Does your child experience demand avoidance? This episode is all about Pathological Demand Avoidance/Persistent Drive for Autonomy, and our guest is one of your favorites, not to mention MINE! Dr. Taylor Day is my go to on demand avoidance and drive or autonomy, and in this episode we dive a little deeper into PDA and what it means to support students that experience it. Taylor talks us through this concept of "non-negotiables," "shoulds," and "yets," one of the best pieces of behavior advice I have ever heard as a mom! I got so jazzed during this episode that I couldn't help but insert some advocacy advice. I find PDA so hard to navigate with school teams. and this conversation opened so many doors for me! Hope it helps you!

Dr. Taylor Day is a licensed psychologist specializing in neurodivergent affirming care for autistic children and their families, including very early diagnosis and early intervention. She has a Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is the CEO and founder of Dr. Tay Concierge Clinical Care. Her practice integrates The Whole Family Approach, a process she created utilizing evidence-informed principles after seeing a gap in autism care. Her passion for child psychology and her focus on autism is in many ways tied to her own personal experience growing up with a brother who was diagnosed at 23 months of age.

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As we continue to celebrate our 200th episode, we welcome school-psych-turned-advocate, April Rehrig to the pod this week! April's been on the pod twice before, and you all have loved her. I think that's because she's a) so incredibly knowledgeable and b) really good at explaining hard stuff. Because April's a school psych, she's really good at special education eligibility and reading reports. That's why we had her talk about what to ask your school people about special education evaluations and how to do so. Join us for this crazy helpful episode... and join me in wishing April a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY today, too!!!!

April Rehrig is the founder of Rise Educational Advocacy and Consulting, LLC. She spent over 20 years as a teacher and school psychologist before starting Rise. April is a Licensed Educational Psychologist and Board Certified Special Education Advocate. She’s a Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist and Master IEP Coach©️. Rise offers Parent IEP Coaching , Teachers Pay Teachers Toolkits & Templates, Group Training, and DIY IEP Workshops. Follow April on Instagram @riseedadvocacy, YouTube at Rise Educational Advocacy, and book a Parent Consultation.

Whenever we have a potty training expert come to our local Down syndrome association, spots fill up instantly. That's one of the reasons I was so drawn to Molly Johnson's account on IG years ago.

The other reason: She's just amazing! We hosted Molly back in Episode 136, and her episode was so popular that we invited her back to go Beyond the Basics in potty training! Molly makes things just so simple and reasonable. I know you'll love this episode.

Molly Johnson is an autism consultant, working with parents to reduce challenging behaviors and develop new skills. When working with parents, Molly helps families understand the reason for the barrier and how to move beyond that barrier. After years of being an autism teacher, it was clear that parents needed guidance on behaviors and skills at home. Molly now supports parents from all over the world to improve behaviors, skills, and advocacy.

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It's time to celebrate—200 episodes of Special Education Advocacy with Ashley Barlow!

In this special milestone episode, I’m answering YOUR questions! You all made me think, reflect, and grow, and I couldn’t be more grateful. 💙

Thank you to each and every one of you for tuning in, sharing your stories, and being such loyal listeners. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m so honored to be part of your advocacy journey! Here’s to many more episodes together! 🎧✨

In today’s episode, I reference a few fan-favorite episodes:

• Episode 13: The Wright Way with THE Special Education Guru - Pete Wright We dove into the world of special education law with Pete Wright, a true legend in the advocacy community. His expertise and insights still resonate with advocates across the country.
• Episode 41: Equity, Inclusion, and More with Heather Avis from The Lucky Few This episode with Heather Avis sparked a powerful discussion about inclusion and belonging, as we explored the challenges and joys of true equity in education.
• Episodes 28, 29, & 30: Allllll Things Dyslexia with Daphne Corder Our three-part series with Daphne Corder was packed with actionable information about dyslexia. From early intervention to accommodations, we covered all the bases for parents and educators alike.
• Episode 17: Caroling for the Caregiver: Mind, Body, and Spirit with Kara Ryska A beautiful conversation with Kara Ryska about the importance of self-care for caregivers. This episode was a heartfelt reminder to prioritize our own well-being as we care for others.

Nobody has time for complicated, convoluted conversations about behavior supports at schools. When students struggle with behaviors, all members of IEP teams are left feeling frustrated, concerned, and exhausted. IEP teams need no-nonsense, effective, and efficient help supporting their students behaviorally, and the good news is that Dr. Annie McLaughlin is in this world. When I asked Dr. Annie where IEP teams should start with Behavior Supports, she said, "Believing that the child is trying to tell you something." Woah! What if we all started with mindset and communication? What if we all assumed positive intention from the child? What if we all looked for the need? Dr. Annie is the real deal, and in this episode she and I talk through behavior supports, collaboration amongst school teams, advocacy supports, and so much more! If you like Dr. Annie's episode, be sure to check out Episode 127 when I you first met her on our little pod!!!

Dr. Annie is a full time educational consultant in Maryland where she helps families navigate the IEP process as well as train school systems on best practices in Special Education and behavior analysis. She began her career as a special education teacher and behavior analyst in clinics and schools before transitioning full time to consulting and advocacy. She has three elementary and middle school aged children and enjoys gardening with them.

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My friend, Heather Avis is a fierce advocate from whom we can all learn something. When she and I planned this episode, we chatted about what happens when families (spoiler alert: like hers) have to make the hard decision to access a more restrictive/less inclusive setting for their children at school. We had so much content planned... but then we hit record and we had an even better discussion about so many things that weigh on parents' and educators' hearts. What is the true definition of inclusion? What does it mean to belong? Where do inclusion and belonging intersect? What do we do when we know schools don't have the tools for promote inclusion? This episode is deep, informative, thoughtful, and inspiring... just like Heather! I hope you'll love it!

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Repeat after me... Time is Money! Most attorneys and advocates charge by the hour, and regardless of their hourly rate, we'd all like more Benjamins in our pockets. If you're seeing an attorney or advocate, you're also likely struggling to get your child the right IEP/504 supports, which is horrendously important. And your kids are so, so deserving. Getting just the right information to your special education attorney or advocate in just the right amount of time is therefore a bit of science. So, this episode is all about preparing for your quick intake call and initial consult with your attorney or advocate. I'll give you the 411 on what information my clients struggle to give, what documentation to bring, and how to present the information to save money and get the best results!

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Did you know that people are more liked if they ask for help? There's tons of research behind that. I think it's normal to dive deep into ourselves - to go down all of the rabbit holes - to stick our heads in the sand - to withdraw- especially when the burden of advocating for our kids with disabilities increases. But the fact remains that we don't have to do it alone... and our outcomes will undoubtedly be better if we have strong community along the way. In today's episode, I brainstorm tons of ways you can access community, both in your school and in other circles, which will improve your advocacy, provide inspiration, and occasionally give you an outlet. Plus, as we approach out 200th episode, I provide information on how you can contribute to our big milestone. Here's the link for you to submit your questions: https://www.speakpipe.com/AshleyBarlow