Welcome back to our special Back to School series, where we're revisiting some of the most popular and impactful episodes to help you gear up for the new school year. These episodes have resonated with so many educators and parents, and we're excited to share them with you again.

Teaching autistic preschoolers with a strength-based approach can make a world of difference in their learning experience. Instead of focusing on what a child can't do, strength-based learning emphasizes their strengths, passions, and interests. In this episode, we'll compare strength-based learning to the traditional deficit-based approach and highlight the power of positive relationships in the classroom. With real-life examples, I'll provide you with practical strategies to implement a strengths-based approach.

Topics Discussed:

1. Strength-based approach to learning

2. Deficits-based approach

3. Value of positive relationships

4. Examples of strength-based approaches

Links Mentioned In This Episode:

Child Interest Survey

The Strengths Based Guide To Supporting Autistic Children by Claire Hill

Learn Play Thrive Blog Post

Strength based approach video

Tot Tube

Put in barn on Amazon

Video of put in barn activity on Instagram

Related Podcast Episodes To Listen To:

#58 Play-based learning for preschool autistic children

#50 3 ways to follow the lead of an autistic child

#36 Activities for children who dump and throw toys - Tips for expanding exploratory play

Other Links You May Be Interested In:

1. Autism Little Learners on Instagram

2. Autism Little Learners on Facebook

You can also join my free Visual Supports Facebook Group to “hang out” with likeminded 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! CLICK HERE to leave a review on iTunes, then scroll down to “ratings and reviews” and click “write a review”. THANK YOU!

Welcome back to our special Back to School series, where we're revisiting some of the most popular and impactful episodes to help you gear up for the new school year. These episodes have resonated with so many educators and parents, and we're excited to share them with you again. Let's dive into the first one!

As we head back into the classroom, understanding the developmental stages of play is crucial for supporting our young autistic students. In this episode, we explore the concept of "exploratory play"—a stage where children might dump toys, throw objects, or mouth everything. Instead of seeing these actions as a lack of play skills, we'll discover how they are part of a natural developmental process. Join me as I discuss how "put in" and "take out" activities can guide children in this exploratory stage toward more functional play. Let's get started!

Topics Discussed:

1. Exploratory play

2. Put in activities

3. Take out activities

4. Suggestions for types of activities to use

5. Next steps to expand

Links Mentioned In This Episode About Visual Supports:

1. Take Out The Toys Booklet

2. Put In & Take Out Toys List On Amazon

3. Themed Play Visual Supports

4. Podcast Episode About Exploratory Play

5. Blog Post About Exploratory Play

6. The Hanen Centre

Other Links You May Be Interested In:

1. Autism Little Learners on Instagram

2. 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 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! CLICK HERE to leave a review on iTunes, then scroll down to “ratings and reviews” and click “write a review”. THANK YOU!

As we head into August and gear up for the new school year, we thought it would be the perfect time to revisit some of our most popular episodes. These episodes have resonated deeply with our listeners and are packed with valuable insights that will be incredibly helpful during this back-to-school season.

Today, we're kicking things off with an episode that offers five essential tips to support coregulation and self-regulation with young autistic children. These strategies are designed to create a supportive and nurturing environment, helping our little learners thrive both in and out of the classroom. Let's dive in and refresh our knowledge on these key techniques!

We hear the term self-regulation all the time. But, we need to remember an important step of co-regulation. This episode will walk you through 5 tips for moving from co-regulation to self-regulation. You can grab the calming kit here.

In This Episode You Will Learn:

• 5 tips for moving from co-regulation to self-regulation

• About what co-regulation is

• About what self-regulation is

• Visual supports that can encourage self-regulation

Links Mentioned In This Episode About Co-Regulation & Self-Regulation:

• Adapted Book Library

• Visual Support Starter Set

• Visual Supports Facebook Group

• Autism Little Learners on Instagram

• Autism Little Learners on Facebook

• Adapted Books Blog

• 5 Fidget Toys For Self Regulation Blog

• Co-Regulation And Autism Blog

• Children’s Book List For Self-Relation

• DIY Calming Tent

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!

CLICK HERE to leave a review on iTunes, then scroll down to “ratings and reviews” and click “write a review”. THANK YOU!