You guys…I’m so thrilled to introduce you to today’s guest on the Autism Little Learners Podcast! Her name is Kayla Castro and she specializes in assisting parents of autistic kids plan amazing vacations! She’s a special needs travel agent and I’ll let you in on a secret….Kayla is sharing so many tips today that blew my mind! If you are a special educator, you are going to want to share this episode with families asap! Join Kayla and me inside of episode 72 today!

Kayla Castro is a Certified Autism Travel Professional, a Special Education Educator, but more importantly a fellow Autism mom. Kayla lives in Orlando FL with her husband (veteran), 13 year old son, (ASD) and 9 year old son (neurotypical). Kayla is a dedicated individual with a deep passion for supporting the autism community through her role as a special needs travel agent. Her commitment stems from a desire to create inclusive and accessible travel experiences, ensuring individuals with autism and their families can explore the world comfortably and confidently. Kayla's expertise lies in crafting customized itineraries, considering sensory-friendly locations and accommodations, and providing resources to make travel a positive and enriching experience for the entire family.

Topics Discussed:

• Parents' biggest travel fears with their autistic child

• The most difficult part of traveling with an autistic child

• The #1 most inclusive vacation destination

• How you can make a Disney vacation work

• Top tips for flying with an autistic child

Website: specialkindofmagic.com

Instagram: @special.kind.of.magic

Facebook: Kayla Castro Travel Advisor

Other Links You May Be Interested In:

• Flying Social Story

• 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!

When I say that you are in a for a treat today, I mean it! I was so fortunate to have the opportunity to talk to Abbey Romeo and her mother Christine, both of whom were featured on the Netflix show Love On The Spectrum U.S.

On this special episode, Abbey shares her journey of growing up autistic, discussing the challenges she has faced and how she has learned to navigate them.

Christine offers her perspective as Abbey’s mother, detailing the support she has provided and the unique experiences they have encountered together. They explore the process of receiving Abbey's diagnosis, emphasizing what strategies have been beneficial and what have not. After you listen to this episode, you are going to want to head over to YouTube and watch it there too!

Bio: Abbey was diagnosed with autism at 2.5 years old. Now at 25, she’s thriving and was blessed with great therapists and years of supportive services: Speech, occupational therapy, adaptive PE, and many more programs that have helped her get to where she is today.

She has worked so hard to be able to feel like she has a voice. That’s why she chose a logo with a mermaid.

“In The Little Mermaid when Ariel gets to dry land, she’s no voice. And that’s how I feel. Sometimes I can’t get my words out.” – Abbey

Topics Discussed:

• Autism characteristics that Abbey displayed at 2 years old

• What types of services Abbey received during the early childhood years, elementary years, and secondary years

• Advice from Christine for parents navigating the journey of having an autistic child

• Christine and Abbey discuss the strategies and therapies that helped Abbey over the years

Links:

Website: https://madebyabbey.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hatsbyabbey/?hl=en

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hatsbyabbey?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@AbbeyRomeo

Love On The Spectrum (Netflix): https://www.netflix.com/title/81338328

Watch this episode on YouTube on the Autism Little Learners channel.

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!

Have you been hearing the talk lately about hand-over-hand prompting? Have you heard discussions surrounding this type of physical prompting and how it violates bodily autonomy and is not neurodiversity-affirming?

This week’s podcast guest is occupational therapist Dr. Diamond Rashad and I just had to have her on the show to talk about this topic because she articulates the information so well. This is another must-listen episode if you are working with young autistic kids!

Topics Discussed:

• Bodily autonomy and agency

• Hand-over-hand prompting

• Alternatives to hand-over-hand prompting

• Asking for consent

• What to do when kids aren’t initiating

Links:

Website: www.adimeinot.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/adimeofot

Freebie (discount code: littlepod) :

https://drdime.ck.page/products/hand-over-hand-tip-sheet?promo=LITTLEPOD

Bio:

Dr. Diamond Rashad (she/her), is a neurodivergent pediatric occupational therapist, disability advocate, and doula who resides in Georgia. She has worked as an occupational therapist for eight years and has experience working from a trauma-informed lens with children, adolescents, and young adults with differences in sensory integration, executive function, feeding & mealtime participation, and supporting Autistic clients and their families. She is the founder of Emira’s Mamas & "A Dime of OT"; she is passionate about supporting birthing parents from pregnancy to postpartum, diversity and inclusion in allied health settings, social-emotional support & co-regulation, and advocacy for culturally responsive, equitable care.

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!

Sometimes we need to go back to the basics. Because May is National Speech Language and Hearing Month, I thought it would be the perfect time to do just that. Today I’m talking to Megan Peveto, who is a speech/language pathologist who specializes in toddler language development. Megan is going to bring us back to the basics when it comes to language development for neurotypical children. We will also be chatting a bit about what it means to be an analytic language processor vs a gestalt language processor. Join me for this fun conversation with Megan.

Megan Peveto is a speech/language pathologist and the founder of the SLP Next Door. She is from a very small town in Texas. She is married to the absolutely best man on the planet and they have a little boy and a dog named Charlie. (sounds like a country song, doesn’t it?) She has been in the world of speech therapy ever since 2012 when she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree. She spent a year working as an SLP-A (speech language pathologist-assistant) before going to graduate school. Megan graduated with her Master’s degree in 2015 and has a certificate in Autism/Special Education.

The SLP Next Door was created with SLPs, educators, and anyone in the world of babies and toddlers in mind. Consider Megan your one stop shop for toddler language and communication development!

Megan’s “Toddler Toolbox” will provide you with everything you need to take your sessions from stressful to joyful! You'll understand how play develops, the best books for speech therapy, favorite toys that keep toddlers engaged, and so much more...

You can find Megan on facebook, Instagram, and Tik-Tok: @theslpnextdoor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theslpnextdoor/

Website: theslpnextdoor.com

The SLP Next Door Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-slp-next-door-podcast/id1701171462

Get on Megan’s e-mail list by going to: theslpnextdoor.com/toolbox

Topics Discussed:

• When do babies start saying their first words?

• When do little ones start combining two words?

• What is analytic language processing?

• When and where to turn if you suspect a language delay

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!

Do you ever find yourself wondering about things like, “what does it mean to be neurodiversity-affirming?”, “why do many autistic children have pronoun reversals”, “what is gestalt language processing”, “why should we honor protests from autistic children”, or “why aren’t WH question goals appropriate for many young autistic students”?. If you are curious about these questions and more…you are going to want to join me for this week’s podcast episode where I’ll be chatting with Emily Byers Chaney. She’s a speech/language pathologist and she was so kind to let me ask her a variety of questions that are often brought to me by my community. Emily talks about all of these things on her Instagram account, and I just knew she’d be the perfect person to interview for the Autism Little Learners Podcast. Head over and listen now because you will learn so much!

Emily Byers Chaney is a speech/language pathologist and is the speech and language program director at the Pediatric Therapy Playhouse in LA. Emily has been published in the America Speech Language Association national magazine. She specializes in gestalt language processing and neurdiversity-affirming therapy. Emily is trained in and has experience with the Floortime Approach, PROMPT, Hanen’s It Takes Two To Talk and More Than Words, Natural Language Acquisition for Gestalt Language Processors, and the Inside Out Sensory Certficate.

Topics Discussed:

• What it means to be neurodiversity-affirming

• Pronoun reversals and autism

• What is gestalt language processing?

• Why WH question goals aren’t always appropriate for gestalt language processors

• Modeling AAC without expectation

• Learning through play-based approaches vs. compliance-based approaches

• Building connections with autistic students

• Why planned ignoring doesn’t work

• Honoring protesting

Where You Can Find Emily:

Instagram: @ndaffirming.slp

Direct link to her IG account: https://www.instagram.com/ndaffirming.slp/

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!

I had the honor of talking to Jessie Ginsburg, the Sensory SLP and I’m so happy to bring the conversation to you! We talked about the connection between sensory and communication and how the two can create increased engagement and progress for autistic children. We also chatted about Jessie’s brand new book, “Ready, Set, Connect”. Run to get your copy today!

Topics Discussed:

• Combining sensory input with communication

• Authentic connections with autistic kids

• Sensory avoiders and sensory seekers

• Seesaw analogy and optimal learning zone

• The importance of a proactive approach to regulation

• Jessie’s brand new book titled “Ready, Set, Connect” is published!

Jessie Ginsburg is a sensory trained speech-language pathologist, CEO of Pediatric Therapy Playhouse, a top-rated clinic in Los Angeles, and author of Ready Set Connect: A Sensory-Based Approach to Accelerate Connection and Communication in Autistic Children. Through her international publications and talks, and her global Inside Out Sensory Certificate Program, Jessie inspires a new way of thinking about supporting communication development in Autistic children.

Book: www.readysetconnectbook.com

Sensory Course: www.sensoryslp.com

Making the Shift Live Show: www.youtube.com/c/SpeechDudeJessieGinsburg

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!

Today I’m talking to Amber Arrington. She’s the mom of 6 and 3 of her children are autistic. She started Autism Savvy to support other parents whose children were recently diagnosed or awaiting a diagnosis. I loved hearing Amber’s story and her insights when it comes to navigating a new autism diagnosis. Whether you are a parent or an educator, this episode is a must listen!

Topics Discussed:

• Navigating the autism diagnosis

• Talking to parents about autism for the first time

• Communication between classroom and home

Amber Arrington is a mother to 6 children, 3 of whom are autistic.

Autism was once a word she feared and has become a word she loves. Now she helps parents navigate an autism diagnosis and the autism landscape as a whole. She educates moms about available services and connects them with appropriate services and professionals.

Amber helps parents become "autism savvy" so they can know the best next steps to take for their child.

The Autism Savvy Summit: While You Wait Edition

Click here to learn more about the summit!

Amber's Book:

Not Atypical Motherhood: The Guide for Navigating a Child's New Autism Diagnosis

Links:

IG: https://www.instagram.com/autismsavvy/

Website: www.autismsavvy.com

Does your autistic child or student have a very limited diet? Maybe they eat 3 or 4 foods and that’s it? Join me today as I talk to Brittyn Coleman, the Autism Dietitian all about selective eaters and how we can best support them at home and in the school setting. You are going to love hearing what led Brittyn on this path to helping parents of neurodivergent children when it comes to nutrition.

Topics Discussed:

Picky eaters vs selective eaters language

What does the term “safe foods” mean

Why you should say “just take a bite”

What is ARFID?

Tips to help selective eaters at home and school

Brittyn Coleman, MS, RDN/LD, is a distinguished Registered Dietitian and Autism Nutrition Expert, known for her innovative, sensory-friendly feeding approach to nutrition for children on the autism spectrum. As the founder of the Nourishing Autism Collective, and as an autism sibling herself, Brittyn brings both professional expertise and personal understanding to her work. She empowers families with her expert guidance, helping children receive essential nutrients for optimal health and development. Her strategies are tailored to the unique dietary needs and sensory preferences of each child.

Brittyn's influence extends beyond her membership site through her active social media presence and her popular podcast, 'Nourishing Autism'. Her educational content on Instagram, YouTube, and other platforms has established her as a leading voice in autism nutrition, providing valuable resources, practical advice, and a supportive community for parents and professionals.

Links:

IG: @autismdietitian

FB: Autism Dietitian

Website: Autism Dietitian

Tik Tok: Autism Dietitian

Nourishing Autism Podcast

Nourishing Autism Collective (Membership)

FREE Food Sensory Profile Workbook

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!