What Strategies to Prioritize in the New Year (And What To Let Go)

Every January, therapists feel the pressure to do more.

More goals. More data. More strategies.

The new year often brings fresh systems, new expectations, and a long list of things we should be focusing on. And for therapists working with autistic kids, everything can feel important – which makes prioritization even harder.

But here’s the reframe that matters most: prioritization isn’t about productivity. It’s about impact and sustainability, for the kids we support and for us as therapists.

Instead of trying to do everything, focusing on the right things can completely change how your sessions feel. 

Here are five priorities worth centering this year if you want care that is regulated, meaningful, and sustainable:

1. Regulation Before Expectation 

Nervous system safety has to come before language demands.

Regulation isn’t a warm-up activity or something to squeeze in once “real work” is done. It’s the foundation that makes communication, learning, and participation possible in the first place.

Prioritizing regulation means sensory supports are built into sessions instead of added reactively. It means fewer transitions, clearer rhythms, and predictable session flow. For many autistic kids, predictability matters far more than novelty.

When regulation comes first, everything else becomes more accessible.

2. Fewer, Better Goals

More goals do not equal more progress.

When goals multiply, focus gets diluted and pressure increases – often without meaningful impact on a child’s daily life. Prioritizing depth over breadth creates space for real participation and growth.

One meaningful, participation-based goal will always matter more than five isolated skills practiced in a vacuum. A helpful question to ask is: “Which goal, if you did nothing else on this plan of care, would most improve this child’s everyday life?”

Clarity around goals makes planning simpler and sessions more effective.

3. Strengths as the Starting Point

Strengths are not something kids earn after compliance. Strengths are the strategy.

Building from interests, joy, and competence supports regulation and engagement at the same time. When therapy starts with what’s already working, kids are more available for connection, communication, and learning.

Strengths aren’t the reward – they’re the path forward.

4. Proactive Sensory Support

So much of our energy is spent managing dysregulation once it shows up. One of the most impactful shifts you can make is prioritizing prevention instead.

Proactive sensory support means adjusting the environment, pacing, and sensory input before behavior escalates. It means session flow that matches a child’s sensory profile and adults adjusting expectations rather than asking kids to force regulation.

When sensory needs are supported upfront, dysregulation becomes less frequent and less intense.

5. Therapist Sustainability

Therapist sustainability is not optional – especially at the start of a new year.

Burned-out therapists cannot deliver regulated, connected care. Willpower alone isn’t enough to carry the emotional and cognitive load of this work.

Sustainability comes from systems, not self-sacrifice. Fewer decisions. Clearer frameworks. Supportive people you can think with and co-regulate alongside. Who you surround yourself with matters, because regulation is relational for adults too.

Choosing What Deserves Your Energy

• When deciding what to prioritize, it can help to run decisions through a simple filter:
• Does this support regulation or connection?
• Does this increase real-life participation?
• Does this respect autonomy?
• Is this sustainable for me?

If the answer is “no” to most of these, it’s probably not a priority right now – and letting it go creates space for what truly matters.

Want Support Turning These Priorities Into Practice?

Inside the NeuroAffirm Therapy Academy, everything is built around these exact priorities – regulation-first care, proactive sensory support, strengths-based practice, and meaningful, participation-focused goals. If you want clear frameworks that help you apply this approach consistently, the Academy is designed to support you.

And if you’d like a deeper breakdown of these ideas, we recently explored them in more detail during our live show, “What Strategies to Prioritize in the New Year (And What To Let Go),” The NeuroAffirm Live Show, Ep. 111

This year, let’s stop asking kids to do more – and start prioritizing what actually helps them thrive.