The Autism Little Learners Podcast

What color is it? Where's the dog? Show me red. Tell me with your talker. If you support AAC users, you might be really good at quiz mode. I know I was. As an SLP, I was trained to elicit responses. I wanted repetitions. I wanted data. I wanted to know: can they do it? And here's the tricky part: quiz mode feels like teaching. We're trying to help. But communication isn't supposed to feel like a test all day. This is part 3 of our AAC Month series. Last week, in Episode 195 [CONFIRM URL], we talked about why children don't need to prove they're "ready" for AAC. When I asked where you get stuck, more than one in four of you said the same thing: what do I do when I model and the child does absolutely nothing? That's what this episode is about. I'm sharing what modeling without expectation really looks like, why silence doesn't necessarily mean nothing is happening, and what to do in that quiet moment instead of asking again. You'll also hear two clips from my friend Rachel Madel, SLP, whose phrase "inspire, don't require" sums up this whole conversation. Because we're teaching language. We're not administering a test. In This Episode, You'll Learn What modeling without expectation looks like in everyday play, like a car going down a ramp Why "quiz mode" feels like teaching but can make communication harder What it's like to learn a new language while someone keeps asking, "What's this?" Why silence doesn't necessarily mean nothing is happening How heavy prompting can teach children to wait to be asked instead of starting communication themselves Why prompting isn't "bad," and the question to ask about what yours is teaching How to turn questions into comments What to do when you model and the child still doesn't respond Key Takeaways Quiz mode feels like teaching, but it adds pressure. Questions and directives like "Show me red" and "Tell me with your talker" can turn communication into a test. Modeling without expectation means modeling and moving on. The car goes down the ramp, you say and touch GO, and you keep playing. No "Your turn" or "Show me go." Silence doesn't mean nothing is happening. A child may be processing what you said, managing sensory input, or finding a word on their device. Model, then pause, without filling the wait with more questions. Heavy prompting can teach children to wait. Rachel Madel explains how a compliance-driven approach can teach kids to be responders instead of initiators. Prompting isn't bad. It can be a helpful scaffold. The question is what it's teaching: dependence on the adult, or growing independence. Questions can become comments. "Whoa... RED!" instead of "What color is it?" "Mmm... MORE" instead of "Do you want more?" Follow what matters to the child. Rachel shares how she noticed her student had turned to his lunchbox and modeled OPEN instead of sticking to her plan. Every model has value. If the child doesn't respond, that's okay. They still saw and heard language used by an adult who wasn't demanding anything back. Try This For ten minutes, listen to yourself and notice how many questions and directives you give. Pick one and turn it into a comment, modeling the word as you say it. After you model, pause. Give space, not a stare. If the child is focused on something else, model a word for what they care about. Choose one routine this week (play, snack, getting dressed, or circle time). Every time you're about to ask a child to show you something, ask yourself, "Could I model this instead?" Resources & Links AAC Month Series: This is part 3. Start with Episode 195: Stop Making Kids Prove They're "Ready" for AAC [CONFIRM URL]. More from Rachel Madel: Listen to Episode 91: AAC & Modeling Without Expectation With Rachel Madel. Find Rachel at [LINK: Rachel's website]. Too many questions? Episode 178: What If Too Many Questions Are Quieting Your AAC Learners? goes deeper. Keep Learning: Read the companion blog post, Modeling AAC Without Expectation in the Classroom. Free Guide: Get the 3 Simple AAC Shifts for three easy changes you can try in tomorrow's routines. Next Week: We'll go beyond "I want": why AAC isn't a success just because a child can request Goldfish, and a family who celebrates when their daughter says NO.

A quick heads up before you listen: Jordyn prepared some answers ahead of time and responded to others in real time, so you'll hear pauses between each question and Jordyn's answer. I challenge you to resist the urge to fast-forward through the wait time. Sitting with that silence is one of the most important skills of a good communication partner — in this episode, and in your classroom. As we get ready to kick off AAC Awareness Month on October 1st, I'm bringing back one of my most meaningful conversations for this special encore episode. I'm joined by Jordyn Zimmerman, an autistic woman who is non-speaking and a full-time AAC user. Jordyn shares her lived experience with communication, education, and what it means to truly presume competence. Jordyn didn't have access to robust AAC until she was 18 years old. In this conversation, she shares what she wishes the adults around her had understood, why communication access should never have prerequisites, and what educators, therapists, and families can do differently for the nonspeaking autistic children in their lives. In this episode, we talk about: Why a lack of speech is not a lack of language — and nonspeaking does not mean non-understanding Why communication is a basic human right, not something a child has to earn Why there should be no prerequisites for access to AAC The differences between PECS, core boards, and robust language-based AAC What an AAC-rich environment can look like What it really means to presume competence in our everyday interactions Why we shouldn't limit a child's vocabulary until they've "proven" they're ready for it The importance of autonomy, choice, and agency in communication Why communication needs to go far beyond requesting — our kids deserve to comment, ask questions, joke, disagree, tell stories, and show us who they are Why wait time is such an important skill for communication partners Jordyn's advocacy work and what she wants educators, therapists, and families supporting nonspeaking autistic children to know Jordyn's perspective is such an important reminder as we head into AAC Awareness Month: communication is so much more than speech. Every person deserves to be heard, respected, presumed competent, and given access to a reliable way to communicate. Whether you heard this conversation when it originally aired or you're listening for the first time, I can't think of a better conversation to revisit as we begin a month dedicated to AAC awareness. Related Resources & Links Jordyn Zimmerman Website Jordyn's documentary Preschool Autism Summit + VIP Day (Jordyn returns for a deeper conversation)

Transitions are often the first part of the preschool day to fall apart for autistic children, especially when routines change, activities end, or expectations shift quickly. Every. Single. Year. In this episode, Tara is talking less about transition tricks and more about why transitions are genuinely so hard for many autistic preschoolers. A transition can involve much more than moving from one activity to another. A child may need to shift their attention, leave a deeply engaging activity, process new sensory input, understand what is happening next, and regulate the emotions that come with an unexpected or unwanted change. Because once we understand the why, the strategies finally have a better chance of sticking. Why Are Transitions So Hard for Autistic Children? Transitions can be difficult for autistic children because they often require several demanding shifts at the same time. A child may need to stop an activity, redirect their attention, enter a different sensory environment, process new language, and manage uncertainty about what is coming next. What looks like refusal or noncompliance may actually reflect overwhelm, difficulty shifting attention, sensory stress, or a need for more time and information. How Does Predictability Affect Transitions? Predictability helps an autistic child understand what is happening now and what will happen next. When a routine changes unexpectedly or a child does not have enough information about what is coming, that uncertainty can make the transition much harder. Consistent routines, visual information, and advance notice can make the day feel more understandable and manageable. This does not mean every part of the day has to happen exactly the same way. It means we give children clear information when something is about to change. Can Sensory Changes Make Transitions More Difficult? Yes. A transition often involves much more than physically moving from one activity or location to another. A child may be moving from a quiet space into a noisy classroom, from dim lighting into bright lighting, or from a familiar activity into an environment filled with different sounds, smells, people, and movement. Even when the next activity looks simple to an adult, the sensory shift may feel significant to the child. Looking at what changes between the two environments can help us understand why a specific transition is difficult. What Does Executive Functioning Have to Do With Transitions? Executive functioning helps us shift attention, organize our next steps, remember what we are supposed to do, and move from one task to another. These mental shifts can require significant effort for autistic preschoolers. A child may understand that circle time is over but still need extra time to disengage, process the next direction, organize their body, and move toward the next activity. Instead of assuming the child is refusing to transition, consider how many separate steps their brain is being asked to manage all at once. What Is Monotropism? Monotropism is a way of understanding the deep, focused attention many autistic people experience. An autistic child may become intensely engaged in one interest, activity, or sensory experience at a time. That deep attention can support learning, creativity, regulation, and connection. It can also make abruptly shifting away from an activity especially difficult. When a child is deeply engaged, leaving that activity may not feel like a simple request to clean up. The child may need time, information, and support to shift their attention. Respecting that deep engagement does not mean transitions never happen. It means we recognize that the transition may require more effort than it appears to from the outside. How Can We Make Transitions Easier for Autistic Preschoolers? Making transitions easier begins with understanding what is making the transition hard for that particular child. Once we understand the underlying need, we can choose a support that gives the child more predictability, processing time, and access. A visual schedule may help a child who does not know what is coming next. A predictable warning may help a child who needs more time to shift their attention. A video model may help a child understand an unfamiliar routine. Sensory support may help when the next environment feels overwhelming. There is not one transition strategy that works for every autistic child. The most effective support is the one that matches the reason the transition is difficult. Transition Supports Mentioned in This Episode • Use a visual schedule so the child can see what is happening now and what will happen next • Give clear, predictable warnings before an activity ends • Use consistent words or visual cues during familiar transitions • Allow additional processing time before repeating a direction • Validate that stopping a preferred or deeply engaging activity can be difficult • Consider the sensory differences between the current activity and the next one • Use video modeling to preview unfamiliar routines or environments • Create predictable transition routines that children can learn over time • Reduce unnecessary verbal language during stressful moments • Watch for early signs of overwhelm instead of waiting for the transition to fall apart In This Episode, You'll Learn • Why transitions can create genuine stress for autistic preschoolers • How routine and predictability support smoother transitions • Why sensory changes can make a seemingly simple transition overwhelming • How executive functioning affects a child's ability to stop, shift, and begin something new • What monotropism can teach us about deep attention and engagement • Why difficult transitions should not automatically be labeled as noncompliance • How visual schedules can make upcoming changes easier to understand • Why processing time matters when a child is shifting their attention • How validation and empathy support children during difficult transitions • Why understanding the cause should come before choosing a strategy Key Takeaways • Difficult transitions are not automatically refusal or noncompliance • Transitions may involve changes in attention, sensory input, language, environment, and expectations • Predictability can reduce uncertainty and anxiety • Sensory differences are an important part of the transition experience • Deep engagement is meaningful and should be respected • Autistic children may need more time to shift their attention • Visual information can make transitions more concrete and understandable • Validation belongs alongside practical transition supports • Strategies are more effective when they respond to the actual reason the transition is hard • Support should make transitions more accessible, not simply make children move faster Try This Choose one transition that tends to fall apart first. Before adding another timer, song, reward, or verbal reminder, pause and look at the transition from the child's perspective. What are they being asked to stop? What sensory changes happen next? Do they know where they are going and what will happen when they get there? Are they deeply engaged in the activity they are leaving? How much time are they being given to shift their attention? How much spoken language are they being asked to process during the transition? Once you understand what may be making the transition genuinely difficult, choose one support that responds to that need. Maybe it is a visual schedule. Maybe it is a predictable warning. Maybe it is a short video showing what will happen. Maybe it is changing the way the next environment feels. Or maybe the biggest shift is simply giving the child more time. The most effective transition strategy is not always the newest trick. It is the one that matches the reason the transition is hard. Related Resources & Links 💚 Portable Visual Schedules💚 Video Modeling Guide💚 Video Modeling Blog Post💚 Related Podcast Episode 15💚 More Information About Monotropism💚 Autism Little Learners Membership Final Thoughts Transitions can look simple from the outside, but there may be a lot happening underneath them. A child may be leaving something deeply meaningful, entering a difficult sensory environment, trying to understand an unexpected change, and organizing their body for a new expectation—all at the same time. When we understand the role of predictability, sensory processing, executive functioning, and deep engagement, we can stop seeing a difficult transition as something a child is doing to us. Instead, we can ask what would make that moment easier for them. We are not trying to make autistic children better at tolerating confusing and unpredictable environments. We are working to make those environments more understandable, supportive, and accessible.

Supporting regulation in the classroom starts with understanding what an autistic child's nervous system needs before we focus on expectations, participation, or learning. That's why regulation is the focus of Week 3 of our Back to School Foundations series. By early September, you've probably moved past those first days of school when everyone is learning names, exploring the classroom, and figuring each other out. Your routines are starting to take shape, expectations are increasing, and you may also be seeing more dysregulation show up. This is often when we start wondering, What can I do to help this child participate? How do I make circle time easier? Why are transitions suddenly so hard? What changed? Before we add another expectation, I want us to look at regulation. For six weeks, I'm revisiting some of the most important conversations from the Autism Little Learners Podcast and bringing them back when you may need them most. This week's conversation originally aired in early 2025, and it focuses on practical ways we can support emotional and sensory regulation throughout the classroom day. We'll talk about the classroom environment, sensory needs, calming spaces, visual supports, sensory tools, and the important role we play in co-regulation. Most importantly, we'll talk about why regulation isn't something we work on only after a child becomes overwhelmed. When we understand an individual child's sensory needs and build supportive strategies throughout their day, we're creating an environment where they have greater access to communication, participation, connection, and learning. In This Episode, You'll Learn Why the classroom environment can have such a big impact on regulation How reducing sensory overload can support autistic children throughout their day Why calming corners can offer a supportive place for children to manage sensory input and emotions How visual supports can provide information, support communication, and reduce uncertainty Ways sensory tools can help children get the sensory input their bodies need Why co-regulation with a trusted adult is so important for young children How sensory needs can look very different from one child to another Why regulation supports should be woven throughout the day rather than saved for moments of dysregulation How heavy work activities can support children who are seeking more sensory input Why helping young autistic children develop regulation skills has benefits that extend far beyond the classroom Key Takeaways Regulation comes before expectation. Before asking how to get a child to participate, sit, transition, or complete an activity, consider what their nervous system may be communicating. The environment matters. Noise, lighting, movement, visual clutter, proximity to other people, and other sensory input can all affect how accessible a classroom feels to an individual child. Regulation looks different for every child. There isn't one sensory tool, calming strategy, or classroom setup that will work for everyone. Understanding the individual child is essential. Co-regulation comes before self-regulation. Young children develop regulation skills with support from calm, responsive adults. Our job isn't simply to tell a child to calm down. We can help them feel safe and supported as they move through those moments. Calming spaces aren't punishment spaces. A calming corner can provide access to sensory tools and a quieter environment when a child needs less input or a place to regulate. Sensory supports shouldn't only appear during a hard moment. Movement, heavy work, sensory tools, visual supports, and regulation opportunities can be intentionally incorporated throughout the day. The goal isn't a perfectly calm child. We're supporting children in understanding and responding to what their bodies need, not teaching them to hide signs of discomfort or dysregulation. Try This Choose one part of your classroom day when dysregulation seems to happen more often and look at the environment before changing the child's behavior. Notice the sensory input around the child. What are they hearing, seeing, touching, or being asked to tolerate? Watch for what an individual child naturally does to regulate. Do they seek movement, pressure, quiet, repetition, or less sensory input? Think about one regulation support you could make available before the difficult part of the day rather than waiting until the child is overwhelmed. During a hard moment, try shifting from "How do I get them to do this?" to "What might their body need from me right now?" Resources & Links Calming Kit Visuals — Visual supports and tools you can use to create a calming space and support regulation in your classroom. Calming Kit Visuals Visual Support Starter Set — Get started with simple visual supports you can use with young autistic children. Visual Support Starter Set Back to School Foundations Series — This is Week 3 of our six-part series. Start with Episode #188 and follow along as we move through the foundations, connection, regulation, visual supports, transitions, and understanding behavior as communication. New to neurodiversity-affirming language? Read Why We Say "Autistic Child": A Simple Guide to Neurodiversity-Affirming Language.

This is Week 1 of 6 in the Back to School Foundations replay series. While I'm in Portland helping my daughter move into her first house, I'm revisiting six episodes I think will help most as you head back to school. New season starts Tuesday, September 29th, with five weeks on AAC for AAC Awareness Month. So much of what goes wrong in September is really about something that was never put in place in August. Three things. That's it. Here's what they are. I'm starting this series at the very beginning, with the framework I built to answer the question I get more than any other: where do I even start? The answer is not with the IEP goals. It's with regulate, connect, and routines. Those are the three things that have to be in place before teaching begins, and teach is the fourth pillar that everything else holds up. We all want to jump straight to teach. Sit at the table, trace the name, sort the colors. But a child who isn't regulated can't take in what you're offering, and a child who doesn't trust you yet has no reason to try. The framework is fluid. You'll move back and forth between all four pillars every day, student by student. A child can be doing beautifully in a teaching activity and be dysregulated two minutes later, and at that point we set our agenda aside and go back to what we know helps that child. That's not a detour from the work. That is the work. We'll talk about: Why regulation has to come before expectation, and what interoception has to do with it How to build connection with children you don't know yet, without going into teacher mode How predictable routines lower anxiety and grow independence The four pillars of the Autism Little Learners Framework: Regulate, Connect, Routines, Teach In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why a dysregulated child is not in a position to take in new learning Why true self-regulation doesn't develop until well past early childhood, and what to do instead What "teacher mode" sounds like, and why the questions get in the way How to join a child's play without taking it over or directing it Why speaking is not the only way to communicate, and what multimodal communication looks like Key Takeaways: Regulation before expectation. If a child isn't regulated, the lesson isn't landing. Co-regulation is the starting point at the early childhood level, not self-regulation. You have to reach the child before you can teach the child. No significant learning takes place without a significant relationship. Speaking is not the only way to communicate. Every child is already communicating. Predictable routines reduce anxiety and build independence. The framework is fluid. You'll move back and forth between all four pillars every single day. Try This: Send the Child Interest Survey home this week and use what comes back Join one child in their favorite activity without asking a single question Watch and copy what a child is doing instead of directing the play Ask your OT for one sensory idea for one specific child Teach a calming sequence with a visual cue before you need it Look at one child's visual schedule and check the length and the symbol type against what that child actually understands Pick one daily routine and make a visual sequence for it Related Resources & Links: ❤️ Child Interest Survey (free) ❤️ Free Visual Support Starter Set ❤️ Autism Little Learners Membership "Children learn best when they like their teacher and when they think their teacher likes them." Gordon Neufeld

The one who melts down at the smallest request, who seems to dig in the moment you say "do this."...you know this child. In this episode I sit down with Casey Ehrlich, PhD — social scientist, founder of At Peace Parents, and a leader in the first peer-reviewed PDA research in the United States — to talk about PDA: what it is, why it's a nervous system response rather than defiance, and what actually helps. PDA isn't defiance. It's a survival-level drive for autonomy — and once you see that, you respond to the child in front of you completely differently. PDA most often stands for pathological demand avoidance, but many autistic people prefer pervasive (or persistent) drive for autonomy — because autonomy is right at the root of what activates the nervous system. Casey defines it as a survival drive for autonomy and equality that can override other survival instincts like eating, sleeping, toileting, and even safety. We talk through what PDA actually looks like in young children, why behavior that reads as oppositional or manipulative is so often a nervous-system response, and the practical, compassionate shifts that help a dysregulated child feel safe again — in the classroom and at home. We'll talk about: ● what PDA stands for — and why many autistic people prefer "pervasive drive for autonomy" ● why demand avoidance is a nervous system response, not manipulation or defiance ● the five characteristics Casey looks for, including equalizing behavior ● why we flip the order for PDA kids: nervous system and autonomy first ● the difference between independence and autonomy ● real strategies: signals of safety, declarative language, and rhythms over routines In This Episode, You'll Learn • What PDA is, and why "pervasive or persistent drive for autonomy" may describe it better • How a survival drive for autonomy can override eating, sleeping, toileting, and safety • Why "equalizing behavior" can look oppositional but is actually a nervous-system response • How to read the early signals that a child is moving toward fight-or-flight • Why reducing spoken language and using declarative language lowers perceived demands • How to send signals of safety with your face, tone, and body — and why getting low matters • What the "four S's" — safe nervous system, screens, sensory/novelty, special interest — reveal about regulation • Why repair and felt safety, not teaching, are the moves in the hard moment Key Takeaways • PDA is a nervous system response, not defiance or manipulation • Autonomy is at the root — a perceived loss of autonomy activates the survival brain • For PDA kids, think nervous system and autonomy first, then sensory, executive function, and communication • Independence is doing a task alone; autonomy is having a genuine say in what happens • Signals of safety often matter more than words • Declarative language lowers the demand a child perceives • Think rhythms, not rigid routines — even a chosen routine can start to feel like lost autonomy • Compassion over compliance — always Try This • Pause and ask whether a behavior might be a nervous-system response to a perceived demand • Lower the demand: swap questions and directions for declarative, observational statements • Get low to the child's level and soften your face, tone, and pace • Offer real autonomy — a genuine say, not just a choice between two adult-chosen options • Reduce spoken language during escalation and wait for the child to re-engage • Build in rhythms instead of rigid routines • In the hard moment, focus on repair and felt safety, not on teaching the lesson Related Resources & Links 💚 Casey Ehrlich — At Peace Parents (free PDA masterclass) 💚 At Peace Parents Podcast 💚 The Declarative Language Handbook by Linda K. Murphy 💚 Free Visual Support Starter Set 💚 Autism Little Learners Membership When we stop asking "How do I get this child to comply?" and start asking "What is this child's nervous system telling me?" everything changes. PDA kids aren't giving us a hard time — they're having a hard time. And when we lead with autonomy, safety, and compassion, we give them what they actually need to come back to calm and connection.

In this encore episode, we're revisiting one of the most meaningful conversations from the early days of the podcast — a wide-ranging chat with speech-language pathologist Nicole Casey about gestalt language processing, echolalia, and what it really takes to support autistic communicators. What if the words a child is repeating aren't random? Gestalt language processing (GLP) is a natural way of acquiring language where children begin with whole strings of intonationally-defined language — often lifted from songs, shows, or meaningful moments — instead of starting with single words. These "gestalts" are not literal, but they carry deep meaning. And when we miss that meaning, we miss the child. Nicole walks us through what GLP is, how it differs from analytic language development, and how to recognize it even in non-speaking or minimally speaking children. We also get into something just as important: why connection, relationship, and presuming competence are the foundation that every strategy is built on. Without those, the techniques don't land. With them, even small shifts can transform a child's communication journey. This is a longer, story-rich episode — the kind of conversation where two SLPs who love this work just couldn't stop sharing examples. You'll hear about Toyota Tacomas, Downy Unstoppables, Peter the doll, "we all fall down," and a spin class playlist that included the Delta Airlines theme song. Every story carries a lesson worth holding onto. In This Episode, You'll Learn What gestalt language processing is and how it differs from analytic language development Why GLP is not a diagnosis, just another natural way of acquiring language How to identify gestalt language processors, including those who are non-speaking What echolalia, echopraxia, and "jargon" might really be telling us Why gestalts are non-literal and how to uncover what a child actually means How to use Nicole's free Gestalt Tracker to share insights across a team Why WH-question goals are often a poor fit for early-stage GLPs How presuming competence changes what we see, hear, and teach Why AAC systems weren't designed for GLPs and what that means for us How following a child's deep interests opens the door to language and connection Key Takeaways Echolalia is meaningful communication, not background noise Gestalts carry emotional and experiential context — they are not literal Identifying a GLP starts with tuning in, not testing Children feel safer and communicate more when they feel understood The way the lead adult treats an autistic child sets the tone for the entire classroom Relationship comes first; strategies work because of connection, not in spite of it Asking questions a child already knows the answer to is a real and valid form of connection Following the child's special interest is not a distraction — it's the path Progress isn't always measurable on a SMART goal; look for magic moments Presuming competence is the most important thing we can bring to every interaction Try This Listen for repeated phrases with the same intonation and write them down Ask the parent where a gestalt might have come from — they often know Present language from the child's perspective ("let's play" instead of "do you want to play") Replace "are you okay?" with the language the child actually needs ("that was scary") Use the child's favorite songs, shows, and interests inside your activities Share gestalts and their meanings across the whole team, including paras Record sessions (with permission) so you can catch what you missed Look for "magic moments" of connection as real data, not extra data When we slow down enough to believe that echolalia is meaningful, everything changes — for the child, for the team, and for us. Links: Nicole's Instagram (The Child Led SLP): https://www.instagram.com/thechildledslp/ Website: https://childled.org/ Other Links You May Be Interested In: Autism Little Learners on Instagram Autism Little Learners on Facebook You can also join my free Visual Supports Facebook Group to "hang out" with like-minded educators and parents who want to take action and implement visuals at home or at school. Be sure to subscribe to The Autism Little Learners Podcast so you don't miss future episodes. Plus, leave a rating & review on iTunes….this will help other educators and parents find this podcast!