The NeuroAffirm Podcast

The NeuroAffirm Podcast

Hosted by: Speech Dude & Sensory SLP

We're Jessie & Chris, an SLP couple from California with 5 boys and a passion for finding better ways to support Autistic kids. Join us weekly to learn neurodiversity affirming ways to strengthen social-emotional...

Episodes

Ep. 78 Designing The Perfect Clinic Space

Season #1

My clinic, Pediatric Therapy Playhouse, is turning 11 years old!! I seriously can't believe it. One of the biggest lessons I've learned in my 11 years as a clinic owner has been how to make a clinic space that works...
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Ep. 77: Supporting Autistic Play Development

Season #1

What does "functional play" really mean? Should we be teaching a child how to play? Is there a right and wrong way to play? These are all questions that come up when talking about Autistic play. I've always said "play...
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Ep. 76: How We Can Do Better For Autistic Kids

Season #1

Recently, a parent of a 9-year old Autistic boy shared with me that her son threatened to take his life multiple times. He was so sad that at 9 years old, he did not want to live anymore. And that got me thinking… How...
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Ep. 75: ABA & Neurodiversity Affirming Practices

Season #1

We need to talk about behavioral therapy... You may not know this but when I was in grad school, I was hired as a 1:1 behavioral support therapist for a little girl in a private school. ABA is a very common...
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Ep. 74: Are You Actually Neurodiversity Affirming? Ask Yourself These 5 Questions

Season #1

Are you actually neurodiversity affirming? The term "neurodiversity affirming" has become such a buzzword. Therapists are advertising themselves as "ND Affirming Therapists". And maybe that is you. But are you...
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Ep. 73: The Problem With Social Skills Training

Season #1

Chris's ND Affirming Activity Book is out NOW! Click below to grab it: https://www.speechdude.com/book The problem with traditional social skills training is that it focuses on teaching autistic individuals to mimic...
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Ep. 72: How Do You Transition Autistic Kids?

Season #1

If you work with kids, you know how hard transitions can be. For some kids, hearing a statement like “In five more minutes, we’re going to line up and go back to class” might not be a big deal. But those of us who...
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Ep. 71: When Kids Aren’t Picking Up On AAC

Season #1

When you’ve introduced AAC…but you feel like there’s no progress…what should you do? Sometimes just getting a device in a child’s hand feels like a major win. But what do you do when you’ve been trying and trying with...
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Ep. 70: Avoid these Goals for Autistic Kids

Season #1

Let’s face it. A lot of goals that are still being written for Autistic kids….well, they suck. This may come across as harsh but some of these goals truly do more harm than good. I genuinely believe that. So why are...
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Ep. 69: Navigating Autism & ADHD Assessments Ft. Neuropsychologist Dr. Wilson

Season #1

This week on Making the Shift, we are sitting down with Dr. Karen Wilson, a renowned clinical neuropsychologist and the founder of ChildNEXUS to discuss the importance of differential diagnosis in neurodivergent...
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Ep. 68: Best Ways to Support Nonspeaking Autistic Children

Season #1

In this week's episode of Making the Shift, we’re breaking down the absolute most powerful ways you can support nonspeaking Autistic children. On this episode, we're discussing: why kids may not be speaking, when to...
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Ep. 67: Autistic Representation on the Big Screen ft. Ezra Associate Producer Alex Plank

Season #1

A few weeks ago we were invited to attend the screening of the movie Ezra. And I’m still pinching myself. I reached out to the associate producer of the movie, Alex Plank, and he agreed to be interviewed on our live...
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