Turn Autism Around

Hyperlexia is an intellectual disability in which a child is hyper-fixated and obsessed with letters, words, and reading but has low language functionality. Early signs of Hyperlexia can be linked with early signs of Autism. Today I answer questions about identifying the symptoms and signs of Hyperlexia and how to teach children with Hyperlexia and Autism. I share stories of children with Hyperlexia I have worked with first-hand, and more tips and resources on the topic.

One of the goals of the Turn Autism Around podcast is to help parents and professionals lead less stressed lives. One way to reduce stress may be to bring in additional income or see the value in online courses. I am interviewing Jeff Walker, my business mentor and author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Launch. We discuss how to disseminate information globally, how to find your place in the digital world, how to grow a business, or how to move your current coaching program to the online space.

Just like ABA, positive reinforcement is a science. Dr. Henry (Hank) Schlinger is talking about his book, How to Build Good Behavior and Self-Esteem in Children. The information in today's podcast is critical for parents and professionals. Dr. Schlinger goes over the five problems any parent faces and the five myths regarding positive reinforcement. This episode is full of great parenting advice, if what you're doing is not working, whether you have a child with autism or not.

Lauren is a married mom of two girls, who found my book and courses and is ready to begin to Turn Autism Around for her oldest daughter, Avery. She is taking the "hot seat" as we discuss their fall into the Autism world, the concerns Lauren has had for Avery since birth, and how to implement the steps of the Turn Autism Approach at home and with ABA therapists.

Often the focus of my podcast and books surrounds the topic of younger children, but our children grow up and it's important to know what options are out there for them. My colleague and friend, Brenda Eaton join us today to discuss how she helps students achieve their post-high school goals. There are many choices for individuals with Autism to continue their education and grow their independence. Brenda shares the programs available and what a College Coach can do to help.

Organization Behavior Management is the science of human behavior, what you know of reinforcement, punishment, and motivating operations applied with staff. Shannon Biagi, BCBA and OBM practitioner, joins us on the podcast today to discuss the gap in HR where ABA businesses are having retention and burnout. OBM focuses on turning the environment around to be productive for both the clients and staff.

I often get asked about the kids I've worked with, that I mention in my book or courses, and how they are doing now. Jocabed is here with me today to give us an update on her son Chino. He is now age 11, we talk about his progress to this point, raising children in a bilingual household, navigating religion for a child with Autism, and safety concerns Jocabed had for Chino early on. Jocabed gives us a relatable perspective on how the circumstances of raising a child with Autism is always changing, they do get better.

We're back with another Hot Seat. Today I am talking with Swethana, a mom of two girls whose youngest, now age 5, has been diagnosed with Autism. I am looking at some of Swethana's daughter Richa's assessment, and we are discussing what these mean and how to enact the 4-step Turn Autism Around approach.

Parents taking charge is really important. You are your child's lifelong advocate, and you can be their best teachers. I talk a lot about this in my book, and today I am sharing some parent success stories and more information on how you as a parent or as a professional helping parents, can begin to captain the ship.

ABA is a science we all use every day. I will be debunking the 4 myths of ABA and sharing with you the truth and history behind the practice. I also provide information and resources from the book to lead you to quality ABA with the Turn Autism Around approach.

A mom from our community, Kelsey General, joins me in this episode along with Amy Evans, Precision Teaching Practitioner. Amy works with Kelsey's two boys now 5 and 7, who were diagnosed with autism at 25 months old. We hear the success story and importance of the work they do with precision teaching and fluency instruction.

Today I talk with pediatric physical therapist Dawn Meller. Dawn tells us what she may look for as a PT when working with children with Autism or are showing signs of Autism. We go over motor skills milestones, and habits that may cause concerns, the reasons behind them, and when to see a PT for intervention.

Today I am here solo, talking to you about the importance of building imitation skills as highlighted in my book, Turn Autism Around. We talk about crucial imitation milestones as well as the steps to start building these skills. You will learn the 4 steps in working with imitation skills in toddlers with Autism or showing signs of Autism. I provide you with ideas and resources to work on these pivotal skills with toddlers based on my years of experience and research.

Covid-19 made all aspects of life difficult, and it was no different with diagnosing autism. Dr. Catherine Lord was able to develop an evaluation with her team, the BOSA, that was able to help identify some behaviors that could be pointing toward autism. This evaluation was able to ensure that man-children could stay on the right track to get a diagnosis as well as treatment.

Building trust and rapport with a patient is important, especially if they are new to you. That's where Compassionate Care comes in. Today I talk with Celia Heyman, a Board-Certified Behavioral Analyst about Compassionate Care, who should learn it, and how to implement it.

PANS and PANDAS are neuropsychiatric disorders caused by infections that can rapidly affect children. Today Beth Maloney, author of Saving Sammy, shares the causes, symptoms, and treatments of PANS and PANDAS, as well as her son's own experience.

Elizabeth's young son had just started with an early intervention specialist when the pandemic closed their therapy sessions down, but she knew how vital the therapy was for getting his development back on track. That's when she went looking for something online that could help him. You're going to hear how effective my strategies are, even for very young children, how Elizabeth has used my strategies for her older child, and that magical moment when things started to click for Elizabeth's young son

Amy M.'s son Lucas is navigating young adulthood by working, living independently, and even attending college. 21 years after his initial autism diagnosis, he's living a life that Amy wasn't sure would even be possible. Hear how Amy's built a support system for Lucas using ABA therapy, friends, family, teachers, and professionals.

One of the biggest myths about selective mutism is that it's just shyness and a child will outgrow it on their own. Chelsea Gamache was diagnosed with Selective Mutism (SM) and Sensory Processing Disorder at 5-years-old, and she has a wealth of information today on how parents and therapists can help children who have this anxiety disorder. We discuss many of the comorbidities of SM, including how it often intersects with autism.

Everyone's autism journey has a beginning point. And sometimes, it has many new beginnings as you learn new strategies that can help your child communicate their wants and needs. Join Emily R as she starts a new beginning with the Turn Autism Around approach for her six-year-old son Kash.

How did you teach your child to wear a mask to protect themselves from Covid-19? Children, at all different stages in their lives, need to be able to communicate about how their bodies feel when they're sick, and they need to be able to take medicine or vitamins. Inside this episode, I share some strategies and resources for helping you figure out medical issues for children with autism.

For the fourth step of the Turn Autism Around approach, I'm going to share some easy ways to collect data so that you can begin to identify patterns and trends in a child's behavior. This vital step should not be skipped since it will help you adjust therapy or even just the child's environment to improve behavior, health, and speech.

In rapid succession, Jennifer N.'s four children, ages 13, 8, and 3-year-old twins, were all diagnosed with autism. To compound her situation, she was living in Holland, where at the time there was only one BCBA in the entire country. Hear how she navigated this rough beginning to become a BCBA herself, and how she successfully launched all four of her children into adulthood.

All three women on my panel today began as speech-language pathologists before becoming board-certified BCBAs. Armed with this unique combination, they are passionate about bridging the two complementary specialties in a way that empowers parents and benefits children. Listen to their thoughts on how SLPs and BCBAs can better collaborate to improve the lives of children with autism.

Dr. Temple Grandin joins me to talk about her greatest concerns for the autistic community and the benefits of early intervention for children. She looks back on her life to recount the people who were instrumental in helping her turn autism into an asset that's served her well in her career in the livestock industry.

My husband, Dr. Charles Barbera, remembers how Lucas was diagnosed a little differently than I do, but we have a delightful conversation talking about some of the challenges of navigating an autism diagnosis for our oldest child. As a physician and an autism dad, I appreciate Charles's perspective on our journey together.

Studies have shown that kids with autism need 20-40 hours of ABA therapy a week. I get it. That sounds daunting to parents. I'm going to show you strategies to create a positive environment so that it's easier to teach, engage, and connect to your child in your own home.

With only 700 developmental pediatricians in the country, I was glad to connect with Dr. Cheryl Tierney to get her unique insights on how to navigate an autism diagnosis. Cheryl is passionate about teaching parents how to help their children with autism sleep by themselves, and you'll love her ABA approach to solving common problems people face every day.

Is it possible that your child's delays are simply part of the "COVID Kid" phenomenon? Casey C wasn't interested in having her concerns brushed off by her provider, so when they told her that her son's regression was normal, she started looking for answers herself.

How will you know if your child is making meaningful progress in their therapy program? In this podcast, learn how to make realistic goals that are tailored to meet your child at their level, and that are designed to help them steadily improve.

When parents and professionals collaborate to create a therapy plan, they're able to powerfully amplify the work that they do alone. Ria and Kristen have worked together to help Ria's son adjust and thrive with ABA therapy, and in the last year have seen rapid improvements in his language and behavior.

At twenty-three months old, Eileen's son wasn't even talking. Concerned about his development, she took him to a pediatric specialist who shrugged off her concerns about OT and speech therapy. Like many parents, Eileen's insistence on better therapy services immediately has yielded a marked improvement in her son's speech.

For parents who need advice on how to take the next step in their journey with autism, I offer some insights on how to move forward. It can be tempting to see a child's progress and then try to move on quickly to the next level, but I want you to avoid mistakes that will hinder your child's long-term development.

An assessment provides a clear outline of where a child with autism is at, what skills they're going to work on, and how effective the therapy is for the child. I share my one-page assessment today from my newest book so that you can see how effective assessments can be.

I'm on a mission to change the way autism is detected and treated for millions of people around the world. I wrote Turn Autism Around: An Action Guide for Parents of Young Children with Early Signs of Autism to help empower parents who are waiting for a diagnosis or therapy so that they could stop waiting and start helping their children today.

If you're ready to close the door on 2020 and recalibrate your mindset, then let's talk about the steps you need to take to release your old belief system and embrace an abundance mindset. Julie Cairns has helped tens of thousands of people all over the world to walk away from self-limiting beliefs and embrace a new outlook on life.

I tackled a lot of issues in this year's 52 Turn Autism Around podcast episodes, and I interviewed some amazing success stories from the autism community. My top ten list includes my own personal favorites, as well as my listeners' favorites as well. I am excited for 2021 and the opportunities we'll have to grow this community even more.

If you don't know where the disconnects lie in your marriage, the stressors in your life will show you very quickly. Donna Tosky teaches couples how to repair, renew, and sustain marriages and partnerships in families where at least one child has autism.

Turning screen time into constructive screen time that becomes a valuable tool in a child with autism's speech therapy is one of the goals of Speech Blubs. I talked with founder Mitja Mavsar about the positive role his speech development app has for children who have a variety of speech issues.

There's a difference between looking at a child's behavior as a professional behavior analyst and looking at it as a parent of a neuro-diverse child. Holly Blanc Moses has a clear look into both perspectives as she's both a parent and a professional BCBA. In this episode, Holly shares what it's like to be both a parent and a professional, how she diagnoses a child who might have ADHD or autism or both and how she copes with the challenge of being a mom of kids with both ADHD and autism.

For this special 100th episode, I am talking with a panel of parents and professionals about how they've used and adapted my courses to teach children with autism self-care skills like eating, potty training, getting dressed, chores, and schoolwork. When parents and professionals work together, they can help a child reach their fullest potential using techniques that build on each other.

For Black families, stigma and bias play an outsized role in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, and Maria Davis-Pierre wants to change that by opening up the conversation in Black communities and with health professionals.

There are three common mistakes parents and professionals make when teaching a child with autism manners. It can feel natural to prompt a child with "Say 'Thank you!'", but for a child with autism, the timing of when manners are taught matters just as much as the language ability of the child and the prompts that are used to elicit language.

Everyone feels useful and productive through a job, but for the autism community, where nearly 80% of them are unemployed, it can be hard to break through that barrier and enjoy that feeling. Ann Marie Sullivan's company Spectrum Works seeks to be that bridge between unemployment and productive employment for the autism community.

Deciding on whether an in-home ABA program or a school-based ABA program is the best course of action can be a difficult decision for any family to navigate, especially since the decision can impact the entire family. I'm going to explain some of the considerations you'll need to take into account as you make this decision for your child with autism.

As the reigning Miss Tampa and the runner-up to Miss Florida, Rachel Barcellona has created a platform for herself to positively share about her own journey with autism. But as a child, Rachel often felt like an alien from outer space who was sent to visit an Earth middle school. She shares her beautiful story about how she's used beauty pageants to become a confident ambassador for her community.

How long should you go hiding spinach in brownies just to get a picky eater to eat some kind of vegetable? How much milk or juice should a child consume in a day? At some point, baked goods cannot be the only way your child eats a fruit or vegetable and a quart of juice a day isn't optimal for many reasons, but making that transition into healthy eating for children with autism is a careful process.

When a child with autism begins to speak for the first time, it can be tempting for parents or professionals to rush ahead and teach them adjectives, verbs, and phrases as fast as they can. Building the speech foundation for a child with autism must be done carefully over time, so today I want to lay out some common mistakes you should avoid because they actually disrupt speech patterns.

One in 54 children is on the autism spectrum today, and nearly one in six has some kind of developmental delay. Ami Klin wants policymakers to stop treating autism as a genetic disease and instead recognize it as a public health crisis. I want to introduce you to some of Ami Klin's groundbreaking research about how children on the autism spectrum can be identified and treated from a very young age.

Under stressful circumstances, or even under regular circumstances, wanting to escape real life by diving into too much social media, movies, or even substance abuse can cause harm to relationships, jobs, and self-development. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy was created from behavior analyses by behavior analysts as a way to help you reground yourself in your daily life.