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.

How do you teach social skills without teaching autistic masking? For SLPs trying to provide neuro-affirming social communication therapy, the line isn’t always clear. Explore how we can support communication differences, self-awareness, and self-advocacy without teaching autistic clients to simply perform expected social behaviors—and watch the conversation for what to consider instead.

If you're an SLP moving toward neuro-affirming practice, you may have found yourself asking: If I'm not teaching traditional social skills anymore…what DO I teach? Maybe goals around eye contact, staying on a non-preferred topic, or performing the “expected” social behavior don't sit right with you anymore. But that doesn't mean social communication therapy is ableist—or that we stop supporting social communication altogether. We change what we're working toward. Instead of t

What should you do when an autistic student says, "I don't want friends"? Many speech-language pathologists wonder whether they should stop teaching social skills. The answer isn't as simple as yes or no. Learn what that statement may really mean, the hidden barriers behind it, and watch the 12-minute conversation below to rethink social communication through a neuro-affirming lens.

Many autistic individuals struggle with social communication, but what if the real challenge isn't social skills? Discover how body awareness, sensory processing, regulation, and safety impact communication, eye contact, and connection. Learn why therapists, teachers, and parents may need to look beyond traditional social skills approaches.

Autistic social communication is often misunderstood in classrooms, therapy, and everyday life. In this video and blog, speech-language pathologist Staci Neustadt and autistic occupational therapist Susan Golubock explain why eye contact, social skills, and pragmatic language are frequently misinterpreted in autism support. Learn neurodiversity-affirming strategies for parents, teachers, SLPs, and therapists to better understand autistic communication and support autistic ind

What if autistic individuals don’t lack perspective taking… but experience and express it differently? This blog challenges a long-held belief and offers a more meaningful way to support connection.