or says no as soon as you introduce a therapy goal? You can be child-led and still work toward meaningful goals. In this conversation, we explore how sensory needs, regulation, processing, and the expectation itself can make participation harder—and why leading with invitation instead of expectation can change what happens in your therapy session.

You know how to assess autistic students—but how do you make the assessment process more neuro-affirming without overlooking real support needs? Learn how getting curious about strengths, barriers, and access to skills can change what you notice during an assessment—and the goals you write next.

What if autism regulation starts before therapy even begins? In this week's vlog, Staci Neustadt, SLP, and autistic OT Susan Golubock share three neuro-affirming strategies you can use every session to help autistic clients stay regulated, engaged, and ready to learn—without relying on rewards or behavior management.

When an autistic student is dysregulated, most educators respond to the behavior. But according to autistic teacher and advocate Becca Engel, that's exactly where we get it wrong.In this episode of Making Sense of Autism, Becca joins SLP Stacy Nustat and occupational therapist Susan Galabach to unpack what's really happening in a child's nervous system during moments of dysregulation — and why the traditional compliance-based approach to classroom behavior may be doing more h

Autism awareness vs acceptance explained. Learn how behavior is communication and how to better support autistic individuals.

Does neuroaffirming support mean accepting every behavior? Learn why understanding autistic behavior is not the same as excusing it.

When a student lashes out, shuts down, or refuses to participate, the response in many schools is immediate: stop the behavior. But what if the behavior is not the real problem? Research shows that 60–65% of students report at least one Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) . Even more concerning, studies estimate that 70–90% of autistic individuals report experiencing at least one traumatic event in their lifetime. For many autistic students, behavior is not defiance. It is a s

This blog helps you discover if the behavior is due not feeling safe

Here’s How to Tell the Difference... Have you ever watched an autistic student start stimming, leave the room without asking, or throw...