VIDEOS

Fear of failure can keep autistic clients from trying. Learn how visual modeling, calming anxiety, and adjusting task difficulty can make expectations clearer, support confidence, and help clients build skills at a manageable pace. 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Help students feel ready to learn by leading with engaging actions, using clear body language, and solving problems together. These practical speech therapy strategies can build connection and encourage participation when words alone aren’t working. 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Are you struggling to find effective strategies for teaching autistic students? You've tried visual supports, first-then boards, prompting, and different activities, but your autistic student still isn't participating or demonstrating the skills you know they have. What if the answer isn't another teaching strategy, but understanding what's getting in the way of learning? In this video, speech-language pathologist Staci Neustadt talks with Susan Golubock, an autistic retired occupational therapist and founder of Making Sense of Autism, about what actually helps autistic students learn. Susan shares insights from her lived experience as an autistic adult and decades of professional experience working with autistic individuals. Together, we explore how sensory processing, anxiety, communication differences, motivation, and trust can influence an autistic student's ability to access learning. You'll learn: - Why autistic students may demonstrate a skill in one situation but struggle to access it in another. - How to recognize barriers to learning before introducing another teaching strategy. - Why building trust and emotional safety matters more than gaining compliance. - How to use an autistic student's strengths, interests, and motivations to support learning. - How sensory differences and classroom environments can affect attention and participation. - Three practical strategies SLPs and teachers can start using right away. - One of the biggest mistakes we make when teaching autistic students—and what to do instead. Whether you're a speech-language pathologist, special education teacher, occupational therapist, or other professional supporting autistic students, this conversation will help you rethink how you approach teaching, therapy, and learning. Because our goal isn't to make autistic students fit our teaching methods. It's to make learning accessible to them. 🧠 Want to better understand how the autistic brain processes information and makes connections? Explore Susan's course, The Autistic Brain: Making Connections by Changing Your View, and learn how changing your understanding can change the way you support autistic individuals. 👉 https://making-sense-of-autism.thinkific.com/courses/the-autistic-brain-making-connections-by-changing-your-view 💬 We'd love to hear from you! What's one teaching strategy you've tried that hasn't worked the way you hoped? Share in the comments. Let's get curious about what might be getting in the way. Subscribe to Making Sense of Autism for weekly conversations about neuro-affirming speech therapy, autism education, strength-based assessments, and practical strategies for supporting autistic individuals. #AutismEducation #SpeechTherapy #NeuroaffirmingPractice 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Have you ever read your child's autism evaluation report and thought, “That's not my child”? You were hoping for answers. You wanted to understand your child better and learn how to support them. But instead, you received pages describing everything your child can't do. And you may have walked away feeling more discouraged than before. A recent research study explored how parents experience the language used in autism diagnostic reports. What parents shared raises an important question: Shouldn't an autism evaluation leave families with more understanding, direction, and hope? In this video, Staci Neustadt, speech-language pathologist, and Susan Golubock, autistic retired occupational therapist and founder of Making Sense of Autism, discuss why traditional deficit-based autism assessments can leave parents feeling devastated—and what a neuro-affirming evaluation can look like instead. We'll talk about: - Why autism evaluation reports often focus on deficits instead of strengths - How the language in an assessment can shape the way parents, teachers, and professionals see an autistic child - Why identifying strengths, barriers, and supports is more helpful than simply listing what a child can't do - How evaluations can document real support needs while respecting an autistic child's identity - Three important questions every parent should ask before their child's next evaluation Looking for a neuro-affirming autism evaluation for your child? At Making Sense of Autism, we believe an evaluation should help you understand your whole child—not just their challenges. Our Neuro-Strengths-Based framework was developed by Susan Golubock, an autistic retired occupational therapist, drawing on over five decades of lived and professional experience. We look at strengths, interests, sensory and regulation needs, communication, barriers to learning, and the supports that help your child participate and thrive. 💛 Learn more about our neuro-affirming evaluations: info@makingsenseofautism.com 📖 Research discussed in this video: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/27546330261483779 Because your child is so much more than a list of deficits. And an evaluation should help everyone see that. #AutismEvaluation #AutismAssessment #Neuroaffirming #AutismParents #MakingSenseOfAutism 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Are challenging behaviors taking over your speech therapy sessions? Do you ever leave a session wondering if you actually worked on communication? Maybe your autistic student is pacing, throwing things, turning away, or simply not interested in what you planned. You want to be child-led. You don't want to force compliance. But you also have communication goals to work on. And when nothing seems to work, it's easy to become frustrated or dysregulated yourself. What if the answer isn't another behavior management strategy? What if it's understanding what's getting in the way? In this conversation, Staci Neustadt, speech-language pathologist, and Susan Golubock, autistic retired occupational therapist and founder of Making Sense of Autism, talk about what SLPs can do when behavior, sensory needs, or emotional regulation become barriers to communication. We'll explore: - Why behavior is often communicating something important - How to support regulation without abandoning speech therapy goals - Why being child-led doesn't always mean a student is ready to engage - How to stay regulated yourself instead of getting caught in the frustration - How to problem-solve WITH your student instead of trying to manage their behavior - When underlying barriers may need support before higher-level communication goals are accessible You'll also hear Susan's perspective on how simple questions, visual supports, and shared problem-solving can help autistic individuals communicate what they need. FREE RESOURCE: Problem-Solving Tools https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/problem-solving Instead of trying another strategy when a session isn't working, start by understanding what's making participation difficult. Our free problem-solving tools help you explore possible barriers and work with your client or student to identify supports that may help. 👉 Get your FREE Problem-Solving Tools: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/problem-solving Want to understand the barriers behind communication? Explore our Neuro-Strengths-Based Assessments and Neuro-Affirming Social Communication Assessment. These tools help SLPs identify strengths, underlying barriers, and meaningful supports so therapy can focus on what matters to the individual. 👉 https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/ Time Chapter 0:00 When Behavior Takes Over Speech Therapy 1:45 Is Regulation Part of Communication? 4:30 Understanding Sensory and Regulation Needs 7:00 When Child-Led Therapy Isn't Working 8:00 Problem-Solving With Autistic Students 10:00 Supporting Communication During Dysregulation 12:00 When Communication Goals Need to Change 14:00 The One Question Every SLP Should Ask At Making Sense of Autism, we believe you don't have to choose between honoring an autistic individual's needs and supporting meaningful communication. You're not here to fix. You're here to understand. Subscribe for weekly conversations about neuro-affirming speech therapy, autistic communication, sensory regulation, and strengths-based autism assessments. #SpeechTherapy #Autism #NeuroaffirmingPractice 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Explore the moments that lead to sudden aggression. Discover what's happening internally when someone's day has gone wrong and they lash out unexpectedly. We delve into the pent-up emotions driving these reactions. Get our Freebie here:https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/invitation 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Discover how to gauge client readiness and adapt your teaching methods to prevent shutdowns. We explore understanding client needs, offering invitations, and leveraging strengths for successful skill development. Learn to foster self-awareness and advocacy for better session outcomes. Get our Freebie here:https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/invitation 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Discover how to balance child-led approaches with therapy goals. Learn strategies to understand student shutdowns and turn them into engagement opportunities. Unlock effective techniques for therapists and educators. 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism

Discover effective strategies for autistic students who shut down. Learn how to differentiate skill, regulation, and sensory barriers from trigger expectations, empowering you to foster engagement and understanding. 🌱 Ready to shift from fixing behaviors to understanding what’s underneath them? Our $17 course, Changing to a Neuro-Strengths-Based Support for Autism Framework, introduces a practical framework for understanding how an autistic person experiences and responds to the world—so you can recognize strengths, identify barriers, and provide support that works with the autistic brain rather than focusing on deficits. 👉 Get instant access for $17: https://www.makingsenseofautism.com/neuro-strengths-in-autism Follow us here: https://www.instagram.com/making.sense.of.autism https://www.facebook.com/making.sense.of.autism https://www.pinterest.com/makingsenseofautism/