Time for a super important topic: Spotting those early signs of autism in kiddos! If you've been feeling something's a bit different with your little one or maybe a friend or teacher has raised some questions, you're definitely not alone and this is the episode for you!

We'll share our insights as clinicians in the field, giving you the lowdown on what to watch for, how to approach it, and how to trust your gut without jumping to conclusions. Plus, we'll provide you with practical tips and resources to help navigate this journey together. So, whether you're a parent or a professional, tune in for some great advice on recognizing those early signs and fostering connection and communication with your child.

Timestamps:

(01:25) - Welcome & Introduction

(13:05) - Understanding Autism: Communication and Interaction

(21:35) - Understanding Sensory Differences in Children

(31:28) - Looking At Earliest Months Of Life

(33:36) - Understanding Parental Gut Feelings

(35:05) - Where To Start & First Steps To Take

(37:00) - Things to Try At Home

(39:34) - Visual Support Strategies

(40:39) - Setting Up Predictable Routines

(41:25) - Our Closing Message

Mentioned In This Episode:

Kennedy Krieger Institute, Early Signs of Autism Video

Articles:

• Gale, C. M., Eikeseth, S., & Klintwall, L. (2019)1. Children with autism show atypical preference for non-social stimuli2. [Journal title, volume, issue, and page/article numbers not explicitly provided in source excerpts].
• Okoye, C., Obialo-Ibeawuchi, C. M., Obajeun, O. A., Sarwar, S., Tawfik, C., Waleed, M. S., Wasim, A. U., Mohamoud, I., Afolayan, A. Y., & Mbaezue, R. N. (2023). Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder: A review and analysis of the risks and benefits. Cureus, 15(8), e43226.
• Salgado-Cacho, J. M., Moreno-Jiménez, M. d. P., & de Diego-Otero, Y. (2021). Detection of early warning signs in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Children, 8(2), 164.
• Shultz, S., Klin, A., & Jones, W. (2018)45. Neonatal transitions in social behavior and their implications for autism67. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 22(5)45, 451–46945.
• Supekar, K., Kochalka, J., Schaer, M., Wakeman, H., Qin, S., Padmanabhan, A., & Menon, V. (2018)1011. Deficits in mesolimbic reward pathway underlie social interaction impairments in children with autism12. Brain11. [Volume, issue, page numbers, and DOI not explicitly provided in source excerpts].
• Volkmar, F. R., & van der Wyk, B. (2017)13. Understanding the social nature of autism: From clinical manifestations to brain mechanisms13. In J. B. Leaf (Ed.)13, Handbook of Social Skills and Autism Spectrum Disorder13 (pp. 11–25)13. Springer International Publishing AG13.

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Join us as we sit down with the incredible Mercedes Palmero, the founder behind Autism Out Loud. As a registered nurse and dedicated mom to her autistic daughter, Mercedes shares her inspiring journey toward creating a platform that champions inclusivity & awareness for neurodiverse individuals across the globe.

We dive deep into her personal experiences—navigating the joys and challenges of parenting an autistic child, the common misconceptions about autism, and the crucial importance of early diagnosis and acceptance. With a sprinkle of humor and a whole lot of heart, Mercedes emphasizes how vital it is for society to shift its perspective on autism from one of stigma to one of understanding and celebration. So, grab your headphones and get ready for a conversation that’s not just enlightening but also a reminder of the beauty in neurodiversity!

Timestamps:

(01:34) - Welcome

(11:10) - Autism: The Unique Experience of Autistic Girls

(18:18) - Autism Diagnosis and Acceptance

(21:55) - Navigating Early Signs of Autism

(29:45) - Challenges of Autism

(39:36) - Empowering Perspectives on Autism and Motherhood

(43:48) - Unique Experiences in Parenting

Mentioned In This Episode:

Articles:

• What is ARFID
• Emily Oster: Is Tylenol Safe in Pregnancy? Addressing links to autism and ADHD

Book Recommendations For Kids:

• Different, A Great Thing to Be (Heather Avis)
• Wonderfully Wired (Stacey Lucas-Toumbourou)
• A Day With No Words (Tiffany Hammond)
• I'm Still Me (Mary Raso)
• All My Stripes (Shaina Rudolph)
• My Brother Otto (Meg Raby)
• Jo's Special Gifts (Mariam Shapera)

Book Recommendations For Adults:

• Poems of the Neurodivergent Experience (Jaclyn Pensiero)
• The Reason I Jump (Naoki Higashida)
• Sincerely Your Autistic Child (Edited by Emily Paige Ballou)
• Off the Spectrum (Gina Rippon)

Autistic Voices To Follow On Socials:

• @fidgets.and.fries
• @audhd_academic
• @_soundoftheforest_
• @patrick.casale
• @morgaanfoley
• @audhd.fnd_andme
• @thejumpyautist
• @theautizztichabibbaddie
• @autistic_stitch
• @nigh.functioning.autism
• @sunitatheiss
• @blackspectrumscholar
• @autism.conmigo
• @honestlyiwasspeechless
• @autistic.mykie
• @savvylifeskills
• @theneurodiversitymom
• @aut2ask

Follow Autism Out Loud:

• Instagram: @autismoutloud
• Facebook: Autism Out Loud

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Learn about our clinic Elemenoe where we work to reach milestones together through speech, language, behaviour & learning.

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Follow us:

Transitioning from one task to another can feel like climbing Mount Everest for our young kiddos, whether neurodiverse or neurotypical. In this episode, we'll dive into the core of why these transitions can be such a tough nut to crack and share some real-life strategies that both parents and professionals can use to smooth out those bumps along the road.

Transitioning isn't just about changing gears; it's a whole mental gymnastics routine! In this episode, we'll discuss the various systems at play, from executive functioning to emotional regulation, highlighting that asking kids to shift their focus is a big ask, especially when they’re leaving something they love, like their favorite toy or an exciting game. We'll talk about how both parents and professionals can step in to ease these transitions with real-life strategies that are both practical and, dare we say, fun! We'll also sprinkle in some personal anecdotes and a few laughs, because hey, we’re all in this together, right? So, if you're looking to make those tricky transitions a little easier for your kiddos, you’re in the right place because this episode is all about success, not stress.

Timestamps:

(01:24) - Welcome

(03:43) - Understanding Why Transitions Can Be So Hard

(06:54) - Rich vs. Lean Conditions

(13:35) - It's Not That They're Stubborn or "Bad"

(23:34) - "Three Term Contingency"

(28:00) - Our Go-To Transition Strategies

(35:25) - Tip: Shifting The Focus To What's Next

(41:05) - Tip: Get In Early With Reinforcement

(46:43) - Tailoring Strategies To Your Child

(47:41) - Tip: Staying Connected & Calm

(51:33) - Practicing Strategies In Different Contexts

(55:22) - Get Into Your Kiddos Mindset

Mentioned In This Episode:

• Our Transition Toolkit (Summer Edition)
• Banda, D. R., & Grimmett, E. (2008). Enhancing social and transition behaviors of persons with autism through activity schedules: A review. Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 43(3), 324–33312.
• Jessel, J., Hanley, G. P., & Ghaemmaghami, M. (2016). A translational evaluation of transitions. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 49(2), 359–37656.
• Lequia, J., Wilkerson, K. L., Kim, S., & Lyons, G. L. (2014). Improving transition behaviors in students with autism spectrum disorders: A comprehensive evaluation of interventions in educational settings. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 1, 1–1378.
• Sevin, J. A., Rieske, R. D., & Matson, J. L. (2015). A review of behavioral strategies and support considerations for assisting persons with difficulties transitioning from activity to activity. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2, 329–342910.
• Tullis, C. A., Cannella-Malone, H. I., & Payne, D. O. (2014). Literature review of interventions for between-task transitioning for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities including autism spectrum disorders. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2,...

Visual supports can be the key to understanding in young learning minds, whether neurodiverse or not, and that’s our topic for today! So, whether you're a parent, teacher, or clinician, this episode is sure to leave you with fresh ideas to help your children thrive.

We'll dive deep into how these tools—like visual schedules, comic strips, and beyond—can help kids learn and communicate needs effectively by making expectations clear and reducing anxiety. We'll share personal tips and tricks we've used in the clinic and at home, tackling everything from first-then boards to social stories. We'll also discuss common pitfalls and how to make these strategies work while also highlighting that visual supports are not a "one-size-fits-all" solution, but rather, they should be tailored to fit your unique kiddo's needs, preferences, and understanding. So, if you’re looking to amp up your teaching game with visuals, stick around for some great advice and a few laughs along the way!

Timestamps:

(01:24) - Welcome

(08:12) - Episode Overview

(09:42) - "First-Then" Boards in Behavioural Support

(20:13) - Common Implementation Errors

(37:44) - Transitioning with Visual Schedules

(39:11) - When Visual Schedules Don't Work

(46:55) - Social Stories

(53:07) - Visuals For Executive Functioning & Self Regulation

(01:01:42) - Comic Strip Conversations

(01:08:12) - Video Modeling as a Strategy

(01:17:35) - Visuals for Goal Setting and Progress Tracking

(01:26:17) - Stop, Think, Do

(01:30:00) - Reinforcement & Reward Strategies

(01:36:46) - Closing Tips For Therapy Sessions Or The Home

Materials We Love and Use:

• Elemenoe - Summer Visual Schedule

Articles Mentioned In This Episode:

• Como, Dominique H.; Goodfellow, Margaret; Hudak, Delaney; Cermak, Sharon A. A scoping review: Social stories supporting behavior change for individuals with Autism. J Occup Ther Sch Early Interv 2024;17(1):154–175. doi:10.1080/19411243.2023.2168824
• Ganz, Jennifer B.; Earles-Vollrath, Theresa L.; Cook, Katherine E. Video Modeling A Visually Based Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Teaching Exceptional Children 2011;43(6):8-19
• Hayes, Gillian R.; Hirano, Sen; Marcu, Gabriela; Monibi, Mohamad; Nguyen, David H.; Yeganyan, Michael. Interactive visual supports for children with autism. Pers Ubiquit Comput 2010;14:663–680. doi:10.1007/s00779-010-0294-8
• Leaf, Justin B.; Ferguson, Julia L.; Cihon, Joseph H.; Milne, Christine M.; Leaf, Ronald; McEachin, John. A Critical Review of Social Narratives. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities 2019. doi:10.1007/s10882-019-09692-2.
• Meadan, Hedda; Ostrosky, Michaelene M.; Triplett, Brooke; Michna, Amanda; Fettig, Angel. Using Visual Supports With Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Teaching Exceptional Children 2011;43(6):28-35

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In today's episode, we're diving deep into neuro-affirming care, and trust us, it’s way more than just a buzzword! We'll break it all down for you and talk about the ethical practice of honoring neurodiverse individuals and the massive strides that fields like ABA and SLP have made over the years.

Throughout this episode, we'll be pulling from our own experiences as clinicians to shine a light on how our understanding of neurodiversity has evolved—and why it matters. We’ll be chatting about the importance of recognizing each individual’s unique communication style and the need for a shift from compliance-focused practices to fostering real connections. So whether you’re a parent, a pro, or just curious, tune in as we explore how to celebrate and support neurodiversity in all its wonderful forms!

Timestamps:

(01:21) - Welcome

(03:11) - Introduction to Neuro Affirming Care

(12:49) - The Shift from Medical to Social Models of Disability

(20:41) - The History and Ethics of ABA

(32:25) - Controversy and Ethical Concerns in ABA

(47:22) - Understanding Neuro-Affirming Practices

(50:35) - Shifting the Narrative in Assessment Practices

(01:01:28) - Shifting Perspectives in SLP

Articles Mentioned In This Episode:

• Breaux, C. A. (2024). Assent practices in applied behavior analysis: the correlation between self-reported changes in practices and continuing education related to assent (Doctoral dissertation, University of Missouri--Columbia).
• Ghaemmaghami, M., Ruppel, K., Cammilleri, A. P., Fiani, T., & Hanley, G. P. (2024). Toward Compassion in the Assessment and Treatment of Severe Problem Behavior. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1-14.
• Gorycki, K. A., Ruppel, P. R., & Zane, T. (2020). Is long-term ABA therapy abusive: A response to Sandoval-Norton and Shkedy. Cogent Psychology, 7(1), 1823615.
• Kirby, M. S., Spencer, T. D., & Spiker, S. T. (2022). Humble behaviorism redux. Behavior and Social Issues, 31(1), 133-158.
• Lamoureux, G.; Tessier, A.; Finlay, S.; Verduyckt, I. Critical Perspectives in Speech-Language Therapy: Towards Inclusive and Empowering Language Practices. Disabilities 2024, 4, 1006–1018.
• Leadbitter, K., Buckle, K. L., Ellis, C., & Dekker, M. (2021). Autistic self-advocacy and the neurodiversity movement: Implications for autism early intervention research and practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 635690.
• Kapp, S. K., Steward, R., Crane, L., Elliott, D., Elphick, C., Pellicano, E., & Russell, G. (2019). ‘People should be allowed to do what they like’: Autistic adults’ views and experiences of stimming. Autism, 23(7), 1782–1792. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319829628
• Mathur, S. K., Renz, E., & Tarbox, J. (2024). Affirming Neurodiversity within Applied Behavior Analysis. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 1-15.
• Sandoval-Norton, A. H., Shkedy, G., & Shkedy, D. (2019). How much compliance is too much compliance: Is long-term ABA therapy abuse?. Cogent Psychology, 6(1), 1641258.
• Veneziano, J., & Shea, S. (2023). They have a Voice; are we Listening?. Behavior analysis in practice, 16(1), 127-144.

Neuro-Affirming IG Pages We Love:

• ABA Visualized
• ABAspeechbyrose
• ThepsychobabbleBCBAs

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Today, we're diving into the world of SLP (Speech Language Pathology) and ABA (Applied Behaviour Analysis), where we believe that teamwork truly makes the dream work.

We'll be breaking down what SLP & ABA are and how these two fields can come together to create a more effective and holistic treatment approach. We’ll also tackle some misconceptions about both fields, sprinkle in some practical tips for parents and professionals, and explore how we can all work better together for the benefit of our clients and kiddos. So kick back, and let’s get our collab on!

Timestamps:

(02:41) - Introduction to ABA

(13:03) - Introductions to Speech Pathology

(22:55) - The Importance of Data

(30:39) - Scope of Practice vs. Scope of Competency

(35:40) - Barriers to Collaboration

(37:32) - Risks of Poor Collaboration

(44:22) - Practical Tips for Professionals

Our Favourite Journal Articles on Collaboration:

• Slim, L., & Reuter-Yuill, L. M. (2021). A Behavior-Analytic Perspective on Interprofessional Collaboration. Behavior Analysis in Practice, 14(4), 1238–1248. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00602-7
• Bowman, K. S., Suarez, V. D., & Weiss, M. J. (2021). Standards for Interprofessional Collaboration in the Treatment of Individuals With Autism. Behaviour Analysis in Practice, 14 (4), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-021-00560-0
• Brodhead, M. T. (2015). Maintaining Professional Relationships in an Interdisciplinary Setting: Strategies for Navigating Nonbehavioral Treatment Recommendations for Individuals with Autism. Behaviour Analysis in Practice, 8 (1), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-015-0042-7

Blogs We Like:

• https://www.abainternational.org/constituents/practitioners/interprofessional-collaborative-practice.aspx
• https://asatonline.org/research-treatment/book-reviews/review-of-interprofessional-collaborative-practice/

Books We Recommend:

• Gerenser, J. E., & Koenig, M. (2019). ABA for SLPs: Interprofessional collaboration for autism support teams. Brookes Publishing.

Groups We Recommend:

• SPABA SIG https://www.facebook.com/SPABASIGofABAI
• SLP's Against Pseudoscience https://www.facebook.com/SLPsAgainstPseudoscience

Courses We Love:

EBIC Early Behavioural Intervention Curriculum, Francesca degli Espinosa, Ph.D. | BCBA-D | CPsychol. https://abaclinic.net/behaviour-analysis-courses/

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The inaugural episode of Neurodiversally Speaking! Get to know us, our backgrounds, and the life experiences that led us to start this podcast.

In this episode, we delve into our motivations for establishing this podcast, emphasizing our commitment to bridging the divide between research and practical application in the realms of autism and neurodiversity. Our discussions cover our vision of fostering collaboration among professionals and providing actionable insights for parents and clinicians alike. We aspire to offer pragmatic strategies that can be seamlessly integrated into daily routines, thereby enhancing the lives of neurodiverse individuals and their families.

Join us as we embark on this journey of exploration and learning, dedicated to cultivating a deeper understanding of neurodiversity and its implications in our professional practices.

Timestamps:

(01:09) - Welcome

(04:02) - SLP & ABA: Difficulties In Working Together

(05:28) - Need For Evidence-Based Discussions

(11:40) - What To Expect From This Podcast

(15:17) - What Inspired Us To Start

(22:17) - Bridging The Gap Between SLP & ABA

(28:37) - What Brought Us Together

(30:36) - What's Next For Us

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Visit The Sensory Supply for the best in sensory products to soothe, stimulate, and inspire.

Learn about our clinic Elemenoe where we work to reach milestones together through speech, language, behaviour & learning.

Visit neurodiversallyspeaking.com for all podcast & show info:

Follow us:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• X
• YouTube
• TikTok

Contact:

Have a question or a topic that you'd love to hear on the show? Get in touch with us at hello@neurodiversallyspeaking.com or send us a DM on Instagram!

Join Brittany (SLP) & Shawna (BCBA) from Elemenoe as they dive into the world of neurodiversity. Each episode, they discuss insights, tips, and collaboration strategies for both parents & professionals alike, through the lens of their real-life experiences as mothers & clinicians.

New Episodes every other Monday!

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Visit The Sensory Supply for the best in sensory products to soothe, stimulate, and inspire.

Learn about our clinic Elemenoe where we work to reach milestones together through speech, language, behaviour & learning.

Visit neurodiversallyspeaking.com for all podcast & show info:

Follow us:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• X
• YouTube
• TikTok

Contact:

Have a question or a topic that you'd love to hear on the show? Get in touch with us at hello@neurodiversallyspeaking.com