Staci Neustadt

Understanding Unready States in Autistic Children “Why does my child always say no?” “They can do it sometimes… so why not now?” “Is this avoidance, defiance, or something else?” If you’ve ever asked yourself one of these questions as a parent, teacher, or therapist, you’re not alone. And more importantly—you’re not failing. What you may be missing isn’t effort, consistency, or skill. You may be missing readiness . When “No” Isn’t Defiance In autism, behavior is often misunderstood. What...

Many parents and professionals look at an autistic child and think: They’re so smart. They’re capable. They should be able to do more by now. And when progress doesn’t happen, the blame quietly turns inward. This conversation isn’t about doing more. It’s about looking differently . This week at Making Sense of Autism , we talk about hope —not as positivity or optimism, but as a grounded, realistic belief that there is a better way to understand autistic behavior, motivation, and development....

Have you ever misread an autistic individual’s behavior? Most of us have. Not because we’re uncaring — but because we’ve been taught to look at behavior first instead of the differences underneath it. And then Susan said a sentence that changed everything for me: “Look for the differences — not how we’re alike.” It’s simple, but it completely shifts how we understand autistic communication, behavior, and connection. We Celebrate Acceptance on Screen… But Struggle With It in Real Life Think...