Making the Shift for Autistic Kids: Recent Episodes
Speech Dude & Jessie Ginsburg
We're Jessie & Chris, an SLP couple from California with 4 boys and a passion for finding better ways to support Autistic kids. Are you ready to Make the Shift? Join us weekly to learn neurodiversity affirming ways to strengthen social-emotional development and regulation in your Autistic students.
Does one person in the house always seem to listen to the radio or TV at a volume that is just too loud?? Does another person in the house love when all the lights are dimmed? Maybe you feel like you are always chasing around a child who seems to have a never ending source of energy or trying to create a calming environment for a child who is easily overstimulated.. When you have a family with different sensory needs, it can be tough to find the perfect balance to keep everyone regulated. But the good news is, it's possible! This week on Making the Shift we're talking about strategies you can use to survive and thrive under one roof.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
✔ How regulation, engagement, and communication interrelate
✔ Why we should be focusing on regulation
✔ Our favorite tips to support regulation
✔ And more...
Jessie's Sensory Certificate Course for SLPs is OPEN for enrollment. If you are an SLP or SLPA and want to get specialized sensory training, visit www.sensoryslp.com to enroll.
The number ONE question Chris and I are asked weekly is... "How do I write neurodiversity affirming goals for my autistic students?"
Watch the show to discover our favorite ND affirming goals for therapy.
In this episode, we'll talk about:
✔ How to write neurodiversity affirming goals
✔ What to do when we inherit goals that are not ND affirming
✔ Suggestions for ND affirming goals for different age groups
✔ And more... To learn more about Chris's ND Affirming IEP Course with a list of goals, visit www.speechdude.com
We know that standardized tests aren't truly a reflection of students' skills and abilities.
Standardized tests are so stressful to administer, overwhelming to interpret, and after all that blood, sweat, and yes sometimes, tears, we put into the report - we’re not actually left with information that is relevant and valuable in developing our goals.
But what can we do?
How do we accurately report our students' skills and abilities if our assessments aren't providing that information?
This is something we get asked about a lot. Which is why in this episode, we are diving into how to make evaluations more neurodiversity affirming.
On this episode, we'll cover...
✔ The problem with current assessments
✔ What to do when standardized tests are required
✔ Who should be involved in the assessment process ✔ Alternate methods for evaluating Autistic students
✔ And more...
To learn more about Speech Dude's DASEL (Dynamic Assessment of Social Emotional Learning), visit www.speechdude.com
When you are making the shift to neurodiversity affirming practices, you can feel like a tiny fish swimming upstream against the sharks...
You might be thinking, There's gotta be a better way!
And luckily, there is...
In this episode, Jessie is sharing her top 10 ND affirming ways to support Autistic kids.
Want to know exactly where to start and prioritize your time when it comes to ND affirming practices?
In this episode, we'll talk about:
✔ The ND paradigm as a gateway to your kids' greatest progress
✔ Honoring sensory needs
✔ Building emotional wellbeing through validation
✔ Building higher level language skills
✔ And so much more...
To grab Autism Support Resources for Teams, click the link below or visit sensoryslp.com:
https://asdinsideout.mykajabi.com/autism-support-tools-for-teams
No autistic child should feel like there is something wrong with them. Autism isn’t bad or wrong - it’s a difference in how the brain thinks, communicates, and learns. We need to help kids understand different brains. However, doing so in a positive and inclusive manner can sometimes be very challenging. That is why on this week’s episode of Making the Shift, we are inviting Andi Putt (also known as Mrs. Speechie P) to join us as we discuss how to talk to kids about autism. Visit www.mrsspeechiep.com to check out Andi's Autism Handbook for Kids!
Today Jessie is answering your biggest sensory questions! Today we're talking about 1) what to do when colleagues don't support using sensory strategies/an ND affirming approach, 2) how to help sensory seekers, 3) supporting emotional regulation, and 4) Jessie's favorite sensory equipment!
"Hair on fire" days are nothing new. It can be really hard to consistently bring enough energy, the right energy, or the ability to maintain your own energy into every session when life is being — life.
But what if there are some ways you can consistently boost your energy and be more effective for your kids?
In this episode, we're going to give you some of our go-to strategies and routines that help us "keep our cup" full for our kids and boost our effectiveness as therapists.
Knowing how to reframe with strengths-based language can help your speech kids build positive self-identity and bring joy to parents & families.
In this episode, you'll discover:
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Why reframing with strengths-based language is so important for your kids and families
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"What" commonly used harmful words and phrases often go unnoticed
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"How" you can reframe your language to be more positive and neurodiversity affirming
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Specific examples of how to use these (eg, "say this" instead of "that")
Want to dive deeper into how to integrate strengths-based language into your IEPs? Check out Chris's webinar on how to create Neurodiversity affirming IEPs: https://www.speechdude.com/neurodiversity-affirming-free-webinar-evergreen-1
Parents - Be sure to check out Jessie's upcoming free Sensory Masterclass for Parents on 10/17. Click here to register: https://asdinsideout.mykajabi.com/sensory-communication-masterclass-october-2022
Total communication is such an important part of being neurodiversity affirming. Yet, there are so many myths floating around about how to introduce AAC. In this episode, we'll talk about:
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The importance of AAC and total communication
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5 AAC mistakes you can avoid
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Best practices for introducing AAC
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Bonus: AAC stories you won't believe!
“It’s a world of laughter, it’s a world of tears”...Theme parks can be either a sensory wonderland or sensory overload for kids.
On this episode of Making the Shift we’ll talk about:
✔ The 4 sensory patterns (briefly, just in case you don’t know…)
✔ Which sensory patterns each of our family members have (we have one of EACH type in this colorful family!)
✔ Takeaways from how each of us reacted to and experienced the craziness of Disneyland…
✔ The disasters…
✔ The learning experiences…
✔ The good, the bad, and the ugly…
✔ How we coped…
✔ How we communicated and compromised…
✔ And tons of examples of sensory patterns “in the wild”...
✔ Plus...a special announcement!
Let's pull back the curtain on ADHD, relationships, and communication styles & techniques...
Here’s what we’ll talk about:
✔ Chris’s story growing up as an ADHD kid (the bumps, the bruises and the victories)...
✔ The ADHD life hacks that have helped him survive and thrive…
✔ What it’s like for me (a neurotypical woman) to be in a relationship with an ADHDer…
✔ How we’ve learned to communicate more effectively with each other…
How to teach self-regulation in a healthy way is a hot topic. We know it’s the key to increased engagement, which leads to more progress and better outcomes...But what if what we believe about how children develop self-regulation is actually wrong??
In this episode, we'll explore:
✔ The real differences between co-regulation & self-regulation
✔ How kids actually learn to self-regulate ✔ What are fair expectations to place on children of different ages and developmental periods…
✔ When and how to teach self-regulation
✔ And MORE
Ft. SLP Danielle Kent, leader of Teaching & Raising Problem Solvers, and mom of two kids with "amazing brains".
Sensory strategies are a lifelong sidekick for autistic kids (and their families). Sensory approaches must also shift with your kids’ ages and development.
In this episode, you’ll see:
✔ How your sensory focus changes with age and effective use of sensory strategies to help us lead kids of all ages into long-term happiness and independence…
✔ What developmental signs you can use to assess if you’re focusing on the right strategies…
✔ The foundational progress that you must achieve before moving from each stage to the next with your kids…
✔ Some high-powered ways to support your kids’ regulation REGARDLESS of their age…
Are you an SLP or SLPA and want to learn sensory strategies?? Come to our upcoming Free Sensory Patterns Masterclass! Click below to save your seat:
https://asdinsideout.mykajabi.com/sensory-masterclass-aug-2022
We’ve all had autistic clients/students that are highly interested in a single subject (or even an object or type of object). From a neurotypical perspective, these special interests might be hard to understand, and they may even seem to get in the way of therapy. But once you understand them, they actually present a unique opportunity for you as a therapist.
Autistic SLP, Sam Rowntree, is joining us to give you insight into special interests from an autistic perspective, as well as to teach you how to use these interests to increase engagement with autistic kids and build a deeper relationship.
Connect with Sam on Instagram @the_aussiespeechie
Autistic brains process information differently. Find out why we need to recognize Autistic brains as a different neurotype rather than classifying them as “deficient” or as something that we are trying to fix.
✔ Discover the research that recognizes Autistics as their own neurotype...
✔ Why classifying Autistics as deficient in many cases is actually harmful and has ZERO positive impact on their lives…
✔ Find out about the Double Empathy Problem and how it may be affecting the way you see Autistic individuals…
✔ How reframing the way you see autism can change everything about the way you see your kids…
✔ And why making this shift is the best thing you’ll ever do for the Autistic people in your life…
Historically, we’ve observed autistic kids by gathering data about things like eye-contact, stimming, or if they exhibit certain social skills. But new research has shown us this needs to change….
Come find out exactly why it’s time to ditch data that promotes masking. And discover how you can replace those observations with better data that guides neurodiversity affirming therapy, builds on strengths, and promotes positive self identity & engagement.
How Parents & SLPs Can Align To Exponentially Increase The Results Of Speech Therapy...
When parents start bringing their child to speech therapy, they often wonder if 30-minutes per week is really going to help their child. The truth? Therapy is most effective when parents are fully involved in therapy at home! So how can parents & therapists align to make sure children receive optimal therapy during the other 23.5 hours of the day?
This free episode of Making the Shift will explain the importance of parent involvement and help both therapists and parents align to make speech exponentially more effective for our beloved children, helping them get results faster from speech. Helping our tiny communicators to express themselves can take a ton of effort. But parent involvement is the key to ensuring they get the maximum value out of therapy... This episode is going to be all about:
✔ Why it’s so important that parents get involved in a child’s speech therapy…
✔ Illuminating the path to parent and SLP alignment…
✔ Defining the highly effective role that empowered parents can play in their child’s therapy…
✔ Examples of what kinds of support parents can offer to reinforce therapy at home…
✔ How to open up this conversation with your speech therapist (if you’re a parent)...
✔ How to open up this conversation with your client’s parents (if you’re a therapist)...
How To Identify The 4 Sensory Patterns That Massively Improve Regulation And Engagement
Fulfill your clients’ sensory needs by understanding which one of the 4 sensory patterns they exhibit. This eye-opening episode can change EVERYTHING in your sessions.
Based on the world-renowned research of Dr. Winnie Dunn and the ASHA article we co-authored... This week’s free live show is all about:
✔ Understanding the 4 different sensory patterns that ALL your clients fall into (actually, that all humans fall into! But more on that in the episode...)
✔ How these sensory patterns cause clients to react or not react to sensory inputs (prepare to see your clients behavior in an entirely new light!)
✔ How you can classify clients so you can better fulfill their sensory needs (I'll be giving some real life examples to make this crystal clear...)
✔ Giving you some concrete and practical strategies to use with each type of client (these WILL help improve regulation and engagement in your clients starting TOMORROW!)
Targeting behaviors isn't effective! We need to target the root cause instead...
In this week’s episode, you'll find out:
✔ Some of the most common errors in thinking that prevent us from successfully aiding our kids in behavior modifications.
✔ Why behavior goals don't work for children (and what you can do about it)...
✔ How to differentiate between "surface level" behavior goals and deeper, more targeted goals that have a real impact...
✔ Some easy thinking strategies you can implement to start creating better goals for clients/students...
✔ And more!
Want to help your autistic kids climb out of "rote language land" and up to the top of "novel and creative communication peak"? Then come join us for the next episode of Making the Shift where we'll explore the exact steps you can take to elevate your kids' ability to use higher level language — starting in your very next session! You can finally help your autistic kids reach higher level language by helping them climb these simple steps! In this week’s live, you'll find out:
✔ Why helping a child develop memorized "rote" language isn't enough (and why it's important to strive for more)...
✔ The commonly overlooked but extremely important prerequisites to basic and higher level communication (without knowing these, it can be impossible to help kids develop higher level language)...
✔ About the "holes" in autistic children's communication ability (and how you can begin to help fill them)...
✔ The role of intrinsic motivation in enabling novel and creative communication (and strategies for building internal motivation in your kids)...
✔ PLUS, concrete and practical strategies for improving regulation, engagement and higher level language development in sessions (so you can start seeing transformed sessions as early as tomorrow)...
Rewards-based systems are ineffective and can actually harm your relationships with clients. Get the research that unlocks the doors to building intrinsic motivation — the right way.
In this week’s live, you're going to hear about:
✔ The most fascinating (yet completely ignored) research on how rewards actually decrease a child's motivation
✔ Why using reward systems damages your relationships with your clients
✔ What you should be focusing on instead
Today Autistic Coach Chloe Estelle is here in the room with us, and she’s getting ready to give you some brand NEW perspective from an Autistic adult’s point of view. She’ll be sharing one of the MOST important things you can do to help with the emotional wellbeing of your autistic kids! This is so rarely spoken of, but it’s crucial for us to recognize… so pile inside, refresh your perspective, and show her your love and support! Find Chloe on IG @chloeestellinyellow & learn more about the organization she co-founded, OurTism, and how they support Autistic individuals & their families at ourtism.com.
Join us for this SPECIAL GUEST episode of Making the Shift featuring Autistic SLP Jamie Boyle. Jamie has flown all the way from the East coast where she lives and is joining us live, in-person for this special guest episode. And we’re so excited to have her! She’ll be filling us in on what it’s like to experience the world through her eyes, how she advocates for herself in different circumstances, and the importance of encouraging other autistics to self-advocate when they need to. If you have autistic people in your life, you've got to catch this episode!
Ever start a session thinking, “Alright, we’re going to make progress today!” only to end up asking yourself, “Why does this [negative result] keep happening?” Then jump in with me and Chris as we talk about some ways you can guide your approach with intentional questions that result in better outcomes and boosted morale for you and families. In this week’s live, we’re going to dive into: ✔ The flawed perception we therapists commonly have regarding outcomes in our sessions. ✔ How OUR own thinking patterns can get in the way of progress during sessions. ✔ Some creative ways to change the internal questions we ask ourselves so we can better support our kids. ✔ Grounded examples of “what to ask” and “what not to ask” in your own sessions with families.
How To Increase Regulation & Learning By Being Proactive Instead Of Reactive To Sensory Needs. You know what it’s like to feel out of control, unable to help a child return to a regulated state once they’re already dysregulated. But what if you could “read the signs” that exist BEFORE a child ever gets to that point by understanding their sensory needs and proactively making adjustments for them? That’s what we’re talking about in this week’s show!
Discover The Single Most Important Thing You Can Do To Educate Teams With An ND Affirming Approach... It’s easy to feel defeated when you’re trying to change the world for your autistic kids & clients without ever feeling like you’re doing enough. You might feel like there’s too much resistance to change, like you don’t have enough time, or like your voice doesn’t matter. But there’s something you can do that will empower you to have the MOST impact. And we’re going to share it in this show!
If you’ve ever wondered how to help your autistic kids and clients to make friends — or even wondered if they want friends at all — then you won’t want to miss this episode! We are going to be revealing data from a survey of autistic adults that may shake things up a little bit in the SLP world… >> Plan on having some of the most common myths about autism and friendships DEBUNKED with well-researched data you won’t want to miss. We’ll be talking about… 1. Research that PROVES autistic kids aren’t “antisocial” and actually do want friends… 2. Why having these friendships are an INTEGRAL part of their happiness… 3. How autistic friendships may look quite a bit different than neurotypical friendships… 4. Why using social skills interventions doesn’t generalize… 5. And what strategies you can start using right now to help your autistic kids make friends!
Have you ever wondered how to help parents accept their autistic child for who they are? We get no training in having this conversation - so it can be really tough.
Situations like these can leave you feeling lost, and wishing you could just give them all the answers.
But when you try, it turns out to be a lot harder than you’d think. Even though you know the parent wants what’s best for their child, there’s still a process they have to go through to ultimately open their arms and hearts to the unique child they’re blessed with.
So, what can you do to help? That’s what we’re going to talk about in this episode of Making the Shift.
As an SLP, you’re such a huge part of the child’s life that the long, tough road of accepting what it means to have an autistic child often falls into your lap. Not only is it your job to counsel families on what autism means for communication, but you’re also in a position to do SO MUCH MORE than that…
So tonight, we will be sharing the three hardest-fought lessons we’ve learned so far in 2022 when helping families to become more neurodiversity affirming. Because there’s nothing more gratifying than helping your autistic kids and their families reach happiness and fulfillment!
If you’re an SLP who’s ever struggled to help your autistic kids—you won’t want to miss this… Speech Dude & Jessie Ginsburg are getting vulnerable together for their first LIVE show premier!
Get an inside look at the deepest struggles they’ve faced when serving autistic kids and communicating with their parents—and discover some of the most important lessons they’ve learned so you can avoid making the same mistakes.
If you’ve ever struggled to help your autistic kids or wondered how to communicate more effectively with their parents, you won’t want to miss:
✔ The easiest way you can start improving your therapy sessions with autistic kids right now (hint: it doesn’t cost anything, and you already have access to it).
✔ A simple mindset shift that can transform every speech session you ever have, especially if you work with younger autistic children.
✔ An important “missing piece” in the therapy we typically deliver to autistic high schoolers. And how you can start filling it.
✔ Some of our favorite simple & easy ways to communicate these concepts with parents and professionals. Plus… in the first 5 minutes you’ll get in on a big announcement that will change our lives forever.