Sue Larkey Podcast - Autism (ASD), ADHD, ODD and PDA education
Sue Larkey enlightens, and entertains with valuable insights into Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, ODD and PDA. Covering strategies from the Early Years to Teens Years and Beyond. Visit https://suelarkey.com.au/podcast-listing/ to get access to the books, downloads and extra information provided with each episode To learn more about teaching or understanding ASD please visit my websites below. https://suelarkey.com.au Join Sue as she shares simple yet effective tips, supports and strategies on a range of topics including social skills, communication and positive behaviour support. Sue Larkey is uniquely positioned within the education system having taught...
SLP 365: Understanding PDA, AuDHD, RSD and ODD: A Practical Guide for Educators
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ PDA Profile: Autism-linked anxiety drives need for control.
✅ Demand Triggers: Excess enthusiasm becomes a demand and triggers avoidance.
✅ Autonomy Within Structure: Offer predictable routines with real choices.
✅ Teaching Mindset: Treat them as assistants rather than students.
✅ AuDHD: Autism and ADHD create competing needs for routine and variety.
✅ Rejection Sensitivity: Perceived criticism feels overwhelming and constant.
✅ ODD Versus PDA: Anxiety makes PDA a can't, not won't.
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SLP 364: Transition Cheat Sheets for Teachers: Planning With One Concise Cheat Sheet
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Transition Sheets: Concise cheat sheets give teachers key information from day one.
✅ Proactive Strategies: Plan supports upfront, like for allergies, not after problems.
✅ One Document: Teachers, assistants, and parents add to a single shared sheet.
✅ Self-Advocacy: Students introduce themselves using the "10 Things About Me" sheet.
✅ Individual Needs: Knowing autism generally doesn't explain how this child learns.
✅ Key Areas: Cover academic, behavior, communication, social, general, and sensory needs.
✅ Calming Strategies: Know how each child...
SLP 363: Getting Ready for the New School Year: Transition Strategies for Neurodiverse Students
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Transition Timing: Start planning in November.
✅ Teacher Reveal: Tell families the likely teacher early.
✅ Sensory Needs: Plan for room, uniform, and movement changes.
✅ Visual Preparation: Use maps, photos, and real-environment videos.
✅ Hidden Curriculum: Teach unspoken rules and routines explicitly.
✅ Daily Routines: Practice lunchboxes, calendars, and travel beforehand.
✅ Calming Strategies: Identify tools that keep each child regulated.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below
SLP 362: Understanding Behaviour in the Early Years: Why Children Do What They Do
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Autism vs OCD: Autistic repetition brings joy; OCD rituals bring fear.
✅ Compulsion Cycle: Compulsions feed OCD and reinforce the sense of threat.
✅ Delay Strategy: Waiting minutes before compulsions weakens the OCD loop.
✅ Reassurance Trap: Repeated reassurance fuels fear; offer co-regulation instead.
✅ Real Event OCD: OCD invents false narratives around dim memories.
✅ Faulty Alarm: Frame OCD as a false alarm, not danger.
✅ Stay Engaged: During flare-ups, normal activities signal safety to the nervous sy...
SLP 361: Understanding OCD and Autism: What Educators and Parents Need to Know
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Autism vs OCD: Autistic repetition brings joy; OCD rituals bring fear.
✅ Compulsion Cycle: Compulsions feed OCD and reinforce the sense of threat.
✅ Delay Strategy: Waiting minutes before compulsions weakens the OCD loop.
✅ Reassurance Trap: Repeated reassurance fuels fear; offer co-regulation instead.
✅ Real Event OCD: OCD invents false narratives around dim memories.
✅ Faulty Alarm: Frame OCD as a false alarm, not danger.
✅ Stay Engaged: During flare-ups, normal activities signal safety to the nervous sy...
SLP 360: Why "Won't" Is Actually "Can't": Rethinking Executive Functioning in Neurodivergent Students
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Origins: Dean began autism advocacy work in 2004 as a teenager.
✅ Executive Function: Brain's "admin team" handles planning and emotional regulation.
✅ Autistic Inertia: Difficulty shifting from stopped to started, or vice versa.
✅ Object Permanence: Hidden items feel forgotten, causing hidden anxiety.
✅ Reframing: Struggles are "can't do," not laziness or avoidance.
✅ Sensory Load: Autistic brains process significantly more information at rest.
✅ Environment Change: Adjusting structures helps all students, not just neurodivergent ones.
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SLP 359: Understanding and Supporting Executive Function Skills in the Classroom
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Executive Function: It's a brain muscle, improves with practice.
✅ Emotional Control: Kids overreact to small setbacks or mistakes.
✅ Impulse Control: Use visual wait signals instead of scolding.
✅ Planning: Break big tasks into smaller weekly chunks.
✅ Task Initiation: Give five-minute warnings to start work.
✅ Working Memory: Limit steps and reduce classroom distractions.
✅ Time Management: Use timers and routines to build independence.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes found vi...
SLP 358: Preparing Neurodiverse Students for the Transition to Secondary School
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Start Early: Begin transition planning in year five.
✅ School Visits: Visit school multiple times when crowded.
✅ Sensory Needs: Note sounds, smells, and uniform textures.
✅ Safe Spaces: Establish a calming spot for anxiety.
✅ Language Shift: Teach "unsure" instead of "I don't know".
✅ Peer Support: Use rotating peer mentors, not fixed pairs.
✅ Discreet Help: Use QR codes or signals, avoid aides.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the...
SLP 357: Teacher Assistant Support Strategies: Practical Tools for Neurodiverse Learners
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Independence: Build routines so students work on their own.
✅ Coping Skills: Teach deep breaths, not just "calm down".
✅ Timing: Schedule support during each child's productive hours.
✅ Special Interests: Use passions like number plates to teach.
✅ Peer Help: Encourage "see two, then see me" habits.
✅ Avoid Helplessness: Let students attempt tasks before helping them.
✅ Breaking Tasks: Use highlighters to simplify overwhelming worksheets.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes fou...
SLP 356: Teacher Assistant Tips for Navigating Challenges and Building Connections: Dream Team Insights (Lived Experience, Teacher, Teacher Assistant and Parent)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Consistent TAs: Same TA builds healthy, stable attachment.
✅ Team Roles: Teachers and TAs support, not replace, each other.
✅ Ego Aside: Let another adult help when needed.
✅ Student Choice: Let teens choose how they use TA time.
✅ Withdrawal Timing: Don't pull kids from classes they enjoy.
✅ Behavior Meaning: Behavior communicates unmet needs or feelings.
✅ Generalization: Skills learned one place may not transfer.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes fou...
SLP 355: How to Set Up a Lunchtime Club That Builds Real Friendships
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Peer Groups: Friend groups shrink and tighten around age seven.
✅ Playground: Feels like a party full of strangers.
✅ Mind Blindness: Autistic kids often miss literal social cues.
✅ Lunchtime Clubs: Build friendships around shared interests proactively.
✅ Club Setup: Decide name, frequency, size, and entry method.
✅ Friendship Stages: Hello progresses slowly to close friendship.
✅ Inclusion: Ask if neurodiverse kids attend birthday parties.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes found vi...
SLP 354: Social Meltdowns Explained: Why "What Happened?" Is the Wrong Question (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA, etc)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Social Meltdowns: Social overwhelm triggers meltdowns, not just sensory.
✅ Skill Not Will: Children want friends but lack the skills.
✅ Perspective Taking: Explain why a friend didn't pass the ball.
✅ Warning Signs: Yelling, dobbing, crying, shutting down signal overload.
✅ In The Moment: Remove bystanders, distract, don't interrogate about incidents.
✅ Classroom Accommodations: Give thinking time before collaborating or choosing partners.
✅ Connection First: Teach social knowledge proactively in five-minute activities.
Read more about thi...
SLP 353: Why Autistic Girls Mask at School and Meltdown at Home
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Masking: Girls mimic peers, appearing fine while exhausted inside.
✅ After-School Meltdowns: Held-in stress erupts at home, not school.
✅ Perfectionism: Small mistakes trigger distress; girls avoid asking help.
✅ Playground Fatigue: Breaks drain autistic girls rather than energise them.
✅ Diagnosis Timing: Earlier understanding eases the transition into high school.
✅ Teacher Signs: Watch anxiety, possessive friendships, and end-of-day unravelling.
✅ Special Interests: Share her passion to build calm and confidence.
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SLP 352: Behaviour Is Communication: What Neurodiverse Students Are Really Telling You
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Behavior: Reflects unmet needs, not choice.
✅ Mistakes: Fear of errors triggers refusals, meltdowns.
✅ Support: Change structure, not the child.
✅ Being First: Often signals safety, not defiance.
✅ Rewards: Praise completion, not finishing first.
✅ Peer Play: Neurotypical kids can include neurodivergent peers.
✅ Reframe: Ask what support is missing.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link below
suelarkey.com.au/behaviour-strategies-for-neurodiverse-students
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SLP 351: Setting Up a Calm Corner: How to Go From Overwhelm to Regulated
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Individual Needs: Every child needs different calming tools.
✅ Teach Usage: Model and practice breaks when calm.
✅ Energy Breaks: Some kids need high-energy activities instead.
✅ Sensory Tools: Weighted blankets, fidgets, and body socks help.
✅ Space Setup: Avoid overload; keep areas simple, tailored.
✅ Non-Verbal Requests: Use tokens or cards to avoid talking.
✅ Returning Routine: Teach timed check-ins to exit calmly.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes found via the link b...
SLP 350: PDA & Supporting the Drive for Autonomy with Expert Guests Laura Kerby & Eliza Flicker
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ PDA Definition: Drive for autonomy, not pathological demand avoidance.
✅ Demand Types: Internal and external demands create cumulative pressure.
✅ Boiling Kettle: Anxiety builds quietly, small triggers cause big crises.
✅ Crisis Recovery: Children need time and space after overwhelm.
✅ School Environment: Flexible schools with strong relationships make huge difference.
✅ Safe Relationships: Authentic connections reduce anxiety and increase coping.
✅ Perfectionism: Self-sabotage maintains autonomy when fear of failure exists.
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SLP 349: A Whole-Body Approach to Handwriting for Neurodiverse Learners
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Handwriting: Complex skill involving pencil grip and eye tracking simultaneously.
✅ Dysgraphia: Child knows what to write but cannot execute.
✅ Fine Motor: Spinning tops and squeeze balls strengthen children's grip.
✅ Accommodations: Pencil grips, shorter pencils, and color choice support students.
✅ Short Breaks: Alternate five minutes writing with gross motor activity.
✅ Visual Supports: Use topic sentences and mind mapping for structure.
✅ Whole Body: Posture, core strength, and eye tracking matter profoundly.
Read more a...
SLP 348: Understanding OCD and Autism with Guest Dean Beadle
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ OCD vs Autism: autism celebrates identity, OCD only causes distress.
✅ Real Event OCD: invents false narratives around dim memories.
✅ The OCD Cycle: obsession, anxiety, compulsion, relief, then repeat.
✅ Breaking Compulsions: not doing them weakens the entire cycle.
✅ Compulsions vs Rituals: compulsions fear-based, rituals come from joy.
✅ Repetition Source: joy means encourage, fear means co-regulate.
✅ Living Around OCD: continue normal life despite intrusive thoughts.
Read more about this podcast in the show no...
SLP 347: Understanding Perfectionism: The Hidden Fear of Failure in Neurodiverse Students (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA, OCD)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Core Understanding: Perfectionism in neurodivergent kids stems from anxiety, not standards.
✅ ADHD Perfectionism: Won't start, gives up quickly, fears failure intensely.
✅ ODD Perfectionism: Refusal and arguing mask deep vulnerability and control needs.
✅ PDA Perfectionism: Loss of control drives anxiety-driven demand avoidance.
✅ Autism Perfectionism: Rigidity and repetition needed for predictability and rightness.
✅ OCD Perfectionism: Checking behaviors prevent feared catastrophes from happening.
✅ Key Strategy: Tailor support by understanding each diagnosis's underlying drivers.
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SLP 346: Why Telling a Child to Calm Down Never Works: The Case for Teaching Emotional Regulation
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
✅ Emotional Regulation: Teach children to recognize and manage their emotions daily.
✅ Device Dependency: Screens prevent kids from learning to regulate emotions naturally.
✅ Developmental Gap: Kids with autism/ADHD are three years behind developmentally.
✅ Replace Behavior: Behavior serves a purpose; you can only replace it.
✅ Meltdown Stages: Understand buildup, survival, and meltdown/shutdown phases to intervene.
✅ Executive Function: Emotional control is a muscle requiring consistent practice.
✅ Whole-Class Approach: Teach emotional regulation to all childre...
SLP 345: Medication Insights from Families: What works for their Neurodiverse Children (AS, ADHD)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Medication Discovery: Different medications affect each child uniquely and require trial.
✅ Documentation Practice: Keep diary or voice memos tracking behavior and dosage changes.
✅ Team Approach: Collaborate with parents, teachers, and doctors for best outcomes.
✅ School Impact: Right medication enables children to concentrate and access therapies.
✅ Parental Alignment: Partners may need education to understand medication benefits clearly.
✅ Child's Voice: Listen to child's experiences and observations...
SLP 344: Supporting Neurodiverse Children in the Early Years - Mini-training and Ebook
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Staff Training: Workshops help preschools engage neurodiverse children effectively.
✅ Teaching Methods: Direct, engineered, and incidental strategies adapt learning.
✅ Backward Chaining: Children succeed by completing only the final step.
✅ Visuals & Communication: Picture exchange supports nonverbal and limited-speech children.
✅ Now-Next-Later: Visual schedules clarify activities and reduce child anxiety.
✅ Self-Regulation: Preventative breaks, sensory tools, and calm moments help.
✅ Toilet Training: Use routine timing, not waiting for readiness...
SLP 343: The Must-have Resources For Every Classroom With Neurodiverse Students (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Timers and Schedules: Visual tools reduce anxiety and support transitions.
✅ Red Beast Workbook: Teaches anger regulation using dimmer switch concept.
✅ Emotion Picture Books: Help children identify and manage feelings.
✅ Self-Control Resources: Lauren Bruner books support regulation and writing.
✅ Sensory Tools: Tokens, morphs, and timers aid regulation.
✅ PDA Understanding: Books explain pathological demand avoidance effectively.
✅ Girls Neurodiversity: Resources help girls understand ADHD and autism.
SLP 342: What Is AuDHD and RSD? Understanding the Overlap Between Autism and ADHD
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ AuDHD: Autism and ADHD diagnosed together in same person.
✅ RSD: 98% with ADHD experience hypersensitivity to negative feedback.
✅ Prevalence: 50-70% of autistic people also have ADHD.
✅ Contradictions: AuDHD students need routine some days, variety others.
✅ Sensory: Often overlooked in ADHD but highly impactful.
✅ Strategies: Use visuals, kinesthetic learning, movement breaks consistently.
✅ Management: Label emotions and take thoughts to court.
Read more about this pod...
SLP 341: A Teacher's Guide to AuDHD Girls: Shutdowns, Perfectionism, and the Veneer of Coping
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Masking: Girls mask autism symptoms making diagnosis difficult for teachers.
✅ Shutdowns: Shutdowns show quiet withdrawal meltdowns show overt emotional distress.
✅ Indicators: Watch for perfectionism anxiety comprehension gaps and excessive helpfulness.
✅ Communication: Parent teacher trust and communication identify masked symptoms effectively.
✅ Accommodations: Universal classroom accommodations help all students including masked neurodivergent children.
✅ Awareness: Diagnosis helps individuals understand how their brain works differently.
✅ Resources: Library books...
SLP 340: The Five-Step Meltdown De-escalation Framework Every Educator Needs: What to do Before, During and After
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Five Key Strategies: Calm, time, space, communication, distraction deescalate meltdowns.
✅ Meltdown Type: Overwhelming loss of control, different from a tantrum.
✅ Prevention Strategies: Routines, visuals, timers, quiet spaces reduce meltdown occurrence.
✅ During Peak Meltdown: Treat like seizure—remove bystanders, ensure safety.
✅ After Meltdown: Move forward, avoid dwelling, focus on prevention strategies.
✅ Communication Method: Use "now, next, later" instead of saying "no."
✅ Self-Regulation: Teach emotional litera...
SLP 339: PDA vs. ODD: A Guide to Supporting Pathological Demand Avoidance in Schools
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ PDA vs ODD: PDA is autism-based; ODD recognizes authority.
✅ Authenticity Essential: PDA individuals instantly detect false or inauthentic behavior.
✅ Real Choices: Offer exactly two options, never open-ended.
✅ Structure Plus Autonomy: Combine routine with freedom like holidays.
✅ Shared Demands: Working together halves perceived anxiety and demands.
✅ Fresh Daily Starts: Each day deserves a clean slate.
✅ Emotional Honesty: Model feeling words and processing aloud.
Read mo...
SLP 338: Why Choice Making is so hard for Neurodiverse Children and What To Do (AS, ADHD, PDA, AuDHD)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Choice-Making Complexity: requires problem-solving and understanding consequences.
✅ Anxiety-Problem Solving Link: higher anxiety lowers ability.
✅ Autism Strategies: offer two real choices always.
✅ PDA Approach: provide autonomy through indirect language.
✅ ADHD Support: time limits and visuals prevent overload.
✅ ODD Management: stay calm; avoid power struggle traps.
✅ Educational Outcome: define your goal before offering choices.
Read more about this podcast in the show notes found vi...
SLP 337: Autism + Environment = Outcome: How to Recognise and Support Executive Functioning Struggles in Neurodivergent Students
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Executive Functioning: Brain's admin team managing planning, organizing, deadlines, emotions.
✅ Autistic Inertia: Difficulty shifting gears from rest to action or stopping.
✅ Environment Over Child: Modify structure, not the child—autism plus environment equals outcome.
✅ Neurological vs Behavioral: Executive functioning issues are can't-do, not lazy won't-do.
✅ Object Permanence Anxiety: Out-of-sight tasks create persistent worry about completion.
✅ Understanding Changes Adults: Why matters more than what for changing p...
SLP 336: Executive Functioning Challenges Looks like Defiance: Why and How to Building Executive Functioning in Neurodiverse Students
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Executive Functioning: air traffic controller managing stimuli and focus.
✅ Seven Components: emotional control, impulse, planning, organizing, task initiation.
✅ Practice: Executive functioning improves with consistent practice like muscles.
✅ Emotional Control: Children struggle with emotions and negative feedback.
✅ Task Initiation: Five-minute warnings and rewards help start tasks.
✅ Organization: Minimize distractions and keep items in one place.
✅ Working Memory: Break tasks into visual steps with routines.
SLP 335: How to Have the Hard Conversation: 8 Steps for Educators Starting the Diagnosis Conversation
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Meeting Tone: Be mindful of tone and choose comfortable environments.
✅ Positive Feedback: Always share four positives for every negative.
✅ Collaborative Approach: Work together with parents, don't be adversarial.
✅ Gather Evidence: Keep detailed behavioral notes with dates and examples.
✅ Professional Boundaries: Never diagnose or recommend medication as teacher.
✅ Documentation Trail: Email meeting summaries, next steps, and follow-ups.
✅ Red Flags: Monitor social, emotional, and academic devel...
SLP 334: 10 Must Have Resources That Transform Support for Neurodiverse Students (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Diverse Learners: use multiple strategies for each child's individual needs.
✅ Ultimate Guide: 500+ strategies from early years through adult life.
✅ Meltdown Types: distinguish behavior, sensory, and tantrum for effective plans.
✅ Visual Timers: time timers show children remaining time visually.
✅ Whole-Class Approach: teach social skills with entire class for support.
✅ Girls Underdiagnosed: girls show different traits; need recognition and support.
✅ Metaphor Tools: red beast and similar bo...
SLP 333: What every Educator needs to Know about Behaviour for Neurodiverse Students (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Behavior Communication: Children communicate needs through challenging behavior.
✅ Environment Over Child: Adjust structures to support children's needs.
✅ Mistake Anxiety: Fear of errors triggers avoidance and perfectionism.
✅ Control Through First: Being first provides predictability and emotional regulation.
✅ Fair Over Equal: Meet individual needs, not identical treatment.
✅ Short Strategy Videos: Forty-nine five-minute videos teach practical behavior responses.
✅ Find The Need: Identify missing support, then provide approp...
SLP 332 Understanding Time Blindness Essential Strategies for Supporting Neurodiverse Students
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Time Blindness: neurodiverse individuals struggle to perceive passing time accurately.
✅ Visual Timers: make time visible and accessible for all students.
✅ Digital Schedules: portable schedules with digital time beat analog clocks.
✅ Task Breakdown: split work into smaller parts to reduce overwhelm.
✅ Warnings: give five-minute warnings before transitions or activity endings.
✅ Routines: work backward from bedtime to plan evening schedule.
✅ Reinforcement: acknowledge when children manage time we...
SLP 331: 18 Ways to Set Up Your Classroom for Neurodiverse Success (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Motor Skills: Poor fine and gross motor impacts handwriting ability.
✅ Routines: Establish clear routines from day one to reduce stress.
✅ Timers and Visuals: Use visual supports to manage transitions effectively.
✅ Interception: Many neurodivergent kids miss thirst, hunger, toilet body signals.
✅ IEP Collaboration: Involve teacher assistants, parents, specialists in planning meetings.
✅ Homework Systems: Provide clear workspace, timers, buddy support, movement breaks.
✅ Behavior Strategies: Reference prac...
SLP 330: School Camps Without the Stress: A Preparation Guide for Neurodiverse Students (AS, ADHD, ODD, PDA)
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Preparation: Give at least two weeks advance warning.
✅ Social Stories: Use pictures and videos of venue.
✅ Optional Activities: Allow kids to skip uncomfortable tasks.
✅ Food Flexibility: Let kids bring preferred meals or drinks.
✅ Sensory Accommodation: Consider seating, noise, temperature, clothing.
✅ Emotional Support: Discuss feelings and regulation strategies.
✅ Peer Mentoring: Have older kids share their experiences.
Read more about this podcast in the show no...
SLP 329: Practical Tools for Childhood Emotional Regulation
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Emotional Literacy: Children learn language to understand feelings.
✅ Magical Metaphor: Book uses magic powers for engagement.
✅ Feelings Town: Story setting with different emotional stops.
✅ Stop Sign Strategy: Key tool for emotional regulation.
✅ Choice and Control: Children personalize their regulation approaches.
✅ Whole-Class Participation: Everyone creates stop signs together.
✅ Adult Modeling: Adults show their own emotional regulation.
Read more about this podcast in the show no...
SLP 328: Understanding PDA: Why Common Strategies Don't Work for Every Child
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ PDA Profile: Pathological demand avoidance requires different strategies than autism.
✅ Consistency Over Routines: Adults must remain calm and consistent, not rigid.
✅ Tomorrow Box: Allow children to defer tasks without refusing them.
✅ Trust Building: Forcing compliance damages relationships with demand-avoidant children.
✅ Anxiety Reduction: Lower anxiety reveals humor, creativity, and resilience.
✅ Adult Adaptation: Professionals adapt their approach, not forcing child compliance.
✅ Interest-Led Connection: Meet children throu...
SLP 327: Seven Hidden Triggers Behind Challenging Behavior in Children with Autism
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Meltdown Triggers: Seven categories help identify what sets off dysregulation.
✅ Proactive Strategy: Identify triggers to prevent meltdowns before crisis happens.
✅ Hulk Metaphor: Dysregulated kids can't respond to traditional discipline threats.
✅ Self-Esteem Threats: Corrections and teasing trigger emotional dysregulation.
✅ Processing Trauma: Connect past incidents to present safety through discussion/writing.
✅ Self-Modeling: Audio/video of positive routines reinforces behavior before challenges.
✅ Anxiety Management: Think like scientist...
SLP 326: Guest Author Kate Swenson shares Choosing Joy Over Fear: One Family's Journey with Nonverbal Autism
Join Sue for an upcoming Live Virtual Workshop where you will learn from Sue practical tips & strategies to make a difference.
In this episode, we will discuss:
✅ Forever Boy: celebrates positive aspects of nonverbal autism diagnosis.
✅ Cooper's Journey: severe autism, happy, social, communicative, thriving life.
✅ Strategy Selection: one strategy works for one in ten.
✅ Breaking Down: big goals require tiny steps over years.
✅ Behavior Tracking: data reveals what child actually communicates.
✅ Consistency: all caregivers must reinforce same communication methods.
✅ Joy and Purpose: The More Than Project supports special-needs moms.
